Recreating A Basic Birdhouse

Here was the basic raw birdhouse. I started drawing

the ferns used in the cutouts and put them on the

top, sides and back.

I don't know about you but in crafting I have never, ever, been able to just paint inside the lines. Remember those words of wisdom in grade school? As most artists discover very early in life, its really what's outside those lines that makes all the difference in the world. I guess the mantra of any creative person would be, "Color OUTSIDE the lines, damnit!"

     As I was working on getting the ferns "right" and carrying the design around to all of the sides, I thought about using the interesting pods that drop from a tree in my complex as well. Give it some dimension. 

     Since the seeds in the pods were mostly gone I decided that I would add golden beads in them to add a little color and bling to the entire project. As you will see it gives the birdhouse a more 3D effect and radically changes the look of the entire item.

     Since I thought the ferns should show the sky, the next step was to stain the entire birdhouse with a light blue stain. I figured this needed to be in place before I painted the mimicked ferns that would cover the birdhouse.

Its important to sand every item
as well. As you sketch keep sandpaper
handy to remove those rough spots

     One of the tricks in painting, one that I learned early on when I started oil painting is to consider backgrounds and lay them first and then build your colors from dark to light. It seems counter intuitive but it works. Since I didn't want blue stain over the ferns I did that work first knowing the dark greens would cover the blue.

Adding blue stain

     I can't tell you how tedious this process was. First the sketching of the ferns, then the painting of every surface but the front that already had them cut out of the wood. It's a good thing I like audio books. This was a 13 CD disk book!

     However, its important to get the layout right now because it is very difficult to go back and try to correct. My mistake here was that once the pencil outlines were made and then the stain was added, I could not go back and erase errant lines. You must cover them now with paint.

Here you can see the project about
halfway done. The base has been
painted, the ferns added and several
of the pods are in place.

     Once the fern leaves cover the rest of the birdhouse, I realized that they needed a bit of "lightening." Any plant has lights and darks. To add a bit of color to the solid deep colors I added dots, something like the spores the leaves of all ferns have. This allowed me to add a bit of color, something missing as you can see at the left. It's nice but still rather two dimensional.

Spores are added to the ferns and
natural painted pods with shiny
beds complete the vision of the front

  Here you can see the change the "spore" dots make and how the addition of the painted pods with beads give both depth and interest to the basic birdhouse. What was plain and almost too simple on the roof, both sides and back suddenly has new interest echoing the cutouts that grace the front of this birdhouse. 

Even the roof, which dominates this
birdhouse is given the fern treatment.
The pods and painted ferns break up
a large, blank area giving new
dimensionality!

     

     I am never satisfied with what I buy instead considering it just like a blank canvas that needs or wants additions that make it more interesting. Just as a canvas is a blank slate open to anything the imagination can, well, imagine, I apply that same kind of consideration to a birdhouse or any craft item for that matter that I paint. Its what we do with it that can make all the difference in the world. It is the crafter, the painter that can see the possibilities and creates one of a kind items that are often as original as any work of art. To me, this is MY work of art three dimensionally. 

     Again, I urge you to think outside the box, or color, if you dare, outside the lines. You never know what you might end up with but unless you try you will never know the excitement of creativity that just might make wonderful be fantastic!

The finished birdhouse. You can find it in my Etsy store at:
Krugsstudio.etsy.com

      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!