African Shadow Box

Well, since this is my first project entry, I thought I'd start with something small, like a shadow box. I made this one for my husband. The drum, vase, stool, mask, and flowerpot were purchased. Everything else was crafted by me.

At my first big miniature show, the Tom Bishop Show in Chicago in 2007, I found a wonderful handcrafted vase and a stool made by a talented South African Artisan. I snapped them up without a project in mind, just because they were so lovely.

Eventually, a plan came together. An issue of Architectural Digest had an article on a thatch-roofed African resort with gorgeous photos, and Michael's had a shadow box. With those to hand, the project came together.

The woven covering is quilting fabric. The scene out the window is from the magazine. The floor tiles are made from balsa, with half stained to create a checkerboard effect. The box is not as deep as it appears from a distance; I used single point perspective to run the floor up the wall for three rows to add depth. The thatch is raffia.

The drum and ceremonial mask started out as key chain decorations from World Market.




The ancestor figure and the hide draped over the windowsill are both printed and glued to cardstock. The fur is from a coat that I spotted in a catalog. Some careful work with the scissors and a little curling. I think it looks very realistic. The ancestor figure I found on the internet. I glued a piece of wire to the back and stuck it into a piece of balsa wood that was painted and aged.

Can't you just hear the rhythmic music in the background? :)

Sorry for the blurry photos. I was still in learning mode with my digital camera and was not a very quick study!