3rd piece. A bit disappointed

[country girl]

You and Bob Ross must have been  friends .Love the mountains and cat! Do you give lessons?

 

 

 

Funny. Bob Ross is a great painter. The painting was kind of fun. As far as lessons....I wish. LOL

[GPscroller]

I can not add too much to what already has been said, but I agree that aspen is the ticket for white in intarsia projects.  I usually finished my projects with two coats of a satin spray.  Quick and easy, but not in the basement, garage only. Project looks great!

[country girl]

I decided that I am giving the cat in the window to my nephew as a wedding gift.

[trailfndr]

I have been doing Intarsia for about 5 years now.  Aspen is the best for white unless you don't mine really expensive wood, then use Holly.  As for finish...I have tried ALOT of different finishes, and I finally settled on MinWax spray on Polyurethane in Satin or Semi Gloss.  If I want something to be shiny, I will use Gloss,  but that is very rare.  I find that the spray on saves me time, and I get a smoother finish without buildup as I use 3 or 4 very light coats.  Drying time is under an hour before the next coat, and I let the 3rd coat dry overnight, and then use a Sanding mop on the piece to smooth any flaws (dust ect..) then a final coat.  This finish dries clear, and only a slight darkening of the wood, regardless of wood species (and I use LOTS of different woods)  Its available at Lowes and many other places, so availability is good.  As with any finish you may use, the natural process of UV light WILL darken most woods over time. so I let my customers know that it is best to keep the piece away from direct sunlight..

 

Your work looks much better than you describe.  Give yourself a break.  I know we all do it, and in my opinion, that is a GOOD thing.  it keeps us trying to improve, and doesn't allow us to settle for mediocre work.  I still learn something with every piece I make, and I pray that I never stop learning, and improving.