“My latest piece was influenced by the practices of Victorian mourning, Victorian Gothic design and the curious practice of putting things under glass. This link shows an image of a collector of the “real thing”. Though I didn’t study these prior to completing my piece [but found this image after I was done] it still speaks to the images that were in my mind”
The step by step process involves:
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Going on Ebay and finding an old music box to restore and transform. It was important that the music box and any automaton worked.
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Most often I have to get the mechanics of the music box itself cleaned by a watch maker to be in “like new” condition.
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Sand the old paint off of the old music box.
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Paint and undercoat of Gesso paint on all surfaces.
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Paint 2 layers of acrylic paint allowing to dry in between coats.
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Measure the sides of the music box and create a template to create illustrations.
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I used watercolor and ink on Bristol board Cut them out with cuticle scissors and then decoupaged them onto the sides of the box.
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I seal the painted and decoupages wood with Glossy Acrylic spray.
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If the music box had a vintage feathered bird, usually it was in disarray. I fix and replace any feathers and dye the bird with silk dye.
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I use all vintage velvet and silk flowers from the 1940s-1950s.
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I also use beautiful ribbon and other vintage/antique detail.
Click this link to show a more detailed step by step process of making an altered art music box:
Denise Farinsky
About Rebecca
