Sue Mersman

I am the sole-creator of these wood inlay pictures also known as marquetry. I work with over 185 different types of wood, each in sheets of veneer 1/28 – 1/40th of an inch thick. I hand-saw each piece of wood using a fret saw. Only the woods’ natural colors and highlights are used no paints, stains or dyes are added.Each picture takes about 2 weeks from start to finish. I first sketch my designs onto tracing paper. Once I have designed the picture, I transfer it to clear acetate paper. This allows me to look at the design and put wood up behind it to see if it creates the effect I am looking for. Once I have selected the woods that I would like to work with, I proceed to sketch the design onto the wood. I then take the piece of wood and overlap it with a bordering piece and cut it with a fret saw. I cut the two pieces of wood at once on an angle so that they wedge together and create a tight fit. I then adhere it to the finishing baseboard to sand and then lacquer. After lacquering it, the picture is ready to be framed. I purchase my frames from a local frame shop and they are the only part of my artwork that I don’t create. I employ no assistants except for the occasional help from my daughter with frames and packaging my finishing art work.Please feel free to ask any questions about my pictures and their creation.