Dandelion Painting

On my art table this past weekend were two canvases.  One was 12"x16" and the other was 22" x 28".  These were a custom order from Ohio.

Thank you for looking!  I hope you enjoyed these paintings!

How to Paint a Wood Sign

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http://www.whatisshellyuptonow.com

Modern Art Circles

I love this modern geometric wall art!  It is about 42 inches long and can be hung vertically or horizontally.  It is black, silver and bronze.  It is the perfect size for your dining or living room.

Fetco Home Decor Aisha Geometric Circles Wall Art

The Box!

So, I am in the middle of this huge project which involves MANY chip clips:

Notice, there was curiosity even before they were opened!

And, now, I'm down to the last box....and this is what I get ALL DAY!

And this is a sneak peek at the clips in progress:

Marvelous Mugs

How to Paint a Marvelous Mug:

Here is what you need to paint these marvelous mugs:

I like the Americana Gloss Enamels.  I purchase them at my local Hobby Lobby shop.  Their paints frequently go on sale for 30%.  Otherwise, they always have a 40% off one regular priced item.  I pull it up on my phone in the store.  Notice the Razzle Berry was on sale for $1.00.  Nice!

There is an all purpose glitter paint by Martha Stewart.  Americana does have a glitter one, but Hobby Lobby was out. I bought this one at JoAnn's Fabrics.

As for the mugs, I have purchased them at our Dollar Store; however, they haven't been carrying them lately...no wine glasses either.  However, I found some nice sized ones with a nice "deign" for painting at Walmart.

Step 1:  Wash the mugs well. I use Dawn soap to rid the mugs of any grease and dirt from the store.

Step 2:  Rub the entire mug with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol.  Air dry for a few minutes. I frequently use my old hair dryer - I'm not very patient!

Step 3:  Paint!  The pouncers work wonderfully and leave a nice textured finish.

Step 4:  Air dry for 48 hours.

Step 5:  Place mugs on a cookie sheet in a cool oven.  Set to 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  Shut oven off, and let them cool in the oven.

Step 6:  Enjoy!  They are dishwasher safe, but I prefer to hand wash.  My dishwasher is a little aggressive...

Go On - Brad Myers

Go On

by

Brad Myers

Special Order Painting

My youngest daughter had an orthodontist appointment this morning, which is near my old office.  One of my former co-workers just found out her husband has been diagnosed with cancer, so I wanted to sign the office card/donation.  It was so great to see everyone, and I was able to give her a hug and prayers.

One of my good friends (from my old office) sent me a picture requesting a special painting.  Here it is:

I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off.  But of course, I will try to paint anything..once. :)  In my years of painting, I have learned that what it looks like at the beginning isn't how it will look in the end.  It is best just to keep going....cause in the end with shading and highlighting it usually pulls together.

So first, I drew it on the canvas.  Usually, I paint the background color first, but this one was different.

The stained glass look made a nice "grid" for drawing it on.

Let's begin.

Okay, honestly, at this point I was a little worried...but I kept going.  I realized I would need to black lines for more guidance. :)
 

Now, I can see where to shade.

 Needs a few more highlights:

Okay, here we go:

Sides are painted, too.

All done!  

Before and After

Is this for me?

How to Remove a Wall Border the EASY Way

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How To Paint a Wine Bottle

So how do I paint the wine bottles? 

From this:

 To this:

Step 1:  Drink WINE.

Step 2: Drink more WINE.

Step 3: Peel of the labels.  They can be tricky.  I spray mine with Lysol Kitchen Spray (magic in a bottle), let it sit, then wipe off.

Step 4: Wash the bottle, inside and out.

Step 5: Use a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol to make sure any residue is gone.

Step 6: Prime with Gesso.

Step 7:  Basecoat with acrylic paint.  I have the best luck with Ceramcoat. It is thicker, and doesn't require several applications.  I usually do 2-3 though.

Step 8: Paint any design you want. If you've had too much wine and are more comfortable with stencils, you could try these:

Step 9:  Paint a couple layers of protective sealer.  I use this:

Step 10:  Skip Steps 1-9 if you would rather just drink more wine...

... and purchase one here instead:
Anton Murals

So...are you going to paint or drink wine?

Personalized Canvas Painting

This canvas painting was done for a dear friend to match a child's bedding.  It began with a blank 16" x 20" white canvas.  I often remember to take pictures after I have already begun a project. Enjoy!

In the next picture I thought I would try stripes behind the name.

Nope, changed my mind. I liked it better without.  So I repainted the navy blue.

That is the beauty of painting. You can't make a mistake!

Voila! Matched the bedroom theme and purchased bedding!

Personalized Painting for Colts in Tennessee

Here is a special order I painted last week. Have you considered hand painted gifts for a teacher? These gifts are one-of-a-kind! Please click the "Hand Painted Items" link to the right, or go HERE for my other online store featuring lots of hand painted signs, canvas paintings, wine glasses, mugs, and more!

I digress...back to what I painted last week and will mail tomorrow! This is a gift for a child's teacher. The school mascot is Colts, so I painted a horseshoe. It is an elementary school, so their colors are blue and green. What awesome colors! I always had red and black growing up. Now I am raising my three daughters in a town with guess which colors? Yes, red and black! Ha. Well, at least the UNI Panthers are PURPLE! Similar to some elementary schools in Cedar Falls, the buyer's school is focusing on the Seven Habits of Effective Kids by Steven Covey. I hope the teacher and students love this painting! It was fun to create this special order!

Special thanks for the wonderful buyer!