shared by Cindy Goldman

The Fusion technique has been by far my best new horizon in marquetry work. It offers a painterly softness/gradation that cannot be achieved through traditional methods. 

I first attempted Fusion when I was trying to depict a colorful sunset in a landscape. Fusion requires adhering a veneer on top of another veneer with hot hide glue, then sanding off some of the top veneer. At that time, we only sanded the very edges of the veneers so that you couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. It was lovely.

About a year later, while at the beach in Galveston, I took a shot of two boys playing together by the edge of the water, and I got excited about trying to apply Fusion to a marquetry version of my photo. My first attempt was pretty successful, but I was still pretty “shy” with my sanding. With the next piece, I was definitely more aggressive, meaning I sanded away much more material, but kept a very light touch – which is essential.

Because everyone’s “hand” is different, I think it is best for anyone trying this to do their own experimentation to see what works best. I have experimented with card scrapers, orbital sanders, sandpaper wrapped around plastic hose and pencils, and a Dremel tool.