Choose the Frame First

Choose the Frame First
I don’t like being told what to do.
That’s probably why I’ve been self-employed most of my life.
But here’s something interesting: in my creative work, I always start with a defined form.

A wood form.
A canvas.
A CaBezel.
A contained shape.

Why?
Because it removes decisions.
If you begin with a flat sheet of clay and no boundaries, you have to decide everything — size, proportion, silhouette, scale.
That’s a lot of mental energy gone before you’ve even started designing. Decision fatigue is real. 
When I start with a form, those choices are already made.

The outer edge is set.
The scale is defined.
The boundary exists.
And suddenly, I’m free.
Free to focus on my favourite part, the surface.
On colour.
On mark-making.
On composition.

Yes, the wood blank is a backing.
But it’s also the structure that sharpens the work. It reduces decision fatigue so I can concentrate on what actually makes the piece interesting.
Some of my best work has come from choosing the frame first.
I’ve used these wood forms for wall art, for coasters, and now for jewelry.
The process evolves — the principle doesn’t.
If you’re curious how I build layered surfaces within a defined space, that’s exactly what I teach inside my paid worlshop, Scratching the Surface.

Start with the frame.
Then design with intention.
Wendy

Wood blanks, Cabezels