Home Sanctuary

Company Girl Coffee 11.16 and Catching Up

Earlier this week, I designed and painted a vent hood for a client, who was unhappy with the previous homeowner's mural:

Before - it was a Tuscan scene that did not fit the new homeowner's style.

 

 

After - a soft faux finish with a scrolly design

Projects like these seem like they would be simple, but this one was a challenge. To accomplish it, I had to make custom patterns to fit the spaces, then transfer them onto paper at the right scale. I used a projector to do that part. Then came the tedious part of transfering the pattern onto the surface, using transfer paper beneath the pattern and tracing each line. Finally, filling in with paint so that it looked soft and painterly was the last step. It was a two day project, not including time in the studio to prepare everything. Phew!

I love how it turned out and the homeowner was very pleased with the final look! The kitchen's style was transformed from "cute" to "elegant" with this design change, and it was very gratifying. This is why I love my job!

 

Soooo, I've gotten behind on a bunch of things this week. The cold/flu bug that got to me last week has hung around, and although I've functioned through my work days, I've collapsed into bed each night around 8 pm and not gotten anything else done. Emails, art orders, Post Office, Thanksgiving menu, laundry....have all fallen by the wayside. This weekend, I will try to catch up on what I can, so that by Monday I hope to be feeling *ready* for the holidays.

Today's Small Thing is to join me in playing catch up. Don't make a daunting list of everything you've put off all year, but simply get to those few things that are most important. Resist adding NEW things to your To Do list, instead peck away at those items that keep lingering from one list to another....never really going away.

What ONE thing will you catch up on today? What else can you catch up on this weekend? How will it feel to finally cross it off your list?

Now, let's have some Company Girl Coffee. Feel free to link up with a new post or even an old favorite of yours. It's a great way to meet new bloggers and "catch up" with what's happening around the blogosphere.

 

Jungle Mural - Done

Thanks for humoring me as I've shared the Jungle Mural progress the past few days! I'm happy to say....I'm done.

The homeowner wanted a couple of playful monkeys chucking coconuts at each other so here is the first one:

I had a hard time deciding on the pose for the second one, but finally went with him lounging on the vine, waiting for the game to come to him.

 

Once the monkeys were done, I worked on adding butterflies and primping what I'd already painted. The flamingo stilll needed some shading so I darkened him and worked on his color. I also darkened his legs. Ah, better.

 

I really like the way the foliage turned out. After messing with it so long I'd started to hate it...but now that it's done, I'm pleased with the super-sized graphic feel to it.
 

Finally, the area over the little boy's sink needed something substantial. So I painted a lemur hanging by his tail and the family went nuts, cheering me on to add a crown, ala King Julian from the movie Madagascar. What a fun idea!

 

 

The parrot didn't need any primping today, but at least now he can look across the sinks to his new buddy, King Julian.

Now, in the words of King Julian, we're going to "MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" for our Small Thing today.

Today's Small Thing is to put movement into your day. As in....do some exercise! You know, when we get busy with life and all the stuff we have to get done in a day, one of the things that gets put off until "tomorrow" is taking care of our health....am I right, or am I just talking about myself here?? But the truth is the very BEST thing we can do for ourselves and our families is make sure we have the strength and health to meet the demands of life. We can't very well run a household from a hospital bed, can we? So lets avoid that scenario by taking a walk or run, doing some stretches or getting in a full-blown workout!

Hey, adding just a few minutes of walking and core strengthening today will instantly make you smarter and prettier. I guarantee it. It's FREE and it's easy. Now....MOVE IT MOVE IT!! Do it for yourself. Do it for your family.

Song of the Day: You've Got to Move it, Madagascar

More Jungle Mural Progress

On Friday, it was Day Three of the Jungle Themed bathroom. It was a lot more enjoyable than the previous two, (Day 1 and Day 2) because I got to start adding the fun stuff. Finally, Mr. Flamingo made his appearance.

 

Once I had the flamingo in place, I had to beef up the greenery around his legs....and fix a problem with the palm leaf that is behind him. (You can compare it to Friday's Post if you want.) I had painted it a darker green, which made it appear to be right underneath him, like he was sitting on it. Ooh, not cool. By re-painting it the light background leaf color (the underpainting color) the leaf "receded" to the background and now helps to connect him to the foliage below. Crisis avoided.

 

 

Next came the frog. We were going to do a lizard, but I found some great reference material for a pink frog and decided to do him instead. I added some more random leaves and shadows around him and I think he looks pretty cute!

For a frog.

 

 

 

 

 

Next came a parrot near the sinks. Fortunately, the shower curtain fabric has some great parrots on it and it was easy to copy one onto the wall. This is the first wall you notice when you enter the bathroom, so we wanted to put something colorful and pretty on it.

