The Blues

Here is one of a set of two chairs; both with be painted and upholstered the same. I love the fabric pattern--I was looking for something mod, fun, and bold; the poor thing needed some love & perky-ness. This set will be available through Majestical Roof artists' boutique in Old Town Pasadena. I'm so excited that they want to display multiple pieces I've created. Now I really have to get crackin'!
The fabric I used was purchased online thru jcaroline creative Paint is Dutch Boy Clarity, which is a more eco-friendly latex paint (yay!).
Let me know what you think!

I know, I know

So I haven't posted in awhile, but it's like this, see....
I actually have 5 (yes, count on your fingers,FIVE) pieces in progress, but now I'm out of town for a short while and won't get back into the studio (ok--garage) for a few more days. But my brain is working overtime on ideas of what the finished pieces will look like. And they'll be cool. Honest.

I'm very excited as a great artist's boutique in Pasadena, called Majestical Roof, would like to show more of my stuff in their shop. Right now they have the aqua chair with the red dahlias on it (shown in an earlier post). So as soon as I'm back in the garage, the paintbrushes will be flying like Yoda with a lightsaber.For a peek at Majestical Roof's boutique visit their myspace page (link to come). They have a huge range of artist's and goods, and bask in the joy of knowing that the items they carry are unique--no mass market things--AND they work with their artists to fill any requests for commissioned work as well.

Also, I am happy to say that my sweet friend Elizabeth is on the board of the Pasadena Children's Guild, which helps families with children receive healthcare, who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. The Guild holds a big fundraiser, and elizabeth gave me the warm fuzzies when she asked me to donate a one-wall children's mural. I hope there's an eager bidder for that--I'd LOVE to be able to help such an awesome cause. And I get to draw & paint--what a perk! I'll be posting a link to their site soon, so you can learn more about the event and the organization.

Belly Up to the BAurrrrgh!.....Dahrlingk..

These three items were done as a fun project among some of my talented friends and co-workers. My versions of a pirate, a villainess, and a cowboy.

Design*sponge--YAY!

Grace Bonney over at design*sponge posted my Red Dahlia chair makeover on her blog, in her "before & after" section. I've received a lot of great comments on it, which is exciting. Although, I'm sure my husband is mildly dreading the spawn of further furniture diy projects it will undoubtedly lead to. (Buh-bye garage space!). I've been planning to sell it on Craig's List, so wish me luck. Design*sponge receives over 25,000 hits daily, so it was nice to get the project recognized. Grace has a great site and a great eye for various design projects; her site is a great source of inspiration. Head on over to it: http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/before-and-after
You can link to her home page at the side bar to the right of here.
Enjoy!
Leona

Enchanted Fairy 2

I finally got around to painting the second fairy in my girl's room. she gave me the best kudos: "Yits BOOTIFUL Mama!". I almost squeezed the goo right out of her. There is very little that happens on the face of this earth that is as special as a 2 1/2 yr old's ear-to-ear smile.

Under the Sea

These are some snaps of parts of a sea-themed mural I just did for a friend. The first two are "before" photos. She didn't want an entire underwater scene, just randomly placed critters on their blue walls, to give a feel of being underwater. My camera doesn't have a wide angle view, so instead of posting a whole wall, I'm posting some of the favorite critters. The white brackets in some of the art are parts of shelves that go around most of the room. This took me a little while as I tend to work in layers (and in small time slots due to my daily Mom schedule). Comments welcomed.

One Happy Chair Makeover

Here's another before/after. I only get to work on it in 20 minute chunks, then my 2 year old threatens to take over painting it, so I have to stop. Comments are welcomed, especially if they are nice ones. : )

Just like magic...

So I finally got the first garden fairy done for my little girl's room. This is the first of several elements I plan to add. I'm not doing a full mural, just a few small elements strategically placed. I have to be careful of even painting around her; she sees me painting, and she immediately wants to "help".

Enchanted Walls

I did this mural for a 9-yr old girl's room. She wanted an enchanted forest theme, I wanted to give her plenty to see. I also thought it would be good to use stronger colors, as opposed to anything too pale and "little girl-ish", so she could "grow with" it.
The family loves it, and it was a great first project to jump into. The mural actually covers 3 walls of her room (the 4th wall is all closet and the door), but here are just a few snippets. Enjoy.

So here's project number one: My art table. I found this table on craigslist; the top is a butcher block wood top, but was severely weathered, as the seller had used it outside as her potting table. Well, it was cheap, and just the right size I was looking for, so I scooped up the bargain. Got it into my den and thought, "Ugh--needs something...what can I do to it? Ah...PAINT! paint is so versatile and sassy and bold. It's an art table- so do some kind of art on it--have fun with it!" I let a big girlie squeal and got started.

After a few sporadic hours of paint and clear-coating just the top (the legs had a natural worn look that I sometimes like, depending on the piece; I prefer to call it a "well-loved" look), it's done. It was fun to do and adds some personality to the room.

Only problem is, is that it's now covered with other projects.