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Starburst
Desk
"The starburst and outer border is made
of Sapele and American Cherry. I used tiny strips of maple on edge to form the
lines defining the lines of the starburst. The white section is Maple Pomelle
Quilt, a magnificent piece of veneer. The table top is a piece of 1/2" plywood
with a solid wood banding around the edge. Polyurethane finish." 1999
| Jane
Spangenberg
Continued ...
Experimenting…
One thing Jane learned while trying her hand
at marquetry is that she’s a perfectionist. Her training in clothing design
meant that she knew what she wanted artistically. She found that using the scroll
saw, which is how she originally learned to create marquetry, meant "I often
got things the way the saw wanted them, not how I wanted them."
Zebra
Box
"This was the first time I made something
using marquetry, my first design for marquetry, and my first time making hand-made
dovetail joints. It is Ebony with Guatambú and a border of Burl Elm. The
box is made of Spanish Cedar. Size: 13 x 6 x 4" 1994
| Through
a little trial and error, Jane developed her own technique using just a straight
edge and two X-ACTO knives (one pointed, one chisel). Happily, not only did she
find that this technique gave her the accuracy she wanted, but also it was far,
far less expensive. Through
a little trial and error, Jane developed her own technique using just a straight
edge and two X-ACTO knives (one pointed, one chisel). Happily, not only did she
find that this technique gave her the accuracy she wanted, but also it was far,
far less expensive.
Celtic
Moments
"At 26 x 18 x 21" this is the
largest box I've made so far. The body of the chest is 1/2" plywood which
I veneered on all outer sides. The main veneer is Birdseye Maple. The marquetry
is done with several different wood species. I worked on this project for about
two years. I won a first prize at the Gwinnett Woodworkers show in March 2000."
1999
| This
is the technique she employed to create her first "real" piece –
both box and marquetry – called Zebra Box, a design harkening back to her
South African roots. Most of Jane's designs are originals, "except the Celtic
designs,"which she recreates for historical accuracy. Inspiration comes from
a number of sources, and Jane says she increasingly depends on creating the "box"
first, then taking her cue from that. "Especially band saw boxes – their
nice curves really lend to creativity."
Celtic
Beasts Chessboard
"This shows my Celtic Beasts
chessboard in progress. I first made the central playing area and then the decoration
for the boarder. The dark squares are made up of 4 triangles with a find black
line around the block. This piece took me 3 months to make." 2000.
| Another
nice thing about Jane’s "X-ACTO knife technique" is that she can
sit in her living room and listen to books on cassette while cutting her designs. Teaching…
"The thing I like about teaching marquetry is that it’s a very old craft,
yet not many people know how to do it,” says Jane. Jane
teaches many classes in the Atlanta area in between creating her own pieces and
running her wholesale business importing hardwood floors from Paraguay.
Bunch
Coat of Arms
"L. Bunch asked
me to make this box for her husband, Victor. Box constructed from Guatambu. The
Veneer is Olive Ash burl, Sonoma Pink Maple burl, Maple Pomelle Quilt, Pearwood,
Cherry and Sapele."
13 x 6 x 4" 2000
| "Books
make marquetry seem complicated, and it’s really not."That, says Jane,
is what frequently attracts women to her classes. While most of her students are
men, she has found that more women are starting to show an interest. And she feels
that this is frequently a perfect introduction for women into woodworking. Especially
when taught Jane’s technique, there are no “screaming power tools”
involved in the marquetry part. Couples will often come in for a class to find
something they can do together. Creating
a Path…
Although Jane says she sometimes still hears “not
bad, for a girl,” about her work, she generally finds acceptance among her
peers and her students. “Sometimes, walking into the lumberyard, you find
you’re not given the same attention as the men,” but believes even that
will change as more and more women get involved in woodworking. She
also encourages women to stick with it, buy only the best tools (so you're less
likely to get frustrated with a poor-quality tool and quit), and to get your friends
involved. Good advice for women. And woodworkers in general. <<<
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