Intarsia & Segmentation Kit

A wooden mosaic — pieces of different woods (each a natural color) cut to shape, shaped in relief (sanded to vary the height), and assembled into a picture. The wood species provide the colors (no stain); the relief shaping provides the depth. It is the scroll-saw craft that combines cutting, sanding, and color sense.

The natural colors of wood are the intarsia palette — light maple, yellow poplar, red cedar, brown walnut, purpleheart. Stain would obscure the grain; the natural colors are richer and honest. The intarsia artist stocks a "palette" of species and selects the right one for each piece of the picture.

Each piece is sanded to a varying height — the parts meant to look closer are higher, the farther parts lower. The relief gives the picture its 3D depth (the intarsia's signature). A spindle sander or a drum sander shapes the pieces; the relief is the difference between a flat puzzle and a dimensional picture.

Assembled on a backing board, glued in place (a fabric or paper backing under the pieces, or directly to a plywood base). The pieces are fitted tightly (the saw cuts them to the pattern's lines) and the seams are the design. A finish (oil or spray) unifies the sheen and brings out the colors.