Friday, February 25, 2011

Chevron Dresser (I’m back!)

I’m 16 weeks pregnant today!  I can safely say that I am done with the “morning” sickness now.  Hooray!!  And I’m back with my first official project since I went down for the count around Christmas time!  (Thanks to Cara for holding down the fort in my absence.)

For my first project back in the saddle, I chose to tackles this great dresser I picked up for $15 (I know!) back in December.  (I’ve had lots of time to think about what I wanted to do with it with all that laying around and moaning on the couch.)

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I decided to do something I’ve been wanting to for a while now… chevrons!!  Chevron is the new quatrefoil didn’t you know?  Or was that the new damask?  I can’t keep up.  All you have to know is that chevron is in the NOW people.  :)  Taping off the pattern was extremely tedious.  It probably took me two hours of taping, no kidding.

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Then, after I was all done, I check the TL facebook page and my friend NataLee from Designed to the Nines told me that she did a chevron pattern and made a cardboard template and it saved her tons of time.  Now you tell me?!?!?!  ;)  But, really, that sounds like a killer tip, so if you attempt this kind of chevron pattern yourself, I’d give the cardboard template thing a try.

I painted it “Thistle Blue” from Martha Stewart and painted the chevrons and stripe with a hand mixed gray.  The top is stained my good ol’ fave, Minwax Dark Walnut.  It’s difficult to tell in the pictures, but I added some beadboard paintable wallpaper to the side panels to cover up some less-than-wonderful veneer.  Since it was missing one of the original pulls, I used some knobs from my (large) stash on the top drawer, and used the original pulls on the bottom three drawers.  I sprayed all the pulls with some Oil Rubbed Bronze from Krylon.

Here it is!  I LOVE it!!

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This pic is a better representation of the stain on the top:

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Killer casters!

So I’m feeling pretty good about my first project back in the game.  Not too rusty.  :)  And I picked up three fantasticly french chairs the other for $15 (yes, for all 3!!!), and although upholstery usually gives me panic attacks, I’m actually pretty excited to tackle them.  I have some great ideas and already bought some fabrics.

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Those on top of the wardrobe/armoire, fancy desk, LARGE dresser that I have big plans for, and I’m going to be a busy, busy woman for the next few weeks.  I’m going to be participating in the Junrestore Vintage Market again the first weekend of April!  And this time, we are bringing the wares to Scottsdale’s Simple Farm.  I’m so excited about it!!  If you’re in the valley, make sure to mark your calendars and tell everyone you know.  ;)

That’s it for now!  Thanks for hangin’ in there while I was a sickie.  :)

Linking to:

Funk Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, Under the Table and Dreaming, C.R.A.F.T., House of Grace, Sassy Sites, Primitive and Proper, Domestically Speaking, My Backyard Eden, Somewhat Simple, Chic on a Shoestring, My Repurposed Life, The Shabby Nest, Miss Mustard Seed, 3 Meadow Lake Cottage, Thrifty Décor Chick

Friday, February 4, 2011

Questions Answered on Paintings

Thank you for all your wonderful compliments on my paintings. I know some of you had questions about the work, so I thought I'd do a quick post to explain and give some pointers. There is actually a lot of thought (and money) that go into each one.  I don't mix my colors. They come right out of the tube. I use a mix of Van Goh H2o oil paints (which are no longer available :( and  Windsor and Newton Artisans (water-mixable oils) for quick drying. The acrylics just don't have the edge that i need, even the thicker ones. Golden Acrylic has the best hue richness, but when it dries, it doesn't have the lustery depth that the oils carry, either. And yes, I use a palette knife because it's quick, bold, and I hate using toxic paint thinner and keeping my brushes clean. Speaking of paint thinner, have you seen the safer "green" products at Home Depot? Sweetness.

Having grown up in the art world (my dad is a world-renowned artist and also owns several galleries), I've learned some tricks of the trade to actually make your art SELL (a very difficult task).

Some quick-selling tips for beginners:
-Don't chince on amount of paint you use. Load on the paint, even for detailed brushwork.
-When including subject matter, go for odd numbers
-clean colors (Only mix with side-by-side colors on color wheel, unless for shadowing)
-include purples for shadow
-reds sell
-always place your subjects slightly off-center
-include drama with lighting or texture and color, and pay attention to trends
-"artiness" and modern over-the-edge subject matter is not successful in galleries, but do what you love!
- Again, DO WHAT YOU LOVE! :)
-oil paint is successful
-when framing, go with the overall lines and style of a painting. Make sure you notice the painting before the frame, and NEVER chince on the quality of the frame.
-Your signature is more important than you realize. Practice, Practice, Practice.
-never stop--like anything, remain on task and push yourself.
-try to put in a vertical and horizontal ''line" into the format, whether it be with coloring or with shapes.
-the golden triangle IS golden. (one strong focal point, and two lesser, forming a triangle of movement)



So that's all I can think of for now. It is the greatest job EVER in my opinion, so hopefully you can find that balance between paying attention to your audience AND doing what you love.