I think a pretty awesome benefit of having artistic friends is the likelihood of getting a handmade, one-of-a-kind piece of art as a gift. I love being able to design and create something with a specific person in mind — brainstorming and reworking ideas until I find that great one just for him/her — and I can only hope that anyone who has received one of my creations is equally delighted with it.

There have been quite a few gifts in the Workshop these days. I neglected to take any decent photographs of the wedding present I finished recently, but the newlyweds promised to snap a few soon. I’ve quickly picked up something new, and as the title of this post would imply, it’s an older piece that I’m disassembling and revamping. Earlier this year, I did a trio of pieces loosely tied to Earth Day and recently, a friend of mine expressed an interest in what I’m calling the “Double Fern” piece. After pushing myself with the wedding present and the surprise for my partner, I was keen on kicking it up a notch and trying to execute something more detailed and complex.

Unfortunately, like so many projects of late, this is intended to be a present so I won’t be able to share too much here. But I’ll post a peek or two of the various elements as I transform them. First up, the green fern…

Original fern design on the left, revamped fern on the right.

I lengthened the whole thing and redesigned the leaf shape and cut detail. I added a third set of leaves along the front of the stalk and after this picture was taken, I sculpted each of the leaves to add depth and movement. I’m not sure what I’ll do about the blue plant; I’m tempted to stick with realistic plant colors, but I’m also planning on a much more varied background design so I may incorporate one of those colors (which aren’t so planty). The background will be the biggest surprise, to be revealed after the birthday girl opens it, but I can tell you my inspiration is Mondrian. Stay tuned!