In the late 1970's, Russell and Minnie Blood's grandson, Ron Blood, was in Vienna, Austria on a mission, and he sent a tapestry with this picture on it to them. They prized it, and hung it on a wall in their home in Washington. Dad was always fascinated with the picture on it - castles, steps, a coach with horses, people, mountains, trees - everything. He put tracing paper over the tapestry and attempted to trace it, but wasn't satisfied with the results. He gave me the drawing, and I completed it, and had blueprint copies made of the design for him for Christmas. He was pleased, but said that he really wanted me to share in the making of the picture. We worked together planning and cutting veneer. He completed the right half of the picture, and I did the left. We finished it in March of 1990. Size is 54 1/2" x 29". Working with Dad on this project was one of the choice experiences of my life.
Dad made so many beautiful marquetry pictures in his lifetime, and people constantly admire the ones that I have hanging in my home. However, he suffered from an inferiority complex and uncertainty about how his work stacked up against other marquetarians. He subscribed to the "Fine Woodworking" magazine, and invariably, moaned about how his work was not good enough. However, he did join the marquetry society of America, and I am the proud recipient of his membership pin. Good memories of the few years that we worked together! (The above plaque was also made into a small picture - Mother named it "Holy Night" - don't know if that was the original pattern's name or not, but it's very appropriate.
