**WARNING** This post contains a whimsical painted heirloom.....no feelings were hurt during the process and lightning did not strike. All painting of this family heirloom was monitored and carefully documented for you here:
Seriously y'all......if I get another negative comment about painting a family heirloom.....I might just have to roll my eyes AGAIN!
My client has fond memories of this little table.
It belonged to her MUM.....and MUM had painted it herself...many times over! When I received it....the paint layers were peeling and flaking and chipping....and the surface was just in nothing less than poor shape.
The structure was solid and my client was using the table....but kept it hidden under a full-length table cloth. Her desire was to be able to display it proudly....in a playful nature......featuring its many facets and curves.
So we did just that!
Once I had the piece mostly stripped (used Citristrip) and cleaned (used White Lightning) which took several hours in itself...I primed the entire piece with Dixie Belle BOSS in White. This primer is amazing and stops nasty bleed through when painting on real wood pieces....especially European antiques! It also helps to block the dark color of the wood so you need fewer layers of paint.
Now listen....if you are a beginner....you could follow this primer step with just one or maybe two coats of a solid color paint.....put on a Top Coat and call it quits!!! Your table would still be adorable and you would be proud! So if you have something similar in your home...I encourage you to give it a go with the above steps! It's not often that I keep it basic but when I do I love the piece for its clean simplicity!
But my client requested a NEUTRAL WHIMSY (shocking right?). This tends to be a more advanced painting style....and one that I am very familiar with...and I have a round-up blog HERE with several of my neutral whimsy pieces. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Now...back to create THIS neutral whimsy piece...here goes!
I began with the top surface...following the lead of the wood design already there. I chose a pinwheel or sunburst or even a pie pattern.
I first painted my base coat of Sand Bar. I used a yardstick and a pencil and drew my lines for the pattern and then painted every other pie shape in Dried Sage.
The outside edge is painted in Stormy Seas.
I knew the top would be the "feature" of the table....so now I worked my way down with the whimsy design that would support the pattern above. I wanted a tiny black and white check....as well as a small black and white stripe painted with Caviar and Fluff. So I chose to alternate both checks and stripes around the table skirt.
Watch this short video to see how I paint these TINY checks!
So I won't go into detail about the chaos of how I decide the rest of the design.....I'll just share photos and colors with your below. Just know that this design is a LOT of work.....takes really good lighting....a steady hand.....a load of patience and a variety of paintbrush sizes!!! Click HERE for a list of MY favorite brushes.
For more detailed instructions, check out my 2+ hour tutorial...Check & Color Blending.
Is it worth it? Absolutely....especially if it is YOUR family heirloom! As a commissioned piece.....it honestly doesn't pay well....as I spent way more time on it than I could possibly feel good about charging my client. But sometimes...I just need to follow my heart. And my heart saw beauty in this little table....and a desire in my client's heart...and trust in her eyes.....and how on earth could I pass on that opportunity????
Lower stripes done in Vintage Duck Egg and Stormy Seas. Topped with Caviar and underside in Barn Red. The gorgeous turned legs are also in Vintage Duck Egg.
Small accents are done with both Barn Red and Palmetto (green) for bold pops of color that aren't overwhelming.
And lastly...I used my favorite bold gold by Liquid Leaf to bring on a bit of #fancy!
I sealed the entire piece in Gloss Top Coat....as I wanted a playful shine like a brand spanking new carousel pony! The colors really deserved a sheen...not a flat look.
I am so happy with the outcome....and even more happy that my client is happy!!! She's using this piece as a guide for new sofas they are purchasing for their family room....and that means the world to me!
I think her Mum would be happy too!!
See you next week!
XOXO,
Tracey
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