Realistic windows

Maggie takes it a step further one pane at a time

The windows were first up for Maggie this past week. (Photo: Jillian Page)

Three hours.

That’s the tally so far for Maggie’s Victorian Lady project.

After attaching the first print to an artist board, she went the extra mile from the outset by using clear plastic for the windows. It’s not something called for in the instructions/suggestions provided for the project. But it is a feature in Maggie includes in her works and is one of those “extra details” we’ve mentioned in prior entries here.

It is meticulous work: each window pane is cut individually from the original print while keeping the frame intact. Once done, Maggie uses a small bead — with emphasis on “small” — of glue to attach the frame to the plastic that will give it a realistic window look.

“Be careful not to use too much glue or it will spread out too far and mess up the piece,” Maggie cautions.

She purchased a pack of 100 small syringes with caps for finer glue work.

“If you use it straight from the bottle, you are apt to use too much,” she says.

But mistakes do happen not matter how skilled you are at creating paper tole artwork, Maggie says.

Which is another good reason to buy extra copies of the print, if possible, she says. The first reason, of course, is for the extra details you may want to add to your piece.

Maggie also started work on the curtains in the piece this week.

There is still a lot to be done, but there are no deadlines. It’s a labour of love, after all.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers

Three completed paper tole artworks sit on a window ledge in Maggie’s den, awaiting frames.