Creative Dawn

So, last fall my friends and fellow Parrotheads honored me with the request to paint a Chuppah for their wedding.  "Yes of course I would love too" I said.  "What is a Chuppah?"   Basically, it is the canopy under which the wedding ceremony is performed and symbolizes the home.   This was a daunting task for me for a few reasons, one because it was for there special day and two because painting on fabric like silk was new to me.  The only requirements were dolphins needed to be included and the colors.  For months I thought about what to do and finally, this past spring an idea came to me.  I drew up the designs and sent them to the couple.  Yeah!  They approved!  OK, now how to paint on silk...yeah for you tube.  Found a great tutorial and went to work gathering the supplies needed.  I can do this!  Uh-Oh...just totally ruined that piece of silk.  :(  Better get more.  With just a few weeks before the wedding I started working on the Chuppah.  

Got this little side table for a few dollars at a thrift store.  The top was really badly worn, but once painted it looks great!  The legs are easy to remove so painting them was a snap.  Each one is painted differently.  Not sure where I am going to put this, but it is just so fun!  Used painters tape to make the checkered pattern and a dinner plate for the circle. In another trip to the thrift store, I found this great wine rack for 4.99.  The only part that I painted was the top.  My favorite types of wine in fun lettering.  LOVE my new wine rack and it holds a lot too!  One other thing, the top is removable and works as a serving tray.

For whatever reason, I got the idea to paint some pictures of vegetables. I had a bunch of canvases collecting dust, so why not do something with them. These are the results.  They are all 11 X 14 except the red onion which is 9 X 12 .

Summer time means sitting outside and enjoying the weather.  Especially in Minnesota when you put up with the long winter, sunshine and warmth are highly anticipated.  We really enjoy spending time on the patio with some good beers and great music.    This table was purchased for 5.00 at a garage sale last summer and is what we use to put our garage radio/CD player on.   Being stuck inside a lot this year due to extreme weather conditions inspired me to paint the table.  After painting the top black, I just started randomly adding favorite musicians to the table.  

I am sooo excited about this table!  It cost 3.99 at the Goodwill and now it is an incredible work of art.  There a few before and after pictures as well as in progress.  Let's call it a mosaic of painted designs.  What I really love about the table is that the sides are collapsible so that it can be used for many different purposes and it's on wheels too!