paintings – Page 10 – Karla's Cottage

Farewell to a furry friend

By Karla Nathan / April 8, 2015

Miss Pearl, best friend to Debbie Dusenberry was a Kansas City antiquer's icon. Debbie is a queen of the vintage scene and everywhere she was, there was Pearl. I'll miss seeing her fuzzy little face around town.

Here is a photo of her when she was a visitor at the cottage one time. Pearl always came along when Debbie visited us here.

My heart goes out to Debbie for her loss.

I used my Hello Watercolor ap on iPad to do this finger painting of Pearl..

The ap is very interesting, and you can more tell from the rough sketch that I started with, just how much it looks and acts like real paint. Except with no brush. You use a fingertip or stylus to paint with. You can chose different brush-like features, and sizes, and whether you are using wet or dry, to get just the look you want. My problem with it, is that I can't quite get the paint detailed enough, so I switch to the colored pencils function to add the finer details and sharper lines at the end.

I think a lot of people get to this point of a painting (the sketch) and think it looks awful, or nothing like what they want it to. Sometimes newbies don't realize that most artwork is all about the details or the layering. There is often a point near the beginning when you are horrified at what is on the page and think about stopping. The trick is to not give up, and to not judge the end by the early stages.

This painting has a heavy use of white pencil over the underpainting. In real watercolor that doesn't really happen, you need to save your white paper. The ap can be much easier to use than real paint. It even has an eraser.

Family art

collections, cottage, family, paintings

By Karla Nathan / March 11, 2015

While redoing the guest room (like I said, it never ends, a redo steam rolls!), I gathered up some old family photos and drawings that had hung in there and moved them to make a display in my stairway.

This is a drawing I did of my grandma about 30 years ago, from a photo of her as a young girl. The frame had broken, so while it was out, I gave it a little revamp with some color pencils and I've done a bit of digital editing to it, by cropping and adding a background of text from a handwritten note by her mother. I'm going to reframe it to go with the rest of the pictures on the wall.

This is how it looked before I added to it.

Of course, the original doesn't have the text, that is just in the digital copy. But I did add color by hand to the original, not digitally.

This sketch is of my dad's mom, that I did at 16.

This is a watercolor of her husband, my grandfather Harry, done a couple years later.

And a quick sketch of Ryan as a little boy. (with his Kevin Bacon hairstyle, he LOVED Footloose as a kid)

This one is a watercolor that I did of a photo of my husband's grandmother, Gladys. The photo sits on a quilt that she had made.

The collage of my sisters and I is a more recent work, but not all that recent. 7 years ago, maybe? Before I discovered photo editing, that photo I used of us is kind of dark. We are standing by a road sign for Downey street, our maiden name.

As I was hanging the pictures in the stairway, I knew that not a single art piece was a good example of work, and that none of the frames went together well. It is a hodge podge grouping, of some cool, some cheap frames, some really nice antique frames, old photos, and some so-so drawings, that don't really have a cohesive look together.

But all are meaningful to me. And a home can't have all perfectly groomed decor, or it becomes a showhouse, not a home. My house will always have a place for so-so artwork, family mementos, and sentimental items. Even if they aren't the prettiest items around. Maybe someday, I'll reframe them all in a better way, but for now, I just enjoy walking by them and seeing them as is.

PS- I've got 50% off the Boutique right now. But you MUST use this link:

http://www.karlascottage.com/?code=Fling

to get to the sale site. If you go through the regular link, the 50% off won't register. If you can't click on it to get to the page, you might want to try cutting and pasting it to your browser. Thanks for helping me spring clean!

Aging a picture with crackle

Hand painted, Hand Painted Furniture, hand painted signs, how to's, how-to projects, paintings

By Karla Nathan / March 6, 2015

I was asked about this picture in my new guest room, so thought I'd give a quick how-to.

First, find a botanical, or other picture you like. Glue it to a canvas.

Next, tear and collage old papers around it. I chose a background of sheet music with an oval "frame" of roses torn out of old wrapping paper. All are rough, torn edges, different shapes, and glued down with white school glue.

When dry, I clear coated it with water based Polycrylic from Minwax.

I let that dry, then brushed on a weathered crackle finish by McClosky.

After that dried, another coat of Polycrylic went on.

