A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Art Project on a Cold Afternoon


Yesterday I went over to a friend's for an afternoon of art. My friend,Kelly bought some old windows at an auction last summer and wanted to know if I had any ideas on how to fix them up...decorate them you know. We looked at so many sites on the computer before getting together and she did some sketches of her ideas. I took a tote with some supplies with me...gesso, matte medium, brushes, scissors, tissue paper... etc. I wanted to see if a window could be covered with crumpled tissue paper and then be painted or decoupaged . I took a small piece of glass to practise on. We crumpled the tissue and then opened it carefully and after brushing on the "glue" laid it on, and with a brayer rolled it. It worked just like I thought it would. It made the "window" look like a piece of wrinkled linen on glass. Then we fooled around...me making red tulips and Kelly creating purple violets out of tissue paper. We had so much fun...later I make a lady bug and she made an abstract butterfly.Whenever we had a problem...we called it abstract. I didn't take a camera, so there are no pictures to show our "artwork" I learned that I could paint on the window after covering it with the tissue. Now we can move on to doing big windows. My window will be hung on the front porch...I'm planning on putting a crackle finish on the wood and then covering the windows with quilt pieces and flowers painted on. It's fun working on a project together...we had different ideas and learned from each other. It was a nice way to spend a winter afternoon.
It reminded me of years ago, when I was taking care of my grandchildren, and the day I let them paint my windows. It was winter and they were getting over colds and wanted to go outside. I didn't think that they should go out so,I gave them cans of shaving cream and put one of Grandpa's shirts on each of them.Then they squirted the foamy cream on the windows in the play area. Then I let them fingerpaint. They had a ball swirling that "paint" all over the windows and themselves. It took their minds off their boredom and they had a great time. I just wiped the windows down, when they napped and the windows never sparkled like that again. Kelly and I didn't use shaving cream, but it brought back a memory.
Balisha

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You will have to take a picture of your window. Sounds like you all had a good afternoon and enjoyed doing a new project. I love the window painting idea for the grandkids. I will have to remember that for TW sometime. Have a good weekend.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Sharing projects with friends is fun. I love art classes but don't care much for solitary painting.
Marnie

Lynn said...

How much fun you must have had!!! When I was teaching my painting classes i had a group of friends that came every Thur. and we ate first of course than painted all afternoon. It was great and I really miss those days! I hope retirement will bring back those great times!

garden girl said...

Sounds like fun Balisha! Hope you'll post a picture of your window when it's all finished.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

I wish you lived near by. I am not a crafty person and would love to be able to create something like this. I have an old window!!

Balisha said...

Maybe when I do my window...I could post step by step pictures and you could follow my instructions, Ernestine. I have never done this before...so we would both be learning at the same time.I need to get the window from Kelly and then decide what I want to do. It will be very simple.
Balisha