Fluted Geese in Splint

My Fluted Canada Geese was accepted into the Visual Arts Showcase in the mixed media category.  The piece is about 4 ft wide and is comprised of vertical strips of an image affixed to a piece of 3-ply.
As in my other examples of mounting a large piece of Xuan on 3-ply, the gluing and drying process exerted quite a toll on the otherwise rigid plywood.  This piece is no exception.  The warping is most evident on the 4 corners.  I cannot present the work as such to the audience.

I glued narrow strips of fir around the back parameter of the 3-ply.  The painting itself is sandwiched between a straight, heavier member of stock and the fir strips.  This extemporaneous splint was clamped and allowed to set overnight.  The result was quite amazing.  The piece of 3-ply is now flat as new.

I then used 1x2 poplar stock to make my frame.  I had to mount the painting as a float due to the splints glued to the back of it.  The frame I built is just big enough to enclose the painting, and has a  recessed back plate.  I wanted the recess to hide my mounting hardware, such that the entire frame would hug the wall sans tilt when hung.  The painting is just below the rim of the frame.  I would have preferred a deeper seating, but the recessed backing took the height of the frame rails.

I chose poplar because the wood tone is a good match to the overall tone of my painting.  I had wanted a transparent coating ( like my Canada Geese Impression frame ) but it looked frigid when finished.   I didn't choose to paint it black because that would cage in the wandering feel.  I finally mixed  white latex paint with  weathered oak stain and allow it to sit on the wood for 15 minutes before wiping  off the excess.  The result was blotches of off white that quietly matched the sky.

The finished product was up on the wall for a week and there was something about it that I didn't like but I couldn't put my finger on it.  With the Showcase deadline closing in, I felt like I was behind the 8 ball and have lost my acumen. 

It finally dawned on me.

In cutting out the plywood with a hand held circular, I was cutting a hair wide at the center (perhaps due to the bowing of the piece, since I don't have a large enough flat surface to set the uncut plywood) and the frame enclosure exposed this fly in the ointment.  One could see a uniform narrow gap around the piece, except at the center bottom where it meets the frame. It was like looking at the different body panels on a car and you find out the trunk lid isn't centered because it has uneven gaps on the sides. Fortunately rigorous sanding took care of the annoying protrusion.

 Now the edge is still not perfect, but it is no longer bulging so obtrusively in the middle and definitely has that handmade look to it.  That is how I console myself.


P.S.  Finally received an award at a juried show, for this piece of work!