The next day, I wiped on a sepia tinted glaze, let it settle into the cracks made by the weather crackle, and wiped it off.

Weathered crackle finish usually is applied over paint, then a second coat of paint is used over it to create a crackled paint finish.

But, water based clear coat is much like paint without color, and creates the same effect. But this way it is tone on tone, and clear. So, adding the sepia glaze shows off the crackle and ages any paper or canvas you do this over.

Here is a picture I used this technique on years ago for a Romantic Country article. The teapot is a photo copy of one of my original watercolors.

For this one, I glazed over it after it was in a white frame, concentrating the sepia tone heavily in the corners, and also using it on the frame too.

I sincerely hate the look of crackle applied as it is supposed to be used, it is soooooooo fake. But I love it to use in aging a picture. And in aging other things too. The trick, to me, is to keep it tone on tone, to add texture.

Here, I took an old piece of scrolly metal. It was antique, but it was not painted and I didn't want the paint I added to look too new.

So, I painted the piece white, did the crackle, then a clear coat, then the glaze. Over that, I did the hand painted roses.

Same technique was used here on this canvas before painting roses.

Instant age for a brand new painting!

Mom

family, paintings

By Karla Nathan / February 16, 2015

Happy Birthday, Mom. I'll always miss you!

These are some roses I painted recently. She'd have loved them. She liked anything I did, no matter what. You just don't have a fan base like that once your mom is gone, do you?

A Grand Fairy Indulgence, or the chain reaction of redos keeps on

cottage, Hand painted, Hand Painted Furniture, paintings

By Karla Nathan / February 7, 2015

When I was showing Dewdrop the paint chips for the guest room, she came up with a brilliant plan.

I should paint their bathroom pink.

The cute part was when she tilted her little head, tapped her tiny chin, and acted like she was really making a deep consideration about the color.

Which is funny, because in her mind, PINK is the only color that should exist.

And since I kinda like some pink myself, and since I'd been redoing and shuffling things around the house, and was still in that mode, I said, "Great idea!" And went for it.

And anyway, when redoing the guest room, I moved a piece of furniture to the studio, and when I redid that area of the studio, I no longer had a place for this sweet little tin box covered in old wallpaper.

So, heck, I needed to redo the bathroom to make a spot for it.

Right????

The shower curtains were due for a freshening and needed to be taken down to be washed. The room used to be grey, and the shower liner was tan, so I bought a new white liner. That alone really brightened up the space.

There is something about dull, Kansas winters that makes me want to brighten and lighten. I felt so much happier with my pretty, soft pink, sparkling walls and white shower curtain.

The best part of the pink is that sparkle. I dumped a few gold and silver glitter bottles into the paint before rolling it on. But to make it really dazzle, when the paint was still wet, I gave it a fairy dusting.

I filled my palm with glitter, and blew it onto the wall to stick to the wet paint. Perfect results! (Unless you consider what a mess the floor was, and how much of it got tracked through the house. Which doesn't really bother me. I like to leave a trail of glitz and sparkle every where I go, and apparently the dogs do too.)

And while I am pinking up the bathroom, I am considering de-pinking the kitchen. I moved one of my paintings from the kitchen to the newly pink guest bath.

The door stayed gray. I liked that neutral shade with the wall color. I almost painted it white to match the trim, but am glad I changed my mind instead of the door color.

I also left the old tins on the ceiling rustic and natural instead of painting them all white, like some already are. And not just because I detest painting ceilings, but because the roughness of the rust helps cut through the sweetness of the pink.

And there is plenty of sweetness going on. Previously, there was a similar wall of mirrors. The largest and smallest were here with two other ones. But in looking around the house, I realized that I had two more mirrors with a rose patterned frame and I switched them out and added them to the other rose rimmed mirrors.

Dewdrop hasn't been by to see it yet (as I am writing this ahead) but Sugarwings was very pleased. And I am too. It is so dainty and pretty that I no longer can refer to it as a guest bathroom, I think I'll have to call it a "powder room". That seems to fit it so much better.

There was a very ugly light fixture in there, previously it was painted to match the wall and disappear. I thought I'd paint it white, but wasn't happy with that. I bought a new fixture to hang, but decided I didn't want to spend that much. So far, my only expenditure was for a gallon of paint, a few bottles of glitter, and a $9 shower liner. The $89 light fixture gave me a pause, plus it was just too new looking for this old house.

