My Sewing Desk - Work In Progress

I am so happy so far with the way my desk is turning out.  I still plan on adding layers of color and design, but here are some peeks on the progress so far. 

Primed and front panel painted.  I just sanded the surface enough to give it tooth and then primed it with gesso.  I am going with a prism color scheme here so all my paints and supplies will look nice with it.  I love color!!!!

Now a couple of pictures with the first layer finished.  



Some more detail and color added.



From this point I plan on adding a bit more detail with color, then doing an overpainting of black and white patterns.  I have no idea how this is going to turn out though.  I am having a great time just painting with no plan.  For now this guy is unfinished, but when i get the painting done I plan on adding a couple of layers of gloss to bring out the color.

Paintings - Experimenting

I am learning how to take some time and play with my paint.  I usually have a definite plan when I paint, but love abstract and non-representational art.  So I am trying to give myself room to play and make mistakes and paint over them and come up with something awesome and paint over it and regret that and then paint something I love even more over that.  I am very inspired by Jesse Reno, Flora Bowley, Teesha Moore, Traci Bautista, Michelle Allen, and Julie Balzer.  I am trying to incorporate some spontaneity, vibrant color, layers, and life into my art.  Here's how that is working out for me so far.

This first painting has already morphed into something else, but it was what I ended up using as inspiration for my desk.  And my desk will surely change too.  I am just using craft paint right now.  I hope to invest in some better paint soon.   

Here it is again with another painting on my desk, the first one I played around with.  It has already been painted over.  Now, painting over another painting is nothing new to me.  I do it all the time when I get bored with my paintings and want new art on the walls.  I made quite a few more marks on this one and hope my desk turns out a bit more like it.

I added a funky zebra print trim to the side of the canvas since I will not be framing it.  

Detail...

And here it is on my wall.  

I will share some picture of my desk in the next few days, but for now I have to finish up a project.  I am writing my first article for Cloth Paper Scissors PAGES 2012!!!  Not my first how-to article, but the first time I will actually get paid for writing.  And my long time dream of being published in a CPS magazine fulfilled.  Have to get everything ready for shipping on Monday so I can make it on time. 

Embrace Your Mistakes

A couple of years back my grandmother got me a vintage sewing machine desk from a thrift store.  It is very functional; it stores my sewing machine when not in use and holds all types of supplies.  But it wasn't very pretty.  So I had this idea that I would paint it.  At first I thought I would paint waves on it, but my dining room has changed into my art room and I wanted something more colorful.  Instead of practicing on a canvas and planning, I just went for it. 

I had a base coat of spray paint that was dark blue for the original wave idea.  I thought I would add some crackle paint and paint a coat of white over it.  It worked well enough until I started painting details over the crackle finish.  It just peeled off.  The crackle paint did not adhere properly to the spray paint, and I had to scrape the entire thing.  Ugh!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is in the process of being scraped down.

The terrible mess it made in my floor.

With a coat of gesso and the back of it painted black.



I have learned a lot from my mistake, mainly to plan, practice, to take the time to do it right.  I am practicing on canvas right now and learning to paint, repaint, and experiment.  Something I may not have learned if I had not made this little mistake.  I think crackle paint would have been boring, now I am in the middle of a bright and beautiful painting that I am pleased with.  I am also very happy with my canvases, and will share them with you in the next few days.  And I will also be sharing some more work in progress shots of this desk.