A family angel collaboration

Recently a friend asked me about various angel options, and when she mentioned having her children draw something, I couldn’t wait to start on this project.

I gave my friend my angel paper to use (handmade scraps and teabags), and the family sat down to decorate.

I received two drawings for the body, and two quotes for wings.

The young girl who drew the family had a preference over which picture to use, so that gave me the dimensions of my angel.

This body would be much bigger than my jig setup, but I started with the template anyway.

Then I resized the circle to fit the size of the family picture.

I also fit the wings around the quotes I had been given, and soon a wire angel emerged. Because the young girl had drawn a heart, I knew that would be the angel bodice embellishment.

Then I waxed the paper in encaustic medium on my skillet.

Safety is key, and I always wear my mask when the encaustic is hot.

I couldn’t let the extra art go to waste, so I made a bonus pendant as well.

Because the mom loves purple, I added a dash of purple encaustic paint to the wire.

I fit the wings so the quotes would be legible.

Dashes of color.

Then I fused the paper to the wings, the body, and added a head.

Exacto knives are my friends in the trimming process.

It is always fun to see the translucent effect the wax adds to the paper.

I hope the Su family enjoys these two mementos marking a transition in their lives. This is a fun way to memorialize chapters in family life, and I could see this as a family ornament tradition.

Let me know if you need a custom piece that incorporates a quote, a drawing, or vintage heirlooms wrapped in wire. I am always happy to collaborate on special pieces to reflect the owner of a handmade creation.