The Art of Intarsia

For those interested in knowing more about the art of Intarsia, below is a summary from an article by Robyn Ryan, History of Intarsian.

Intarsian (marquetry or inlay) is the art of 'painting' with wood on furniture. During the 14th and 15th centuries, marquetry was practised in Italy, the technique evolving through the Florentine School of Marquetry. Benedeitto da Maiano (AD 1444-1496) is credited as being responsible for the style of marquetry we know today, although the art form did not become popular until the 16th and early 17th centuries.

Marquetry is a craft whereby the marqueter makes intricate pictures and geometric designs by cutting and fitting together thin pieces of coloured wood (veneer) or other such highly prized timbers for their colour and lustre (cedar, satinwood, ebony, blackwood, rosewood, mahogany), other precious materials such as tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, inlays of gold, pewter and silver. When the picture is complete it is attached to items of furniture.

This was very labour intensive and expensive to produce and as such was only available to royalty and those of high society. Thus traders and carpenters were always searching to entice buyers by making their wares different. They quickly adapted the marquetry style and created veneer painting. Instead of using precious metals, shells and rare woods, they created a special paste made out of grounded maize, called it Kleister medium, add paint to it and created patterns with this mix by using coarse brushes and various other tools and stencils.

Today life is much easier for the craftperson. We no longer have the laborious task of cutting stencils and making maize paste. Instead we use low tack masking film, water-based paints and commercially produced Kleister medium. We also use MDF Board or inexpensive pine with a base of yellow or gold to give a rich undertone to the veneer painting. This is then antiqued to give the aged mellow tone of marquetry that most of us find unobtainable but still desirable.

Anyway, as the story goes .... Zaharah brought her friends over 2 weeks ago to view my work. Kak Maznah was impressed by my Intarsian tray that I did in 2003 and requested for a class. Since time is of the essence in doing this technique, a workshop was created ... and that was exactly what we did last Wednesday, 18Jan 2012 ... my first workshop for the year :)

The 4 ladies keen to take up the task :)

It was a tedious laborious job as one needs to have patience and steady hands and the passion to persevere, but it was a job well done by these 4 ladies. What remains now is to shade and antiqued the plaque ... and there you go ... an heirloom to be passed on down the generations :)

The cabinet-divider

I have been very busy lately trying to complete the various commissioned jobs ... Alhamdullilah for the bounty that Allah has provided me. My last major job for 2011 was a 5-ft tall open cabinet that kak Masnah has conveniently converted as a divider too .... hence the reason why the painting was done at the back of the cabinet! It now stands tall and proud in her living room :)

Took me 2 months to mull over the design ... changing ever so often in my mind's eye ... until one fine day, it suddenly dawned on me (picture this : light bulb flashing in the brain hehe) that I should just paint a watery scenery since kak Masnah specifically requested to maintain the original blue of the cabinet.

Again, my paintings are a product of inspiration ... and this time Jacqueline Penney is the source :) So ... a painting of a calm, serene watery landscape was completed after 3 weeks of hard work.

The cabinet as viewed from the left, centre and right

I have also painted flowers on two bins ... a veeeeeeery long wait for Marina for me to complete these for her. Sorry dear ...

So ..that's it for now ... am lost for words... seems to have been experiencing a writer's block for many many moons now ...*sigh

House #36A

Salmi's birdhouse is finally done. Took me a while to fulfill her request for a Tudor birdhouse.

Firstly, it's not of the right architecture ...especially the roof ... wrong structure! The shape of the whole house just made it difficult to make it look like a Tudor house.



Secondly... it was a make-over from a decal-pasted design to this. Had to remove the decal pieces, re-apply coats of gesso and paints to cover the mess created hehe

Anyway ... the outcome is pleasant enough... I hope. Salmi is happy ... so I am happy too :))

... and soooooo now... on to my next project ... painting daffodils on a bin :)





Have a great day y'all .... :))

The week that was ....

