Marquetry, often called painting with wood, is an art form that utilizes thin wood veneers or other suitable materials to create inlayed pictures or decorative designs (wikipedia.org/wiki/marquetry). For example, the bee with transparent wings created by Ryan Andrusky was made with wood veneers and cow's horn that had been softened and sanded thin to render it transparent.
Each of the artists who will be contributing to this mural will create an 8 inch X 8 inch panel that is composed of naturally occurring or dyed wood that has been carefully cut and joined together to create their fantasy picture. The most common cutting technique involves the use of Xacto knives or scalpels. Alternatively, some will use scroll saws with very delicate blades to cut the pieces together in a seamless fashion. More recently laser cutting is becoming common. No matter the technique employed, the resulting pictures will be unique examples of each artist's interpretation of the theme "Make Believe."
For those who might be interested in learning more about marquetry or joining a group composed of artists who share an interest in this art form, the following organizations are very welcoming of new members: The American Marquetry Society (americanmarquetrysociety.org), The Rocky Mountain Marquetry Guild (marquetryguild.org), and the United Kingdom's Marquetry Society (www.marquetry.org).