Parrots always seem a little shifty to me...maybe it's their eyeballs. 

 

 

On the palm tree, I added a couple of hibiscus flowers and filled in the shadows under the foliage to give it some weight. Today I will attempt to put a monkey and some coconuts in the top of the tree, and another monkey above the froggy, on the hanging vine. Pray for me....I'm gonna need it!

 

Since we are talking about a Jungle Theme today, let's tie it in with a Small Thing....haha you knew I would do that, right?

 

Today's Small Thing is to manage the "jungle" in your house....the flora and fauna that decorate the inside and outside of your home.

Do your plants need watering? Why, do that today! How about some fertilizing or cutting back of gangley stems? I sure do need to deadhead the rosebushes out front....how about you? Use this as an excuse to get caught up on your houseplant/landscaping duties.

It's a jungle out there....make yours look beautiful today.

Song of the Day: The Bare Necessities, The Jungle Book

 

 

 

Company Girl Coffee 4.27 and Mural Progress

I launched into Day 2 of the Jungle Theme bathroom with this as my starting point. Pretty underwhelming:

I didn't quite know where to start on the foliage so I just started throwing some random plants on the wall. I figured they'd start overlapping and looking alright once I got enough of them on there.

Ugh. This is the point in painting murals when I am convinced this is going to look horrible. "I can't pull this one off," I think to myself.. and then I try and force myself keep going and see it through. This is a good time to break for lunch so I can gather my wits. I add the basecoats for flowers...still not happy.

Adding dark purpley-green mix as shadows really helps make the plants seem like they aren't floating anymore. I'm feeling better. Shading the flowers and leaves helps a whole bunch, too...even though they still aren't finished.

 

I made a little bit more progress on the wall with the log. I added some dark green leaves, shadows and flowers. Trying not to worry that I didn't get farther along....but I just couldn't go any faster.

Today, a flamingo will go on that first wall - right smack on top of the mound of foliage. I've never painted a large flamingo before (or a small one either, for that matter) so I'm holding my breath. I will keep posting photos of my progress, if you are interested. :)

I'm not going to post a Small Thing today... because I'm kinda drained. Although I'm enjoying this mural, my project site is about an hour and a half through traffic each way....and it's making for some looong days. Also my butt and hamstrings are really sore from squatting on the floor to paint and that's affecting my ability to type.

NOW, on to our Coffee Time. It's our weekly link-up that is easy and fun. I have truly enjoyed getting to visit everyone the last couple of weeks and will try and get around this weekend as well. If you want to join in, simply enter your blog URL below! We have a great group of Company Girls and I know you'll love getting to know them!

Song of the Day: The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Disney version

Where Do I Start?

Yesterday I started painting a jungle themed bathroom. I arrived at the house armed with pages of ideas the homeowner had sent me, and my supply of paints and brushes. My client had an inspiration piece for the project: a painterly fabric that will be used in the shower curtain. Awesome!

But my joy over the fabric was shortlived. You see, the walls were prepared for me with a fresh coat of white paint. WHITE PAINT!

Um, have I ever told you that I cannot start murals on plain white walls? They scare me. 

They're so big, so plain. So intimidating. I CAN'T DO IT!

Ugh.

So instead of starting the murals, I didn't. I started an "underpainting" instead.

An underpainting is a quick, light wash of colors that an artist will lay down on a canvas so he can see the layout and design of his painting. There are no details, really, just a hint of the painting so that he can see where he should go to begin the "real" painting... and make adjustments as he goes. Sometimes, the final painting ends up looking completely different than the underpainting, but in the beginning, the underpainting provides some structure on the blank canvas. It helps get him started.

My underpainting was really nothing more that a light wash of green, with leaf-shaped edges. I decided that "most" of the green would get covered up with darker foliage, but I'd leave enough of it showing to give the impression of depth and layers. It's a little bit of a trick, to be honest. It will help your eye "fill in" the foliage so it won't look stark on those big white walls.

 

I didn't have to make any real decisions when doing the underpainting. Just blobs of paint that started looking like shadowy leaves.....just enough structure so if I squinted my eyes and thought real hard, I could start to envision where the log with a lizard on it should go. Before I knew it, I had some of foliage started.

 

I even did an underpainting up high, where trees might go. A monkey will eventually be on this vine above the (future) towel bar. See the pale green behind the palm leaves?

 

NOW I can see where I ought to put a big palm tree! I started adding more foliage to the bottom - much easier now that everything is anchored with that light green layer.

Today, I will finish the foliage and work on the flowers: hibiscus and birds-of-paradise type things. After that will come some jungley creatures...monkeys, a parrot, a lizard and a flamingo. My best guess is that I will be done on Monday. I'm so glad I was able to get over my fear of the "real" painting by starting with that underpainting. It made all the difference.

