After much deliberation, I ordered a piece of Madrone burl because it looked like water and I would like for this lamp to resemble a wooden bucket of water. The website said this species is not great for beginners to work with, but it was perfect for the design, and I figured I'd work with it, whatever happened. I don't regret it. This is what it looked like when it came in the mail in normal light.
This is what it looks light with light behind it. I think the holes in the knots may be considered flaws, but I was hoping they would be there so that the light would shine through them.
I fine sanded the surface of the veneers before I applied then, which is not normally when it is done, but for this design it would not be possible to do so after because most of the sheet would not have a substrate to support it.
This is what the back veneer sheet looked like after I applied color and iron on veneer glue. The holes in the knots had to be taped so that the paint and glue would not seep through and ruin the surface. The paint seeped through a tiny bit, but I am glad it did because it looks like water dripping through the holes. Additionally, I tried painting a test piece with watered down acrylic, and found that it went right through to the other side, which looked awful. So I did another test piece where it was thinned with flexible gloss varnish, and that did not seep through at all. It did, however, seep through the good pieces, but in just the right amount that looks like water in the veneer, so I was very fortunate.
This is the inside of the lamp from behind before I applied the back piece. The veneer was taped flat while the glue dried, because the water in the glue causes the wood to curl up on itself.
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