A quiet afternoon on Magazine Street

This one-of-a-kind commissioned shadowbox captures the gentle charm of a classic Uptown New Orleans carriage house. The peach-and-white façade, with its soft hip-roof porch, teal shutters, and twin teal doors are sculpted entirely by hand. White architectural trim frames the arched windows and double entrance, while the upper story rises behind the porch roof — a graceful nod to the practical elegance of the New Orleans camelback and carriage-house form.

A towering live oak stretches across the scene, its branches heavy with hand-applied leaves and draped in strands of Mardi Gras beads that catch the light. More beads cascade over the black iron fence in the foreground — green, gold, purple, and red, white and blue and silver — turning the front yard into a quiet celebration of Carnival. Potted tropical plants and bright blooms line the porch railing, adding color and life to the miniature streetscape. Behind it all, a soft blue sky with drifting white clouds completes the illusion of a bright Louisiana afternoon.

This piece is a true collaboration. Sandra’s precise polymer-clay architecture and floral details meet Mark’s textured tree construction, fencing and atmospheric finishing. Built in layered depth within a deep bronze-finished shadowbox frame, the scene invites you to step onto the sidewalk and walk right up to the front steps.

Materials: Basswood and Balsa wood • PVC sheeting • Mirrors • Polymer clay • Hand-sculpted architectural details • Authentic Mardi Gras beads • Acrylic paints • Wire armatures • Textured ground and foliage • Custom deep shadowbox frame

Status: Commissioned private collection piece

No longer available

This original work is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity, affirming its uniqueness and permanent place within the Art Illusions by Young collection.