All this brings me to our Small Thing today.

If you don't know where to start a task (like cleaning your house or getting laundry done) the answer is: DON'T. Don't start....yet.

Today's Small Thing is to give yourself an "underpainting." A bit of structure. A preliminary exercise that takes the intimidation factor out of your task and gives you some direction.

For example...

• Laundry pile too high? Just sort out the darks and do those so they are out of the way. Now how does your pile look? Or maybe instead of mixing the whole family's laundry together, do ONE PERSON'S laundry at a time. (sshhh...no sorting later!)

 

• Kitchen a disaster? Clear everything to the side so you can SEE your counter. Isn't it lovely? Hello, counter! I forgot what you looked like. Now that you're reacquainted, that stack of dishes doesn't seem so bad. Now, what if you just got those pots done first?

 

• Kids out of control and whining all day long? Put some simple structure in place: snack time at 10 am, storytime with mommy at 11 am. Room time after lunch. Let them know what's coming and watch the magic of expectations at work. Yours AND theirs...that's gold, baby.

Are you getting the idea? Don't let the enormity of your tasks immobilize you. Give yourself a teeny bit of structure on the front end, and then see if the tasks seem more manageable on the back side. My guess is that they will practically take care of themselves.

What will your "underpainting" look like today? I'd LOVE to hear how you are applying it!

Song of the Day: Healing Begins, Tenth Avenue North

 

Lamentations 3:22

 

Here is a new piece of scripture art for you today - from Lamentations 3:22-23.

 

Lamentations 3:22

 

I love the meditations of this scripture, which are found smack dab in the middle of a book of sorrows. I don't know about you, but I've often found myself in the midst of my own sorrows and disappointments, and like the writer of this tiny book, "this I call to mind and therefore I have hope." (v. 21)

It is the steadfast, unending, unfailing love of the Lord that is your source of strength each and every day. His mercies never fail, even when you falter. His mercy carries you and cradles you in safety and brings comfort....in fact, verse 24 says that his mercies are new every morning. I love that! On those days that I feel I've tapped out God's mercy, I get a whole 'nother chance to experience the depths of that mercy when the sun rises again. It is new and fresh, no matter how often you call upon him to pour out his mercy on you.

"Great is your faithfulness," the writer exclaims right in the middle of his dissertation. It's as if simply talking about God's love and mercy causes him to shift his focus from his troubles and onto God himself. He can't help but worship him by extolling his great faithfulness. It makes me think about how often I extoll the extent of my troubles, rather than extolling the extent of his faithfulness in the midst of those difficulties. There is a lesson here that I don't want you to miss: bringing to mind and talking about God's character sheds new light on your circumstances. It gives you hope for the future. Meditating on his faithful care, reminding yourself of how he has blessed you, and looking for the ways he bestows his grace upon your life - in the midst of your trial - puts your focus back on the omnipotent God who gives you the power to triumph over every circumstance.

God's love never ceases. His mercies never end...they are new every morning.

GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS, Oh Lord. I can't help but worship him - how about you?

Today's Small Thing is to meditate on God's steadfast love. Print off, post up or share the artwork...it is for you to enjoy.

  Download Lam3

Song of the Day: Great is Thy Faithfulness, Fernando Ortega

How has the Lord shown his faithfulness in your life? Please share today!

Company Girl Coffee 9.2 and Finished Art

Girls, I'm ALMOST done with the work at the TV studio. A few things got added at the end so I'm still putting in some long days to get it all done before the Tuesday deadline. I thought you might like to see what it looks like so far.

My painting, which I showed in previous posts as I started it, is D.O.N.E. and framed! It hangs front and center over the fireplace, and is titled "Autumn Respite." I have died a thousand deaths over this piece....but here it is.

 

 

 

Here is another piece I did for the kitchen area. I really like how this turned out....

 

......you'd never believe it started out as a crumbly plaster mirror! It's amazing what a coat of black spray paint and some copper, gold and silver dry-brushed over it can do. I spray painted right over the mirror and then hand-painted the background and fruit swag.

 

Textured wallpaper is back in a big way, have you noticed? This anaglypta pattern was painted with Sherwin Williams Tranquil Aqua and then lightly glazed with SW Folkstone to bring out the design.
 

 

Here's a side table I re-did....my first attempt with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Also in the photo is a chair that needed touch up and wrought iron that received metallic accents.  

 

My husband, Tom, knocked himself out with these walls. He used a wonderful product called American Clay....it is made of all-natural clay and pigments that gets hand trowelled on. The client wanted a southwestern look so he made it look very textured, but you can make this stuff look like venetian plaster of give it a smoother finish if you like. I love how it looks and want it in MY home! 

