April 26-30, 2027

French Marquetry 101: Cutting on the Chevalet

with Patrice Lejeune

$1240

$1150 tuition + $90 material fee

About this Workshop

Paris cut its finest marquetry on a tool the rest of the world barely knew about, and the school owns eight of them. The marquetry chevalet is the only tool that holds the packet upright at eye level, provides control over speed and pressure, and allows the piece being cut to be held from both sides at once. Students will begin with a simple étude to become familiar with the chevalet, learning how to hold the packet, make a smooth line, and turn a sharp corner. From there, the class will explore the three primary French methods used since the time of Louis XIV, each developed to solve a different problem. The Boulle method cuts several copies from a single packet, producing the same design in reversed colors. Painting in wood creates a single, richly detailed panel from a layered mosaic packet, uses less veneer, and is more forgiving of an imperfect cut. Piece by piece is the most deliberate and exact method, with each element cut individually to fit its neighbor and the background, leaving little or no saw kerf between the pieces. A stacked packet produces identical copies rather than reversed ones. Students will complete projects using both the Boulle and painting-in-wood methods. Piece by piece will be demonstrated, and students will cut several elements to experience the entire process and see how they fit together. Each marquetry panel will be constructed on an assembly board, a sheet of paper stretched over a panel. The pieces will be glued face down with hot hide glue, keeping everything flat and properly aligned while allowing corrections before the panel is completed. Sand shading will also be taught throughout the week. Students will work at their own pace and leave with at least two completed pieces and a clear understanding of which method best suits the work they want to create. All three methods can also be completed using a scroll saw, so nothing learned during the week depends on owning a chevalet. Students may simply leave wanting one.

Key Points

  • Fitting the tool to your body and how to use it
  • Holding and cutting a packet cleanly
  • Building the right packet for each technique
  • Boulle, painting in wood and piece by piece, learned and practiced
  • The assembly board: hot hide glue, marquetry face down on stretched paper
  • Sand shading and cleaning up for finishing

About the Instructor

Patrice Lejeune

Discover more about this instructor and their work.

Full-Week Program

ENROLLMENT DETAILS

French Marquetry 101: Cutting on the Chevalet with Patrice Lejeune

April 26-30, 2027

$1,240.00

Online Registration Starts December 1, 2026

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