Saturday, September 1, 2012

Not what it seems



I'm learning a lot about color and I'm continually fascinated by it. How a color can change dramatically in different light. How a color can take on a different caste in proximity to another color. How one color over another color completely changes both of the original colors.

Those of you who know me know that I'm a huge fan of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I've probably painted 100 pieces in the past year or more. Some of the pieces I've kept, some I've sold on Craig's List, some have gone to friends and family members. A couple of pieces went to a benefit auction and a couple of klunkers went back to the thrift store.

This little table was a non-descript reddish dark wood with water ring stains. If you look really, really closely you can still see the rings. I first painted it olive green. Then I did a second coat in a beigy neutral color. I did more of a color wash on the beige coat--dabbed it on with the brush and then rubbed it off with a soft cloth. I distressed the edges slightly with a sanding block and finished with one coat of clear wax. I love how the color changed. Is it olive green? No. Is it beige? No. The alchemy created something new and made the carved detail on the sides pop out into something that was hardly noticeable in the unpainted original piece.

I've got another piece--a little cabinet--in my basement now that I'm going to start soon, perhaps tonight. I'm sure it will surprise me too.

 

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