Creating Geometric Planters and Furniture

Items such as this were inspirations!

For years now I have been fascinated by hand painted furniture that used wild colors and unusual shapes. When I started painting, years ago now,  I started with Pennsylvania Dutch inspired birdhouses. It could have been my German heritage or my love of primary colors and the fanciful designs that didn't have to be perfect. Visiting the Shenandoah Valley I hoped to see so much more only to find I was more enamored with the old designs than the locals!

     I did find though that furniture making was still alive and well and in one shop I saw a chair painted in something like the one on the left. I was hooked but it was years before I actually tried something like it.

Ah ... the possibilities

     Last summer I was wandering the local JoAnn's and checking out the closeouts as they got ready for Christmas. They sold wooden planters in large, medium and small sizes that I liked and thought about but were expensive. However, they were finally reduced and I grabbed two before I went overseas for a few weeks.

      While overseas I had time, lots of time, so I doodled in my sketch pad and designed patterns that would be used on the planters. Each side would be different and I knew exactly where I would put them ... in my patio outside of the French doors that lead into the dining room. 

     Rather than design eight different sides I pretty much designed one planter and tried to copy that design on the other. Easier said than done but unless you looked really close you might never notice. The bigger problem was that after doing the first one, you could be led astray on the other. And, I was!

I painted what would be the yellow "X" white
so it would stand out better.

     Because of the shape and the prominent "X" one had to be very creative. A turquoise "X" became a black one, a red one and finally a yellow one. In most cases, though, the design was different so I tried to use the same colors to tie it all together.

Here are two of the finished sides

    

     I had seen articles that showed the painter messing around with masking tape and thought pooh on that. Everything was sketched by hand and then painted by hand. If I wanted it perfect I could buy that here, especially in Palm Springs. I wanted real, hand painted art, my art.

The other two sides.

     As you can see, they turned out to be quite colorful. While it was fun to do them, to create them it took hours to do them both. The painting part took two audio books and now that I am Varathaning them, it looks like it may take another. Reading the can it asks that you let it age a week before applying another coat and since they will be placed outside I want to make sure they don't fade or age too fast, especially after all the work they took to create.

     Since they will go outside my French doors leading to the patio ... there's a breezeway that goes to a paver lined yard, I will see them every time I come home via the carport. It will definitely add some color to a rather dull area: tan stucco, a few boring pots, a collection of neutral plants. I had planned on putting a plumeria in each one but a friend suggested maybe something else. We will see.

     The other thing I might add is that don't be afraid to glue additional items on your project. Here I added wooden hearts and even some glittery pieces. A little sparkle never hurt anything and it makes the item even more yours. On the turquoise "X" I added thin but raised wooden hearts. It manages to give the piece some dimension, something paint alone sometimes cannot do. Experiment and see how it looks. For this piece the four hearts was all it took to give some body to the "X" without competing with the busy scalloped background.

The two planter boxes shown together

  Somehow, despite the differences on each of the sides, it seems to work. Probably the raised "X" on each side ties them together and there is just enough color and design elements that repeats itself despite being used in different shapes and different ways. The one thing I will say is that despite what the piece is, paint and some creativity can definitely breathe life into a tired old or boring new piece of furniture. 

     Now that I have gotten my feet wet, so to speak, I am looking for other pieces to try. At some of the donation stores here there are candidates like the sample chair at the top. Tables, chairs, chest of drawers are all possibilities. The best part is that the only limitations are your own minds!

     For inspiration check out Google, click images and then search for painted furniture. You won't believe what you will find. I noticed that ETSY.com had quite a few listings of things for sale complete with photos. January is a great time to get projects done, especially with the weather you might be having. Remember, despite all the snow, rain and wind you are having now, Spring and Summer will come!

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!