Wreaths, Silhouettes and Painting in the Car

Napoleon and Josephine

Napoleon and Betsy Balcombe

We survived "Finals Week", and actually, for me it was an easier week than the week before when we were in "study mode". All I did was take them to their finals and wait in the car! :)

I couldn't "just sit" for 2 or 3 hours while they took their exams, so I brought along my watercolor paints and some paintings I had sketch out and ready to go. Our school has a physical building where all the test taking takes place. It is in an industrial park area, so businessmen and women are coming and going......You should see some of the expressions of bewilderment and disbelief when people glance in to see someone painting in their car!

John and Abigail Adams

Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln

One project I really wanted to complete was a set of silhouettes that my friend, Lana (Honeysuckle Lane) had asked me to paint. Lana makes gorgeous wreaths out of vintage book pages. They are simply beautiful!
She asked me to collaborate with her and paint some silhouettes of famous historical couples for Valentine's Day...or some may be for President's Day! :)

And tonight she has them listed in her Simple Joys Paperie Etsy shop:

Simple Joys Paperie



Jefferson and Varina Davis

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And while I had the paints set up in the car, I painted a few "architectural element" paintings and listed them in my Etsy shop:

Pear Tree Primitive's Etsy Shop

Don't worry...I never "Drive and Paint"! :)

Putting Painting on Pause

‘Twas the week before finals,

when all through the house,
our boys needed to study
And I said to my spouse,
“I’m not sure I’ll make it through the whole week.
Before finals are over I may need to “Shriek!”

(my apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, author of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" for the misuse of his poem! )

This past week we've been busy finishing up the semester's coursework and now semester finals are this coming week. So, studying, studying, studying is what we will be doing for the next couple of days....and after Thursday, we can take a break! And then, I hope to pick up a paint brush and do something creative.

Speaking of not having time to pick up a paint brush.....A few months ago, I found a very "rustic" cabinet for $8 at a thrift store. I thought it would look great in the bathroom over the "commode"! So, I bought it and left it in the back of my car. I knew it was there every time I turned a corner, lol!, but I didn't bring it into the house, because I just didn't have time to paint it. So over our Christmas break, I decided I'd give it a coat (or two) of paint...plus I was getting tired of hearing it slide from side to side in the back of the car!

The cabinet is sanded and the doors and hardware are removed.

The doors....I also took off the mesh on the doors to paint them.

I painted an aqua blue color as the base, and then added darker green "smudges" all over it.
My family was questioning my color choice at this point. ....but I had a plan!!



Awwww, after a good sanding, the buttery cream color is applied. I painted two coats of this color, then sanded heavily. I wanted the aqua color to come through in places. Then I applied a burnt umber oil all over it to give it an antiqued finish. After that was dry, I applied some wax to seal it.



New hardware was added and now it is in it's new spot in the bathroom. (sorry the bathroom doesn't have any windows, so the lighting it not great for picture taking.) There is just enough aqua coming through the distressed edges of the cabinet to give it a "cottage-y, aged" look.



A closer photo of the distressing around the door handles. Now I need to decide what to put in it!

The People You Meet.....

Since jumping onto the "world wide web" a few years ago, I've met some wonderful people. I may not know them personally, or even be able to recognize them if they walked into a room, but a relationship or kindred spirit-ness (??) develops when you meet, read about or share with another person online.

Recently, I met a very sweet person online. Tina and her husband, Paul, are editors of Small Town Living, an online publication. Tina asked if I'd be interested in being interviewed.....I said, I'm not sure how "interesting" I'd be, but sure!
They've switched to a blog format for their publication and have posted the interview today....so please go say "hi" and take a peek:

(I think I've probably shared more about myself and my art through that post, than on my own personal blog....strange how being asked specific questions can get you to "open up"!)

http://www.small-town-living.blogspot.com/
(Small Town Living Blog)
The interview