Shop front_3

Because all three of the red brick columns have close-fitting frames of green and white, all butting up closely, it seemed sensible to paint the brick colour before adding the frame to avoid too much "cutting-in" later.

The process started with a dry-brush application of burnt sienna acrylic paint as a base-coat. In leaving the mortar grooves almost pure white, the initial effect was a bit stark.

To subdue this effect, I prepared a more fluid mix of burnt sienna and white. This was added selectively over the initial coat.

The competed paintwork. Each column includes a solid terra-cotta block with a carved framework design on each external face.

Even with the most careful planning, some design issues are not always clear-cut until the making process is well underway.  I needed a means of getting the 12 volt electric power up to where I the interior lighting will be situated. At one stage I imagined that I might feed a cable through a random drainpipe at the rear of the building, but this would not have been authentic and it would have been difficult to achieve.

I decided the best option was to chase a groove into one of the columns. Being made of lightweight foam, this was a simple matter using a miniature electric drill with a very fine grindstone to cut a groove deep enough to accept the electrical connection wires.

A pair of wires for each of the two floors was fed through the column up to the LED lamps in order to illuminate the darker corners of the shop.