INTARSIA

I've only tried a couple of intarsia pieces, but I would love to do more!  Intarsia is the making of a picture in wood using the natural colors of the wood itself, instead of paints and stains.  The only stains used are clear coats.

For my first piece, the sleeping calico cat, I purchased the box.

The box is pine, the cat is maple and white oak, I think.

(the calico cat is from a Kathy Wise pattern and the wood came with the kit)

While, for the clownfish and anemone, I built the box myself.

The box is poplar, the fish is maple and padauk and the anemone is purpleheart.

(the clownfish and anemone are of my own design)

And although I put this in the Meanderings section, I suppose they also should appear here.

Technically, the crosses, each made of two pieces of purpleheart wood, count as intarsia...

but that's probably stretching it a bit!