Unstrung hero

I’ve called this one ‘Unstrung Hero’, for obvious reasons. See the previous post for a full explanation, but basically my daughter wanted her old acoustic guitar ‘steampunked’, as nobody in the family can play it.

It went through many phases on its transformational journey using a range of products from DecoArt, such as Media Fluid Acrylics, Texture Sand Paste. Full details of the project will appear in The Decorative Folk Artist, newsletter for BADFA* members.

Here is the finished guitar. No longer a musical instrument, I have seen to that, but a hero to have survived, and unstrung, to boot!

 

 

A bit closer for the details …

(* BADFA is the British Association of Decorative and Folk Art)

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Steampunk it!

“Steampunk it!” she said. “Nobody in the family can play it, so it might as well look good!”

So it begins. I have been the custodian of a rather knocked-about acoustic guitar for a few weeks, and now I’ve cleared the backlog of ‘things-I-gotta-do’, this musical monster has emerged from its lair.

I confronted it, head-on, grabbed it by the neck and ripped out its vocal chords. Now it lays mute on the bench as I scour its glossy skin with sandpaper …

Well, that’s the prep work done. I’ll keep you updated as things progress.

A bit busy in December

December and the Christmas holiday is supposed to be a quiet time, well, except for the actual Christmas arrangements themselves, of course. But I have managed to sneak in some arty-crafty stuff along the way.

First there was the rush-job on the Advent Christmas tree – a re-paint after a faux-pas with the spray finish – then I got a bit carried away with the brush-stroke practice. Next I found a piece of stash that needed some attention (please note the nifty faux bois photo layout board), and today I got the ink done on my old Lambretta (my first – Ah! The summer of ’69 …)  . All I have to do now is decide – colour or mono?

What to you think?

  

Shades of grey

The marble headboard is finished. The colours chosen for this take on Carrara marble are shades of grey (but not fifty!).

The finished piece

Rather than the extremes of black and white, I have used Paynes Grey for the darkest, and mixed a value 8-9 grey for the lightest. White was used for the light fault lines.

The finish was built on MDF, sealed, then base coated with a pale beige silk emulsion.  The final finish is satin. What do you think?

    

Special brushes

Left to right: flogger, softener, spalter, stippler

It helps to have the right tools for the job.

I have a commission for a large faux finish piece, so I need the proper equipment to get it done. On a small decorative article I can use my ordinary artist brushes and achieve the desired results, but this one will need more time, and the correct tools.

It took a while to track them down, but after checking out various suppliers, I ordered them on-line.

To achieve the desired finish the paint has to remain ‘open’ – workable – for considerably longer than it would normally, so it is mixed with a glazing medium. An industrial size pot is needed, rather than the small quantities used in art work.

My commission is for a large faux marbre (marble) headboard, so I need a large stippler and a badger hair softener. For faux bois (wood), I’ll need a horse-hair flogger and a spalter. They’ve all arrived, so I’m ready to paint!

Cumbrian Adventure

I haven’t posted much recently. Since taking early retirement, I seem to have been too busy.

I’ve up-cycled a load of furniture, helped Julie re-organise the conservatory into a working studio, taken loads of photos, done boring stuff like gardening and clearing the garage, and a load of other things (the shower is a WIP at present).

I spent a day Powertex-ing, and played with DecoArt Texture Sand Paste, and we went to Sheffield to spend a day with a bunch of Yorkshire lasses creating a mixed-media art journal.

And tomorrow I head off to the Lake District for a three day Cumbrian Adventure. Julie will be there to attend a photographic course, which leaves me free to explore! Now, I’ve got nothing planned, but I will have the internet and a large map, so I could end up anywhere – I’ll try and book in with Facebook (technology permitting) so you can see what I’m up to.

 

Uncharted territory

RIGHT! OK you lot, LISTEN UP! Now all the hoo-ha of Julie retiring is over, it’s my turn.

I retired last week, as well.

It was a bit like my own mini-Brexit – getting free from the oppressive constraints of a huge organisation that has lost it’s way, and being free to negotiate, and make better deals for myself. No more trying to fit things in around work, or taking a day’s leave to be able to get to an event; my time is my own to manage as I wish.

So – I’m available and free! (well, reasonably cheap), open to offers, and raring’ to go!