The tin box covered in wallpaper that had been moved from the studio, made me think of these rolls of wallpaper border I had.

A strip of old paper dressed up the light fixture just fine for me.

And I'm happy with the mismatched, vintage shades on the fixture. They seem to suit my old cottage.

I think Dewdrop will like the pink flowers on the light. Of course, she'd probably rather of had pink kitties…. I can't leave all decisions up to her!

A Downton Affaire

paintings, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / May 11, 2014

Once again, Kim created a beautiful environment for her event. She never misses a detail or a chance to make something special.

Here is a photo of the room during vendor night by our Fancy Farmgirl photographer, Tiffany. Pure glam, huh?

The hotel itself was spectacular.

The table settings were sweetly done.

Of course, soon, the area was filled up with loot thoughtful gifts from table mates.

And by our great kits and projects. Andrea had us making necklaces from some softly colored pearl beads she found as vintage old stock, and lots of rhinestones on tarnished brass chain.

And in Charlotte's class, we had needle work to do. Here is my almost finished piece, (under Andrea's kit) with very little stitching done on it. I cut out the teacup from her kit, and used it as an applique on a vintage linen then glued a bunch of crap to it, instead of stitching all day.

This is what she had provided. Pretty, but it simply was too much needlework for me to even contemplate. Although, I was proud of myself for using a needle for some of it. I didn't break out the glue for at least an hour.

I also incorporated the silk ribbons and color swatches that Kim had sent to me to match up my paints with for the banner.

When she mailed them, Kim had asked me to return the curtain fabric swatch and I completely forgot. oops! Dang it. She reminded me RIGHT AFTER I finished cutting it up and gluing it down. I swear, I'm lucky to remember my own name some days.

The banner itself had a little glitch. Kim had told me to paint it 10×8', and I did, but I didn't center it, not realizing that would matter. I left a much bigger margin on the left than the right and when she hung curtains over it, the bare canvas showed. Poor Kim had to maneuver fabric around to hide the extra bare spots on that side.

She made it work. And I was honored to have my work used as a backdrop for the gala.

Andrea Singarella, Jenn Hayslip, Tiffany Kirchner Dixon, Lori Oles

This is how I finished Andrea's necklace. I always like to do a bit of a switcheroo in classes by bringing my own supplies to add to the piece for a personal touch. (Tiffany took this photo too)

In Karen's class, we were making fabric books. She had the high quality, heavy fabrics all stitched together and ready for us to add a cover and start foofing. I brought my own cover supplies, and extra lace too. The fabric I used is from an old Flapper dress my Sissy shared with me.

The final project was a garland of doll dresses from Pamela Huntington. I'd brought plenty of lace, so used that on mine. I also wanted some varied styles of dresses, so I cut the pattern a bit differently.

This project had my heart before I even started working on it and I would love to make garland after garland of dresses. I decided to make a few different ones, the first all ivory and cream like the first photo, then a row of pink ones too. This was from class, then I was able to make a few more rosy ones in the hotel room on Sunday.

My roomies checked out in the morning and I had the room till noon when it was time to go to the airport to meet Sugarwings and my husband for our Disney adventure, so I was happy to have a suitcase full of craft supplies to keep me busy a few hours.

I'll have more pictures and stories from the weekend in my next posts. There was simply too much wonderfulness to squeeze into just one.

Spring painted right over Winter

bird song art event, paintings

By Karla Nathan / May 6, 2014

Way back when I used to have an antique booth, I used to sell a ton of Xmas ornaments. And I came up with an idea to display them, by cutting a 4×8' sheet of plywood into an arch, and painting a Christmas tree in the snow onto it, and adding hooks to hang the vintage Shiny Brites right on the tree. It was cute, and I used that plywood board for years as a holiday decoration.

It was nice to have kids pose in front of for pictures too.

But I was ready for a new look, something that I could use more than a few weeks a year, and leave in the studio year round. That thing is too heavy to haul out to the shed in the cold after Christmas is over!

