Thursday, August 10, 2017

It's thyme to show you an Americana Folk Art Pull Toy


Today I wanted to show you a project
 called
Yankee Doodlefish

The design for this project 
is by 
Cynthia Erekson



I was excited to paint this project because it is a
companion project 
to 
a couple of previous projects I have painted 



You can read about
Yankee Fisherboy Primitive Portrait



You can read about 
Glouster Goose Girl




Lets head into the STUDIO to see what I have been working on!


My Palette


Jade Green, Moon Yellow, Traditional Burnt Umber, White Wash, Deep Burgundy, Honey Brown, Lamp Black, Antique Green, Deep Midnight Blue, Bleached Sand, Heritage Brick, Blue Mist, Traditional Raw Sienna




Let's paint!


I began by removing the rope from the fish.
I used
to fill the holes that were drilled in the fish for eyes.


I let the filler dry then lightly sanded the eye area.

I used a clean soft cloth to apply 
to all pieces of the pull toy. 



I applied a second coat of Gel Stain once the first coat had dried.



I then squirted a large puddle of Jade Green on my palette.

I used the broad flat side of my sponge brush to press a heavy coat of paint onto the fish.



( I removed the wheels and set them aside)



Press the entire flat side of the brush repeatedly onto the fish to create bubbles and texture.
Let one side dry then repeat on opposite side and edges.




I painted the wheels with Deep Midnight Blue.
The centers and dowel ends were painted with Deep Burgundy.


I let my fish dry completely before distressing it.
I used an awl and rasp for distressing.
When distressing avoid the design area!

I filed some areas on the tail, around the mouth, and along the top of the fish with the rasp.
Distress some areas down to the stain and some to the bare wood.
I used the flat edge of the rasp to dent the fish along the top, sides of mouth and tail.
I used the corner of the rasp to create some dings.
The glaze I did in the next step collects in the dings and dents you create to help age the fish.


I mixed a glaze 
using
and 
Burnt Umber (8:1)




I used a soft cloth to wipe the glaze mixture over the fish. 
I made sure to get it in all the dents and dings I had created when I distressed the fish.

I let the glaze dry completely on the fish.
Next I poured some Lamp Black on my palette.
I dipped a stencil brush in the Lamp Black ,
 circled it on my palette,
then repeatedly on a paper towel
to dry off most of the paint.
I used this "dry brush" to scrub around the edges
of the fish 
to 
darken and age the piece.


I transferred the main elements of the design to the fish and began painting.
I began by first establishing the horizon line and background.
I like to use Silver Micron Mini Brushes for small detail painting.


I then began shading and adding all the small details 
which included the buildings, roofs, tree and sails.


Once the detail work was completed I painted the line work .
This included the fences, sail detail, lines on doors and windows, chimney smoke.
I added the comma strokes around design.


I used a scruffy brush to tap in foliage.
I add dots with stylus and end of the brush last!
Make sure they dry well before the next step.


Next I painted the wood flag.



I then spattered the flag on the dowel with Tradtional Burnt Umber.
I spattered the fish with Lamp Black.


*To easily spatter dip the bristle tips of a large stencil brush in water and then mix into about a dime size puddle of paint. Hold the brush over your piece and pull some bristles towards you with your palette knife to spatter lightly.


I used two coats of Dura Clear Matte Varnish on the fish and the flag.
Let dry completely between coats!


I attached the rope and wood ball to the fish.
I used
 to 
add the
  wheels and flag
to the 
fish pull toy.




Rosemary Reynolds and DecoArt 
provided me with the paints and supplies to complete this project as part of their
Helping Artist and Blogger Outreach Programs.


Thank you DecoArt!








I hope you have enjoyed watching me paint 
my 
Yankee Doodlefish Project!


Happy Painting until next thyme!

Lynn

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Thyme to show you a Shaker Button Box

Today I wanted to show you a project that I just completed 
called
Shaker Button Box

Design 
by
Cynthia Erekson


Lets step inside my STUDIO!

