Scottish Thistle - hand painted cast paper

Scottish Thistle The Official Emblem of Scotland Legend has it, that in the 9th century when the Norse were often raiding Scotland, a group of Vikings tried to sneak up on a group of sleeping Clansmen. They had removed their shoes to creep quietly but stepped on thistles and cried out in pain. The alerted Scots made them pay. This story is on the back of each piece. The frame dimensions are 12" x 12" and 1" deep. Paper Casting Paper casting is to me the perfect medium. It allows me to use almost every skill set. A typical piece begins as a drawing or two. Then I sculpt it in wax. This is a long refining process and often the image sculpted is far different than the drawing. Then I build a dam around the wax and pour a rubber mold directly off the surface. A casting is made by pressing the wet cotton pulp into the mold and extracting the water. Then I finish the surface. While every piece that emerges from the mold is about the same, no two are really painted the same. Maybe I would if I could, but the painting process is always in flux. I am always experimenting with ways of mixing colors or washes and hard edges or new pigments. I spend about 75% of my time with the painted finishes. About Mat Options All Mats are acid-free and this work includes the mat of your choice. See the pictures above to select your mat. Your piece will be painted to best match your mat.