Kenneth Hillyer
olathe, Kansas
I designed this to aid with demos of my Inventables CNC at my booth for the 2021 KC WW Show. Sadly, the virus cancelled the show. I’ve given Inventables CNC demos the last 3 years at this event, also at the KC WW Guild. My 8 year old assists by navigating Easel Pro on my laptop. She’s a big hit!
Easel Pro Design Challenge
The instructions for this project are actually contained in the showing of the project itself. I have been experimenting with various types of exotic hardwoods to be used for inlays, and have found that it really looks good to be able to mix up contrasting colors and tones in order to bring attention to the main theme of the plaque. The plaque design that I choose to use here is centered on the theme of developing young children’s minds. “Sic Parvis Magna” is Latin for “greatness from small beginnings”. And as both my daughters play tournament chess,(both placed in the top 10 at the USCF National Final Elementary School Championships in Nashville TN last year) a pawn dreaming of promotion to a Queen seemed to be a very appropriate image.(and if you google the phrase, “sic parvis magna”, you can find an example of a gentleman named Sir Francis Drake, who played a part in coining that Latin phrase and was also knighted by the Queen of England. I just thought that was an interesting piece of trivia)
Let me just add that I am not a professional woodworker. I have never sold any of my projects. Of the dozens of plaques and pieces of furniture which I have produced over the last few years with my X-Carve, almost all have been given as gifts to people who have had a positive impact on my family and I.
