My Pastoral Landscapes

A pastoral landscape I painted is seen in this photograph featured in Romantic Country magazine, Spring 2017 issue.  I don't think I have shared many of the paintings I created. So lets have a look at them, shall we? Pastoral landscape paintings are soothing and restful.  When I decorated my home office I decided to paint some landscapes on the wall instead of  hanging up artwork.  I framed them out with an exterior border so it looked like a piece of artwork, and...

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An aged pastoral painting inside the piano and Reeve

My French Piano and a slice of life.   Last post I showed off how I painted the exterior of the piano with stamps and a pattern to give it a toile effect.  But I still was unsure how I wanted to finish the interior to give it even more of a French look.   I had a few days in a row off from watching baby Reeve, and I decided to tackle the piano.  The thought of putting a pastoral landscape for the interior came to me as I went to sleep that night, as often many creative...

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My Painted Toile Piano

Some of my most creative ideas come out of the blue like a thunderbolt, like the random idea to paint my white piano with a toile pattern. After watching some amazing makeovers using a stamp product line created by Iron Orchid Designs, I was interested in trying it out, but wasn't sure where. After repairing a leak in the ceiling and repainting the wall, I just thought to myself I would use up more of the wall paint on the piano with the stamps from IOD.  Stamping is a way to...

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Gilt Louis XVI Music Chairs

Lovely old gilded French chairs. I have a weakness for them.   When I saw this sweet pair at an estate sale auction,  I couldn't resist scooping them up. Where they will end up in my house, I am not sure of yet,  but I generally just buy things I love and they find a place somewhere.   The details of the chairs just were so unusual with a backsplat depicting a violin and a cornucopia.  All the details are hand carved, and you can see the inconsistency...

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A French Coal Scuttle, my Simple Anti-aging Beauty Routine, and 1 week Diet Update

Lets start off with something French and vintage, shall we?   A French coal scuttle in hand hammered copper and brass was a recent auction score.   I imagined it to sit by the hearth in the lake cottage, as we have an old cast iron stove up there.   For now it looks pretty holding some faux hydrangeas next to our gas fire place.   It will make a great container for seasonal decorating, holding twiggy branches, sprays of forsythia, or these summery hydrangeas....

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