The other day, while sharing photos of some of my art with another artist, I was asked how long an assemblage takes me to make. I get asked that a lot. My answer is typically, “It just depends”. In the case of my recently completed Pencil Box Conservatory, which may appear rather simple in complexity, it took longer than you might think. For all my assemblage art, the journey to completion begins with the
hoarding procurement of the primary components and supplies. The piece above first began two years ago with the unearthing of a cruddy old collection of vintage, used pencils at barn dig in Sonoma. One year or so later, after rediscovering the pencils in a box tucked away in my studio, I moved them into one of my studio parts cabinets and began collecting more funky used pencils along my junking expeditions.
Months went by and I found myself digging through the drawer with greater interest. I pulled out the pencils with stamped and printed advertising and lined them up on a table. Around that time I’d purchased a small, narrow parts box at a local antiques shop. While looking around the studio for something to showcase in the box I thought about the stack of pencils on the table. I gathered them up and headed off to my to the workbench vice. Clamping each one at a time into the vice, I cut them with a mini hacksaw to the inner width of the box, working around the ad text. I glued and stacked the cut pieces into the box and set it all aside.
On another day it occurred to me that I could cut a small piece of glass (and sand the edges) to replace the original slide-in wood lid that came with the box.
That mini stacked-pencil assemblage sat idle in my studio for months while I went about working on other things.
More recently, as I poked around in my wooden box cupboard for inspiration I found a vintage pencil box (with original stenciled lettering on the outside). The wording and shape were perfect for pairing with my little pencil grouping.
Finally, I was ready to pull additional components together and get the ball rolling towards completion of the final piece in one day. This process is fairly typical of how things come together in my studio- more by mood, inspiration, motivation and discovery than schedule, clock or deadline. I often have multiple assemblage components in various degrees of completion throughout the studio at any given time.
Next, I pored through drawers of vintage ephemera for something actually written in pencil, which was found in a 1940s ledger book. I removed a page, trimmed pieces to size, and decoupaged them inside pencil box with matte medium. Once dry, I lightly sanded around the outer edges.
I also dug through my stash of vintage German die cuts and trimmed out a pair of moth wings, divided them and glued them into the box matching up to the width of the smaller parts box.
The wings gave me the idea for the title by using the word conservatory, defined by and often associated with the housing of butterflies and moths and other creatures, as well as a school giving instruction.
I brushed the wings with one of my favorite surface treatments, DecoArt Media Interference Fluid Acrylic in blue. It gives the most awesome translucent sheen to objects (that photos just can’t do justice) but add just the right amount of “Ooooh!” to things like wings, water, and so many other surfaces. As per most of my assemblages I like to patina the crevices with white texture paste and wipe away excess. I love that light look of aging it creates. I glued the small inner box with Amazing Goop, placed it in the larger pencil box, and secured it with vintage brass screws from the back.The stacked boxes worked so well together but I felt the overall squareness of the art could a sort of finial at the top to break up the visual lines. I scrounged through all kinds of lamp parts, and other metal and wood bits and pieces until I came upon a set of cruddy old trimming shear blades. I cleaned one up a bit and painted it with Sophisticated Finishes gold metallic paint, then oxidized it with the Patina Blue antiquing solution.
I crowned the larger box with it using vintage standard (not Phillips!) screws.
And finally, I added hanging hardware to the back.
The entire assemblage art project ultimately took days, weeks, months, or years, depending how you break it down. I will have this assemblage art for sale at the upcoming Americana Art Fest on May 12, in Petaluma, California,.
I love seeing how you put this together. As a former second grade teacher of course the pencils speak to me in so many ways!
I once asked Jenny Doh what she says to people who ask how long it took her make something. (For some reason, the question bothers me. As though art is valued in terms of an hourly wage.) Anyway, she told me that she answers with her current age. As in, “61 years.” I love that answer, so now that’s what I say. I took a lifetime of experience to inform this piece.
That’s a brilliant answer!
It’s truly lovely! The trimming shear blade makes it! 🙂
Thank you for this, I really enjoyed it! And I am so happy that you are felling better and healing well? Cheers, Debra
I just love your projects. I also love the fact that you share labels and your papercraft ideas.
Thank you very much for sharing.
This piece took my breath away. I love it. Like Susan, I am a teacher and it spoke to me as well.
Love it… and that cupboard full of old boxes.. oh my, what goodness.
This is probably my most favorite thing you’ve made. The pencil idea is so clever!
I totally agree with your process – same for me…pieces often take years as I have one piece and wait for the others to arrive and then have it all come together. I also find that working on more than one piece at a time helps – especially when waiting for glue or paint to dry and set.
And yes, love Amazing Goop!
Your pieces are always so inspiring and intricate – love them!
Being a former elementary school teacher, this assemblage hit Home. I loved it. Thanks for sharing how you made it.
Love this piece and your amazing wooden box cupboard!! Must have taken quite some time to get such great boxes. I come across some wooden cigar boxes sometimes but… far and few between.
This is a great project and I never thought about collecting pencil ends! Great job! Love it.
truly inspirational
I love everything about this! The time and thought you put into each element really shows. It’s really beautiful.
What a lovely vintage piece!
I really enjoyed this but maybe I’ll use my old pencil stash for a frame…
LOVE IT.
love it
I love the idea of using the pencil box and pencils. It is such a unique piece!
Absolutely love this ~ fantastic idea
Love this piece!!! And yes… I can relate to this as to how long a certain piece can take….
Thanks for an interesting article that lead me to a perfect double bill for home movie night!
Cathe!!
This is sooooo cool! No, You are soooooo Cool!
What a great mind you have! Thanks so much for always being such a creative and inspiring soul!
hugs,Jackie