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| The completed Log Cabin wooded sewing box |
I recently finished and posted a photo on Instagram of all places, a wooden sewing box I painted in the popular "Log Cabin" quilt design. This has become my newest quilt painting design technique after the "Crazy Quilt" series. Within a few minutes of posting I received a comment that said: "You have immense patience."
Anyone who knows me knows that "patience" is not one of my virtues. In fact a women I used to work with over 50 years ago was, on the side, a palm reader and the trait that I needed to work on, she said, and one that would always be a challenge for me would be "patience." I even have that in writing from nearly 50 years ago.
However, as I continued to ruminate about that comment I began to realize that in some aspects of my life I AM able to concentrate and have great patience. The sewing box and many other such projects I have craft painted over the years, even the time spent teaching other seniors to paint in the assisted living home, I can show great patience. It was at that moment in time I realized the importance of the arts and what it meant or could mean to people, hyper-people, like me. Not everyone can be an athlete either by coordination, inclination or will. I didn't start running until my 30's and once started loved it. While I can't run today, walks, especially taking long walks with my dog, gives me a chance to solve many problems.
And, while I have not been so lucky with my painting, despite being told many times I am gifted, my craft items have sold well. Since moving to Palm Springs not once but twice in the same condo complex, I have let the painting part of me go and concentrated on craft painting.
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| The start ... what to do? |
I have pointed out that a birdhouse, plate, tray, and any form of box is not that different from a blank canvas, yet it is also a far more complex item to decorate too. A canvas is wide and high ... merely two dimensions. A birdhouse has four sides, a bottom and often a two sided roof. And that's a simple one. The wooden sewing box has a top with two sides, one side that opens, front back, two ends, a drawer that opens and a handle. Now, pencil in the "pieces" of fabric that create the "log cabin" design and you will need about 11-14 strips of painted fabric for each one. The sewing box needed 14 panels to complete.
How do I layer my painting? It was something that I learned in oil painting in fact.
I started a class in oil painting just before turning 62. While I had done watercolors for years, I had never mastered oils making mud instead as I could never get the colors to work right. My senior, experienced German art teacher showed us how, in oils, you went from dark to light. A California impressionist painter, she showed us how to under-paint the entire painting using magenta then applying dark paints first and overpainting with lighter and lighter colors.
Immediately my craft paintings also changed. While I had done some for a few years, learning layering enabled me to do roughly the same things with acrylic paints. Since many acrylic paints have various degrees of opaqueness, you also learn which colors to apply first and then overpaint with. For sumptuous reds, you first put down a layer of yellow. Who would have known?
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| For those needing help making colors work, this is a good place to start. |
This led me to The Painting Convention in Las Vegas where I learned from a variety of craft painters things that improved my canvas and craft paintings.
Here is the technique I used to paint this sewing box:
- decide on a design
- once a design was created I lightly outline it in pencil on the item
- select the colors that will be used. For this project there were about 6 - 8 colors used on each block so I could use the same base colors twice
- create a unique pattern for each base fabric color ( I try to use the base colors if possible, in the design). I do use Sharpie and metallic inks for intricate designs, designs even a liner brush just can't do
- start painting! Have that audio book, soap opera or PBS show ready because you are going to be busy, often, for a long time! This one item took about 1 ½ audio books.
- antique the entire piece after you are finished. I find that using a dark brown wash on all corners helps to blend and soften colors so that they look well together.
- To stop inks from running or dissolving with varnish, I find that light coating of Krylon matte spray sets the inks and paints underneath. This allows a variety of final varnishes including oil based Varathane varnish for items going outdoors
- Once dry, you are ready to sell on your web site, ETSY or gift
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| The open box |
Looking at what I have just written, I guess it DOES require one heck of a lot of patience. If anything, in most instances in life Y O U C A N settle down and get things done.
If you wanted it to look finished just about all spaces on all sides, except possibly the bottom (unless it is going to be seen) are painted. Here even the wooden handle is painted using colors and patterns from all the sides.
So, the final question has to be, are you like me? I have enjoyed art as a way to tune out, let the world go by. It was a way for me to calm down, focus and create something that I thought was beautiful. I love color, especially the play of colors against each other. We have patience I have discovered over the things that we care about, things we do that give us a sense of accomplishment,
Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed!
Be sure to check my ETSY store ... KrugsStudio.etsy.com. I am adding many new and exciting, collectible birdhouses and craft items. Many of the items talked about here will be for sale there!
