Every kid wants a clubhouse. This kid built one...

How much fun was your Monday?  Since I'm off to Belgium and France the next two weeks, I did a long day with ArtGirl, to make up for the missed classes.  She's been wanting to build a clubhouse in her back yard, and child after my own heart, she wanted to use salvaged stuff.  We used plywood and other lumber from an old bunk bed, two-by-sixes from friends who moved and passed them to me, the storm window from an old door, cabinet hinges, and a canvas drop cloth.  I'll pop back to her place tomorrow to get her started on painting, which she can handle pretty much on her own.  We didn't frame it up quite like a real house, but it's sturdy, cute, and we did it in one (loooong) day.  Here's the progression...

All you need is a pile of swell stuff, a flexible imagination, and a few tools.  Sunscreen and bug dope aren't a bad idea either.

She measures and marks!

She runs in screws!

She saws!

She sands!

She goofs off a bit (who doesn't?)

She enjoys sitting on her new front porch.  She deserves the rest after this day!

One unusual feature is the canvas roof.  We'll give it a couple of coats of paint, and it will be pretty water proof for the rest of the summer, and maybe next.  This little toss-together won't last much more than that, but by then, she'll be too old for a club house, and she's hoping her folks will spring for a little art studio shed.  By then, she'll be strong enough to run the circular saw and build her own!

Hope your next two weeks are fabulous and fun.  My travel does include work, but I'm going to take a vacation from the computer, at least.  I'll post again sometime around the 4th of July.  Ta for now!

Update:  The clubhouse has held up through two summers, and as of January of 2015 seems likely to hold up a few more.  Here's a shot of it that her mama took, once Faithie painted it:

Okay, I admit it, one bonus of having ArtGirl in my life is getting the chance to build all the things I wanted to, when I was her age.  I mean, I built forts, but not with proper tools and a grown-up to make sure they weren't going to collapse on my head.  (No, they didn't drop me on my head, but they weren't overly concerned with protecting it either, apparently.)  Anyway, being nobody's mama and everyone's auntie certainly gives me the luxury of quality time with my borrowed children...and the title of "the cool grown-up".  I don't take a minute of it for granted.

 

A little bit of Venice

Actually, a bunch of bits of Venice.  This scene doesn't really exist.  It's compiled from a handful of vacation photos belonging to the clients, which guarantees it's one of a kind, and super personal.  But boy, for a small mural, this one sure took some time!  It's all those windows and roof tiles, of which I would love to show you close-ups, but, um, I sort-of forgot to take them.  I finished at 10:45 tonight, so we can blame it on fatigue, and wanting to get done and out before my clients booted me out.  I'll get more photos of the finished room, once the tile backsplash is done, and I can catch close-ups then.  For now, proof that I do actually still paint walls:


Feature wall in kitchen.  Walls are hand painted marble.



and a little closer

Dusty, the supervisor on this project, liked my ladder.  If you look very close, you can see him in the painting, sitting outside the restaurant.

SLOW Artist at Work

I actually once had an orange road sign that said that, back in my sign painting days.  I crossed out "work" and inserted "play".  I used it when I was working on murals or things like window lettering.  I shoulda kept it.  I promised photos of Venice tonight, but in case anyone was holding their breath (you really don't know me, do you?), it will have to wait until late tomorrow night.  Those buildings have tons of windows and shutters and roof tiles and rain gutters and balconies and...well, you'll see tomorrow night. :)

Play Date with Sunshine

We finally got some sunshine in Minnesota, late this afternoon, just in time for Artgirl's Monday visit.  I promised her several months ago that she could sling paint in my back yard to her heart's content, as soon as the weather warmed up enough.  I was thinking late March, but Mother Nature had other ideas.  I think Faithie had fun...

The casual drop spatter



Changing trajectory changes the spatter pattern.  Professional artist or crime tech in the making?

 

Philosophical pondering?  No.  The paint soaked sponge just felt good in her hand.

She can even paint with her eyes closed.  Actually, I think this was to prevent the back-spatter from getting in her eyes.

Making a present for her brother.  If Noah isn't excited, she can turn it sideways for Zack.  Brilliant.

Samauri painter. 

N is for nifty.

Shooting Star

Hose time!

The past few weeks were beyond crazy busy, which you might have surmised from the missing and abbreviated blog posts.  365 Being Summer issue should be rolling off of the presses in the next day or so, and the mural of Venice that I'm working on looks like it will be finished in time for the Thursday night post, so I'm just about caught up.  I still don't have time for a day off, but playing assistant to the "Ar-teest" today was pretty refreshing.  If it's been a long time since you played with paint, may I suggest you let your hair down, kick off your shoes, and let 'er fly?!?  Happy summer!

Fried.

Parched.
  Drained.
   And...
     Done.

I poured it all into that crazy little bookazine thing.

My brain checked out an hour ago.  I can hear it snoring on the pillow from here.

Tomorrow is a fresh blank page...