Building a Village in a 9 x 12 inch Shadow Box

Last summer this experimental and interpretive painting was accepted into an exhibit by the International Society of Experimental Artists. It was an odd six or so year project which had started as an unsatisfactory abstract. The abstract waited, cut up and gathering dust until I had the idea last summer to use it to build a painting from memories of Cinque Terre, Italy.

I painted small structures and glued the buildings on a variety of platforms from single mat board to double foam core to create a relief, although the photo does not show this well.

Since the painting came back to me, my husband and I have enjoyed looking at it in our own home. But I have been given an opportunity to show 3 pieces of art at a local residency. I thought the "Cinque Terra Reenvisioned" would make a cheerful addition to the show. However there is only one, and nothing else I've created is similar. The solution--get out to the studio and make 2 companion pieces, "Cinque Terra Reenvisioned #2 and #3."

Step 1: paint and collage a background using the same color palette. 

Step 2: Make appropriately sized architectural pieces (or tiny houses:). 

Step 3: After painting and cutting out the structures, figure out how they will sit on the background. 

Step 4: Start gluing--each piece has to have an appropriate level of platform underneath to rise above the previously laid piece. I learned to take photos on my phone as I arranged them so I didn't have to "reinvent the wheel" over and over.

Step 5: I had two wooden shadow boxes I had prepared with a black paint to receive the two new pieces. It was one last gluing, and I was happy to finish after several days of putting these together. 

Now I have 3 companion pieces to show and I am having carpal tunnel surgery in 2 weeks to cure all the painting and cutting and carving damage I've done to my wrist over the years!

(I wish the lighting was better--the top piece caught all the light.)