The Language of the Eyes - Window Box Progress

Hi folks,

Something about a window speaks volumes about what is inside a house.  Like our eyes, they display our secrets, telling the world about how we live, who we are, and what we love.

My Grand Parlor windows are still in progress, I think now I have spent close to 30 hours working through this window set! The gestation period for these ideas was much longer than most!  But, halfway through, I am seeing the spirit of the house come alive, as I add more and more details around the box windows.  It is an exciting and rewarding period in the construction of this Chateau.

But what secrets lie behind these eyes, do you suppose?   

Secrets of Love?

Stories of Horror and Destruction?

Maybe just the work of a very odd artist?  

Whatever secrets are buried within the depths of the Chateau, I am sure they will come out one day. Secrets have a way of wiggling themselves into the Light.

My first secret is that I have discovered the difference between an artist and a craftsman!   I have been reading my "new" old library book, 'The Secrets of the Doll House Makers' that I got off of Amazon for only 11 dollars!  (This book has been priced over one hundred dollars when I have looked before)

Since I began building the Chateau in January of 2014, I have felt secretly guilty, since I have not "drawn out a plan".  I kept reasoning with myself that a "reasonable man" would draw everything out, have every duck in a row, and everything generally "put together" before starting.

As I read through the well written articles about each of the mini masters of the past (and present!) I have learned about the way that each of them worked, and while MOST DO have detailed plans and spend hours and hours taking photographs and planning every move, there are SOME who operate just the way I do...and I feel oh so vindicated!  I share my building approach with Robert Stubbs of all people!   It's a relief to know I am not "wrong" in my approach!

It was very clear to me as I read through this book that we all approach our work so differently, yet most of us fall into one of two camps - the artist, or the craftsman.  I just happen to be the "artist" type.  Tall, good looking, and oh so romantic...ooops, that just slipped out.  Please forgive me!

However, this IS the reason that I struggle with many of my designs, each an idea that needs a (sometimes long!) gestation period before coming unbidden into the world.  But I know now, that I have the soul of an artist, responding to the moment of creativity, and to the muse within.  I am just not a craftsman!  :0)

I spent three or four days obsessing about the color to use on the end caps of the Chateau.  I loved the color of the Chestnut Brown on the front windows, but I did not want to carry that clear around the house, as I thought that would be too much of a good thing!  I finally settled on a brick red color, and once I had it on the Chateau, it really spoke to me!  It's all "Steampunk and Victoriana" like, and that pleases me.

As with everything at this stage of the game, none of this is anywhere near complete, but the brick red and chestnut brown will make a wonderful backdrop for the architectural and decorative trims yet to come.

I chose to close in the windows just a bit, and provide some additional detail, which I think has worked out wonderfully.  I would have liked a fully open window, but I knew I wanted to carry the theme from the kitchen doors across to the other end of the house, and as I cogitated, stared, and cursed over the window design, it finally came to me that this treatment would meet my needs, and would add an additional element of interest to the windows both inside and out.

In the inner sanctum - a view of the new window from inside.  Still has the sticker on it!  :0) 

I love the effect created by the additional wall space added under the window.  It cries out for some fancy molding and trims, and provides me with a wonderful opportunity!  My wife is a talented painter, and she has agreed to paint this area with small murals, and I am stoked.  I have "dreams a dancin' in my head".

The Bones of the Window Insert

The windows are made, so far, of 5 parts.  You can see above the four panels that make up the wood portion of the windows, along with the small acetate piece that goes into the squared off opening. 

Inner Window with Sandwiched 1/32 inch basswood and acetate window

Each "nouveau" window cut out is 3/32" basswood, while the narrower slice that holds the acetate and the nouveau trim piece on the outer window are of 1/32 inch basswood.  The pieces are stacked one upon another to create the thickness of the window.

Stacked Window pieces

The Outer Window surface was added over the top of the two pieces pictured above, and then Art Nouveau inspired trim was cut using a craft knife, and added to the outer surface for trim

Window Trim

To this trim will later be added some additional decorative trimmings and architectural details, that echo and morph the effects on the kitchen doors. The empty spaces on the window base will include some of this trim. 

Glued up stock, ready for carving

To build up the trim below the windows, I used a very similar process to the process I used to create the doors, though since these were much larger pieces to carve, I glued up several pieces of varying heights which helped to set the basic profiles before carving, and allowed for less wasted wood.

Carved and Sanded Panels 

The decorative panel below the windows has a slightly modified profile, as I wanted the panel to line up along the base of the window well.   As with the doors, I sanded out the shape I wanted using a progression of sandpaper and steel wool, 

Kitchen Doors with Brick Red Surround

My next tasks are to complete the windows by adding the metal decorative rods, staining the doors, and adding the decorative trims to further imitate the kitchen doors.  Once I've completed that much, I'll be moving on to the exterior Entry Door and Windows, and then I will be working inside the Chateau again, and will resume work on the trims. 

I look forward to the day when I can batten down the hatches and glue everything together.  That, however, may be a while in coming!  It is a good thing I enjoy the creative process, because I spend about 80 percent of my time thinking and about 20 percent actually building anything!  But that is the progress on the Chateau since my last post, 

I wish you all the best, every one of you!  I enjoy your comments, and treasure every one of you who take the time to give me your thoughts and impressions!  I look forward to revealing future secrets and look forward to that someday when the story of the Steampunk Chateau will be fully expressed!

Until Next Time!

Doug S