Home Improvement: The Bench

Here are a couple of before and after photos of a cute little bench that I've given a makeover.

The weather has been ideal for painting outdoors and I found the weekends the best time to work on it. This shade of green is a favorite of mine and I find myself using it in my paintings quite a bit. Now, it's the bench's turn to wear it for a while. There is an old picnic bench that is next on my list. I hope to get it done before the cool weather comes.

This is what she looked like before I fixed her up.

Cute design on the metal frame. I lightly sanded the frame with some sandpaper and steal wool before I spray painted with a lightly textured paint that required no primer.

It was very easy to take apart and I did label each slat with tape and a number so I could put each one back in its original place.

The slats were individually sanded with a sanding pad and 80 grit sanding paper. Great exercise!

Ta Da!!

Now, I should mention that The Gorilla thinks I should be cleaning the house (vacuum, bathroom, mopping....) on weekends. I have a hard time picking up the broom and mop on weekends when I would much rather be sanding and painting on projects like this.

I can never please The Gorilla.

Peace.

"Red Leaves"

"Red Leaves"

Opaque watercolors and ink

I've finished this piece, finally. It's part of my Dream Landscape Series. Landscapes have become a personal discovery which I will continue to express with small paintings and drawings. I've always got one in the background. They patiently wait for me to add some more. Lately, I've got about four projects that I am working on, and each one is different from the other. I do well with variety. In the end I feel they all have a bit of me which is apparently mine. Like the Toot.

Here's a little something I made as a birthday gift for my second cousin,Citlali. It was a lot of fun to make and I know now what direction I'll be going with my Etsy store.

Saturday I went to buy more art supplies to make more pieces like this. The art supply store is always a great place for me to visit. Especially when I've got a $100 dollar gift certificate. On trips like this I always bring along plenty of meter money for parking so I can take my time. This is a methodical task which I take much pleasure in executing. When I step inside the store I feel the creative energy like a strong wind and I'm On!

An hour later I'm walking out with a bag full of 6 bottles of liquid acrylic paints, Matt finish spray, 2 nice detail brushes, 7 basic brushes for loose work, 2 sketchbooks for my Toot, 1 tube of titanium white acrylic, 20 tiny viles with airtight seals, and 1 box of Sculpy. This is all I need to keep me happy. I must get to bed so I can get an early start.

Good Night!