My Palette

Camel, Milk Chocolate, Lamp Black, Desert Sand, Russet, Deep Burgundy, Light Buttermilk, Dark Chocolate, Avocado



I began by first sanding and sealing the surface
 with 





I base coated the outside of the box and the lid with 2 coats of Camel.
I traced the design and transferred just the horizon line to the surface.


I painted the ground area with thinned Milk Chocolate.
I left the ground area some what streaky.


Next I transferred the scallop border.


I painted the top and bottom scalloped borders with Lamp Black.


Top and bottom areas of scallop border are painted.


I painted 2 coats of Lamp Black on the scallop borders.


I transferred the remainder of the design to the box excluding the small details.


I base coated and shaded each of the houses and barns.


I transferred the small details to the box and painted the doors, windows and other details.


I used a combination of 
to create the "button label" on the box 


The DecoArt reusable Stencils are so easy to use . 
They adapt to both flat and rounded surfaces.


I added the Lamp Black dots to the scallop border using the handle of my brush.



Back side of box.
I let my box dry completely.



Next I mixed clear
with
  Milk Chocolate paint ( 2:1 )
for the
  wood grained rim and bottom of box.


I mixed this mixture together well with my palette knife.
I cut a strip of sponge 1/2" wide and as long as the rim on the cover of the box.


I heavily applied the glaze mixture to the rim using a sponge brush.

I then quickly pressed into the glaze all around the rim using the sharp corner edge of the sponge .
( not the flat side)



I also applied the glaze mixture to the bottom of my box in the same manner.


Bottom of box and rim of cover after pressing sponge repeatedly in to wet glaze mixture.


I let the box and lid dry completely over night.
I used a star stencil and small stencil brush for the next step.


I stenciled a Lamp Black star in the center of the box bottom.


I stenciled Lamp Black stars all around the rim of the cover.


I mixed another glaze mixture using Camel for the inside cover of the box.


I used the edge of a sponge to faux finish the inside of the cover 
in the same manner 
that I did the outside of the box.

I let this dry completely before stenciling a large Lamp Black star.



I applied several coats of Dura Clear Ultra Matte Varnish to the cover and box.


Next I traced a circle from a piece of heavy cardboard using the cover of the box as my template.
I cut the circle out and made sure that it fit inside the cover. 
I trimmed it as necessary.



I assembled the following items:
Pearl Cotton Thread
Quilt Batting
Large Needle
Homespun Fabric
Button
* The homespun fabric that I used was actually an old pair of faded curtains that I kept for crafting!


I used the cardboard template to cut a circle from the homespun. 
I left  2"of extra fabric around edges of circle.
I used the 
large needle
and 
about 36" of
 Pearl Cotton thread 
to stitch around the outer edge of the homespun circle.

I left the tails of the thread hanging to gather later.


Next I cut about 5 layers of very thick batting using the cardboard circle as a template.



The thickness of your pin cushion will be determined by how much batting you use.
I poked a hole in the center of my cardboard circle.
I then spread a layer of tacky glue on the cardboard.
I then "stacked" my tower of "batting circles" on the cardboard.
I then placed the fabric circle on table wrong side up 
and 
turned my "batting tower" onto the fabric
so that the cardboard is now facing up.
I then pulled the tail threads that I had left hanging 
to gather the edges of the homespun fabric around the edge of the cardboard.
I carefully adjusted the gathers around the edge.

I cut a long piece  Pearl Cotton thread.
 I started from the underside
and 
I pulled the threaded needle thru the center hole of the cardboard
 out to the edges and back up thru the center hole
I repeated this several times.
I then stitched the button to the center.


I then glued the pin cushion to the inside of the lid.


I varnished the inside of my box


I varnished the inside lid of the box.


I attached some rusty pins, buttons and a threaded needle to the pin cushion.



Back of box


Front of box.



Rosemary Reynolds and DecoArt provided the paints for me to complete this project as part of their Helping Artist and Blogger Out Reach Programs.

Thank you DecoArt!












I hope that you have enjoyed watching me paint this 
Shaker Button Box!


Happy Painting!
Lynn


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