 
I wish I had a photo handy of the hutch I'm working on today (and the rest of this weekend.) It is huge and gorgeous, but the finish on it wasn't right for the scale of the kitchen. So it is getting painted and glazed and reworked to make it fit the space. I'll show you before and afters next week, assuming I survive it.

So that's quite a bit of the studio....what do you think?? The decorators are putting their talents to work and filling it with the "frou-frou" stuff so it will be ready for the first shoot, and I can't wait to see it completely FINISHED!!!

It's time for Company Girl Coffee! It's the weekly link up that is an easy way to find each other's blogs and get to know one another. (If you are not a blogger, simply chat in the comment section so we can get acquainted and caught up on what's going on in your life.) Hope you'll join in!

I'll have Today's Small Thing and a new Tally Sheet a little later this morning, so please check back in for it. Have a great weekend!

 

Aspen Painting Under Way

This is what happens when your family leaves and you don't have any walls big enough for your canvas and you start moving furniture around.

I took over the living room.

I moved a love seat and took stuff off the walls to make room for the 40" square canvas. Since I'm a messy painter, I stapled plastic to the wall to protect it. We'll see if it's adequate protection.

The hardest part of any art project is getting started. Fortunately, I've got some small-scale paintings that I did prior to the Big Dude and that helps. To get myself moving, I start throwing paint at the canvas - you might call it an "underpainting," a guide to tell me how the painting should go. I tell myself I can paint over it if its horrible.

 

This is kind of the skeleton. I pencilled in the foreground aspens and filled them in with white, then scrubbed some yellow into the branches so I can see where the leaves will go. The trees look a little anemic, don't they? I may end up fattening them up but I won't know if I should until I get the leaves filled in better.

I hate leaving a painting alone once I start it. I fuss and fuss and fuss. But last night I was tired and was afraid I'd get careless and do something I'd regret, so I forced myself to sit on the couch and watch a movie...all the while it taunted me to "just do one little thing."

I ignored it, mostly. Today I will keep working on it - don't be surprised if the next photos look nothing like these first ones.

Rachel

Company Girl Coffee 4.8

One of my favorite tools for transfering designs from paper to a wall is my projector. I have an old "opaque" projector that I use frequently when I need to get something quickly and perfectly onto a wall.

It is perfect for things like this, which I did last week (a rival Plano Wildcat Paw - with apologies to my Midlothian Panthers, but hey...gotta eat):

And yesterday, I worked on some stage props with a friend from church. We took 4x8 sheets of pink foam insulation ($9.00 each at Home Depot), painted them white and then added silhouettes. We transfered the patterns onto the panels using the trusty projector.

An overhead projector would work well for this kind of thing, too. When I need to make a highly detailed transfer, I borrow a fancy schmancy projector that hooks up to a computer.

Now that you know this little trick, maybe there is a project you've been wanting to do but were hesitant to try. I think of my projector as a tool, not a "cheat," just like a calculator helps you add numbers faster than a pencil and paper can. Try it!!

I hope ya'll have had a good week. As usual, it has gone by far too fast! Link up for Company Girl Coffee below - or feel free to chat away in the comment section.

Love, Rachel

PS NO SMALL THING TODAY! Enjoy your weekend!

 

Venetian Plaster Art Piece!

Girls, we finally finished installing the huge art piece yesterday!  Have a look at our project:

Here is the magnificent "W" hotel and luxury residences in downtown Dallas.

I won't bore you with photos of the hours and hours and hours of taping, applying the plaster, sanding, burnishing, buffing, applying stencils, buffing, waxing, buffing and waxing, then packaging and transporting to get to this:

Going Up! Thankfully we had a hydraulic lift to use!

Each of the 45 square panels was given a word in different language, stenciled in plaster, depicting a character trait of a Well Lived Life.  Latin phrases were overlaid.  My favorite one is translated: "Through difficulty, sweetness."  I believe this phrase (above) says, "If you can read this, you're overeducated."  No kidding, we had a little fun.

The chocolate brown plaster took almost two weeks to perfect, but Tom nailed the color to match Sherwin Williams "Black Bean."

The final look.  The completed piece is 20 feet high by 10 feet wide.  Each panel was given a beautiful label on the back, with the word and its translation, signed and numbered.

I must give my husband Tom complete credit for the work that went into this piece.  I did very little of the actual artwork, outside of the original concept, researching and laying out stencils and otherwise being the helper-girl.  He hand-made each one and created something really spectacular. You would not believe his tenacity to make this piece so incredible.

Our client is thrilled with the result, and we are so honored to have this piece finished in such a beautiful location.  It really has been a work of the heart.

And now, for some rest!!