Welcome to Nina's Art Notes

Goings On in Our Studio

Teaching Myself to Paint

I’m teaching myself how to paint with the help from YouTube (best invention ever).

I’m not sure it’s really painting yet, maybe just moving paints around a canvas. Ha!

The Making of a MacKenzie-Childs Look Alike Clock

(click on the images to see larger pictures)

I love love MacKenzie-Childs.  It is a line of bizarre, colorful and off the wall home decor.  I’ve been to their store on 57th Ave in New York and it is an experience like no other.

Photo One-I took this old clock that I love but hasn’t worked for several years.  24″ in diameter and made of plastic and metal.

Photo Two – I took the whole thing apart, not knowing if it would go back together again. Might as well try. Right? I painted a sealer on the different parts so that my paint would stick to the surfaces.

Photo Three – I always have a MacKenzie-Childs catalog laying around that will show the correct colors for my project.  Black, White and Gold are the main colors  Brown and light Blues for the clock face. I painted the clock numbers Black.

Photos Four and Five. I put in a new mechanism and a fresh battery and new clock hands. Close up photos show the detail of using the initial clocks curves and indentations.

Finished clock that now hangs over the fireplace.  So fun and different and inexpensive to create.  My husband Paul and I are big fans of MacKenzie-Childs.  For your own fun ideas visit them at www.MacKenzie-Childs.com

The Making of a Toy Box

(click on the images to see larger pictures)

Thatcher is 2 years old.  He loves balls and trucks.

Step 1. I bought a Toy Box from Unpainted Furniture in Boulder and away I went.

Step 2. I woke up one morning and said out loud “Ball Trees”. That’s the inspiration.

Step 3. Started with burning in the design that was in my head. What balls would grow on trees?  Footballs and basketballs.

Step 4. Soccer balls as clouds and a Baseball tree where the balls are falling from the tree like apples.

Step 5. Add a few cars and trucks.

Step 6. Paint and stain in bright colors with an Espresso stain for the rest of the box.

Paul came up with the lettering of “Team Thatcher” for the top.
And there you go!

Very excited to deliver our Grand Prize to the Nina’s Art Designs contest winner – Scot Kaiser! (Shown here with the Grand Prize). We are honored that it will be in your home! ~Nina

 

After no contact from our first winner,
we have chosen to award it a second time
– and the new winner is –
Scot Kaiser!