I often find inspiration…well pretty much…anywhere!
One of my current addictions is Pinterest! I'm trying to create one of the largest painted & uniquely designed furniture pages out there. I’m constantly scowering the internet for new possibilities to add to my library. If you’re on Pinterest, please look me up, I’d love it if you’d help me grow my funky furniture collection. If you’ve never heard of Pinterest, write me for an invite, you'll thank me! It’s a virtual bulletin board where you can collect all your amazing pictures, posts & ideas in one organized place, while sharing and collecting from others.)
One of my most favorite styles of furniture to pin is Sticks! Who doesn’t LOVE a good piece of Sticks furniture, right?
Recently, I was asked to design a small table for a customer that was similar to, but not exactly like, Sticks. It also was going to be for a home in the Adirondacks, so the theme had to be in an outdoorsy/rustic style, as well.
I decided to go with larger folk styled images instead of smaller scenes, which is why I didn’t put too much design into the pictures, because it would have been too busy. I kept them simple, but increased the interest with bold color. (Plus, I just had hand surgery, so I was basically painting with one hand. The less detail the better, LOL!)
With daring color in the imagery, the background and accent colors were done in taupe, tans, and muted colors, forcing the colors to stand out even more. I then went back in with a little brown paint, water and a damp cloth to shadow around the edges of each character. This created a 3D effect. If you have ever used watercolors, it’s a similar technique, yet its acrylic paint. The effect is really nice. The trick is in the dabbing (with your damp cloth dab gently where you have applied the paint; thicker at the edge, more watery as you feather it out).
On the bottom I kept it simple as well, with a log cabin and a message of home. A wooden appliqué was glued on for whimsy.
I did a second piece…but I’ll have to show you that next week. It’s got a totally different vibe, but I think you’ll find it interesting.
Remember, come find me on Pinterest and please help me build my page!
