Progress Report

I have painted the main body of the desk in ochre (like the stash chest) and the 6 drawers ... first in different colours and then in blue (like the stash chest). I decorated one drawer front with a mask and border. It was too busy and carlos was offended so I sanded it down and re-painted the base of blue. I decided my best bet was to draw each of the masks on paper and try them out. Enroute I discovered (duh!) that I should create a pleasing size and keep all of them in that range.

So the first photo is of the paper drawings tried on the drawer fronts.

The second is of one of the actual drawings close-up.

I have also played with a trim involving ink drawings of tiny giraffes with African beadwork triangles done in paint.

I think I will do the drawer fronts first and then play some more with the trim.

As I created the masks (first doing some research on tribal masks, then branching out, and finally creating my own), I remembered a story from my past when I lived in the school house. Our insurance agent had a a small child who was constantly opening the kithen cabinets and creating havoc in the kitchen. On Hallowe'en, this tiny toddling monster was terrified of the trick-or-treaters wearing masks. His parents decided that the easiest way to keep him out of the cupboards and drawers was to hang masks on them. This desk will be my sewing desk so I hope the masks act as deterrents to snoopers.