I painted over the winter scene, leaving the rock arch around it. (and the holes from the hooks still there, guess I should have patched those)

With Birdsong on my mind, I added a couple of bluebirds. Doves might have been a better match for the soft colors of the piece, but I just love bluebirds. And I know that a male and female pair are different colors, the lady is a more muted color. Still, I painted what I liked instead of what is accurate, and have two vivid birds that really stand out against the pastel shades of the landscape.

In the distance, there is a pink tree blooming, with a nest in its branches.

Speaking of Birdsong, I got another box with sponsor gifts for the drawing. These are from the Guncles. Kevin is an avid antiquer and has a great booth down in Jacksonville. He also sells on Ebay. While out scouring the city's estate sales for his business, he found these old bird prints. He and Randy were kind enough to send them here to share with my Birdsong Peeps.

Thanks, Guncles!

My friend, Laurie Jackson along with her pal, Kathy Bremer, sent these beautiful, old prize ribbons. Won't everyone attending feel like a winner when they open these?

Terri Wilkerson made up these cute little packs of goodies for our group.

If you'd like to be a sponsor too, please email me at:

karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Downton Abby, Highclere Castle painting for A Downton Affaire

paintings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 2, 2014

As you read this, I'm in CA at Kim Caldwell's latest party, A Downton Affaire.

Once again, I was honored to be asked to paint the banner used as a photo backdrop for the event.

My first one, was this whimsical Tiffanys themed one.

And last year,this giant mural was done for the Snow White themed party.

There was a castle involved in last year's painting, but it was very faint, way, way far away, and made up in my own mind.

This year's castle was a whole different story. It was a famous English manor that fans of the show all know and love. My painting had to be accurate. That just about killed me. I had to measure, do fractions (well, I had my husband do fractions for me) and use a level to get it right.

There was a little bit of leeway, since it was set in the distance. But still, this castle was the focal point of the whole painting, so I couldn't have it too faded and far away. There was a lot of angst, turmoil, tears, cussing, and nearly giving up.

Straight lines and architectural things aren't in my comfort zone.

I did fudge some details, since it was in the distance, I hoped that I got the impression of the Downton home close enough without being perfect. Far from perfect.

I studied photos of Highclere Castle online and used artistic license to change the angle of the castle from this view point.

This is the view of the estate that I liked, which I think is the back.

And this is the view of the building that I liked. The front, I think. My painting is a mix of both, with flower gardens thrown in.

Throughout season 4 of the show, I studied the sets. And even took photos of the TV with my phone. It was funny to be looking through pictures on my phone and come across pictures of Mrs. Crawley or the Duchess, like they were friends whose pictures I'd taken.

Then, before starting on the 9×10' banner, I painted a sample on paper.

Even with the sample painting propped up in the garage as I worked on the mural, I had to feel it out and make changes as I went along.

When working on a landscape like this, here is my plan:

First- sky, next mountains in the distance, far off treeline, and then I painted the grass that is the major part of it all.

That involved two ladders and going back and forth a hundred times to get it all blended. After a smooth blended background, I took chalk and drew in the trees, and roughed in the the flower beds.

Next, I painted the castle, where I stalled out and got stuck working for almost two days. As I mentioned, it wasn't my strong point.

After that came the flowers, from furthest to closest.

Then, the trees, leaves, and some highlights and details, like a butterfly and nest. Fingers crossed that it all hangs straight and looks good at the event. Hopefully, I'll have plenty of pictures of happy friends in front of it, to show you when I get back.

I'm also meeting Sugarwings and my husband in CA, for a few days at Disney. I've become quite the Disney addict in the last few years. And while being in LA for the art event, it seems like such a waste to not stop in to visit Micky and his pals! I'll be having my birthday lunch at Ariel's grotto, with my own little princess by my side.

See you when I get back!

Painted Butterflies

Dew Drop, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / April 28, 2014

I've been in a painting mood lately. Years ago, I painted almost every day, so much that when I awoke, I'd just dress in old paint clothes. Because if I didn't, I'd end up getting paint on whatever I was wearing because I'd sneak in some painting that day even if I hadn't planned on doing it.

I kind of like wearing real clothes now, I guess I didn't even realize what a slob I looked like all the time, in my ratty old clothes. Even worse, I had a bad habit of wiping my brush on myself, and the clothes would get such a heavy build up of paint, they were stiff.

