There is nothing that spurs the imagination like a challenge!
A friend in Oregon that is a fellow artist but knows that I recreate the simplest craft store birdhouses into, her words, not mine, "artistic masterpieces" and have sold over 100 of my creations on my ETSY store convinced me to enter a contest.
The Audubon Society in Portland, OR was having their first birdhouse decorating contest to raise money and anyone that wished could get a free birdhouse and submit it for prizes of some sort or another. The entries would be auctioned off to raise funds. My friend got the birdhouse, mailed it to me and the challenge was on.
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| Getting ready for the challenge |
Since I knew it would arrive any day I decided to play with an idea that instantly popped into mind for the contest.
Since this was going to be near the Christmas season and so many people love Christmas and completely redecorate their homes during the "season" I decided to use a favorite design idea, my painted fabric Crazy Quilt designs but in this case use Christmas wrapping paper scraps also painted on. The same idea ... only painted Christmas paper scraps painted as if they were glued on a birdhouse.
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| The contest birdhouse |
As you can see (left) I used a mini birdhouse and some wooden Christmas ornaments as guinea pigs to try out an assortment of painted designs. Once I found designs I liked I was ready for the contest birdhouse.
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| The finished Contest birdhouse |
One of the things I discovered over the years is that in your haste to get all sides of a project done ... base colors used on all sides - top, bottom and the four sides, it invites many mistakes; smears, that are easily made. You spend a great deal of time repainting over the smears your fingers made on one of the other sides. So, for this project I decided to create three different birdhouses - very different as you see but using the same theme, painted scraps of Christmas wrapping paper, something we are all familiar with while wrapping presents.
I scoured the craft stores for things I could add to make the birdhouses outstandingly different. Michael's and JoAnn's didn't have much Christmas yet but when I visited Hobby Lobby, voila, I hit the jackpot! They had aisles of Christmas decorations of all sizes and I got the spiral Christmas tree and gingerbread buttons used on the added feet to complete the Christmas theme there. I had to drill a hole for a dowel to prop up the Christmas Tree on the roof.
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| The second townhouse birdhouse |
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| Finished birdhouse #2 |
Once the contest item was safely packed and mailed back to Portland I concentrated on the remaining two birdhouses that were painted at the same time. Because they were bigger and completely different they each took much more time.
Being uniquely different they presented unique challenges. One was a townhouse design with door, second story windows and dormers on the roof. The other was a top loading, hanging birdhouse that was very plain.
I was able to use the Christmas wrap designs fairly easily on each one though I had to adapt variations because of their unique designs. The townhouse birdhouse was designed to stand alone on a table or counter surface. I had found some snowman ornaments to put on either side of the stoop. This created yet another "look" though it started with the original idea of scraps of wrapping paper.
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| The final birdhouse with metal corners add a finishing touch |
Happy that this went so well I was left to finish the last of the three birdhouses. This was a much simpler design, with a top opening roof that was like a blank canvas. I duly painted the paper scraps but when it was done, it lacked something. Walking into the studio last night I noticed that one of the drawers was open and I glimpsed some metal corner pieces I got in China. I had three styles of descending sizes and designs and found that the smallest, simplest antiqued bronze corner was the perfect addition to this hanging birdhouse. The corners were not necessary but they added a finishing touch. I realized just how important it is to keep an open mind and be willing to try something different even if it doesn't seem plausible or necessary.
As you can see, they were all different. Yet they each have a unifying theme. If anything this showed me that one idea can be extended to a variety of surfaces. It brought to mind the famous Warhol silkscreens where he made multiple prints of the same subject, Mao or Marilyn, yet by using different colors seemed to make each print look and even feel different. While he used different colors I used different shapes. If you look closely you will see the same painted designs on all three birdhouses but how they cover the surface makes all the difference in the world.
The other lesson was that it was the details that also created vast differences in the final results. A Christmas Tree and gingerbread buttons on added feet for one, the snowmen on another and metal corners on the third added additional differences that made each birdhouse unique despite sharing the same painted scraps.
The other plus was that by painting three at one time, then two, I was able to avoid most finger smears that the paint, puffy paints, glue and other materials used would cause if you didn't wait long enough for them to dry. Puffy paints are the worst but the 3D effect they add are worth the wait.
This was a wonderful challenge and lesson. It taught me again to work in multiples just as many artists have done during their careers. Photos of many famous artists show their studios with many canvases at various stages of completion. Now we too can join them too!
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!
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