The hardest thing, well maybe not the hardest but certainly a challenge, is when to know it's time to stop. Many times on this project I find myself agonizing over a little detail but then step away from it a few paces and the detail isn't even noticeable! Maybe a tad more refinement of the background but we want texture to show through.
In this picture the natural differences in the color of the wood are too obvious. This makes the decision to paint this piece the same color as the cabinets even better. There are some "whiskers" that need to be taken care of with a small scraper I've yet to make but other than that I better leave it be. I'm finding that carving can be similar to finishing cement. As you work your chisel (trowel) over the surface and want to get that last little divot out of there when; all of a sudden, splat! the trowel or chisel digs in and messes it up big time. Unlike cement though, you can't toss a handful of wood into the divot and trowel it smooth again.
I went on a hike this morning and really tried to visualize the movement I wanted to portray in the upper curls of the leaf. There are several levels there and I hope they are apparent to you, the viewer. Deja vu on painting, just like when I did the kitchen cabinets wind is now in the forecast along with a possibility of some rain!
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