Which is how I discovered that paint is permanent on tee shirts, and I started painting shirts to sell in the 80s. One year, I sold over 1,000 hand painted shirts.

Painting rarely happens around here any more, but when I get in the groove, I go with it. I've had the big, Downton banner to paint for Kim, and since I was decked out in paint clothes, I kept thinking of other things I'd like to set my brushes to.

There were a couple of new babies I wanted to gift with some painted onesies, but I didn't care for the bright white of the shirts, so I hand dyed them first. I liked the mottled color that I got from wadding up the shirts before dipping in the dye. I used Rit, wet the shirts, dipped in one color, rinsed, wadded it up and dipped it in another color. I know this isn't the way you are supposed to dye, but it works for me.

After they dried, I slipped a piece of cardboard inside to stretch them flat to make a good painting surface and to keep the color from soaking through to the back of the shirt.

The onesies were so much fun, I started looking around for another shirt to add a butterfly to, and found a plain, stained one of Sugarwings', and put the butterfly right over the stain.

When my boys were little, I used to paint their tee shirts. Here is a photo of them in their matching ET shirts. I'd have portraits of the kids eating ice cream with Big Bird, or flying with Superman, or just pictures of thier favorite things.

I've painted very few for Sugarwings and Dewdrop, though. Sugarwings liked it so much, I really should do some more.

Nowadays, I tend to paint more with photo editing. Here is a picture I "painted" with Picmonkey, from Easter, the original is in this post.

I've turned the egg Sugarwings found into a magical orb. And I wish my backyard really did look like this fairy land! Of course, the little girl is beautiful in any circumstance.

Little Dewdrop saw the picture of her sis with pink hair and wanted to know where her pink hair was. So, of course, I had to tint another one just for her.

Planning? Novel concept, but hopefully a good one!

drawing, flowers, paintings

By Karla Nathan / April 5, 2014

I've had a little more peat pot action going on here in the studio. These are those larger pots, about twice the size as the regular ones.

I'd decorated a few, figuring out how I wanted to do the pots for the Fairy Swings project for Birdsong, then made some extra to sell in the Boutique, just because they are fun to make. Then, I started in painting and glittering these bigger ones and adding ruffled crepe paper and vintage trims to them too.

But I stopped at two and decided I really needed to get the stuff done that HAD to be done, not just what sounded like fun to do.

It has just been too cold to work on my banner for A Downton Affaire!! I have to hang the canvas on my garage wall and before that could happen, I had to clean the garage. Because I didn't want to get any of the grit from built up salt and dirt on the floor on the canvas as I spread it out to hang it. And Spring is simply not cooperating with us.

Finally, we had a day warm enough to hook up the new power washer (Oh My Gosh, how did I ever live without one of these in my life?????? It's addicting, I cleaned EVERYTHING with it)

Now, the canvas is hung and ready to paint. But it got cold and rainy again! I'll need the garage door open while painting for good light, so I still have to wait for some sunshine to get the work done.

But at least I have a plan. I started a small painting to get some ideas on what I'd do for the large one. Here is the background of it. After looking through hundreds of pictures of Highclere Castle and its gardens, as well as even more pictures of English country gardens, I think I have a good plan.

Here is a corner of it.

I'm thinking about using the small painting to make my tags for vendor night. Or even cards to sell? What do you think?

Now, I'm itching to get started on the big banner. It's smaller this year than the one I did last year, only 10'

The one for last year's Enchanted Affaire was about 6' longer. And it was one that I did to keep for myself, but it was sooooo big, I didn't have a wall large enough for it.

So, it is now cut up and hanging in the girls' room. They love it, and so do I. I spent weeks on that piece, and a lot of love went into making it.

The one for Downton will be much smaller, not as tall, not as long. It should go quicker because I took the time to do a sketch, which isn't typical of me. But last year's painting got carried away. I painted and painted and painted, covering up the background with the foreground, changing colors and adding things, it was crazy. I felt like I was lost in that forest at times. It had become my second home, imagining myself out in those trees.

Hopefully, my planning ahead will stop my meandering through the woods in this scene. I worked a lot of it out on paper instead. Now, I just have to keep my fingers crossed for good weather, because I do not have weeks and weeks to get it done.

Please wish me luck!