Photo Friday : March Challenge

As today is the last day for submissions for the March Challenge, I thought I would show you my attempt.  There's still just time to submit a piece... you know you want to!

I started by manipulating the image a little more than I had before.  Then, I printed it out on Bertha, my large scale Epson printer, on Lutradur XL.  I then carved into it with a soldering iron.  I hadn't intended to cut all the way through the cloth, but it seemed to work best that way, so I carved enough away to strengthen the idea that these were flints (in fact, they're not; the original photo was of an asphalt pot hole.  As a result, the piece is called Asphalt Dreams).

I decided not to add any stitch at all, as I felt it would be a distraction.  The piece varies depending on what colour the underlying surface is.  The first of the detail shots is on a pine table; the second on navy blue.

I'm planning to frame this piece so that it can be hung away from the wall, to explore the shadows it creates.  Another option is to put it in a light box, but that could prove to be prohibitively expensive, as I'm planning a series of similar works and would want them all framed in a similar way.

I've received one entry for this Challenge; I hope to receive a few more today.  Then I'll share them at the weekend and you can vote for your favourite; the winner will receive a small prize.