Repurpose your old furniture.

what to do with that dresser you have had for so long or was given to you by Grandma. Yes in their day they were beautiful but they just don't go with your style. The armourer below was just old wood nothing interesting. You actually didn't even see it in the room. With paint some marble faux finishes  and a motif of their family farm this piece became a focal point of the room and also a cherished family heirloom.http://www.pinterest.com/pin/17873729746749220/

 

 This piece of furniture was painted black when I found it but after looking at it I could see flowers and fairy's. I used bright colors oranges and yellows to bring  out the ribbons and flowers,

This was a plain brown dresser probable from the 30's. I really wanted to make it look like a row house from some old city that lived in my imagination. I could imagine myself becoming tiny and walking through the door. Parking my bike out side; just there for a visit.

A hunting shack for a closet.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/17873729746726366/

This was your basic closet door. The young man I painted it for loves to hunt and fish with his Dad so I  thought a hunting shack would be appropriate in his bed room. After the paint drys he has a fox hide and some antlers to hang by it. I told him "you better be careful you have a closet full of raccoons." He looked down at his brother with big eyes and said "who is going to open the closet first?" I just laughed and said "I'm teasing you silly boys."

Lettering creatively

Some times a simple saying can add an element of design to an ordinary entry way. I like to tell my clients that the foyer or entry sets the stage for the rest  of the house. This client chose to embellish with words. Cherish, Home is where your story begins. This was a big space 5' x7" I had a three stencils made and they were quit large so it was a little challenging getting them in place while balancing on a ladder but I think it turned out nice.

Italian monochromatic mural

http://www.pinterest.com/artisticdesignz/some-of-my-projects/  This is a mural painted around a hot tub in an extremely large bathroom. My client gave me four colors to work with grey, white, dark green grey, and peach. She wanted it to be an Italian country side and only gave me two days to paint it. I like the tall cypress trees. The stone fence was a bit of a pain to paint but I think it turned out ok.

Faux brick  and cracked plaster gave this basement bar a whimsical look. My client was from Ireland and wanted to replicate that old word feel in a newly drywalled house.

pretty in pink

This is a blast from the past. What a cute room this turned out to be Hot pink ceiling, faux finished poka dot wall with two tone green striped wave of fun.http://www.pinterest.com/artisticdesignz/some-of-my-projects/

 So many people tell me chickens are stupid, they have no personality this couldn't be farthest from the truth. Chickens are quite similar to humans. They have a family and a place in their family. Amilio is the police chief of the group. He actually looks like a little french soldier. He is very proud and prances around. If any stranger comes in close proximity to the family he (even though he is the smallest rooster) takes charge and goes after them. Payment for his position is the ability to breed with the Hens. Rocky my head rooster is the main man but he gives Amilio breeding rights and boy does he take advantage of that. The little french lover.

I hurt my arm last year and despite any attempts to heal it it just wont. So I am trying to take some time off from faux finishing and focus on my paintings and new studio so I will be trying to blog more and get my paintings out there.

The long dark days of January

I some times feel like January will never end and then poof its over. This year I am trying to use all the extra evening time to get my bookwork in order way before April. So far I'm doing good. Although we haven't had as much snow this year as in previous years winter has found us here in Wisconsin. I have been baking some of my fall pumpkins, half for me and Jeff and half for my little chickens. We got our first egg on Christmas morning and now I get 3 per day. That is those that don't freeze. We are still living in town for our house has yet to sell so twice a day I go visit and feed my chickens.

Hello December with your cold blowing winds and ever darkening skies. Like a bear I become ready to gorge on cookies and then curl up in a ball and sleep. Slumbering away the winter months waiting impatiently for spring.

