Yes, More Dumpster Diving

Beat up table found on the street.

Searching for beat up unwanted furniture never ceases. Amazing as well is pieces that I need for certain parts of my house seem to magically turn up on the sidewalk just when I need them. This piece was found around the corner from my house, in the rain, beat up and very used. I had been searching for the perfect table for under my large bay window in the fireplace room to no avail. That is, until I spied this beauty standing unwanted waiting for the garbage truck.

It needed a bit more elbow grease than normal, but in the end it's turned out to be the perfect addition to my front room.

My brother graciously volunteered to sand the top down.

The top sanded and grooves filed.

The piece stood in my front room unfinished for months. I decided in the end, after painting the faux marble finish on the other pieces to let this piece match the others somewhat. Once I had part of the idea down, the rest fell into place. I refused to buy more paint so I just took stock of what I already had and then mixed up a custom color.

I was pulled to these colors and decided to see
what I'd come up with when I mixed them.

Two of the colors had primer mixed in already so I figured
I could just straight to painting.

The top and side spindles are painted a flat black.

Marbling effects added.

Blue oil washes added here and there to
help create a soft glow.

The finished piece.

I Love Junk

Repainting a terra cotta planter.
Step one: black.

I love junk. I love discarded junk. I love other people's junk. I will slam on the brakes in the car if there is good junk on the side of the road. Junk is awesome.

There is a spot in the woods I check every time I go for a walk. It's filled with junk. Every time I check there is always some wonderful junk to take home with me. Yesterday, the choice junk was blue stone slate and discard brick, which I actually need for my backyard bistro project. Score!

My good friends know me well. They know I love junk. They laugh at that. My close friends however give me junk. They give me THEIR junk when they are done with it because they know I can use it and I suspect they get excited seeing how I re purpose their junk.

This week I met with my old college buddy Abbi who has an appetite for fabric and silk flowers. For her wedding she couldn't stop purchasing flowers. I suppose she didn't want to get caught without enough for her affair. She over purchased and the extra soon became junk taking up space in her home. She got into a cleaning jag recently and all of those unused flowers which once held promise were now a real annoyance. Before she tossed them though she asked if I could use them. Honestly I didn't have a use for them, but I knew once I had them in the studio I WOULD find a use and I did! I turned them into a pretty bouquets! In the process I also happened to rejuvenate my spirits for commission work and am on a wonderful creative high.

Huzzah!

So, if you are attending Vicky Bartlow's Bloomsburg show these pieces (and more) will be available for purchase. Don't forget...Mother's Day is approaching!

Terra cotter planter step 2: light green

Terra cotta planter step 3: high whites
dry brushed onto planter



Arrangements made with silk flowers
and various planters









Butterfly wall plaques

Vanity Restoration (Mirror)

Mirror found in a dumpster

This weekend I centered my energies on the mirror I pulled out of a dumpster. As with the vanity I started by roughing up the surface a bit with a 3-in-one and a hammer.

Fun.

You can't make too many marks or do this step incorrectly. Every mark you make gives the wood that much more texture which makes the finished result prettier. I documented the process as I worked on the mirror. If you are curious this is how I re purposed this old unwanted mirror. Not bad for a new vanity! Overall cost (minus all the elbow grease): $11 ($4 for the desk and $7 for the can of Xylene....I had everything else just lying around.)

Quality primer used over the old wood/paint

Light washes of blue/black paint spread
over the entire mirror and wiped off just a bit

Detail that comes out after
the wash is wiped off slightly

Dry brush white over washes

Laser print burnished on wood
using Xylene transfer

Another transfer on the mirror

Cause it needed just one more transfer....

Shot of the finished piece

Finished piece (close up)

"Game"
Graphite, Watercolor and Acrylic on archival Bristol

Dumpster Diving (Take II)

Finds from the dumpster

This year has been absolutely CHOICE for dumpster diving! Another neighbor rented a huge dumpster in order to rid her house of unwanted items and I stumbled upon the dumpster right after it was delivered. Chairs, tables, slabs of slate, and a mirror (which turned out to be the perfect addition for my vanity project from last weekend) were all being tossed out into the dumpster. She had everything on the side of her house just waiting to be tossed. She was most happy to let me rummage through everything and even though I'm fairly secure in diving head first into garbage I felt the need to show her previous projects I had taken photos of on my phone.

More finds...this is not everything, but the
pieces I am most excited to re purpose

Detail on the lamp base

Detail of worn out wood
on the table. Perfect!

More beautiful details
on the lamp

I can't wait to
bring this lamp back to life

Of course all that dumpster diving (and carting/carrying everything back to my house a block away) deserved a good meal and my cravings for Lo Mien were much too great to be ignored. Not to mention the fact that I was fresh out of fortunes. I'm nicely stocked now after my dinner out. I have received a few inquires about whether I'll be selling these little "mice fortunes" and the answer is, yes. I'll be preparing them for sale and offering them via my Etsy store shortly.

More fortunes gathered
during dinner out with my family.

"Beer"
Decoupage, Graphite, Watercolor, and
Acrylics on archival bristol