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Whimsical masterpieces are wood game boards that double as wall hangings
By Kim Hone-McMahan
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Aug 12, 2007
The handmade game boards spread about Robert Merchant's home are a tease. They beckon to be handled. But it's not polite to touch.
''No, go ahead play, play!'' encourages Merchant, pushing a lever that catapults a marble into motion.
The 80-year-old began making themed checker and chess boards about seven years ago. Then in 2004, his creative juices led him to baseball game boards that incorporate everything from spinning wheels to pinball shots.
In the basement of his Akron home is a long table set up with paints and other materials. That's where the grandfather of three does the detail work for his whimsical masterpieces.
Generally, he's a chatty guy, often competing with his biggest fan, wife Marilyn, to slip in a word or two. But when he's concentrating on his painting, Merchant remains silent.
To help him focus, he wears magnifying headgear. On his right wrist is an Ace bandage that applies just the right support. Though his fingers are gnarled from rheumatoid arthritis, he can maneuver a paintbrush like a master.
Merchant worked for 40 years as a graphic designer and a commercial artist. A few years ago, he and Marilyn moved from New York back to her hometown of Akron. That's because, as Marilyn explained, the Big Apple is a ''tough city to grow old in.''
Most everything Merchant uses in his games are reclaimed materials. The base of one of his stunning boards is a bureau drawer from an old dresser; another is wood from a playpen. He and his bride of 29 years find things like marbles, wood spools to represent the baseball players, and paint at estate and yard sales. There's even a small chalkboard on one of his games that came from the former Fairlawn Elementary School, which was torn down to make room for a new school.
The interactive pieces, which also double as wall hangings, are unique. The artist likes it that way and never wants to duplicate a creation.
Before a game is taken out of his home to be displayed or shown to friends, he has played it 500 to 1,000 times. He's that meticulous about getting things perfect. If a game isn't to his high standards, he'll start over. When he's satisfied, he uses a branding iron to burn his initials into the wood.
He doesn't make the pieces to sell. Instead, it's for the love of watching others play with his artwork.
Later this month, Merchant's game boards will be on exhibit at Akron's American Toy Marble Museum and he's issuing an open invitation: Don't be afraid to touch.
''I call it participation art,'' he joked. ''These are not pictures . . . to be hung in a house just to admire. My pieces are something you take off the wall to play with.''
Play ball!
Kim Hone-McMahan's Sketches are short tales you can read before finishing your first cup of coffee. Know of a behind-the-scenes person or unheralded happening? Call 330-996-3742 or write kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.
The handmade game boards spread about Robert Merchant's home are a tease. They beckon to be handled. But it's not polite to touch.
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