Personal Projects

I've have some various works in my personal life that I thought I'd share. My company has a pumpkin decorating contest every year, and finally - this is my third Halloween there - I was able to participate. My pumpkin was inspired by this fabulous pumpkin by Vanessa Valencia of A Fanciful Twist. (Look for her in a future installment of The Magic Attic Admires).

My initial idea was to set the pumpkin on a brass candlestick, but it ended up being too small for the pumpkin. I found a candlestick with the perfect size base to hold it, but it was silver and wouldn't take the brass paint. It had loops under the candle base though, so I looped a gold tablecloth through them to hide the silver color, and used a deep blue plate under the pumpkin to hide the silver of the base.

Creative problem solving wins the day! Not only was I very happy with the ultimate look of it, it turned out well enough that I won the contest!

Another work is a 24 X 24 inch canvas that will go on the mantel for January at least, if not the whole winter.

Initially, my idea for the light blue & white winter "snowburst" ended up flat, boring, and too precise. I decided that if I already didn't like it, I couldn't ruin it by pushing it further so I got out all the original colors and added some deeper blues including a fluorescent one. I tossed the brushes aside and started finger painting, pushing the colors out from the center in sweeping arcs. I had a lot of fun and this all went very quickly.

Within 45 minutes, I had something I really, really liked. My mom loves it too and we're looking forward to getting it on the mantel.

I had such fun and success with that one that I made myself a small 8 X 8 version for my bedroom in some of my favorite Magic Attic colors - fluorescents, a metallic Kelly green, and a touch of glow in the dark paint. It makes me happy every time I see it.

I've finished so many projects lately that I don't have any more in the pipeline and don't know what to do with myself!