A Nod to Pop Art

I made my own stencils. It takes awhile to cut but it is really worth the effort. I cut my stencils out of paper with a masking tape backing. I rolled on a couple of coats of acrylic paint to add to the thickness and durability. They are holding up well.

Montage of paper, photos, stencils, stamps and paint.

This new recycling series is to create stories and expressions from all the neglected left over pieces of paper, photos, stamps, stencils and paint. To show there is beauty in the left overs and not to show them to a garbage bag. The first one is from a stencil I cut from a photo I took last year of our bikes lying in the snow. I used an old canvas then applied silver leaf on the wet paint for the background. The second one was many layers of printed paper, material, paint and cheesecloth. It has a marsh feel to it now. I think I will leave it as it is. The third one is a photo from many years ago of apple trees in bloom and over that is the tree stencil I had cut.

New Art Series - A Gathering of Papers

A Gathering of Papers. I had saved some invitations that were made by Larry Thompson at greyweatherspress.com a couple of years ago. They were made with such a lovely paper that I could not throw them away. A year before that, Holly Dean, her mom and I spent a day, making patterned paper. We would paint the paper then stamp it with a contrasting colour. We used black and white paint for the most dramatic effect. I created a rather large stamp of trees for this task. It was a little too large and ended up breaking in two. I do love it with all its flaws. With this gathering of fine papers I ripped up my pattered papers and filled each invitation page randomly. I let the paper and patterns determine the story each one was to tell. After a little pen and ink, some gel medium a story was told. I attached each finished piece to a canvas 8" x 10", ready to hang. ALL SOLD>

Repurposed Metal Library Card Drawers and Shutters.

I have had these metal library card holders for a few years now. I used them to hold various tools but mostly they sat empty. With all my left over pieces of wood, shutters and another set of small wood drawers I was able to make this cabinet. It is no higher than three feet tall and two feet wide. I put it on wheels for ease of mobility. It is painted a light blue created in the studio, sanded lightly to add wear to it and instead of a varnish, I used a wax to finish it. I'm pretty happy with this one. SOLD

Adding to my collection of Hat Stands

I added another Hat Stand. This one is different in that I used an old fire bell for the top instead of the cotton stuffed landing. I'm on the fence with this one. I do love the red bell but I love the cotton stuffed landings more. They are little more rustic looking.

Saving a Wing Back Chair

We had this Wing Back Chair that needed to be re-upholstered badly. Unfortunately I am not an upholsterer. I have a lot of respect for those who do upholstery. It is a lot of work. I did not want to throw the chair away, I thought the lines were beautiful. I decided to pull it apart and see what was left. It was a great uncovering. The structure was still sound and as you can see I left the chair intact. I used scraps of wood to finish the back and seat. It is very comfortable addition to our old farmhouse. Visit our house at www.rustynaildesign.ca/site/updated_Merrickville_Home.html

Nick Knack Shelf

It all starts with a box. All my small pieces of wood left over from larger jobs are perfect for making small boxes. Four sides with a back. Add a few trim details to make it unique and a rustic little shelf is done. I choose to paint this one a baby blue with a yellow back.

Key Box

I saved this old pine drawer and turned it into a unique key box. It is inlaid with wood from old crates and I added iron forged nails to hang keys on. I used some spindles to weigh down the bottom. They are useful for hanging keys, dog leashes or bags off of. It is wired and ready to hang. The key box is painted apple green with the crate wood left natural.  SOLD

Recycling Shutters

I like the look of shutters and have had many hanging around the studio, although they are very time consuming to paint. I wasn't sure where I was going with these so I started the process by building boxes.

This end table is made out of smaller shutters, with one side open. The top is made from old hardwood flooring. I left the shutters natural and dry brushed the hardwood flooring with white.

I left this box open at the top for a possible laundry hamper or to put a topiary tree in it. I added wheels to make it easier to move around the house. Painting it white and sanding the edges gives it a more worn look. I embellished it with two small copper knobs. SOLD

Hat Stands

I love hats. They love me, sometimes. I came across a picture of a hat stand and knew I needed to make some. I have a workshop full of odd pieces of wood, metal and fabric that I do not throw away easily. So I've gone into the studio this last week to make some hat stands and many other types of movables. I think hat stands are a great addition to a room.