Hello everybody ... the sun plays hide and seek behind the clouds today. I feel sluggish as I'm a sun-person ... but ... my spirits are not dampened as I managed a very fruitful week last week. This week... I spent time completing the tasks :))

Chempaqa's tray is a design I adapted from Bonnie Heppe Fisher. I simply adore her paintings ... it gives me a feeling of serenity everytime I look at them :)

Then there is this bin that I'd put on hold for almost two years ... basically because it was a repeat design (I hate repeats). I painted for Marina a bin of ALMOST the same design ... hehehe no two paintings can ever be exactly the same right???!! ... some two years ago. Her sister liked it and asked me to do the same ... AFTER Marina got me to paint on another piece of same design!!! Two repeats I can accept ... but to repeat THREE times???? ... hehehe hence the loooonnngggggg delay!!! Oh dear ... thank God she's patient enough to wait... oh dear! Anyway ... it's done now ... but oh my! where did I keep the pedals huh???

Oh well ... it has been a great week ... after a long hiatus from painting. The queue of commissioned jobs is long ... Alhamdulillah ... Salmi ... your birdhouse is next ... InsyaAllah :))

Backyard in the kitchen?

The mood to paint seems to be mighty elusive these past few months... I have been very unproductive :((( BUT today I amazed myself. Completed Ani's plastic dispenser all in ONE day ... huhu..... oh well, at least the major part of it haha

She requested for a garden scenery ... I made it to look like a backyard with garden tools and pots to boot. Have a look see ... again, as usual, it's a prelim .... I may or may not add more to it :))

That's it for now ... nite2 :)

eat ur veges!

Just a short note this time ... seems to have lost the knack for words lately. Anyway ... painted these vegetables on a kitchen towel holder ... still not too please with the carrots (appears flat and not cylindrical!) ... but oh well, that was the best I could do after 3 re-dos! Paint has become a wee bit thick there after all the touch-ups haha ...



That's it for now ... taa :)

Avian family :)

I don't really paint animals or any other kind of figurines unless there is a request for them. Thus, this I paint for Yasmin. Actually, I barter trade with her ... my paintings for her grandma's wardrobe ... I hope I did justice to the trade :)

This was painted on a cutlery box


















.... and this is for Zoe, her beautiful daughter :)



... painted from my heart :)
Thanks Yas ...

Long hiatus :(

Since the last solo workshop, I had been unproductive. Seemed like all energy had been sapped out from within me ... and to top it all ... the fasting does not help in creating any enthusiasm in painting!!!

Finally last week I managed to get something done for Salmi. Completed her 2 shelves with a local flower, the bunga kangkung (sorry don't know what it is in english hehehe). Made them a mirror-image of the other on the shelves.

Then yesterday.... I finally found the courage and confidence to paint tea cups on her WHITE LACY LINEN tablecloth. Courage? Yup ... there was this nagging fear that I would spoil and mess up the piece!!! ...and today ... it's all done :)) A tea cup at each of the 4 corners of the 6-seater tablecloth.... and if I may add ... am mighty pleased with the result *pat pat pat on the shoulder*




















So that's it for now ... until my next bout of painting mood ... have a great weekend ahead ...

solo workshop #5 - just roses

Had another "Just Roses" workshop last 6 Aug 2011 ... this time way up north in Sg Petani, Kedah.

It was the first week in the month of Ramadhan. I was fasting, thus it was a real test of endurance for me. Drove up north around 5.00pm, made many stops along the way at ALMOST all the R&R's ... finally reached Sg Petani at around 11.00pm. Workshop is at 9.00am at the community hall near the hotel, but I have to be there by 8.00am to set up the place... not much rest there....


Anyway ... all went well. It was a group of 9 enthusiastic ladies together with our solo male participant. 10 enthusiastic painters with 3 absolute beginners ... but hey ... we finished way ahead of time!!! 45 minutes to be exact ... it was a good fruitful day. Thank you all :))

solo wkshop #4 - just roses

Another small group... but it was worth it. With these small groups I gained experience on how to teach roses within the stipulated period. Alhamdulillah...with these four beautiful ladies (3 of whom were really really really really inexperienced as in had never touched a brush let alone done a stroke of any sort!) ... I learned to deal with time and techniques to ensure that all could complete their project in time ... and this time, I had 20mins to spare :)


Well ladies, I hope you enjoyed the experience. Yes... it's not that easy ... but yeah! it's not impossible either ...right? It goes to show that, all that is needed is passion and perseverance ... and of course practice!!! (that goes without saying!!!) Thank you ladies ... for making me believe that nothing is impossible if you put your heart to it :)