Wall Relief: Start to Finish

Forewarning: Contained here below is way more info than you wanted to know, but I want to remember, so you're stuck with the whole story.

Months ago while searching for a nice Madonna and Child plaque to go above the girls' beds, I came across this one:



Even though the detail wasn't easy to see from the photo, I could see enough to know I would love this particular representation - the folds of Mary's dress, the crown braid in her hair, the closeness of the Mother and Child's embrace. I'd never seen this image before, but I loved it. So I ordered two of these plaques online, thinking I would mold and cast them in resin on an oval background, similar to this (to echo the oval centerpiece on the girls' mirror). Unfortunately, when they arrived I realized the reliefs were much too small for what I wanted, and somehow the plastic didn't capture the detail I'd hoped. So I tucked them into a drawer and decided to put this whole project on hold until I could figure something else out.

Less than two weeks later, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this antique plaque on a table at a local garage sale!



So much about seeing this relief seemed providential - First, I never go to yard sales. But this particular Saturday I happened to pass by a sign pointing to a sale in one of my favorite neighborhoods, and just thought I'd do a drive by. Second, could it really have been the same Madonna and Child I'd loved? The one I'd only seen once before? I still don't know the sculptor/artist (if any of you do, please comment!), and haven't seen it since. Third, this relief was already framed on an oval background, and at 12 x 10 it happened to be the exact size I wanted for the girls' room. Is that amazing or what?

the silicone mold, made from the original above:~

detailed close-up:
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the first casting: Cast using a mixture of marble powder and resin (the marble powder gives it a more statue-esque appearance and feel). Below is the relief in it's raw, unpainted, unglazed white state. To be honest it is much more beautiful this way. The unfinished casting has a perfectly matte texture.~

Here she is below, painted in ivory and glazed in raw umber. I couldn't leave the plaques unfinished for the girls' room, because the white wouldn't have matched their mirror (also finished in ivory and raw umber). My biggest mistake with this project was having used a satin finish paint, giving the plaque an undesireable shine. But I'm happy enough with it to leave it as is.

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The image below better represents their accurate color than the one above.~



Whew. Now that I've bored you stiff, have a great weekend!