This wall hanging is a polyester casting assembly, of a wood-fired Baldwin 2-4-0 steam locomotive.  This was the first in my product line of painted polyester castings, dba Wayne's Realistic Products, when I lived in Vermont.   The brittlenes of the castings led to shipping problems early on, and motivated me to experiment for years with composites.  Another problem with polyester is the almost unbearable smell; I did the casting operation in a heated room out in the barn.

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        This polyester casting is a decorative light switch cover plate, or switchplate.  Switchplates were a successful product for my business because their smaller size and relative flatness made them more durable for shipping.  This example is one of the few surviving switchplates in my possession, and it's pretty tattered after eleven years.  A few years ago I explored making the switchplates again, by using a low odor rigid urethane resin.  Although the castings looked great, the problem of poor adhesion of non-solvent paints remains an obstacle for me.   And besides, my new line of relief paintings offers me an opportunity to sculpt with fewer design compromises, no odor, durable materials, and no paint adhesion problem.