seize the canvas...

A fun little project this summer was working with a mini canvas and easel.

I belong to an art group called Cream City Calligraphers and Paper Arts http://www.creamcitycalligraphers.com/) We issued a challenge to members to decorate a mini canvas and easel over the summer and bring the completed pieces to our next meeting.

Since many of my summer activities revolved around water (ferry boat rides, touring sailing ships, etc) I decided my canvas should have a water theme. 

The canvas is 3 inches square.  Since it was so small it didn't take me long to complete. I used acrylic paints and glued a small seashell on the lower corner.  I wrapped the legs of the easel with string for that "nautical rope look".  The lettering was done with a micron pen.

I can't take credit for the caption - I saw that on Pinterest and thought it was perfect!

If the thought of painting/decorating a large canvas seems intimidating I encourage you to start small with a mini canvas.

It would also be fun to do several of these and put a grouping together on a wall.

stenciled rug

My summer project has been painting/stenciling a rug for our porch. I've been wanting a rug on the porch for some time now but I could never find one in either the size I wanted or the colors I wanted (to match the house).  So, after searching the web on painting rugs, I decided to try painting a rug.    Getting this project done when it wasn't raining or wasn't too humid to paint proved to be a challenge.

Numerous sites mentioned using porch & floor paint so I went with that.  I also read about using Frogtape (a painters tape) to keep the lines crisp.  A foam brush was used for the stencil and a 4 inch roller and brush was used for the larger areas.

I measured the area, did a design sketch, and then started taping. 

I decided to paint the entire area with the lightest color.  I figured this would give me a "blank canvas" to start with.

 

According to the tape package directions I needed to wait 3 days before applying the tape to newly painted surfaces.  I gave it a few more days due to the humid weather.  Then the fun of laying out the tape began.  I had to figure out which areas to paint first in order to get the tape down correctly.  I double checked the measurements and placement and ended up moving the tape a few times. 

 

Part one painted! after this was done I waited almost a week until I could apply new tape for the next color.

 

now the checkerboard pattern is starting to take shape.

 

the tassels of the rug were handpainted with a small brush. 

 

now the stenciling starts!  I stenciled all of the cream colored squares first, then waited a week and stenciled the green squares. The stencil is called "starflower" and is made by www.thecraftersworkshop.com

 

Behold the completed rug! I like how it turned out. 

I've read a few places NOT to apply a sealer since it may discolor the paint and make the surface slippery.  Now all I need is to add some chairs, a small table, and an ice cold beverage for a relaxing retreat.

 

 

 

 

Buttons and Baubles - Heart Canvas

taking some time to dust off this blog...(ooh lots of dust here) and it feels good to get back to posting some artwork.

With Valentines Day around the corner I wanted to make a new décor piece.  All of the items in this project were in my studio just waiting to be used. I'm calling this piece the "Buttons & Baubles Heart"

I had a 6 x 6 inch white canvas with wooden frame that became the starting point for this project.  Initially I thought of painting hearts on the canvas with some lettering. 
But after cleaning up the studio (yes, at times that does happen)  I noticed several embellishment boxes were overflowing and in need of some organization.  As I poked through the boxes I found a jar of wine colored buttons and that started the idea of creating a heart image of buttons.  Then more embellishments came out and they were added to the mix.

I started by painting a heart shape with acrylic paint.  I lightly traced some pencil points on the canvas to give me starting points. Heart shaped stencils could be used here too.

I let the paint dry for about an hour then started placing buttons and pieces on the canvas.  For adhesive I used Weldbond Glue.  I really like this glue for glass, metal, and plastic pieces.

I just kept adding pieces until I got the look I liked.  As some piece dried I placed others on top to give it added dimension.  I let it set overnight to dry.

To finish it I added a ribbon around the edge - mainly to cover the staples on the canvas edges.

 

after letting this dry for a few hours the piece was ready to display. I'm happy with how it turned out.  It felt good to use some embellishments I had been hanging onto for years.  And that reminds me...I still need to organize those boxes.