Art Girl ~ DIY Wall Art ~

Last summer I took an art class.  A drawing class to be specific.  I loved it.  I filled up my summer with inspiration and reminded me of a talent I have and forgot how to use.  Since the class was over I tried to do some projects on my own but without a deadline to meet and so many other responsibilites I didn't really get around to doing anything.  Work, right?  It keeps us all from what we really want to do.

So, two weeks ago I saw a woman on the Marilyn Dennis show.....it's a talk show here in Canada on CTV.  They had a show about home decor and the guest did an art project which could be customized to your own decor.  Tah-dah!  I thought.  There's the project I've been waiting for.  I will make a custom painting for my newly renovated bathroom ensuite. 

LINK ---->  DIYWallArt

I bought my supplies from a few different stores.  I bought canvas from Michael's.  It came in a two pack 16 X 20 and lucky  me....it was on sale for $6.  I bought a small roller, putty knife and craft paint from Dollarama.  The craft paint was $1 a bottle and larger than what you'd find at Michael's.  I also got an assortment of brushes.  The drywall putty was purchased for approx $6 from a paint store which I just happened to be at buying paint for the new bathroom.  I got the kind that goes on pink and dries white.

The first step was to apply the putty to the canvas.  It is not supposed to be smooth.  In fact, the messier and lumpier the better.  This is what gives the painting that funky texturized look.

Before it was dry

I took a yellow colour and did a base coat once it was dry.  Later on I decided I didn't like the colour of the edging and made it a brighter yellow, but I'll get to that.  I used a roller for the base coat.

The base colour turned out rather peachy even though I wanted yellow.

The next step was to put my paint colours on plastic plates for easy access.  Then all you do is dab the different colours all over the canvas making a kind of checker board kind of effect.  That in itself looks pretty cool and you could stop there if you really wanted to.

To get the super coolio dreamy impressionistic effect, you take a clean brush and dip it in a tiny bit of water.  Then you drag it through the paint from one side to the other.

HAZZAH!

The effect was amazing!  I would have never thought that would happen.

I let it dry over night and even though I really liked it, it was also lacking pazzazz and personality and the yellow colour I desired.  So I took a brighter yellow and rolled it on the edge to tidy up the drips and then I dabbed more on throughout the painting itself....wet the brush and dragged it through to distribute the colour. 

AND VOILA!

Art a la Sandra

The colours I used were Cargo [from the sample of paint from the bathroom wall colour], dark red, white, burnt amber, and mellow yellow.

The best part is.....I have another canvas to do another customized project!  I have an idea so stay tuned for the reveal of what that might be.  If it turns out, because, you know.....sometimes these things fail.  Although, I am told, some of the best mistakes also make the greatest art.

Saskatoon Adventures

Butterhorns - Traeger's Bakery Miller Avenue Saskatoon

On Tuesday, Hubby [who has taken the week off work] and I stopped in at our favourite butcher shop, Prairie Meats, to buy something for supper.  I wandered next door into Traeger's Bakery.  They had Butterhorns.  I purchased 2 for dessert.  I have no idea what we bought for supper.  Anyhow, I have been looking high and low in this city for a bakery that has cannoli.  Apparently, there aren't any Italian people in this city to make it.  *shrugs*  It turns out Traeger's used to make and sell cannoli.  They'd order the shells and then fill them in store.  Well the shells started arriving all broken so they said "enough of that." and started making them out of pastry dough instead.  The verdict?  They were really yummy.....but not cannoli.

Yesterday, we ventured all the way over to the south side and into Homesense.  I purchased a new kitchen clock.  The previous clock has become gummed up with grease and after trying to clean it.....and sticking to it.....and trying to make it pass off as clean I gave up.  The hands are a knife and fork and the pendulum is a spoon!  I <3 it. 

Last week, I did surgery on the lazy susan cabinet.  Rather, I performed an amputation by totally removing the lazy susan.  She was so lazy she collapsed from the weight of holding up "stuff" and I suppose if my job since 1974 was to hold stuff up I'd probably drop from exhaustion too.  So, today Hubby and I visited some kitchen cabinet stores....Superior Cabinets, Kitchen Craft, & Tait.  The best service by far was at Superior while we found the right wood style for us at Tait BUT after scanning through the Superior pamphlets they too had that same wood.  It's actually a laminate or vaneer called Zebrano.  The one we liked had a grey stain to it.  I can picture the lower cabinets in this while the upper cabinets can be white.  We even found a great countertop to go with our ideas.  

We are sort of dreaming here.  I don't necessarily think we can afford to do kitchen reno's right away.  We have other pressing expenses such as replacing the aluminum sliding windows...also circa 1974.  But it was fun to see what was available and find all kinds of drawer inserts and cabinet options.

This evening we took a drive to the University of Saskatchewan.  We like a trail that starts near where former Prime Minister Diefenbaker and his wife are laid to rest.  In fact, it's right behind the Diefenbaker Centre.  We took Brandy~puppy along for the ride.  She was super excited and barked a lot at people jogging and walking and such.

Brandy on the look-out for joggers.

Our city is so pretty.  My photo's don't really do it justice.  Saskatoon is built around the South Saskatchewan River and from this vantage point you can see all of the downtown skyline.  I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Up!  UP! ....and Away!!