My First Encounter With Veneer

 At the beginning of an Art Foundation you are given the opportunity to experiment in all possible pathways before establishing a specialism to take on for the rest of the course. Short, daylong tasks are set relating to each specialism. During my time on the course, many of the tasks were based around templates and patterns of old clothing that had been unstitched at the seams.

 For the 3D project, we were required to choose one of these templates and with scrap paper, develop the shape until we had created an object that could be taken forward into another material. I decided to use the template of a fleece jacket sleeve. This was a simple shape that was suited to symmetry and repetition. My final structure evolved into an element that could be incorporated into the framework of a piece of furniture. Further development led me to the conclusion of a contemporary fireplace surround. Due to the restricted time limit on the project and of the intricate design, it seemed more appropriate to produce a prototype of the singular element rather than a Marquette of the whole fireplace surround.

 When deciding on the materials, the most practical way of creating the structure would be to bend acrylic. However I was more inclined towards using wood, as it is an organic contrast to the meticulous nature of the structure. It was at this point that my tutor introduced me to the technique of veneering.

 Veneer seemed an ideal solution as it could be used to cover a thin acrylic structure whilst retaining a high quality appearance. The wide variety of veneers available meant that I could thoroughly investigate into the ideal ones to use. There were several very important factors that I needed to take into consideration, such as the direction of the wood grain and the bearing it can have on the veneer splitting. I also took to comparing a range of veneers and acrylics alongside one another for aesthetic purposes. I of course ended up being difficult and choosing Burr Walnut and Ripple Sycamore on black acrylic. These had to be veneered together using contact adhesive, which is strong enough for both wood and plastic.

 Overall it was a tricky but successful final piece that led me to choose 3D as my specialism and has more importantly sparked an interest in veneer.