"Sweet Love" Wood Painting

Step 1

Steps:

1. Cut two rectangular pieces of birch plywood, a small one for the portrait painting and a slightly larger one for the background.

Step 2

2. Wearing rubber gloves, apply Venetian plaster to both pieces of birch plywood with medium texture using a 4-inch plaster spreader. Set aside to dry.

Step 3

3. Cut four pieces of poplar wood for the frame so that when joined together they are slightly smaller than the background piece of wood and approximately 4 inches wide. Glue all four pieces of frame together using wood glue. Let dry.

Step 4

4. Paint the background board with pink acrylic paint. Let dry. Sponge a wash of royal blue over the pink color.

Step 5

5. Paint the board for the portrait with royal blue on each end and burgundy in the center. Sponge the colors to blend together.

Step 7

6. Sketch the drawing of the portrait on paper. Transfer the drawing onto the smaller board using transfer paper.

7. Paint the portrait using a variety of acrylic paint colors. Let dry.

Step 8

8. Draw random scallops on the outside edges of the frame and cut them out with a band saw. Wear safety glasses when using the saw.

Step 9

9. Transfer the swirl design that will be carved onto the frame.

Step 10

10. Carve the swirl design on the frame with wood carving tools.

Step 11

11. Sand the frame. Paint it with terra cotta and turquoise acrylic paint using a sponge to blend the colors together.

12. Draw decorative elements for the frame and cut them out on a band saw—a butterfly, flower and leaf. Carve decorative details with wood carving tools.

Step 13

13. Paint the flower purple, the leaf in two colors of green and the butterfly blue, green and black.

Steps 14-15

14. Attach the background wood to the frame with small nails.

15. Drill four holes to attach the portrait to the background with setscrews.

Step 16

16. Adhere the butterfly, flower and leaf to the Sweet Love wood painting frame with quick drying glue.

"Sweet Love" Wood Painting project by Jef Edward McGreevy.

Jef McGreevy from Reisterstown, Md., is a painter and a sculptor who likes to find ways to pull it all together. He gets his inspiration from nature and his wife, who models for the portrait in his project titled Sweet Love. His hand-carved frame features elements from the painting to tie the two together.

Website: www.jefmcg.com