A Letter a Week 2012

ELAINE'S JIGSAW

I haven’t shown any letters for the past 6 months, partly due to lack of time, but mainly because the letters themselves aren’t very interesting on their own – Neuland Hand using 2 pencils tied together and written onto tracing paper (I actually have to admit that I ended up writing all the letters in one sitting -- am I disqualified?).

Each letter was written in the 7cm square onto tracing paper and then positioned over each other in various directions, sometimes even reversing the letters, to create a pleasing design. I then traced this overall design, again onto tracing paper (see below) and worked with this image.

My aim was that the parts of the letters that form the negative shapes (unpainted areas) should merge with the parts of the letters that have been painted. These painted areas would then become the background.

My first attempt was to paint the design straight onto a ready-cut jigsaw, but I couldn’t find any medium that gave a good result on its surface. I then decided to paint the design, using gouache, onto watercolour paper. I had it scanned and from this image I had the jigsaw professionally made, (the band of lettering was added to make the design fit a 500 piece 55cm x 45 cm jigsaw format).

The finished jigsaw

 

a section

 

  

The Process

Letters superimposed

Original art work – 25cm x 28cm

Additional lettering

 

Arrival of the pieces

It was great fun to assemble, but much more difficult than I had anticipated!