Page 76 - Creating Whimsical Characters Using Simple Wood and Paper Forms, Wire, Paperclay, and Encaustic Medium

To simplify the building process, we decided to use cradled panels,

1/4 inch plywood sheets, and 2 inch x 2 inch and 1 inch x 2 inch
wood strips.

We built the cathedral in 3 sections – the 2 towers and the center
piece – to make it easier to transport.

The stained glass windows were cut to size and painted before

being attached to the cathedral. We used a jigsaw to cut the curve

for the tower windows and door on rectangular pieces of plywood.

For the stained glass window hung on the wall, we used an 18 inch
x 1/2 inch Trekell rounded Baltic birch wood panel with a keyhole
on the back for easy hanging.

On the towers, we turned the back of the 12 inch by 24 inch

cradled panel upwards to provide a short wall around the top of the
tower. We used a 12 inch by 48 inch panel for the front and back of

the tower. We cut plywood to fit the side walls of the tower. In the
image on the opposite page, the panels are the lighter-colored

wood and the darker-colored wood is plywood.

We used the 2 inch x 2 inch and 1 inch x 2 inch wood strips to
frame out each of the sections from the inside to provide strength

and structure to each of the sections. We left the back side open on
the center section so we could use clamps to hold the sections

together.

Before I started painting, we used wide masking tape to mask off
the areas where the stained glass windows and door belonged.

These areas needed to be kept clean and protected. Once the brick
and grout were painted, we removed the masking tape and glued
on the finished windows and door with wood glue.

We used narrow masking tape to mark off the grout lines between

the bricks and I painted the bricks in small sections (two or three
rows at a time).

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