Wild Geese - Charcoal Storage by Julie Ann

I hope you've been enjoying some beautiful summer days and managing to keep cool! I recently discovered the pleasures of sketching in charcoal, so I decided to create storage for my charcoal sticks and evoke a memory of geese flying on a glorious summer evening at the same time - courtesy of Calico Craft Parts.

I used an ATC/Tag display box. These are so easy and quick to assemble - and - like so many Calico Craft Parts - really adaptable to other uses. To begin with, I painted the sides and inside of the box with heavy black Gesso.

Only one coat is necessary for a great, smooth finish.

I used a grey water-colour pencil to sketch a stylised portrait from a photo of my daughter. This was to form the back of the 'case'.

For the sides I used the same method of creating stylised faces, going on to block them in with diluted, Acrylic inks. I toyed with the idea of adding a crown, but I opted for a simpler, bare-headed approach eventually.

It was fun to create swirls with a white gel pen.

I really wanted to get those crowns on there, so I added them as side details. The simple effect of the gold, metallic paint with the black Gesso, worked really well, I thought.

The Art Deco/Nouveau style ornaments added a vintage touch.

The image on the back of the box was inspired by a summer memory. One evening just before sunset, my daughter and I were sitting on our patio chatting, when the beating of wings overhead drew our eyes upward. A flock of geese were soaring into the blue evening sky and as they flew the sun touched the oil on their feathers and turned it to a kind of rippling, molten gold.

It was one of those moments that are beautiful to share not least because they are almost impossible to describe exactly to anyone who wasn't there.

I used 3 of the flying sea-gulls painted gold as my wild geese. May your summer be filled with memorable moments. Happy Creating until we meet again.
Calico Craft Parts used in this Project
ATC/Tag Display Box (MDF)
Art Deco & Nouveau Style Ornament
Crowns sheet of mini wood MDF crowns
Garden Birds sheet of mini wood MDF Garden Birds
Acorns and Oak Leaves mini wood MDF shapes
Sheet of Mini MDF Seagulls Wood Bird Shapes