Here is a picture of my baby chickens, well actually they are more like teenagers now. I ordered them in the mail thinking I was going to get hens. Now the count is 8 roosters 10 hens. The interesting thing about roosters is their need to be vocal and they all have unique voices. Amilo will start the morning chorus and then each and every rooster will chime in. I think Rocky has the nicest crow. As the roosters age they also are starting to fight with each other. The silkies Beefy and Moutzy are like Chuck Noris or ninja warriors. They will bow to each other and then its on, jumping in the air doing back flips and drop kicking each other. Rocky the bright colored rooster in front of the pumpkin is by far the largest and the most colorful. If there is a confrontation he merely puffs out his neck feathers and they all run away. So I'm praying that since they were brought up together they will find their pecking order and all get along. I have become attached to all of them and would hate for any of them to get killed in a fight to the death. Testosterone is a powerful hormone that makes all male species want to kick each others ass be it over a spot on the hay bale or the fluffy feathers of a cute hen. It is interesting to me how you can learn so much about us humans and our characteristics when watching little chicks mature.
The other project THE STUDIO is progressing slowly. Now that winter is upon us we have to get the outside protected against the frost and heat in the inside. We are trying to get gas brought up to the building, but like everything there are hoops to jump through to get that done. We did get the toilet hooked up So Yea I can go to the bathroom inside not in the field with the horses.

It is yet another rainy day here in wisconsin, So I am working in the studio getting ready for our art show charity event this coming may. My daughters Alyssa and Amber did a study abroad in Namibia this past January. The met MaryBeth a teacher at the BNC school. They were so moved by her efforts and the children that they promised to help. So Amber and I are creating Art that we will be selling and proceeds will be going to help Mary Beth.

Jeff is putting a brick ledge under the new windows. Gives a little country flair to a plain white window. We are waiting for everything to dry up and get warmer. Although this weather beats the -20 we were working in last January. Every day we are out there I get so excited and can't wait to get digging in the dirt or get painting on something. Next week Jeff and a friend are going to do a controlled burn. I hope and pray that goes well. Not that we burn the neighborhood down.

We have been working still on cleaning the property of previous owners junk. We did however get some windows in. Now I am trying to decide what color to paint the building. In this picture I am taking down the fencing around an old chicken coop. Cutting out the trees and cutting the wire from the wood supports, what a job. Found another family of mice. Gave them their eviction notice.

the girls that live on our farm

Cindy and Tabby are some big girls Belgium Beauty's, Today they were out pulling their sleigh. We bought a shower stall at menards and took it out to the barn. We just saw them as they were coming in from their work out.

Me and my husband Jeff will be working on this project together. He is a Mason, good thing since this building is block. Lots of junk

cleaning out the building that will be my new studio

It is amazing how much stuff aka Junk a person can collect. I myself should not talk, 2garages, now a barn and a house full of treasures. It is all together different however when you have to clean out someone elses junk to start your project. Since January 13 the day we officially acquired our new land and buildings we have been Burning and hauling. Since the average temp has been 1 degrees many layers are necessary just to keep warm enough to last 3-4 hours. I can not wait for spring.
We have found a few treasures, some old yokes they used for horses and some vegetable forms you put around cucumbers to make faces. We have also found the remains of a large rat family. May they rest in Peace.

New project : The enchanted glen where fairy's dwell

My husband and I are starting a new project, We are buying a farmette just a little way out of town . The house is a mess so we will be starting over, jacking up, digging a basement and gutting out. While we wait for the Wisconsin winter to be over we are going to start on one of the out buildings, converting it to a Studio. This will double my room. The building is 35' by 41'. It just so happens that my uncle knocked down one of his barns. The barn is over 150yrs old, so for the last two days we have been hauling barn beams to the new property. Wow are they heavy.

been busy with life and I feel like I'm writing to myself. My house was in the garden walk this summer. Six houses are featured we had 900 people go through so that was a good time. We are also up for an award for home improvement of a home 90 years or older. Youngest daughter started modeling so I have also been busy styling wardrobe hair and make up for her. I go on all her shoots and boy have we met some dandy's all of which would like her naked and then some.

Facebook | Agora Gallery's Photos - Beyond Borders and Collective Exhibition Reception 10.08.2009

Facebook Agora Gallery's Photos - Beyond Borders and Collective Exhibition Reception 10.08.2009

I have not blogged lately, it was a difficult summer. My mother and mother-in law and daughter all got seriously ill. Then as things got better we got a puppy Beef. He is a lot of work. He gets in a lot of trouble. He is a naughty boy..