Gift of the Gods!

Sometimes, you happen to be walking somewhere, perhaps by a river (say, the Quaggy) and something catches your eye (say, World of Wood's Marquetry Craft Kit). What happens next? Do you stop and pick it up. Or, do you fall down on your knees in a gesture (either affiliated with a religious faith or simply as an expression of great thanks—I think the gesture has that kind of breadth) in appreciation of that which has been mysteriously, kindly, even miraculously offered?



While you ponder that searching question, please allow Old Ken to take you inside the niceties of marquetry. As you may have guessed, being an utter novice to this fine art—no, science, Old Ken used the Simplified Window Method (or SWM as it will henceforth be known). What exactly is SWM?



Not single white female, I assure you. No, the SWM required for the production of a beautiful, heirloom-quality veneer picture is something a little different. According to the techniques advocated by one W.A. Lincoln (whose 1971 The Art and Practice of Marquetry remains foundational to SWF practice), we should use carbon paper and trace our design onto a piece of stiff cardboard. But, before we go any further into the fine points of SWF technique, what should our design be?



One word: Mordiford. Also known as "pure English countryside at its very best," Mordiford-on-Lugg (the River Lugg, mind you) is, so to speak, the jewel in the crown of Herefordshire. Kindly, World of Wood has already enclosed a charmingly picturesque view of Mordiford. Thus, all we need to do is find some cardboard and get tracing.



Now, once the basic design has been traced, out comes the trusty knife. Careful, it's sharp; it'll up and bite you, as they say. Ever so carefully, what we need to do is to cut away the larger portions of Mordiford traced onto the cardboard; these excised fragments are trash. Please recycle them, or place them into the fire. Instead we need to place the partially-butchered traced image on top of an appropriately-colored veneer sample and cut away.



World of Wood (or, W.O.W. as they have always been known around the Digby household) are very considerate—always anticipating the needs of the beginning marquetor. For, they have numerically co-ordinated the portrait of Mordiford with our "palette" of choice woods. Finally, once we have cut out our piece, we can begin to glue them together, presumably, using this pearly, mucilaginous substance.



The results of this afternoon of fun? Well, as you can see, Old Ken—ever committed to what he calls "haunting realism" was determined to include the inhabitants of Mordiford exactly as I observed them. Admittedly, my marquetry technique needs some work; but I think you will agree that marquetry truly is the most appropriate medium for the work of an uncompromising, unflinching realist like Old Ken.