Hand painted letters...

While my students have been busy on their projects, I was busy painting some letters for a client.  Harris is a darling 4 year old boy whose room I recently painted.  He wanted a rocket ship blasting off into the corner with stars trailing after it.



I purchased these letters at Hobby Lobby...

...and plaid from his bedspread as well as a martian!

I incorporated the rocket ship and stars...

I also painted letters for Harris' brother, Jared and recently did Katie and Liam as well.  So cute!  I used water based paints and a spray sealer when they were done.

Activities in the Studio

It's been a fun and busy week in the Studio!  We have lots of projects in the works.  My students are working on various items such as a black stool painted with hydrangas; a painted blueberry stool; an eight paneled window that will be backed with magnetic paint and scrapbook papers; a painted lazy Susan (I hate to use that term...); a darling chair for a child; a striped bookcase for a granddaughter; a wooden rocking airplane (yes, found at a local Goodwill!); two black rocking chairs that will go back on a patio; flower pots; a wooden bowl; three frames and a set of coasters! It is fun to see all of these things in their various stages and even more fun to hear the discussions about life as we paint.  It is one giant therapy session each week!

Come join the fun!  We do our painting workshops four times a week:  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thrusday mornings, 10 - noon and Tuesday evening, 6 - 8 p.m.  The cost is $20 each time you come and you can use my paints and supplies.  Bring your own projects, however.  It should be something that you can carry.  The Studio is located at 5343 Winthrop Avenue, Indianapolis - in the Drewmont Graphics building.  If you would like more information, call 432-1770.

Woven Ribbon Wall Hanging

Here is a special project I made for my youngest daughter. She and her husband are expecting their first baby - a little girl! Two showers were thrown in their honor, and they received some wonderful things for the baby - all beautifully wrapped with a variety of nice ribbons.

The ribbons were so beautiful that I thought I should save them for her and decided to make two wall hangings for the nursery - one from each shower.

First, I painted an 11" x 14" canvas a bright green color.

With my trusty glue gun (I don't know how anyone gets through life without one!), I glued one side of each ribbon to the back of the canvas frame, stretching the ribbon across the front of the canvas and gluing the other end to the opposite side.

    
When the ribbons filled the canvas, I began putting the ribbons the opposite way on the canvas, weaving them as I went.

The result is a very pretty wall hanging of woven ribbons that resembles a beautifully wrapped gift.

Even the backside is and pretty!

I painted and glued a wooden flower to the front, and will add my granddaughter's initial soon (they're still deciding on a name!).

Now we are just waiting for the baby to arrive...

Painted Glassware

I stopped by the Studio today to do a little cleaning up for tomorrow's classes. When I left last week, I left a mess on our painting tables. I had been working on some wine glasses that a client asked me to paint for her daughter. They have black and white diamonds around the top with gold and silver tassels at the points. Now I am painting 12 matching double old fashioned glasses for her, too.

Here's the secret to making hand-painted glasses and plates dishwasher safe: Let the painted items sit for about 24 hours. Then place them in a cold oven, turn it to 325°F, and set the timer for 30 minutes. When the time is up, leave the glasses in the oven until they are cool. No more hand-washing your special plates and glasses!