The ottoman in our living room made for a poor surface for drinks, games and such so I decided to make a tray that could sit on top of it. I went a bit overboard and ended up with an heirloom piece I am rather proud of. The warm wood tones, subtly reflective copper, mult-layered, high-contrast, art nouveau style and spiritual subject matter really all fit my tastes although it is most certainly a major statement piece in the room that I admit borders on gaudy.
It is approximately 3ft square, made of poplar, and features four intertwined laser cut angels against a recessed copper background. The surface is flooded with a clear epoxy resin and each side features the sigil of one of the four archangels; also laser etched and under a crystal clear layer of epoxy resin. The underside is laser etched with an angelic talisman of seven angels. I enjoyed the deep angelic lore research and alterations I performed to correct what I believe are age-old occultist mistakes in the symbols and angelic associations I spotted. I li
I found the graphic (which I did not design) reminiscent of Gustave Dore’s Circle of Angels from Dante’s Paradise; I love his work. Determining how to cut up the image into sections that I could accommodate on my laser cutter without any cuts crossing a noticeable section of the image and having it remain structurally connected took quite a big of planning. The background went through several variations of various metallic leafing options and textures before setting on the ridged copper but the extra time (months!) was worth it to find something that I didn’t feel I was just settling with. I have some decorative copper corners I intend to attach, but still holding out to see if I can find them in tone that matches the copper better.
Here are some pictures of the finished piece:
And here are some pictures of the work in progress:
Laser etching in action:
