The Art of the Home

Of icons and animals...it's all Divinely inspired!

2012-02-13T21:45:00.001-06:00

Remember this photo from a couple of weeks ago? I still haven't added gulls to the cliffs, but progress has been made on this mural...

A lot of the reason I write this blog is to attempt to demystify the creative process, and encourage you to stretch your own creative wings. I truly believe we are all born with creative potential, but some of us are steered firmly away from it, starting at a very young age, while others of us resist those well-intentioned efforts with every fiber of our being. The artist who inspired the style of this mural was a resistor from early on, and thanks to his tenaciously stubborn nature, we get to enjoy his incredibly beautiful and detailed carving and iconography (note to fledgling authors: it is a good idea to follow dubious compliments with lavish, though true, praise, if staying in the subject's good graces is at all important to you :)) ). Though the actual pieces are scattered around the globe, click on over to carvingart.com and check out the photos of the work of George Bilak.

More of George Bilak's work can be seen at Carvingart.com.

Now, before we go any farther, let me warn you (and him), this mural looks NOTHING, well, very nearly nothing, like his work.

The ram may have been inspired by St. John, but is anyone else seeing John Travolta in the white suit on the Saturday Night Fever album cover? No? Oh, good. Never mind.

See, what happened is that I was asked to paint a mural on a sixty foot wall, encompassing four doorways to the Sunday school classrooms, at Unity of the Valley Spiritual Center, but I immediately felt that the building is too modern, the kids way too cool, for my traditional, cozy, storybook style of art. I knew, without hesitation, that I had to step outside of my comfort zone, and design something that felt energetic enough for both the location, and the congregation. I was asked to create shaped door surrounds, and to include a rainbow, as the childrens' program there is called "Rainbow Circles". Everything else was totally up to me.

The rainbow arches over the preschool and kindergarten ages doorway. I think I'll add a litter of tumbling wolf pups, as this is the age where kids start to learn to socialize, and wolves represent that well.

A mama duck gives landing lessons to her ducklings, on the nursery door. The tree will eventually house a nest of baby birds, and the meadow beyond...who knows what will come to life out there?

A jugle cat lounges coolly over the pre-teens doorway. They'll have to wait for the sandy beach and jungle at their end to fill up with other exotic beasts.

This kind of freedom is exciting. It's also terrifying to the point of petrification. I knew I wanted a landscape with animals, and that it needed to have a dreamlike quality...if one happens to dream in technicolor. As I was painting in the background, with absolutely no clear idea of what the animals would look like, I tried to suggest the various landscapes of the world, so that animals from every continent would fit somewhere. This led to the red rocks in the center. As I started to create them, I remembered George's icon, St. John the Forerunner, and asked the office manager to bring up his website, so I could see it.

I think the bison shows the iconographer's influence in the stylizing and shading...if you kind of squinch up (yeah, I'm makin' up words again...my world, my words, my rules) your eyes and keep an open mind.

The shape of the rocks was what I was thinking of, but what also caught my eye was the tweaking of the proportions of background to figure, which I read is a feature of Byzantine icons (There are links from his site to pages that explain more about iconography, if this captures your interest. It's definitely a disciplined art form.). I was already planning to use a lot of white lines to pop highlights, rather than black to shadow things (Unity is all about light, so I wanted this wall to glow), and I realized the line work in this art form, though an ancient tradition, is actually very modern looking, and maybe something worth borrowing.

Having delivered his bundles, Stork wades in the pond near the nursery door. I'm thinking he'll be joined by a frog, and some fish, then a meadow full of chipmunks, hedgehogs, and whoever else wanders into my dreams.

Now, as I said, I was inspired by this. In the creative process, it really isn't uncommon for the finished piece to look nothing like the art that inspired it. Inspiration is a jumping off point. To land anywhere near the budget, I needed to simplify. This mural was originally intended to be an eighty hour project. Even simplifying the animals to their exaggerated essential shapes and loosely brushing in the white line work, I'll end up with more than double that amount of time into it, so no way could I do a whole mural in tight icon style.

Check out George's iconostasis, to see what it looks like on that scale, and ask him how long it took to create the wall and the mural behind it. 160 hours would not even begin to touch it! And though stylized animals in George's art form would be really gorgeous, they would still be too formal for this church, and the style would take me half a lifetime to master (I would like to finish this before my ninetieth birthday, and preferably, before my next birthday). My thanks to Mr. Bilak for his gifts to the world, and for providing such an inspiring jumping-off place for this wild pink rabbit, and her technicolor dream scape.

Rabbit leaps over Coyote the Jokester, in an attempt to catch up with Tortoise, who actually hasn't arrived in my little world yet.

There are more animals finished, and many more to come, but I'll save them for another post. As you can see, I work in a wide array of styles, and more of my work can be seen at theartofthehome.com, where you will also find all the information on how to hire me. What's your dream world look like?

You are invited to leave comments below, or you can email me with creative questions at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Pretty Pantry Paint, Please!

2012-02-09T21:25:00.004-06:00

What every well stocked pantry needs...it's own mural!

Remember last week's kitchen with dragonfly tiles? Well, here's the rest of the project. Not a lot of paintable walls in a pine paneled chalet-style lake house, so the owner had me paint the mural she wanted in the only spot available...the pantry. She says the door is always open anyway, and as it's on the way from the front door to the kitchen, everyone passes by and looks in, so this way, there will be something nice to see. The design of this mural is based on an early 1900's travel poster, with the name of their subdivision fancied up a bit, and the family canoe pulled up and ready to go.

The other part of the face lift was painting the kitchen island. She had me paint over the mallard green with a white that compliments the tile, then give it a raw umber glaze to antique it. We sampled a distressed finish, but she really didn't want to see a bit of the green, and without completely sanding off the existing paint, it's nearly impossible to sand off distressed spots, without showing the paint color underneath. If she liked the original color, that would be absolutely perfect, but then, if she liked the color, we wouldn't be repainting, would we?

Before: Island in original green painted finish. Not hideous, but not her taste.

After: Island in umber glazed Cameo White (Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo) finish.

The island paint was chosen to coordinate with these tiles, which were featured last week. If you missed them, scroll down for directions to create your own.

Although they have used this house as a weekend lake home, they find it suits their lifestyle better than their fancier house, so they are planning to move in full time, in the near future. Tweaking a few details, like we did in the kitchen, was relatively quick and inexpensive, and a great way to save the budget for bigger projects, like bedrooms for the kids, and all that extra fun gear that living on the lake full time will require.

To see more ideas for tweaking the details in your home, check out my website, theartofthehome.com.

You can leave comments at the bottom of this post, by clicking the word "comments", or you can contact me by email, with any questions at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

The Journey of Art

2012-02-06T21:31:00.000-06:00

I painted this old suitcase with bonding primer under acrylic paint. I use it to carry my class supplies, and for each class I take, I create a "luggage label", to commemorate the adventure.

I decorated this suitcase to carry my art supplies when I run away from home. Just like childhood, however, I never get much past the end of the block...mostly because, just like childhood, I really like being home. On Saturday, I did make it the seven miles up Highway 169 to Jordan, where I took a class at Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts (click here to check out all the rest of the classes: maureencarlson.com). The teacher this weekend was Barb Kobe (click here to find out more about this fabulous teacher: barbkobe.com), and the class was Visual Journaling.

Shauna shares a bit of her artful self.

Now, I already do a lot of visual journaling, writing, sketching, and gluing clippings into spiral bound books, but this class took it quite a bit further, creating pages that are works of art, as well as personal exploration. Well, at their best they are. My pages still aren't something I'd hang on a wall, but check out Ann Viveros' gorgeous piece:

Visual journal page by mandala artist, ANN VIVEROS. (Click her name to see her website.)

Ann sits with her back to the wintry view of Sand Creek.

Ah, you caught the name. Yup, Ann was there, and Cat Isles, too. If you're gonna run away from home, just like childhood, it's always best to have companions. The 3 Amigas hit the Highway to Adventure again! Okay, actually, Cat walked from her home, one block over, and Ann and I converged from opposite directions, but that doesn't really convey the same spirit, now does it?

Cat-Kit! Next time, they have to switch sides of the table, so the photo caption reads better.

There were a few others in the class. Our friend Kit, we were delighted to discover, had also signed up, and another group of gals, on their regular girls' weekend, filled the other side of the room. We were all trying to pack in as much technique as possible, so we didn't get a chance to really get to know each other. Ann, Cat and I all had prior commitments for Sunday, so none of us stayed over and took the second day. Too bad for us, because probably one of the best features about Maureen's is the boarding house rooms upstairs, and the opportunity to bond with other students over dinner and wine, and late nights in the classroom, working more on the day's projects. Great friendships and great art are often the result of those evenings.

Kim, Shauna, and Melissa getting some suggestions from teacher, Barb Kobe.

I can't say that I came home from my vagabond day with great art, but I did come away with some new tricks in my bag, and with the start of a fun altered book that I look forward to completing over the course of the year. Like all Barb Kobe classes, this one was filled with great techniques, but for those who wanted to take it there, also some highly intuitive inner-exploration exercises. This very personal book is titled "I said yes to...", and will be filled with all the fun adventures I am making time and space for in my life, this year. I think it may also be filled with lots of pictures of animal heads on human bodies. For some reason, the Maltese terrier's (right breed name?) head on the super model's body makes me giggle in delight every time I look at it. Just like childhood, I'm still easily amused. Ah well, blessed are the children!

Part of Barb's method involves tricking you into putting together unplanned things. She had us choose one page, then, looking at that, we were to answer the questions she posed. The result of the sneak attack is that you end up with a better chance of hitting intuitive pay dirt, than if you know the questions are coming, and choose a page you think fits them.

Back in the grown-up world, I run a decorating business from home, which is partly why I never run away for too long. You can see my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

The other side references my love of traveling in style. Perhaps not "high style", but one of my weird quirks when I travel, is that I like to celebrate the journey itself, with a themed outfit, preferably topped with the perfect hat. This side of the suitcase references the inward journey of making art, which if one stays home, can be done in pajamas...if you don't mind a little paint on your peignoir!

If you are working on something artistic, crafty, or home-dec related and run into questions, feel free to email me. If I can be of help, I'll share what I know. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com. If you have comments on this or any post, I'd love to read them. Just click "comments" below, and tell me what you're thinkin'.

Playing in the (drywall) mud again...

2012-02-02T20:59:00.003-06:00

I love mud! Drywall mud, that is (though the common garden variety has its appeal, too, just not for this project). I've shown you stamped plaster tiles before (click here for that post: stamped plaster tiles), and here's the same idea, but reversed. Takes a little longer and a little more skill, but it's still more patience than anything:

Before: Nothing really wrong with these tiles, except the color and design weren't at all the current homeowner's taste. Here's what she wanted...

A whole field of dragonflies! You can do this yourself, if you're the crafty sort...

Wash and degrease, then mask the offending tiles, pressing the tape down firmly , and I do mean FIRMLY, where the paint will touch it. Leaving the outer edges loose makes removal a little easier. Prime with a good bonding primer. Then...

Use a ready made stencil, or make one of your own. I prefer them to just be the silhouette of the shape, and not have all the little parts and bridges in them. You'll see why in a minute.

Spread joint compound about an eighth of an inch thick over the stencil. An expired gift card or credit card works better for this than a metal trowel, I think. Now...

Lift stencil carefully. Allow the mud to set a few minutes, then with a damp fingertip, LIGHTLY pat down the high edges. Careful, or you'll be doing the rinse and repeat thing a few times. Scrape the excess mud off of your stencil, and position on the next tile. See...

Here's how it will look, once dry.

Now, it gets a little trickier. With a snap knife or an X-acto, gently score in the detail lines, then scrape away a bit to shape things. Using a piece of T-shirt cotton rag, dampened, gently wipe around the edges, and along your lines, to soften and round them. Like this...

Here's one all carved and smoothed. I left some of the troweled texture in the wings, so it would look more like hand made clay tiles, and not too factory smooth. Now to finish...

Base coat the entire tile with latex paint. This one happens to be cabinet enamel, since I was painting their island, also. Then...

Glaze on colors of your choice. and while that dries, make a dash to the hardware store for gloss Minwax Polycrylic and camera batteries. I used purple and teal metallic craft paints, Behr pearlescent white (not sure they still make it, but craft and paint stores have other brands of pearlescent), and Modern Masters Blackened Bronze. I thinned them on the brush with a bit of Hirshfield's Faux Finish Glaze. Three coats of that Polycrylic you just picked up will seal them nicely. Pull the tape right after you do the final coat, so it doesn't peel off bits of your finished paint. If you didn't seal the tape down well, you will have to use the tip of a knife to pick off any primer bleed on the mortar.
You can use this technique anywhere you could use regular painted drywall. In other words, on your backsplash is fine, in your shower is NOT. After a couple of weeks of curing time, you can clean with a soapy dish cloth or a squirt of Windex. I wouldn't use anything abrasive, or any of the stronger kitchen degreasers.

Other samples of my plaster work, and information on how to hire me, can be seen on my website at theartofthehome.com.

Doing it yourself and run into questions? Feel free to leave a message in the comments below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com, and I'll do what I can to talk you through it.

Radical Gratitude

2012-01-30T22:17:00.000-06:00

I started my Monday dropping my van off at the mechanic's, and walking home in the frigid morning air. Nothing wrong with the old girl (the van, not me! Well, nothing wrong with me, either but...oh, hell, you know what I mean), just taking her in for an oil change. I could've had a ride from Jill, mama of my Monday morning art student, but there was nothing wrong with walking the few blocks home, either. In fact, it gave me time to reflect on the past year, and spend some time fuelling my soul with gratitude.

Here's a little teaser for a blog post coming next week...

A year ago, this week, I was walking into a divorce mediation that I was hopeful would allow me to remain in this beautiful house until she sold, and maybe even give me a six month grace before I had to put her on the market. I had no money to hire an attorney, and in fact, I was stretched so thin financially and emotionally, it's amazing I wasn't transparent...or maybe I was, and most folks were just too kind to say so. In spite of the stress, I had come to a place of peace with the whole situation, and held as my intention the prayer, "I trust this to resolve for the highest good of all concerned". I was not legally required to go through mediation, but I assured the mediator that it felt like the wisest, fairest, cleanest way to finish something that had been dragging out for several years. Within two hours, he had us settled, and I walked out, stunned, with my house. Not for awhile, but forever.

I'm learning to stylize animals for the mural that includes the dolphins shown above. Tune in next week to see how Coyote, the jokester, appears on the wall, along with a bunch of his friends.

So, my gratitude list today started there. But I did have to backtrack. Though I wouldn't have ever asked for things to unfold the way they did, I will not say I regret the 15 years spent with Mr. Q. Though there aren't years of fabulous times to remember fondly, there were some sweet moments, but more importantly, there were lessons learned. Lessons about honoring the authentic voice inside that warns a woman she has stepped out of her own skin. Lessons about when helping becomes enabling, and martyrdom being an act of ego not grace. Lessons about authentic loving, and hardest of all, finding a way to respect the Divinity in a person whose behavior appears anything but respectful or respectable. Lessons of sheer faith, in the face of fear and sorrow. Deep hard lessons, for which I am deeply grateful.

When the papers arrived, all was not suddenly blissfully rosy. In the midst of the divorce, I lost a friendship that was precious to me, and with that arrived a whole other set of lessons, some of which I'm still deciphering. For the friendship I had, and the lessons that smacked me so hard they knocked the wind out of me, I sent a prayer of gratitude into the frosty air ( I did say it's radical, though it really doesn't feel it once you get the right perspective), and continued my cheerful walk homeward.

Here's a project that will finish up this week. Should be done in time for Thursday's post.

Gratitude lists are a one-thing-leads-to-another sort of thing, so of course, the next thing I thought of was the growing circle of deepening friendships that has spread like a ripple this past year. Some of these friends you have met on this blog, some are scattered across the globe, some are newly made. Some are right here in this funny little town, with a few driving past me as I walked smiling, back toward Belle Ami this morning. There were several honks and waves (and a few calls throughout the day to find out why my van, which is a little hard to miss with it's circus wagon paint job, was parked at John's Mobil), making me feel so incredibly grateful to have been welcomed by these people, who mostly aren't quite sure what to think of the gal in the paint rags who lets her dandelions grow, and doesn't attend either the Lutheran or the Catholic church (this is a big deal in the Midwest, especially in small towns, in case you aren't familiar with regional American culture). They may not quite get me, but they watch out for my well being.

Simple Abundance is a beautiful book about developing a practice of living in gratitude.

Others watched out for my well being this past year. Starting fresh with pretty close to nothing in the bank, I had some close calls on the slippery slopes of finance. The trade-off for the house was taking on more of the debts, many of which were perilously past due by that time. I knew then, as I know looking back, that the days the cupboards went bare were a chance for me to grow my faith in a Divine source. The cupboards did go bare, more than I would like to admit, but every single time I asked the emptiness, "well, okay, where is dinner coming from, then?", it appeared. Sometimes, it was a phone call inviting me for a meal at the home of friends, sometimes a box of produce dropped off on my back porch, by gardening friends who have done so off and on for years. Only once did it come intentionally from a friend who caught on that finances were that bad, and gifted me not only a bag of groceries, but also a little stained glass sun catcher of a symbol that has specific meaning for me, and literally answered a prayer I had sent up minutes earlier. It was a very humbling moment, and an unforgettable lesson in Grace. I learned to say, "Yes, thank you", in the deepest sense this past year, and thinking of this, I walked the last half block home, grinnin' like an idiot, enjoying the bright morning sun, and the rosy glow on my cheeks.

I arrived back at Belle Ami to see Artgirl, Faith, waiting for her Monday lesson. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but the fact that I start every work week with Faith gives great delight to my word-nerd mind. Today, I hugged her "Hello", as usual, but feeling unusually grateful. I have learned radical gratitude this past year. Gratitude for the gifts that do not smell like roses, nor look so pretty, but today, there was no radical needed, for which I am joyfully,

vibrantly,

loudly

grateful!

Today, I celebrate with enormous gratitude, a calendar that began rapidly filling back at the end of November, and which is currently scheduled solid for the next two months (which was the norm before the economy did its nosedive), with a queue of jobs extending beyond that, to be scheduled as the current ones move toward completion. Today, I have not only my own books that I am writing, but also a new related venture with another author, that may well be a very long-term partnership, and a glorious adventure. And today, my cupboards are brimming with the nicest things, and the commitments I've made to share meals several times this week, are not requiring me to breath deep and remind myself that it will, somehow, be okay. I'm not traditionally Christian, but don't even think of arguing with me the veracity of the loaves and fishes story. I tested that one way too many times to doubt it. Having plenty in plain sight is a nice change, though.

Some of you will wonder why I'm sharing such a personal story, one that some would be ashamed of, so publicly. Gratitude. To tell those who helped me directly, or who simply believed in my ability to create a beautiful life, that they are never forgotten. Mostly though, I tell these very personal truths to let others in hard times know that things can get better, and they get better faster when you hang onto your faith, deepen your spirit of generosity, and maintain a willingness to give, even when it seems there are no resources to share. Oh, and make sure you are saying, "Yes, thank you!"

Choosing JOY,

in the face of challenges,

in spite of difficulties,

because of difficulties~

that's Radical Gratitude.

It changes your life.

If faith is a wobbly thing for you, and you haven't other resources you feel good about, you might like to connect with Unity, which honors all paths to whatever you call God. This is not the same as Unitarian, by the way, though that may be your path. Unityofthevalleymn.org is the spiritual center I spend time at. You can google Unity and find one in your area. You can also call Silent Unity, at 1-800-669-7729. My experience is that these are gentle, respectful people who do not push one way of believing, or one concept of God, and I absolutely promise, no one will ask you if you have found Jesus (a popular question in the rural Midwest, that always brings out the smart ass in me...).

Wishing you abundance, joy, and beauty (and every good thing your heart desires).

Hey Garbanzo, how ya bean?

2012-01-26T21:52:00.000-06:00

This is the standard greeting my big sister, Robin, and I have exchanged since shortly after she went off to college. This can be answered factually, or with the question, "Do you like my hat?" (P.D. Eastman's Go, Dog! Go!, a favorite book of four-year-olds of our generation). I just share this to clarify that any weirdness I may exhibit is not my fault, but was drummed into me by four older siblings. It's an upgrade from "blame it on your mother".

That whole paragraph has very little to do with the rest of this post, except to serve as an explanation for the title, lest you think I actually converse with my garbanzos. I know, after admitting to naming, talking to, and occasionally petting my fern, I shouldn't be surprised if you think I've lost it. I did, by the way, finally name my three new house plants this morning. Spike, Denny, and Sasha. They seem to approve. Oh, but this post isn't about that either. Sorry, sidetracked. This post is a recipe for reeeeeaaaallllly yummy garbanzos. These are garbanzos that even people who don't like garbanzos like. And they're easy. And fast.

Throw all this stuff in a skillet:

One-pan dinner

Alright, not that fast. There's a little prep involved.

While melting a Tbsp. of butter in a skillet
Clean and chop one bunch of green onions.
Toss that in the skillet, and while they start to soften, chop a tomato.
Toss that in the skillet, and while that starts to soften, toss in 1 Tbsp. of chopped garlic.
While that cooks gently, chop about half a bunch of cilantro, and throw it in.
Open the can of garbanzos, and dump it in, WITH the liquid.
Add about 1 Tbsp. of ground cumin.

Raise heat and bring to a boil, then boil gently until liquid is reduced to a sauce consistency. Takes about five minutes. Makes two main dish, or four side dish servings.

Speedy Garbanzos

Colombians serve this as a side dish to chicken and other meats. Vegetarians can serve it as a main dish with a good salad. Artists who worked a long day and need to get a blog post done and get to bed so they can be back to work crazy early in the morning serve it with a keyboard on the side. Yum.

Dinner and a blog post, all in one.

While enjoying your garbanzos, you might like to peruse my portfolio of painted pretties, at theartofthehome.blogspot.com.

Questions or comments can be left below, or you can email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Worth the Wait

2012-01-23T23:32:00.002-06:00

A few month back, Faith decorated her shelf boards, so that from a kid's eye view (from bed or desk chair), they are as interesting as what's displayed on them.

Last summer, as some of you will remember, my Artgirl, Faith, announced we needed to do a carpentry project. Frustrated with the clutter in the bedroom she shared with her younger sister, Ava, she needed shelves to help organize things, especially her art supplies. Having made my own shelves from magazine instructions when I was her age, I knew a simple method that actually needed no real carpentry, just paint and a few minutes with a drill to install. But what kind of teacher would I be, if I let slip an opportunity to teach wood working lessons to a ten-year-old girl? So, we designed trays to hold small bits, and Faith conquered her fear of noisy tools to build them, using the miter saw, sander, and my nemesis, the hammer. (Santa still hasn't brought me an air nailer. Not that I'm hinting or anything.)

Desire is a great motivator. Faithie wanted shelves so bad, she was willing to use noisy, scary power tools, so getting the hang of the level, and dealing with a little math and measuring were nothin'.

I'm not sure her daddy is going to get his drill back.

While we were building trays and painting shelf boards, though, things over at Faith's house were changing, as they do in a family with six children. Faith's oldest brother decided to move into a home of his own, and this meant there would be a bedroom available. For awhile, the two youngest girls considered sharing a bedroom, and turning the other into a shared art room, but somewhere along the line, probably on a day when little sister touched one too many of big sister's treasures, it was decided separate bedrooms was the way to go.

Finally, something for little sister to help with.

Once big brother's stuff was removed, paint colors were chosen, carpet was ordered, and Faith and I spent a day painting her walls (and her toenails...oops!), which appeared on this blog just before Christmas. I popped over this morning to give Faith a lesson on using a level, and we started marking the walls for the hooks that hold the shelves up. Faith finished that on her own, while I went fabric shopping for a client, and then we reconvened this evening to finish. It only took us a few minutes to drill the holes, slip in the anchors, and hook on the ribbons.

Organizing as a spectator sport?

Uploading the art supplies!

For simple shelves that take less than a day to paint and install, seven months was a pretty long wait, but considering these shelves came with a brand new bedroom, I'd say Faith thinks it was worth it. The bear hug I got on my way out the front door confirmed it, and the last thing I heard, as the door closed behind me, was Faith promising to help one of her brothers make shelves for his room. Artgirls rule!

When not getting youngsters hooked on power tools, I do work at splashing paint on walls. You can check out my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

Want to make these shelves yourself? We used 1 x 12 lumber, cut to length at the lumber yard; 1" grosgrain ribbon cut in 40" lengths, with the ends hemmed 1 1/2 inches to form loops; and the plant hooks you usually install in the ceiling. Yes, they'll hold. My improvised version, at age nine, used sixty year old barn boards, garden twine, and 4" nails that never hit a stud, and those held loads of books for years. This time, I actually followed the directions, just to keep Faithie's folks from worrying about things going bump in the night. If you need more direction than this, feel free to ask in the comments below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

What's on your Walls?

2012-01-20T00:02:00.000-06:00

Getting ready for the interview the other day, I realized again that most of my walls are devoid of art work. I am in the process of framing some photos and mementos, and I do have the ability to paint more pictures of my own, but the truth is, I like things with a story, and most often, a story from someone I know. I could buy decorative art at one of those discount home goods stores, and some of it is really pretty, but I simply have a need for more from the objects I decorate with. Even the things that aren't so pretty, like Checkum, the marionette who never got strings, and instead became the adventure doll of my brothers' childhood. Ramon and I made him for Jess, but we all played with him. He hangs out in my art room now, next to a Mexican dragon, and photos of my brothers. Maybe not pretty, but he makes me smile.

In my art room, A Mexican dragon guards a Colombian bottle, on the window ledge with an old childhood friend, Checkum..

For the last few months, I've been puttering along at creating a whole wall full of photos and art in my office. A colored pencil drawing, given to me by my brother Jess, will be included in that. My baby blanket also resides in the office. It just so happens that it coordinates with the warm gold walls in this room, and it's the perfect size to drape around me to keep off the draft, on cold winter nights, as I sit here typing. I have it around my shoulders right now.

A colored pencil drawing done by my brother Jesse when he was a teenager, waits to be hung in my office. Underneath it is my baby blanket. Hmmm. Grandma Norma made me this from fabrics used to sew work shirts for Grandpa, and a bathrobe for my dad. Wonder if this explains my fashion preferences?

When we were kids, our grandmother painted us birthday cards, in acrylics. I display one of my granddad, with other ocean themed objects, in my bedroom. Some of the best times of my childhood, which was pretty much packed with best times, were spent with these grandparents near their home on the Oregon Coast, so I love having everyday reminders of them. The antique frame cost me pennies at a junk shop, and the whole lot sits on top of a battered old steamer trunk. Not only am I reminded of my childhood, but also of an era long before I was born. Somehow, I don't think I could ever find that at TJMaxx.

This painting, which sits on top of my antique trunk in my bedroom, is one my grandma painted of my grandfather clamming at South Beach, on the Oregon coast.

Some of the treasures I've accumulated weren't made for me. I have most of my older sibling's stuffed animals, and even one from my dad's childhood. Hanging in my costume closet ( you have one of those too, right?) are skirts my mother and aunt wore in high school, hand sewn, of course, and my brother's Jr. High Football jersey, that I remember mama sewing the felt letters of his name onto (Somehow Ramon managed to get out of the "do-it-yourself" rule on that one). In my art room hangs a frame Dad made for my oldest sister, Robin's, first apartment. There were four of them, framing prints, and though she kept the prints when she moved to Maui, she gave the frames to me. I should have stitched a sampler for one of them "My big sister went to Maui, and all I got was this crumbly old frame". As it is, the last remaining one holds the artwork from my very first commercial logo design. Layers of good memories in this piece!

This moss covered barn wood frame was one my dad made for my sister's first apartment. She passed it on to me, and it hangs in my studio, holding the pen and ink sketch from my first logo design.

Lately, I'm turning toward collecting artwork done by personal friends. Although I don't have old memories tied to these pieces, each one brings me pleasure in it's beauty, as well as fond thoughts of the friend who created it, and gives a splash of their energy to the space. I like the idea of collecting art from artists at street fairs, but I think it's even nicer to collect the art of people I know.

This painting by my friend, mandala artist Ann Viveros, hangs above a group of meaningful objects atop the piano. Titled "The I in Meditation", it is a fitting piece of art in the living room, where I do my morning writing, meditation and prayers.

Sometimes, it's lovely to find a treasure filled with another's memories, even if they can't tell their stories. I'm starting to keep an eye out for old handmade art, like this delightful sketch of a little girl I found at a yard sale. She's nobody I know, and yet, she fits right in here, adding personality to my guest room. You can find mass produced posters of similar drawings, but I promise the real thing has an energy you can't get from a new page printed in China.

The rabbit is one of many of my childhood friends sewn for me by my Grandmother. The blanket was a yard sale find gifted to me by a friend under unusual circumstances. The sketch of the little girl was hidden behind cardboard in a frame I picked up at another yard sale. She's a perfectly charming addition to my guest room, even if I've never met her!

So, a lot of my walls are still bare, awaiting just the right treasure to embellish them. It's okay. I would rather wait for something that tugs at my heartstrings, than fill my walls with pretty but impersonal pieces. Please don't misunderstand! I absolutely believe everyone should hang exactly what they like on their walls, so if prints of Paris speak to and about you, that's what you should hang. As long as it holds meaning for you, it will help create a perfect surrounding for your own beautifully lived life. That's the really important thing. While a beautiful home can be a backdrop for a beautifully lived life, it's the life you live that counts.

Author, Subject, or Illustrator?

2012-01-17T23:36:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Kim Palmer of the Star Tribune, the Minneapolis newspaper that covers the entire state. While she and I talked, well, okay, yes, mostly just I talked and she tried to slow me down enough to clarify, photographer Courtney Perry shot Belle Ami from every angle imaginable. I don't know all the details of when this beautiful old lady (hey, that's the house, not me, watch it there, Bucko!) will appear in the paper, but I'll keep you posted.

Oh, look! I added a new door and a courtyard beyond...

...or more like it, I finally finished the living room mural. Well, pretty much finished. There are still a few shadows to perfect, and the sculpture of a dripping wet human-sized Gwragedd Anwnn (Welsh water sprite) stepping out of the mural and into the room, to be added in the near future.

What I can tell you is that the days leading up to this were filled with much anticipation, little sleep, a good bit of flying paint, and the generous help of darling friends. I hope every one of you reading this has a friend who will show up to do your dusting and sweep all your floors (thank you, thank you, thank you, Maureen Carlson), one who will gift you with beautiful furniture (thanks for the perfect chaise, Cat Isles), one who will help you haul said furniture up the stairs when she herself is bone tired (thank you bunches, Cindy Faus Heimerl), and a whole bunch more friends who celebrate your big moments, with warm wishes, hearty congratulations, and chocolate deliveries.

Detail of the mural, which a few short days before the interview was still a big white blotch, where the previous mural had been painted over. Nothing like self-inflicted pressure to get a job done!

Belle and I made two new friends, yesterday. Reporter, Kim Palmer (click here for her article on prairie planting http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/137503533.html), has seventeen years under her belt, with the Star Tribune, the last seven of those working on the Home and Garden section. When I asked why she chose H & G as her focus, she said "What I find most interesting about my beat is seeing the many ways people imprint themselves and their passions on their surroundings. And people are usually eager to talk about their homes and gardens (unlike many hard-news subjects, when they mostly want to avoid the press!)" I know she made me feel very comfortable opening up, which though I obviously find it pretty easy on this blog, is actually much harder in person. Kim says she also enjoys reporting on the renewed interest in gardening, especially urban gardening and the microfarming movement that is turning vacant city lots into verdant veggie plots. I didn't ask if she would like to come back to view my mammoth, organically grown dandelions, next summer.

Freelance photographer, Courtney Perry, and reporter, Kim Palmer, let me turn the tables on them, ever so briefly

I knew I would also really like photographer, Courtney Perry (courtneyperry.com), from the minute she came through the door, though I didn't get to talk with her much, at the time. I checked her website later, and discovered she is recently transplanted here from Dallas Texas, where she worked for the Dallas Morning News. I emailed for more info, and she told me she moved here last year to marry her soul mate, and freelancing allows her to explore a new nook of Minnesota every day.

Playing duelling cameras with a pro could be dangerous, but Courtney's a good sport.

It turns out, yesterday was Courtney's birthday, but I think I received the bigger gift, in the following words from her email reply: "I'll write more later, seeing as it's quite late and I'm quite tired, but for your blog post tomorrow, this is what I can share about me: today was my birthday, and my only work assignment was to go to your house, and it was SUCH A GIFT. The perfect birthday assignment. I was inspired, moved, comforted, and reminded of who I am. How amazing is that?" How amazing indeed. Thank you Courtney for such high praise, and welcome to Minnesota! We're fortunate to have you.

So, my week has started with a bang! And not just one. Maybe more like fireworks. Today I met with author Cat Isles about illustrating her latest book, and it seems I will also be writing a few bits for it. It is on the art of correspondence, and includes a perpetual calendar, where one can record birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. My illustrations are probably going to be pen and ink flora and fauna, collaged with backgrounds of old hand-written letters. Not sure how long the project will take, but you know I'll keep you posted on the progress of that.

And finally, I also received word today that the drywall crew is finishing up on my big spring project (whose ribs were featured on here a couple of months ago), so I get to start in on that in a couple of weeks. With the other projects already on the calendar, this means my schedule is fully booked through at least the end of March! Lots of fun paint projects coming up, so check back often for photos, and the stories of how the adventures unfold. I need to make one more adjustment to the blogging schedule, by the way. Rather than posting on Tuesday and Thursday, I suspect it's going to suit the schedule a little better to write new posts on Monday and Thursday nights, so look for updates around midnight Central time.

Thinking of letting me write about what I paint on your walls, later this spring? Check out my website, theartofthehome.com, to view my portfolio of possibilities, and get all the info on how to hire me.

Doing a project yourself? If you run into a decorating dilemma you think I might be able to help solve, please don't hesitate to ask. If I know the answer, I'll be happy to share it, and will likely throw in a whole lot of extra unsolicited advice, to boot. You can click on "comments" below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Beyond My Wildish Dreams

2012-01-12T23:07:00.000-06:00

I have a rabbit that lives just outside my back gate, nestled under a wicker garden table that any responsible adult would have put away for the winter. Actually, my friend Sherry did put it away when she tidied my yard for me, but ungrateful brat that I am, I drug it back out, because Bunny lives under it. The only time I've seen her out in the open since summer, aside from the other day when I spooked her trying to get this photo, was the last time I had a flat tire. That morning, she was laying in wait for me in the middle of the back lawn, and calmly watched me the whole time I changed it, not at all bothered by my crashing and clattering about. Even the occasional application of swear words (medicinal purposes only) didn't faze her. Most people (most grownups) I know don't like rabbits in their yards, but I love having this sweet creature guarding my back door. No wild carrots will get past her watchful eye!

Beware of Guard Bunny!

Now, there's a dreamlike image to contemplate. Come to think of it, I've actually seen some classic nursery art featuring dancing vegetables in the moonlight. Yikes! That could give a kid serious broccoli-phobia! But I digress. What I'm hoping is that over the next week, while I sleep, my four-legged friend will wander (hop, leap, bound) through my dreams and give me some inspiration for the animals in the Unity of the Valley children's mural. I've completed as much as can be done, up to the point of including animals, and now I seem to be stuck.

The artwork thus far is so much more stylized than my usual realism, that I haven't yet been able to get the animals to come off of the brush. Oooh...there's another dream image, if you let your imagination follow that thread...(really, let your imagination follow that thread for a minute. This post will still be here when you wander back). So far, what's come off of my brush has been realistic forms in wild colors, or very nearly classic Disney, neither of which is what I'm aiming for. Grrrr.

Time for some wildlife to peek from this rain forest dreamscape!

Any of these attempts would have made the client perfectly happy, but fortunately for me, this is one situation where there is no real deadline, and especially because the mural happens to look like a finished panoramic scene already, it can take as long as it needs, without bothering anyone. I rarely get to create something completely my own vision, especially on this scale, so I'm enjoying the process of letting the art unfold at its own pace. Okay, that's not entirely true. I'm trying very hard to go with the flow, but to be honest, in case you hadn't caught it already, I'm getting frustrated. Tonight, I'm hoping that my vision picks up its pace just a bit, and rabbit comes, leaping and hopping on a moon shadow, to clarify how she and her friends want to appear in this technicolor landscape. And so, I"m off to bed. To sleep, perchance to dream...

Dreaming up something wonderful for me to paint on your walls? Most of the time, the process isn't so drawn out, and you can find reassurance from happy customers on the references page of my website. theartofthehome.com.

Got any suggestions for me? Send them via dream rabbit delivery, or simply click on the word "comments" below to leave them. You can also email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Bricks and Stones (or rather, plaster and paint)

2012-01-10T21:11:00.000-06:00

I'm not one for lying and trickery, but some weeks, well... it's my job. I finished last week creating a plaster arch surround that looks and feels like brick and mortar, and started this week working on my own courtyard mural, in the trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) style, which I think is coming along nicely. So, I must confess. Yes, Mama, I've been coloring on the walls, and I can't help it if pictures lie!

Before: Lorine loved the brick showing through broken plaster, but without an aged finish on the walls, it didn't really have a context.

After: Not only does the full "brick" arch make more sense in her elegant kitchen, it appears to be a continuation of the brick wall outside the window.

Go ahead and touch it! I started with a "mortar" base of primer tinted gray and mixed with silica sand. Then I taped off bricks and troweled on joint compound, tinted brick red. Once dry, I topped it with a clear coat, umber glaze, and black and white paint. Now if I could just get the camera to not flatten out the shadows, grrrrr.

Meanwhile, back at Belle Ami, the living room mural is progressing. The design morphed one more time into a courtyard, which was my perfect compromise between conservatory and back yard pond, neither of which was catching my heartstrings.

Mural in progress: It's starting to look real, though without any plants painted in yet, it does sort of have the depressing feel of a pen at the zoo in winter. Not for long!

More of my trompe l'oeil work can be seen on my website, theartofthehome.com.

If you are trying this yourself and have questions, feel free to ask by clicking the comments below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com. If I have an answer, I'll be happy to share.

I rest my case...

2012-01-05T21:53:00.001-06:00

Sometimes The Divine dishes up delicious fun, in the form of "coincidence". Tuesday, I wrote about painting over previous work, and about the idea that anyone who really wants to learn to do something artistic can do so. On Wednesday, I started this week's new project, which is to change the faux brick around an archway that I painted a few years ago. This had been bid previously, but I wasn't thinking of it when I wrote Tuesday's post, though it might have been lurking in the shadows of my mind. I didn't catch the connection until my client, sitting at the table watching me start to sketch the design for a plaster brick surround, asked "What do you charge for art lessons? I want to learn to draw, I mean, like real things. Do you think I'm too old to learn?" She's a few years older than me, and no, she hadn't read Tuesday's post.

Arch with "broken plaster and brick" (before upgrade).

She showed me some "How to Draw" books she had bought herself, and her practice sketches, which were pretty good. The problem is that the books show you a finished drawing, then what lines to draw at each step, so you essentially learn to copy someone else's sketch. It's not a bad way to start, but Lorine wanted to draw her own pictures. I'm not taking on new students right now, but since she was going to sit and watch me work anyway, I figured I might as well give her some instruction while I primed and taped.

Still life with drop cloth and clutter.

Looking around her kitchen, I found a handful of objects to combine with the coffee cup she had in her hand, and told her to take a last swig and pull up a chair. I gave her a few quick pointers about drawing crosshairs on her paper, then finding the center of the group of objects in front of her. I had her figure out the proportions of the topiary, and from there, showed her how to compare that to everything else, so she could get all the objects drawn to the same scale. While Lexie the chihuahua supervised, I mixed mud, and Lorine scribbled, erased, muttered, fussed, scribbled, took a break to do her nails, groused, sketched, erased, sketched a bit more, and finally pronounced it done.

First drawing lesson, Lorine Schweiters. Yes, first lesson.

Learning to draw is basically about learning to see. Lorine started the day insisting she couldn't draw from life, but by the end of the day, she was seeing herself in a new light. While I was there today finishing trowelling on the plaster faux bricks, she had her daughter on Amazon, ordering Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. As I said, genetics are irrelevant. Age is irrelevant. Barring physical limitations (maybe), you can learn to do just about anything you truly want to learn. Lorine recommends you not try arguing this point with me.

Curious to see the new and improved archway? I'll post photos next Tuesday. Can I just say, this new blog schedule feels very strange? I would never have thought it to be so ingrained that switching writing days would actually make me feel a bit off kilter, but it has. They say changing your routine, trying new things, or trying things in new ways is good for you. Worked for Lorine, should work for me. How 'bout you?

Wanna risk being bullied into a drawing lesson while I paint your walls? I'm not that tough on all my clients, I promise, only the ones who really ask for it. You can check out my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments? Leave them below, or feel free to contact me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

The art of change...

2012-01-03T23:36:00.000-06:00

or the changing of the art.

Living room mural at Belle Ami, before repaint.

I get asked a lot of questions when I'm painting a mural, and this last week the questions were, "Where do you get your talent?" and "Does it kill you to think that someone will eventually paint over it?" The answers may not be what you would expect.

I initially planned to paint the mural as if you were looking through the door into a conservatory, like the one shown in this magazine clipping, but with a fountain and koi pool, from which the sprite could have emerged.

To the question of talent, the answer is "Life." People will insist it's genetic, and maybe there's a small part that is, but mostly I think that's just an easy out for those who would rather wish than work. Yes, I've always been creative, but it was my big brother Jesse who was the "born" artist in the family. He came by it easily, and created entire fantastical worlds in his imagination, then put them to paper with colored pencils, in astonishingly realistic detail. I took art classes in Jr. and Sr. high school, from the same teacher he did, and through the patience of Mr. Pickens, along with the book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards, I became fairly skilled at drawing what was put in front of me. However, it wasn't until I owned a sign shop and needed to design and paint an illustration on a sign, that I had to actually become a painter. It's this creative confidence to step up to the challenge that comes from my parents.

After nearly a full day of working out the concept sketches for a conservatory, I decided there was too much structure to make the painting believable from more than one angle, and besides, the living room already has the feel of a conservatory. I scrapped the lot, and using this clipping as inspiration, decided on an exterior pool.

Growing up, we didn't have all the fancy toys our friends had. We had poster paint and Lincoln Logs, an Erector Set and X-acto knives, Tinker Toys and pipe cleaners. We had parents who expected us to use our imagination and solve our own problems, who treated us as perfectly capable and intelligent people. They expected us to help cook meals, build sheds, mend clothes, garden, and do hundreds of other skill-building tasks. Because of this, when I need to do something, artistic or otherwise, I may get nervous as to how to go about it, but it never crosses my mind that I can't.

Yes, this has led to some rather spectacular misadventures, (how was I to know that entire wall of cabinets was going to come off as one unit, with me under it?) but what would life be without hair raising escapes and embarrassing flops? Of course I don't know how to do everything, but I've yet to encounter anything I truly want to do that I can't learn. There are a lot of things that I do not have any natural skill for that I have learned to do (not perfectly, but sufficient to the purpose), simply because I needed or wanted to. So, if it ain't in your DNA, but you still want to be an artist, start practicing.

Ahhh, the clipboard. No matter how nervous a new project has me, just hand me my clipboard, with a stack of clean white paper. Actually, anytime I'm freaking out, or just mildly edgy, hand me my clipboard and a pen. It's like handing a pacifier to a baby, I tell ya.

I'm still practicing. Which leads me to the answer to the second question. Does it kill me to have my work painted over? No. In fact, there are still some signs I painted more than 20 years ago that I truly wish the owners would have painted over! Artists grow, skill evolves, and in my case, most of what I do is commercial or decorative, so it's meant to serve a purpose for a time, and then be changed.

First I masked out the shape of the new door opening, which matches all the other doors in the room, then painted in a twilight sky.

I'm working on changing the mural in my living room here at Belle Ami. As it was, it was a good example of a one-day mural, and included the ever-popular white columns, making it a useful portfolio piece. It had good colors for the room, but there were a few problems with it. First, the columns weren't "installed" in an architecturally correct way, meaning that in real life, the engineering wouldn't work, unless the wall was very thin, which isn't how walls are built. Second, the purpose of the mural has changed, and I now need it to be a backdrop for a life-sized sculpture of a Welsh water sprite, a Gwragedd Anwnn, who will be stepping into the room. The third problem with the mural, is that it doesn't showcase the type of artwork for which I most want to be commissioned, and Belle Ami is, after all, both design lab and walk-in portfolio, as well as my home.

...then, realizing all the problems with lighting a twilight sky would create, I quickly scrubbed it off and painted a not-quite twilight sky. See? Still practicing.

The style of the new mural is intended to be true trompe l'oeil, French for "trick (or fool) the eye". My goal is to achieve such realism that although you know it's painted, your eye does not immediately see where reality gives way to paint. Is this a good time to admit that I've not done this to the degree I am envisioning, on this scale, ever before? Well, if Necessity is the mother of Invention, then Determination is her father. I think I know how to do this, and if I don't know how, I know how to learn. Then, all it takes is practice. And time. Hopefully, not a lot of time. Shall we see?

Want a change of scenery on your walls? Check out my portfolio, and the info on how to hire me, at theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments? Click on the word comments below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Making Changes

2012-01-02T08:09:00.001-06:00

Early last year, I made a commitment to blog three nights a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have to say I am pleased as I look back, to remember the nights it wasn't convenient, or that I couldn't think of a single interesting thing to share, and yet I pushed through, occasionally coming up with my best writing...and often just waking up at the keyboard, with odd strings of letters on my screen. Ah, well. The hardest part of being an artist of any type can be showing up at the page, when life is pulling you so many directions, or a cozy bed is beckoning.

For me, 2012 is starting with a work schedule that is full of decorating, writing, illustrating and teaching. So full, I'm expecting to need help soon, at least to keep up with filing and dusting. I'm also starting the year with a more balanced personal life than I have probably ever had. Getting myself aligned spiritually and emotionally has also aligned me with a community of friends, and though I will never be a social butterfly, I do find that I have a few social commitments that are as important to me as creating art and writing stories about it. For this reason, I've decided to drop the blogging schedule to two nights a week, Tuesday and Thursday, which means new posts will appear Wednesday and Friday mornings in the U.S. (Cypress, South Africa, Australia, et al...well, you do the math, please).

I hope 2012 is the year your goals are achieved, your wishes come true, and your dreams expand to crowd out any fears you hold (and any time in your schedule for dusting). May you be healthy, strong, courageous, joyful, and CREATIVE! See you late Tuesday night!

Tamalada

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

These days, I don't cook nearly as much as I used to, but holidays are all about traditions, and one of my traditions is tamales at Christmas time. I don't make them every year, and I wouldn't have made them this year, had it not been for my two amigas, Ann and Cat. We make it a point to get together once a month, just the three of us, to do something fun. We've perused unusual shops, had an evening at Orchestra Hall, eaten at interesting restaurants, and on occasion, just hung out here at Belle Ami. This month, it was a day of tamales. That's why I don't make them every year. Even with three of us working on them, they take all day. In fact, as I type this at nearly midnight, the last batch is finishing up in the steamer.

Tamales de cerdo en salsa verde, served with field green salad and kidney beans.

If you aren't familiar with tamales, they are corn dough wrapped around a filling, usually meat, rolled in a corn husk or banana leaf, and steamed. We made both chicken and pork-filled ones, and were most pleased with the pork, which was seasoned with garlic, onions and cumin, as one would expect, plus cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and raisins. Typical for many Latin American cooks, but not exactly the tamales that come in a jar in the grocery store, which (don't tell my mom) I actually secretly sort of like. Hey, Cat confessed to liking the annual can of Spaghetti-O's - cold. Ann, who brought us a midday snack that included quince paste, bosq pears and the most incredible truffle cheese, the latter of which had us moaning in ecstasy (I'm not kidding, it was really that good), could not think of a single low-brow secret food love, but I bet she has a Little Debbie fetish, or some such thing, that we'll out one of these days..

The Three Amigas, Ann Viveros, Dawn-Marie deLara, and Cat Isles, steaming up the kitchen.

The holidays are coming to an end, but with a stash of these in the freezer to pull out for quick work-day lunches, the memories of today will linger on. Great friends, great conversation (low-brow all the way, but great! ), great food, and great fun. What better way to end a great year?

I hope 2011 was a year of dreams and hopes fulfilled for you, and that 2012 turns out to be your best year ever. Happy, happy new year!

It's a start...

2011-12-29T00:35:00.000-06:00

I have to say that 2011 is ending on a high note. I've never been so busy in December, and though most all my blog posts were about Holiday decorating, entertaining, and gift making, I have been working on "regular" stuff, too. Back at the end of November, Audrey Peterson, the minister at Unity of the Valley Spiritual Center, where I attend services and take classes, called to ask if I might have time to help her with something. She wanted to make the hallway containing the doors to the four children's classrooms much more cheerful and inviting.

Before: Why does this look like the clinic Christmas party? Maybe because this used to be a clinic, with lovely purplish gray wallpaper throughout. Several patterns, but all purplish gray, with "Bruised Plum" trim. Mmmm.

We met, we talked, visions expanded (as they have a way of doing in that place), and next thing I knew, I had a comission for a sixty foot long mural. Audrey wanted to perk up the grim starkness of the gray wallpaper and rigid lines, and could I do something to soften the shape of the doors, maybe with plywood? My ears pricked right up at that, and my brain went skipping off toward the brambles...Dimension? I get to stick things on?? Can I start yesterday???

It's a long wall...

...a really long wall.

Okay, still not so good with the red and green christmas decor, but here's the background color. They asked for vibrant, and these are only the deep tones!

Not realizing how much time prepping for all those holiday home tours and open houses would take, I started the mural early in December, but have only managed to put in about five days of actual work. Luckily, there isn't a strict deadline, and one couldn't ask for a more understanding client than a Unity minister, especially Audrey. I would usually be working all hours to keep to the schedule promised, but Unity is very laid back, very much about being present, wherever you presently are, which means they were fine with me being where I needed to be, to fulfil obligations and promises to others. If I had to describe Unity in one word though, it would be "light", so that's what this mural will be about.

One of the over door patterns. This was one of the main goals of the art work, creating something that would reshape the doorways, and make them more inviting. A jungle cat may not have worked over the nursery or preschoolers door, but this room is for the ten-year-olds...hopefully I've struck cool.

These mid-ground trees show the general style of the art. Keeping it simple is my biggest challenge!

The style of this painting is far more contemporary than my usual murals, but I'm enjoying the challenge. Putting in background colors that are as bright as the foreground in most of my paintings was a stretch for me, but I started playing around with the white linear highlights today, and I'm liking how it's working. I was inspired by a greeting card saved years ago for just such inspiration, but recently lost (of course). As I remember, it was colorfully painted, using white to play up highlights, rather than black to denote shadows. Thinking of that, I was also reminded of Byzantine icons, which are a very old tradition, but because of the white line work used to create dimension, can have a very modern, graphic aspect. This mural isn't really in the style of either of these, but they are the inspiration in my head as I whisk in the light.

These rocks are my favorite part of the mural, so far, though I've a long way to go.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be working on this, and maybe posting progress, but it's not the only reason I started this post telling you that my year ended on a high note. For the next two weeks, I'm also pushing to finish the living room mural here at home (the one I started back in September, with the Gwragged Anwynn sculpture stepping out of it), because the Minneapolis Star Tribune has asked to interview me and photo Belle Ami for a feature in mid-January! And that's not all. I've also been asked to illustrate a book, and yes, for those wondering, I am still working on mine...both of them. 2012 is going to be a very good year! A very busy, very good year! My biggest hope is that every person reading this is as absolutely content right now as I am. Cheers!

I am booking up for the late winter and early spring, so if you are thinking of having me add some light and color to your home, check out my website for a portfolio of possibilities, and the info on how to hire me. theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments can be posted below, or feel free to email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

In an Elegant Groove

2011-12-26T22:56:00.000-06:00

Mushrooms are the humblest of plants, and yet they hold their own on the menu next to oysters and caviar. Gotta love the little brown earth dwellers.

I'm on a mushroom kick this holiday season. This is because they happened to be on sale this week, and because they always seem special, no matter what you do with them. I made stuffed mushrooms to take to one potluck early last week, for which you can find recipes in lots of cookbooks (Though I love them stuffed with sausage, I made them vegetarian, from the recipe in Bon Appetit's The Christmas Season). I was planning to make my dad's wild rice with mushroom and hazelnut pilaf, to take to my friend Carol's Christmas Eve gathering, but that would have involved a twenty mile backtrack for the hazelnuts I forgot to purchase on the weekly grocery run. Unfortunately, hazelnuts are not a hot commodity at our small-town supermarket, though one can find eleven kinds of sugar-loaded peanut butter, so don't say they offer no selection.

Served on toast rounds, the pate here is garnished with mushroom slices, fried until crisp, and celery leaves.

I considered repeating the stuffed shrooms, but those are tastiest served hot, and I knew the ovens at that family's Christmas Eve feast would be in full service for all things hot and white (Is there a traditional Norwegian food that isn't white or light beige???), so I went searching for a cold mushroom dish. Mom used to do a marinated mushroom appetizer that used Italian dressing, but those need overnight to marinate, and I only had a few hours.

My recipe search led me to The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, (that's a cookbook by Mollie Katzen, and not someplace one goes after eating the wrong kind of mushrooms), wherein I found a recipe for mushroom pate. I changed it slightly, partly because I didn't happen to have a few tablespoons of dry white wine, and though the Sparetime Tavern across the street might be persuaded to sell me a beer poured into my crock pot, they can't sell wine on their 3.2 license.

Here's what I came up with:

1. Saute two finely chopped medium sized onions
     in about 4 Tbs. butter until golden and starting to brown.
2. Set onions aside, and add a little more butter to the pan (this is party food, so we will not be mentioning any unfestive words that begin with the letter c.   If these things concern you, go graze on the raw broccoli and cauliflower that no one else eats from the veggie tray, and skip the dip, right along with this recipe). In this golden pool, saute a pound and a half of coarsely chopped mushrooms, slowly, until they are quite dark, though not crispy.
3. Stir the onions back into the mushrooms, then season with:
   3/4 tsp salt, 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp crushed tarragon or dill (or both!), 6 tbs sherry (cooking sherry is just fine), a couple chugs of Worcestershire sauce, and about 1/4 tsp black pepper. Let simmer about five minutes.
4. Stir in 1/4 cup oat bran. What? Don't have oat bran in your cupboard? How about wheat germ? No? Get out the blender and whir a handful of oatmeal until it's not quite flour.
5. Cut up a brick of Neufchatel (low fat cream cheese. It's okay, it tastes the same as the full-on stuff in recipes), and stir it into the mushroom mixture.
6. Process this mixture in a few batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Careful! Hot stuff can blow the top off a blender, so hold the lid down, or hold it tilted, so there is an air vent on the side facing away from you.
7. In a large bowl, stir a 15-16 oz container of ricotta into this puree. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
8. Bake the pate at 400 degrees f. for an hour and fifteen minutes. If you bake it in loaf pans, line two with buttered parchment. This will give you firm flat bricks to place on platters and slice. You can bake it in six or eight buttered ramekins, giving you an easy way to refresh it over the course of an evening, or you can bake it in a buttered casserole dish, then serve it in scoops on a bed of greens, or pipe it through a pastry bag onto toast points or crackers. Serve with very mild bread or crackers, as the flavor is pretty delicate. Enjoy the pate, and the compliments!

When I'm not groovin' with shrooms in the kitchen, I'm out slinging a psychedelic rainbow of paint on peoples' walls. Okay, I'm not actually that wild, but some of my customers do come pretty close! Check out my portfolio by clicking here: theartofthehome.com

Questions or comments? Just click on the word "comments" below, and leave me a message here, or feel free to email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

"So, ya ready for Christmas?"

2011-12-23T19:41:00.002-06:00

'Tis the night before the night before Christmas,

And all through my house,

Not a present is ready,

And I'll feel like a louse,

If I arrive empty handed,

With nothing to share,

At a friend's family's Christmas,

Though I know they won't care.

So I'll leave you this message,

As I craft through the night,

Happy Christmas to All,

May your New Year be Bright!

Elf Duty 2011

2011-12-21T22:06:00.001-06:00

Three days before Christmas, and on my art table I see: 14 Nativity figures, 6 wine or water goblets, 3 chicken domino games, 2 action figure castles, and one more rusty old milk can (on which to paint one more truck and tractor scene). Yeah, this is my job.

Did anyone ever tell you that you can't make a career out of something fun? You just hand them my blog address, while you keep on doing whatever it is you are inspired to do. A few years ago, my job title was "Goddess of Glitter" (art director for an event company that didn't give titles to anyone), and my work consisted of making party decorations for charity balls and fancy bar mitzvah celebrations. These days, I don't use quite so much glitter, but especially this time of year, my job looks suspiciously like Friday afternoon in elementary school. Remember Friday afternoon, when you got to make things with paint and clay and pipecleaners? Looked kind of like the photo above, didn't it? If Friday afternoon in sixth grade can be a job, anything can. Follow your bliss!

When I'm not on elf duty, my job is still pretty fun. You can view my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

Making something yourself and have a question? Feel free to email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com, or leave it in the "comments" below. If I have an answer, I'll be more than happy to share it.

From the Heart

2011-12-19T20:51:00.000-06:00

Gifts of time have always been a big part of my Christmas tradition. I remember in first or second grade, baking gingerbread men with my mama to take to the nursing home, when our Brownie Scouts troop went caroling there. My brothers had befriended an old man who lived at St. Elizabeth's, a few blocks up the street, and our family made a second trip to take him a tiny Christmas tree. We had made ornaments for it by glittering walnuts (my love of the sparkly stuff started young), and sticking pairs of foil star stickers together with loops of thread between them. For garland, we did the traditional string of popcorn and cranberries. It cost almost nothing, but us kids were giddy with excitement, as we carried it into his room. "Oh, that's fine. Real fine." he said, his blue eyes watery. I was pretty sure he was happy. (You are still remembered, Harold "Andy" Anderson, you old rascal.)

Helping a child paint her own room, or training my future paint assistant? She's getting really good at taping.

Our gifts to each other were usually handmade, as well. Puppets, stuffed animals, little carved and sculpted ornaments, and the ever-popular Love Coupons, which were certificates for gifts of time, and included everything from taking a sibling's turn at dish washing, to darning Dad's wool work socks. Remind me to ask Dad if he actually wore those lumpy things, hiking around the woods all day...ouch!

Every painter must experience the paint catapult first-hand, and it seems most kids do it on the first paint job. Are we bad grown-ups if we were laughing and snapping photos to post here and on facebook, instead of helping the poor child clean it out of her shoes?

A friend of mine was on facebook a few days ago lamenting the lack of money to buy gifts for all her grand kids, and the overwhelming response was surprise that an artist such as herself would even consider buying something, when she could make something so unique and personal. I admitted that as kids, we were a little disappointed when we didn't get some of the same plastic toys our friends did, but we were so proud to show off the paintings, wooden toys, and polished stone bracelets our grandparents made us. I don't think any of my friends still have their Atari TV tennis game, or their Big Wheel, but I still have almost every hand made gift I ever received. Come to think of it, I probably have some uncashed coupons somewhere, too, and I doubt there's an expiration on Jesse's promise to wash my dishes. Oh, yeah, I'm lookin' for that one!

The Sugarplum did most all the detail jobs, like carefully painting the final edge on the top coat of the grass, and I followed behind with the roller. She worked right with me all five hours, so she can claim it as her own.

I gave my Artgirl, Faithie, a gift of time this year. She has oodles of toys and plenty of art supplies, but on her Christmas wish list was a room of her own, which has been promised for several months, but wasn't happening quickly. Her parents were inspired to move out the last of her grown up brother's left-behind possessions, strip the wallpaper border, and pull up the worn out carpet. They weren't however, quite getting her vision of walls painted like grass and sky, part daytime with a sun, and part nighttime with a moon, but I knew how to do that, so I offered that as my gift. Spending a day with her was precious enough, but explaining this gift-that-doesn't-come-in-a-box to her little sister, who's eyes lit up at the idea, felt pretty special, too.

Background finished, complete with a day-to-night fade on the sky, which shows up less gradual on camera than it looks in person. Next week we make the sun and moon, and apply some removable wall graphics.

It matters not a bit whether you take a few minutes to write a personal message in a Christmas card, or have the luxury of taking a day off to make a child's wish come true. As long as you have a heart, you have something to give. What's the rhythm? Arum-pa-pum-pum? Oh, that's fine. Real fine.

Working on a project and need advice ona technique or product? Feel free to ask by leaving a comment below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com. Really. I don't mind sharing what I know, if I know something that might be helpful.

There are lots of other kids' rooms on my website, theartofthehome.com. Take a peek!

Wanted: window washer, garden weeder, bookkeeper...

2011-12-16T22:13:00.001-06:00

Way back before Thanksgiving, I wrote a post about my tendency to start projects, but not finish them right away. I had three projects that I wanted to finish that week, and asked for a "Huzzah!" if I accomplished them. Oh dear, you weren't holding your breath were you? I did finish attaching the staircase treads, and finished painting the dresser. The third project, finishing the last bit of bathroom paint, was delayed by a need to do some mud work on one wall (now done, and to silky perfection, I might add), at about which time an unexpected order for a 60 foot long mural came in.

Painting this dresser stalled several times, partly because I was doing it for myself, and for some reason decided painting in a quicker style to meet an arbitrary deadline was more important than painting something I really wanted to paint. When I dropped the deadline, the composition finally pulled together.

So, the bathroom paint has had to wait, while I work on the mural, along with all the little custom Christmas orders that arrive this time of year. I missed my very publicly announced deadline, but it's caused me to look closer at this habit of unfinished projects. Mostly, I've noticed that if a project is interesting, I will do it right away, and not procrastinate at all. Duh, I know, but what if that's all there is to it?

Remember Nancye Williams bottles from Wednesday? I did not procrastinate on trying this project myself. In fact, I stayed up late that night, then got up early Thursday morning to have time to finish details before starting my work day. Did I have plenty of important work to do this week? Yup, but unless one counts hosting five open house events in six days "time off", I hadn't actually had any down time in weeks. All work (even fun work) and no (non-commissioned) play makes me a cranky girl.

I've spent more than forty years fighting this "deficiency", trying to fix what's wrong with me, namely what appears to be a childish insistence on doing only the fun bits. This diagnosis is unfair, though. I will do what truly needs doing, no matter how hard, as evidenced by the roof repair on the balcony, and the speed with which I can change a flat tire. I'll sit patiently through the most tedious days of painting thousands of individual leaves, as evidenced by my kitchen paint job, to finish something I'm passionate about. I'll work extra unpaid hours on a client's job, no matter what, to get the details right, when that's the right thing to do. So I'm making an early New Year's resolution to quit scolding myself for unfinished projects, and instead find ways to avoid the pitfall altogether.

This decanter holds "Heart's Ease", according to its label. Looks like white glitter, seashells and ephemera inside this collage of snippets and bits to me, but anything filled with faerie dust must be magical, no?

This means I will consider whether my heart is fully into a project before I begin. I will try harder to find ways to hire others, through trade or re-prioritizing finances, to do the things I know I don't want to do, but truly want done (bookkeeping, window washing, weeding the garden...hey, not just talking theoretical here, wanna trade?!). I will set realistic time frames on the not-fun things I can't avoid, rather than trying to force myself to stay up 'til all hours, just to finish checking things off of the infinite list of Things-Not-Yet-Completed. I will give myself credit and approval for all the things I do get done in a week, instead of acting like a sadistic drill sergeant with an endless list of dreary marching orders, and then reacting like the conscientious objector who got drafted into the daily grind.

"Essence of Time"

As a hyper-creative soul, I will never have enough hours to finish everything that presents itself to be done in this lifetime, so I think rather than another forty-plus years of berating my "irresponsible imperfection", I'll try to be mindful to choose paths I truly wish to walk, so when the snow needs shoveled, or the stones re-set, I won't mind these occasional "absolutely must do" projects that sidetrack me from the more interesting parts of the journey. I will honor the fact that it's actually my somewhat childlike view of the world that creates the art that pays my bills, and reward myself indulgently for tackling the must-dos that simply cannot be avoided. On a week that's not so full of deadlines for clients, the last twenty square feet of bathroom paint will be the perfect project for an afternoon with an audio book, after which I will enjoy it's beauty, then schedule some playtime, to celebrate the completion.

"Wildness of Joy" which I must admit is a phrase I saw once on another artist's work, but can't remember who to credit it to.

I've decided to discard the misleading label. I'm not a procrastinator, after all, just a hyper-creative artist soul, with not one precious moment to waste on feeling like the mountain of unfinished shoulds is about to avalanche. Even at it's longest, life is pretty darned short. For the love of the Creator, (who, as far as I know, pronounced it "Very Good", not "Finished"...and then took a break) create a way to work happy!

Once I finish Christmas orders, the sixty foot mural, and one faux finished dining room, I expect to still have some working time available in January before my next big project starts. If you are thinking of having me do something for you late in the month, now is the time to talk to me. My portfolio and all the info on how to hire me is at theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments? Leave them below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com . FYI: on the bottles, all the paper bits are glued on with basic Elmer's, and all the shells and fabric trims were attached with hot glue. The stopper for "Heart's Ease" is a chandelier drop style Christmas ornament, available on clearance right now at stores like TJMaxx, Marshalls, Michaels, and probably Target.

Inspiration: Nancye Williams

2011-12-14T20:03:00.001-06:00

The Third Thursday Artgroup met here at my house yesterday. Yes, we own calendars (and yes, we know today is Wednesday), but being creative souls, we are flexible when the need arises, as it did this month. This was the fourth of five events I hosted in the last six days, here at Belle Ami, and I had such fun making gifts of honey-toffee (which tastes wonderful and will be perfectly edible if everyone just follows my directions to pound it with a hammer and sprinkle it on ice cream), baking quiche, and showing the house to members who hadn't been here before. I had so much fun in fact, that I entirely forgot to take pictures.
...oops.

Ha! But being one of those aforementioned creative souls, I am flexible when the need arises! Also, I have photos of the gathering last month, and someone really precious I've been meaning to share with you.

This is Nancye. Isn't she cute? So's her house. So's lots of her artwork, except the stuff that's not supposed to be cute.

I have hanging candles like these, scattered around my house, but I really like the way these look grouped together, hanging between Nancye's kitchen and living room, like a lighted divider. I think it's time to put some new holes in my ceiling.

I wasn't surprised yesterday when Nancye liked the crazy quilted ceiling in my art room (haven't seen it? click here: inspiration: Robin Brown Magnolia Pearl), since it's not much different than this chair. We even used the same sneaky cheat: Fabri-Tac fabric glue! Really. Nancy just glued the patches and trims right over the existing upholstery. She says it's held up beautifully, and besides, if an edge lifts, she can just stick it down. If you want instant results, or if you have projects that won't get done while waiting for the time to do them perfectly, loosen up and grab the glue!

After I ditz my piano bench like Nancye's chair, I'm gonna make some of these bottles. I love collage and altered art, but I do so little of it. Next play day, this is my project. Hmm. I'm done with work for the day as soon as I finish this post...wonder how fast I can type...

Now, Nancye does lots of different styles of art, so don't go wandering off to some other blog if the first few pictures below don't appeal to you. Besides, Nancye sells her work, and you probably have friends for whom you need the perfect gift, whose taste is entirely different than yours, so you just stay right here and read the whole thing, and look at all the pictures. All those other blogs will still be there when you're done, including Nancye's, which can be found at nancyesartandbeautifuljunk.blogspot.com (and you thought my blog name was long!).

Nancye Williams has been doing a lot of stuffies, lately. Some are in this grunge style, some are more vintage inspired.

She also does folk art style pieces, and offers a class so you can learn to make them, too!

This is the doll style that many associate most with Nancye Williams.

I really love the sweet innocence of this one!

If realism is more your thing when it comes to sweet innocence, Nancye Williams can do that, too!

Polymer clay in the hands of a master...

Enough cute? Okay, now check out her collage and altered art and painting...

When I get done altering bottles and gluing bits of old tat on my piano bench, I'm gonna have to make some of these. Better yet, I think Nancy said she wants to paint her walls, so maybe I can just trade my labor for some of her artwork! That would be more fun for me to look at on my own wall, though I still might try making one of the collages.

Don't you just love the way Nancye Williams plays with color and texture?

Nancye Williams, the art and the artist... nancyesartandbeautifuljunk.blogspot.com

There. Done. Blogged in record time (for a post that didn't just say posting postponed). Now, while you go off to Nancye's blog and read that, then check out the link to her website, and get all inspired to make something, or to buy something beautifully made by Nancye, I'm going down to my art room to play with paper and glue and old glass bottles. Something tells me I'll be up a little late tonight!

When I'm not hanging out with my fabulously creative friends, or hosting holiday home tours, I do actually work at creating beautiful and personal environments in other people's homes. Wanna be next? Check out my website, which showcases my portfolio, and all the info on how to hire me: theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments? You can leave them here by clicking the word "comments" below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Mischief Managed

2011-12-12T22:05:00.001-06:00

Sunday's open house with photo ops went off without a hitch, though not without some amusing moments. It started out well enough...well, except for a few last minute glitches. Lisa, the photographer for the day, left her house without, of all things, her camera, so after circling back for that, she arrived just minutes before our first photo appointment. I didn't have time to worry about where she was though, since at about 9:00, I realized I had forgotten to replace the piano bench's disintegrated particle board seat, and was frantically sawing and upholstering right up to opening time. (Amazing what can be done utilizing hot glue and the selvage edge of some left-over fabric!)

Luckily, the decorating was mostly done Wednesday night. Cindy, shown in the last post crafting me a lampshade, did this arrangement on top of the refrigerator. I should have had Lisa take shots, as I can't capture the lush elegance of it, but perhaps you can imagine it.

The fake snow on the balcony was the only snow we had, as the temperatures spiked into the forties. Cindy and Sherry created this arrangement from vintage skis, an old picnic cooler, dogwood twigs, silk flowers, and craft store birds. Me? Ummm.. I hung the curtains that frame the view.

We had seven families come for pictures, and lots of other folks who came just to tour the house. Some were first-timers who have admired the house since long before I moved in, and have always wanted to peek inside; some had been here before, and were checking up on progress in paint and plaster projects; and others came to check out the holiday decorations, specifically. We were also thrilled when a new-to-town violinist, who had spotted the event on facebook, came with her violin and played live music for about an hour. Janet Roper is a delight, and I'll feature her on here in the near future, so you can meet her, too. Who knows, maybe I'll even figure out the audio/visual capabilities of blogger?!

I couldn't see the reaction of the adorable teeny-tiny Wyatt who was at the piano, but the antics of Grandpa peeking over Mama's shoulder, who was peeking over Lisa's shoulder, amused me, in a Norman Rockwell sort of a way. Honestly, nothing turns a grandad into a clowning fool like a camera shy tot. (No offense, Grandpa! I adore clowning fools.)

This scene was a favorite for many, though one toddler burst into tears when she thought she was being put down for a nap. Hadn't figured on that one. Hadn't figured on this one (above), either! My paint clients, Lorine and Dennis brought their grown daughter along for a family picture, and it was apparently decided that one never outgrows bedtime stories. I'd be more surprised at this big tough contractor dude going along with this photo, but the first time I met him, he was dressed manlier than the Marlborough Man, and carrying a chihuahua dressed in a pink ruffled dress. (I hope the next time I find a man in my bed, it's one with such a great sense of silly...oh, and no wife!)

If you missed the fun this year, don't worry. I'm pretty sure we'll do some version of it again. If nothing else, having events like these gives me deadlines for finishing decorating projects. I"m up to "Huzz" on the "Huzzah!" list, for those of you keeping track. The dining room dresser is finished, and the last bathroom wall is finally ready for it's top coat of paint (photos in an upcoming post). For tonight, I need to sign off of here, and go see if the honey-toffee candy I invented for tomorrow morning's goodie exchange is edible, or if it would be better to try melting it down with some milk and giving it as ice cream topping. Nothing like a little down-to-the-deadline improvisation to spark the creative juices!

Want your house photo-ready before Christmas 2012? Let's get started now! I'm booking mid-January, but will have a large part of late winter/early spring unavailable, while I work on a large job, so my next available dates may not be until March or April. Check out my portfolio and information at theartofthehome.com.

Working on a fun project of your own? If you have how-to questions, you can leave them by clicking "comments" below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com If I have an answer, I'll be glad to share it.

What makes me shine? Brilliant friends!

2011-12-09T22:48:00.000-06:00

Twinkle...

10 p.m. Wednesday: Sherry says, "Tell me again, what do you want me to do with this lamp?"

Sparkle...

Warning, if you try this at home: Apparently it is very difficult to put the balls in and get it back together without breaking a few. I wasn't worried, as they all came from garage sales, but I'm not sure Sherry wants to try any more of my bright ideas.

Glitter...

Yes, literally glitter. When my friend Carol sent her art supplies to live at my house, the two van loads included pounds and pounds of glitter. Putting it in candy jars (some of them my own stacked glass creations), just makes me smile.

Glimmer...

And you thought I couldn't do traditional! Okay, truth told, I got Sherry to do it, while I hung curtains.

Shimmer...

I knew if anyone could make this tatty lampshade into something funky cool, Cindy could! (You've seen her barn, right? No? Scroll up the page and click on the photo at the top of the right hand column)

Glow!

Perfection! Exactly the look I wanted, but am too fussy to ever get right.

Thanks to the help of these two, who stayed until crazy late Wednesday night, Belle Ami looked prettier than ever when the local chapter of Red Hats arrived here on Thursday morning, for a tour. Behind every successful woman is...a whole bunch of other successful women lending their hands! Thank you, Dearhearts, so very, very much.

Don't forget, open house here this Sunday from 11-3. 128 West Main Street, Belle Plaine, MN.

Questions? email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com

Need decorative paint work in January? Details on how to hire me are on the website, theartofthehome.com.

You were expecting a Wednesday night post?

2011-12-08T01:36:00.000-06:00

It's 1:30 on Thursday morning, and I'm still tweakin' the details for the 10:00 house tour. Yes, 10:00 this morning. Has anybody seen the other leg for the little Christmas tree stand? It fell off, and I picked it up and set it someplace where I wouldn't lose it and...

The house is looking very sparkly, but I still have things I want to finish, so how about I tell you all about it in Friday night's blog post?

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's off to work I go...

2011-12-05T22:44:00.000-06:00

Bright paper ornaments on a sparkly white tree.

I spent today getting ready for my series of open house events here at Belle Ami, which starts with a Red Hats tour on Thursday morning. It was a tough day of work, I tell ya. I had to make hot pink snowflakes, and lime green paper flowers, and decorate the guest bedroom. Luckily, I had a ten-year-old to help me. Faithie kindly agreed to stay after art class, and for the cost of lunch (two hot dogs and a bag of Doritos from Kwik Trip-her choice), she toiled at my side. We cut, we glued, we worked our fingers to the bone...okay, more like we glued our fingers to the paper cutter, while goofing off, but we got the job done.

Faithie's blue flower is the perfect topper for our not-so-traditional tree.

Make these same flowers in elegantly patterned scrap booking papers, and you would have a completely different look.

I think I'll probably add a dash more color, but it's essentially done.
I really wish everyone could love Mondays at work as much as I do! The rest of the week should be fun, too. In the wee hours, I'm pushing to finish painting the flowers on the dining room dresser (nearly there), then working on a 60 foot long contemporary style children's mural most days, and spending evenings here, with various friends stopping in to help decorate more trees, tables and corners. One might say the lines between work and play are clearly blurred this week. Whatever you work at, work happy (or stay home and make some art)!

Announcing...

2011-12-02T23:07:00.001-06:00

Isn't she sweet?

Got your Christmas card photos yet? Been out to see my house lately? No to one or both? Then mark your calendar for Sunday, December 11th! My friend Lisa Fahey, a talented amateur photographer, asked if I would open my house, Belle Ami, for a photo shoot this holiday season. Assuming my December would be dead as usual, I said "Yes." Now of course, all kinds of things have come up since I agreed to this, and then also agreed, since the house would be decked to the hilt, to host three other functions and one Red Hat tour, but what the heck. I'll sleep in January...or maybe February.

Who says gilded butterflies and purple sunflowers aren't Christmasy?

The open house is from 11:00 a.m. until at least 3:00 p.m., but we'll extend later as photo appointments fill. Lisa is charging just $20, which includes uploading all the images to a Snapfish or Shutterfly account, for you to print or email as you wish. If you don't know how to use that type of online service, Lisa will give you all the info you need, and she assures me it's super easy. It is a good idea to book in advance, by calling Lisa at (952)292-5188. Several of our friends have known about this for a couple of weeks, so time slots are filling.

Whether you want photos, or just decorating ideas, (or just to stop in and say "hi") do plan to come! There are three different Christmas trees, so far, and several other great spots to pose a kid or a whole family, including the porch swing, the gorgeous antique piano, and the staircase, and even a vignette entitled "the children were nestled all snug in their beds" (you might want to bring pajamas and bears!) The settings range from traditional to contemporary, formal to fun, so there's something to please everyone.

Lisa is also a Tastefully Simple rep, so she will be providing refreshments, and since she'll be manning the camera, I will be happy to take your order, if you sample something you fall in love with.

Sunday, December 11, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
128 West Main Street, Belle Plaine, MN
to book photos: (952)292-5188
questions: dawnmariedelara@gmail.com

___________________________________________________
The other big news tonight is that the website for "Rubies & Rust, a Wedding Barn" is finally launched!

Check it out now! rubiesandrust.com

The perfectionistic artist in charge of creating the site (no, this perfectionist wasn't me, but as they say, "takes one to know one"), decided to paint and embellish the exterior of the barn in order to get a photo worthy of the website, thus creating a slight delay. I so want to roll my eyes, but then I am reminded of a certain "I'll do the quick version" paint job inside this barn, and think I best not even raise an eyebrow. All I can say is, Cindy sure has a knack for picking dedicated friends!

Please check out the website, and if you are on facebook, be sure to "Like" it. (rubiesandrust.com) Christmas and New Year's Eve are both big days for wedding proposals, and you never know which of your friends out there will be needing such a venue, come spring!

___________________________________________________

...and finally, what of the "Huzzah" list from just before Thanksgiving? I'm on it. A sixty foot long mural job came in the same day a few other plums landed in my lap, and priorities had to be shifted to meet unexpected deadlines. I'm planning on staying home and finishing those projects, and a few others this weekend, so perhaps I'll earn the "zzah portion" of that by Monday night's blog post. Have a great weekend!

As always, questions or comments can be left below by clicking on the word "comments", or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Need paint? I'm booking January, so check out the website for decorating ideas, and the info on how to hire me. theartofthehome.com.

This seat's taken (so make your own!)

2011-11-30T23:37:00.000-06:00

Several types of evergreen trimmings are accented with oregonium, red seeded eucalyptus, and a few silk flowers, in this chair turned planter.

Last month our garden club made evergreen arrangements, to give winter interest to our summer flower pots. Most garden club meetings center around the growing of beautiful flowers, tending succulent vegetables, and maintaining pest-free gardens. Nobody asks for my advice in these matters. Sheesh. I grow some pretty flowers, and not all of them are the dandelions that my favorite rabbit likes to nibble on.

Same idea, but this time I mixed some coppery accents, tufts of dried grass, and wired ribbon into the evergreens in this chair.

Needless to say, when winter comes around, and my pathetic attempts at front yard greenery look no worse than anyone else', I have a certain sense of reprieve. When November rolls around, and we stuff our summer planters with evergreens and other goodies, I even have a sense of accomplishment. This I actually do well enough that a few people even pay me to do theirs.

The planters are made by creating baskets of chicken wire, nailed into the chair frame. These are lined with burlap (I use recycled coffee bags) and filled with dirt. Come winter, the dead flowers are removed, and to keep top-heavy branches from falling out, a grid of twigs is threaded across the top. I insert evergreen branch tips into this, and keep the soil moist until the temperature drops below freezing.

My own planter took a beating in the wind a few days ago, and now needs just a wee bit of fluffing, plus about half a spool of wire to prevent that happening again, so the planters shown here are a pair I did for someone else. Those with a good memory might recognize the chairs from a post last December, but I promise these are new arrangements.

Happy holiday decorating! If you want to try this yourself, and the basic directions I've given aren't quite detailed enough, feel free to post questions in the "comments" below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Shop local, eco smart, and oh-so-unique!

2011-11-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

This post is especially for my Minnesota followers, but there are shops like this all over the country having similar sales this weekend and next. If you aren't a near neighbor, Google "occasional sales" plus your area description and see what you find. Please, please, please, wherever you live, resist the mega malls and Big-Marts, and see what the locals have dreamed up to make your holiday sparkle with real warmth.

The once-a-month shops in Carver and Chaska are opening for their December sale a bit earlier than their usual third-Thursday weekend. You can shop them this Thursday, December 1st, from 10-5, Friday, December 2nd from 10-4, and Saturday, December 3rd from 10-4. They all sell vintage and antique things, and you'll find a bit of everything at all of them, but each one has it's own special flavor. I popped into their November sale to chase down vintage goodies for a client, and snapped a few photos to tempt you to venture out and visit them.

Ms. Mac's too, 204 Broadway, Carver, MN
Jessica features a lot of classic country primitives and farmhouse style vintage goodies.

The Vintage Cottage, 208 Broadway, Carver, MN
This charming husband & wife duo stock a delightful mix I think of as vintage elegance, with some nice gentlemanly bits to temper the fancy. I always find their prices surprisingly friendly, too.

The Nature of It, 300 Broadway, Carver, MN
Cindi specializes in garden related vintage and antique items.

Seasons in Carver, 300 Broadway, Carver, MN
Sarah must have had a heck of a weekend, because I took photos late on Saturday, and her shop was nearly empty. Not to worry, though! She's had a couple of weeks to restock her amusing array of quirky finds. Season's is known for the kind of stuff you're more likely to find in Grandpa's barn than Grandma's kitchen.

Mustard Moon, 300 Broadway, Carver, MN
Jane sells a lot of classic shabby chic white stuff, but you'll also find new displays every month, like this one, and a fun little room with 40's thru 60's childhood memories.

The first snow storm of the season cut my shopping expedition short that day. Minnesotans seem to forget winter driving skills over the long humid summer, so it's never a good idea to be on the road for the first storm. Unfortunately, this meant I missed visiting Good Junk Garage, 109 1/2 East 3rd, Carver, and just down the road a couple of miles, Linda's Cellar in Chaska at 112 East 2nd Street.

There was a time when you had to be sure the recipient liked vintage stuff, for fear they might think you were just wrapping up your old tat to give as gifts. These days, vintage is so popular they can't manufacture the fake rust fast enough in third world countries, but why buy fakey knock-offs? Treat yourself to a diferent kind of shopping experience and check out your local junk shops, antique stores and occasional sales. You'll find plenty of great things for decorating and gifting, and creative ways to use and display unusual items. Plus, not only will you get the real thing, you'll probably get it a whole lot cheaper than the copy at Big-Mart.

disclaimer: author of this blog will not be held liable for junkin' addiction. Shop vintage at your own risk!

You find the treasures for your home, and I'll paint beautiful backdrops behind them. Check out the website to view my portfolio: theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments? Post them by clicking the word comments below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Give me a "Hu"!

2011-11-26T02:39:00.001-06:00

Last week, I asked for a "Huzzah!" if I finished my three long drawn out projects, namely, the bathroom paint job, the staircase treads, and the dresser in the dining room. Well, I've finished the bathroom paint as far as I could, having forgotten there was some drywall mud to finish on the arch before I can paint that area. And I made good progress on the dresser, but of course added detail to the art, which is taking longer than anticipated to complete.

It's getting there! A few more days off, and I'll have it. Only problem is I don't really have any days off coming up. Guess you know where to find me at 4:00 every morning, next week.

I did finish attaching the treads on the stairs. Took me until 2:00 this morning, but by golly it's done, and I only smashed one finger with the hammer...multiple times. It hurts to type, and I'm dead tired, so I'm going to call this a post. Keep rooting for me to finish the other two projects in the next few days, as I really want to get started on new projects, but have promised myself I won't until these are done.

If there is something you think I might be able to do to complete the decorating in your home, the info on how to hire me is on my website, theartofthehome.com.

If you are more of the D-I-Y type, don't hesitate to ask for advice on a project if you think I might know something useful. I don't mind a bit, and in fact, I'm glad to share. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T23:25:00.000-06:00

Enjoy the holiday, and I'll catch you back here Friday night with a progress report on last week's project goals, and maybe some alternatives to the usual Christmas shopping madness. I'm grateful for many things in my life, including you, my readers, in which category I happily include all you lovely Google people around the globe, who post my photos to Google Images.

The key to my heart

2011-11-22T00:42:00.000-06:00

Because I paint so much at the library, Georgine, the librarian, has given me my own key. I secretly (okay, not so secretly now that I've written it here) never want to give it back. It's not that I use it when I'm not painting, I just like having it. I love libraries. Home libraries, public libraries, school libraries, and the little tiny free libraries that are popping up in towns across the country. These are like oversized mail boxes, where you can take any book (to keep!), as long as you leave a book.

Library columns before. Could have just given them a fresh coat of white, but what fun would that have been?

When I was painting the doors there this summer, Georgine asked me to give the City a quote for repainting the columns, and I told her I would only do it if it was a faux finish, as I 'm not in the straight paint business. There was actually a good reason to do a marble finish on them, which you can see by the close up of the base. Not only was the white badly scuffed, but the bases were wrapped in carpet, disguising sloppy glue joints that plain paint wouldn't hide. The carpet was beginning to peel away, looking even scruffier than the joints, so though I hadn't bid this into the job, I went ahead and removed it, then spent most of a day scraping off the glue residue, before coating everything with bonding primer.

Base before, with scruffy carpet which doesn't seem to have prevented the columns from being scuffed up.

There are lots of ways to paint marble, and for realism, I prefer to create it from layers of glaze, as the translucency is what makes it believable. In this case, however, durability and ease of touch-ups were the most important feature, so I chose to use a Woolie tool and full strength industrial grade paint. It's not likely these will ever chip, but if they do, anyone can dip a fingertip into two of the four colors I used, and dot it onto the bare spot. The repair will blend in without a trace.

Though white columns were appropriate to the decor and architecture, marble columns have more presence, and hide scuff marks much better.

So, now that the columns are done, I've had to come up with a way to keep my beloved library key a little longer. I've promised to letter a short quote on the beam above the columns. It will of course, take time to find just the right quote, and then because I am planning to letter it to appear carved into the beam, painting it won't go quickly, either. That should keep "My Precious" safely in my pocket another month or two! After that? Perhaps the story hour room needs a Hobbit mural?

There are more samples of faux marble on my website, theartofthehome.com, as well as all the information on how to hire me.

Need tips for marbleizing something yourself? Feel free to email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com, or just post it in the "comments" below.

Personal Shopper

2011-11-18T19:10:00.000-06:00

This week, I get to do a lot of shopping, for a couple of different clients. It's not my usual thing, but when it comes to digging around salvage yards and antique stores, it turns out that not everyone shares my enthusiasm, and would rather pay me to do it. Personally, I cannot imagine not thrilling to the adventure of urban archaeology, but then, they can't imagine anyone not being excited at a sale on Coach purses, so to each her own.

We found these treasures at City Salvage, but one can often find similar things at Mustard Moon, and the other occasional shops, down south of the twin cities.

Tomorrow, I plan to hit the once-a-month shops in the nearby towns of Carver and Chaska. They carry an eclectic mix of vintage and antique bits, running the gamut from fine furniture to rusty parts of old farm machinery...very flea market chic. There are several open the third Thursday through Saturday of each month, but the easiest way to track them all down, is to start at Mustard Moon, and ask for directions to the rest of them. mustardmoon.blogspot.com. If not in my neck of the woods, Google "occasional sales", to find your local treasure troves.

Yesterday, after spending the morning with the Third Thursday Artgroup (check back here Monday for photos from that, most likely), my friend Sherry and I ventured into the big city. I was grateful for a clear day and dry roads, because I do not love driving in Minneapolis.

Just inside the front door of Architectural Antiques, we found a few possibilities. Since I was on reconnaissance for a client, I took advantage of my sidekick for the day, the often mentioned Sherry Willard (the angel of a friend responsible for the sneaky weeding a few months back). Having a human visual reference communicates size much more effectively than emailing measurements.

I don't know if people steal the street signs in Minneapolis, or if it's budget cuts, but there are an awful lot of one way streets that are unmarked and no, I didn't just miss seeing the signs. I know this for sure because I circled the same blocks multiple times, trying to figure out how to get to places in plain sight, but seemingly impossible to actually approach, from within a quarter mile. I don't have one, but I've ridden with others using GPS in this city, and I don't think those gizmos make it any less likely that one will suddenly be facing the front grille of a Metro Transit bus. After several harrowing aborted turns, and by the grace of God and the drivers behind me, we eventually made it to all three of our shopping targets.

Architectural Antiques had an enormous selection of lights, including this enormous chandelier.

Our first stop was Architectural Antiques. (archantiques.com), where we were pleased to find well lit showrooms and polite staff, who kindly answered our questions. Lots of gorgeous stuff, but the prices reflect the time and labor involved in polishing it all up and displaying it nicely.

These terra cotta corbels are probably too small, but they might do the trick. It will definitely take more muscle than I'm packing to install one as a console table base. Bauer Brothers did have several options in this size, though most of the others were Victorian style wood.

And what would we want with roof drains? Oooh, turn them over, hang from chains, insert a glass and add a votive! This was just the first of many ideas.

Our second stop was Bauer Bros. Salvage (bauerbrotherssalvage.com). This is the only one I had been to before, and in fact used to visit them regularly, when I lived in Minneapolis. If you are looking to buy a salvage business with three unheated stories of treasures, it's yours for a cool two mil. I just wanted a corbel and a mirror, but didn't find either in my size, this time. Prices here can be good, but buy it when you dicker, because the next day the price may be completely different.

City Salvage charmed us with their cool old brick building, eclectic collection of beautifully useful stuff, and their randomly placed accents...vintage motorcycles pop up throughout like fabulous exclamation points. I'm not into bikes at all, but they made me smile, both for their unexpected appearance among the polished mahogany and rusty tin, and for their truly sculptural designs.

Back in the van, we warmed up, while navigating the maze of one way streets, and eventually arrived at City Salvage (citysalvage.com) This was our favorite. The vibe was a little funkier than Architectural Antiques, the attention a little more personal, and the prices a bit more tempting. Oh, and unlike Bauer Brothers, it was heated, though of course that means a lot smaller. Still we found the best selection of the types of things we were looking for here. We'll happily return to all three, but next time, we'll start with City Salvage...after planning a carefully plotted route of the one-way streets!

City Salvage does have a few things outside, and a basement that you might have to ask about to gain admission. We loved these cast iron corbels, even if they were too small for our needs.

If you have never shopped in a salvage yard, make it your next adventure. You never know what treasures will tempt your fancy, or what echoes of the past will catch your ear.

When I'm not playing in the junk yard, I do play with paint in people's homes. You can see my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

If you are creating something from salvaged treasures and run into a tricky spot, email me or comment below, and I'll help if I can. dawnmariedelara.@gmail.com

Never put off for tomorrow...

2011-11-16T23:43:00.000-06:00

...what you can leave for the day after tomorrow. -Mark Twain

This week's message on the kitchen chalkboard

I, Dawn-Marie deLara have a little trouble with procrastination. Or maybe I just have a lot of irons in the fire. It's sort of hard to tell. Yeah, prob'ly both. Whatever the label, the situation is the same, and the charm has worn thin. Completing jobs for clients is no trouble, as I take responsibility to others very seriously. Completing projects for myself? Well, I finally chalked the above message where I have to see it every day, and then had a heart-to-heart with a friend, to get a little back up in dealing with this. I need to make serious progress on some major projects, and for me, tackling big things is always more successful with someone to lend a little encouragement...or threats, guilt trips, and bribes. Basically, if it works on a three year old, it'll work on me.

dresser in progress

I don't lack ambition. I've started more projects around here than I can count. I just find it more interesting to design them and work out the glitches, than to actually finish. A couple of weeks ago, I moved this dresser into the dining room to hold art supplies, and last Sunday, after thinking about the design and color scheme until mid-afternoon, I finally started painting it. Considering it's sat in just it's primer for eight or ten years, that's not so bad, but knowing I'm hosting several open houses this December, and it's not the only thing I need to complete, it can't go unfinished for long.

The walls look finished in this shot...

...but that's as far as I got!

When I decided I needed to do this bathroom plaster project for a promo piece, I painted just enough of the walls to do the plaster around the mirror and get photos. The areas above the tub and toilet never got finished, and I still need to sew curtains for the shower, window, and a shelving niche. I seriously gotta get a move on!

Fabric stair treads I started a little over a year ago. Eleven done...

...six to go.

I ran out of upholstery tacks about the time life hit a rough patch last winter, so I never did finish attaching the stair treads. I think it's time to spend an afternoon with the hammer and get it done.

There are lots more things I would like to do before the holiday season hits, but Thanksgiving is a week away, and decorating a house the size of Belle, with enough style for December holiday tours, will take up all my "free" time the week after that, so I think I can be content with completing this much. There are of course client deadlines to meet this week (no problem), and some writing ones as well, but Sherry promises to hold me to those, and now that I've written this here- not just that I've started, but that I must finish- you can hold me to completing these three projects. Can you do me a favor and provide a bit of incentive? If I finish by Thanksgiving, I want a big "Huzzah!" in the comments here, on facebook, or in my email, from you, dear readers. And if by chance I don't? No need to say a word, as the shame of failure will do me in... for about a day. I'm resillient that way. ;)

Do, by the way, feel free to keep me too busy working on your house to have time to finish mine! Check out my website for all the information on how to hire me at theartofthehome.com.

If you are trying to finish projects of your own and have questions I might be able to answer, click on the word "comments" below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Play date for the grown-ups

2011-11-14T21:30:00.000-06:00

Give me your...cast off glass tchochkes and epoxy? Pamela is incapable of taking a bad picture, even when she's clowning.

When I was a little kid, I wanted a play room. I imagined it would be filled with all the fabulous plastic toys my friends had, and I did not. Having some taste, I also imagined it would have a beautiful, ornate puppet theater with hand carved marionettes, a ballet barre and mirror (with about an acre of wide open floor for dancing), and a collection of art glass kaleidoscopes. The other half of the room would have all the art supplies sold at Ryder Brothers Stationery, The Idea Shoppe, Baker Printing and Lithography, and the basement of Levinger's Drug Store, all combined. (I never did dream small.) Alas, my parents did not own a mansion with one wing devoted entirely to my amusement. Oh, wait, did I include the mermaid pool with waterfall and grotto? Yeah, well, I didn't have that either.

Now that I'm a grown-up, I still don't live in a mansion, but I do have a play room (the back parlour turned art studio), a dance room (the master bedroom turned home gym, including ballet barre and mirror), and I am in the process of officially turning the dining room into a second dedicated art space, since I do more fun crafting than fine dining. I used to jokingly call it the studio annex, but who am I kidding? Most days there is at least one project overflowing onto the dining table, and a second table in the corner is a permanent art journaling station. Rather than having a dining room that converts to art space, I'm setting it up as art space that looks like, and can function as, a dining room.

Although the room already has a buffet, I needed more storage for art materials, so I relocated the piano to the livingroom, and moved this dresser down from the bedroom.

It worked perfectly this Saturday, when I had the fun of hosting an art day for a handful of my grown-up friends. I invited them to bring a project to work on, or to poke around in my supplies and books, and find something to try. I promised a big pot of soup on the stove, and all the instruction I could provide. Three rules: Keep your shoes on (to keep your socks clean, and your tootsies safe from fallen objects); Don't eat anything I serve if you don't like it (or I might serve it to you again); and No children under 18 (so the grown-ups will play, instead of helping the kids).

Cat is planning to add a beaded glass fringe "skirt", and arms made of glass Christmas drops to her garden lady. She's also planning to cook the soup for January's gathering. Mm-mm good!

The idea started a couple of months ago, with Cat, who admired a stacked glass garden sculpture of a woman at the Jordan Art Festival, and wanted to hire me to teach her how to make one. Another friend chimed in then, and a few others have mentioned wanting to try this craft or that, but not wanting to invest in a bunch of supplies for a hobby they may not really take up. Thus, our Second Saturday Studio Club was formed. I provide the space and materials, and a pot of soup, and they bring nibbles to share if they want. I don't charge for instruction, as this is a gathering of friends, not a business venture. To keep me stocked on the essentials, anyone who uses a large quantity of something that I didn't acquire for free, pitches a few bucks into the kitty.

We ran out of epoxy before Mary got her garden spire glued, and in fact the design morphed into something even prettier than this, so I'll show you that next month.

We had a blast. A few of the gals had last minute things come up and couldn't make it, but those that did were already planning next month's project an hour into this one. Most of them followed Cat's lead on the glass sculpture, though Darla chose to start a china mosaic table top, to be used as a Christmas decoration. Most of the others are planning to try mosaic next month.

Darla made a good start on her mosaic project. While they can go quickly, if you just want a random patchwork look, something like this Christmas tree, with bead garland, takes a little longer to design and execute.

I had thought I would work on something myself, but instead spent the time assisting, advising, trouble shooting, digging for materials, and locating the soup ladle. I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was so much fun helping them with their creations! Besides, I get to make stuff in my play room practically every day...in all my play rooms...my whole house full of play rooms...including the one in which I am in the process of sculpting a water sprite, stepping out from a mural of a grotto ( I had honestly forgotten until just this moment that this was a childhood wish...love that)!

Dream big, dearhearts, and don't forget to notice when your fondest wishes come true! My blessings are great, and I am grateful.

Want help rethinking the spaces in your home to better suit your lifestyle? I offer interior design consultation for this sort of thing, along with splashing paint in artistic ways. You can chek out my portfolio and the information about hiring me on my website at theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments? You can leave them here by clicking on the word "comments" below, or email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Beginning at the beginning, again.

2011-11-12T01:06:00.001-06:00

Today I started the first phase of a project that will probably get a lot of write-up on here, come spring. One of my most stylicious clients, Jodi, called me about a month ago to warn me to block out a chunk of time next February, because she had a lot of painting for me to do. Previously, I had custom finished her kitchen cabinets and with her help, covered her fireplace in chip-china mosaic. Sadly, a fire recently took their stunningly beautiful house down to the studs.

Just wait til you see what we have planned for this corner!

Happily, Jodi assured me all kids, dogs, and husband are safe and sound, and miraculously, although almost nothing was salvageable, the fireplace was saved. Though not a happy crafter, Jodi had worked with me on this creation for several days, so she knows first-hand what it would take to replace it. Aside from an insane amount of time, there are bits of Grandmother's jewelery, and ceramics gifted by friends. It's basically irreplaceable, so she's extremely grateful that it won't need to be!

This fireplace is one of my favorite jobs I've ever done.

Our meeting today was to go over her decorating plan for the main floor, and figure out which parts I could do. Basically, she showed me gorgeous tearsheets and luxurious samples, and I tried not to drool on them. She made my job very easy by having a binder filled with well-organized magazine clippings, and fabric samples for most of the major upholstered pieces. We sifted through them, looked at decorative objects she was starting to round up, and then toured the house, which was stripped to the studs, and getting ready for the last of the sub-floor to be pulled out. Having worn dressier clothes than normal, I was immediately reminded why I usually live in paint rags and hiking boots...silly me.

Just a few of the dozens of clippings that help a client communicate wishes to a designer. My task is to take my cue from these, but create something completely unique for my client.

There will be some basic faux finishing to do, and then some amazing pattern added to a couple of walls, a painted floor or two, painted ceilings in the kitchen, butler's pantry, dining room, and a hallway, and a very cool bit of trompe l'oeil drapery, cascading over a built-in display ledge.

When Jodi pointed out this decorative tray propped on a bookshelf in their temporary house, saying she liked the design, I immediately saw a ceiling pattern. Imagine it exploded to room-size, with a chandelier dropped from the center! Lucky for my neck, I have a couple of months to spend with the Bowflex, getting in shape for this particular project.

I also get the job of searching out some big architectural salvage pieces, and possibly creating a very cool bench out of restyled cast-offs, which means a day or two haunting some of my favorite Minneapolis salvage companies. Some gals get excited at the prospect of a day at the mall. Me? My idea of a great day shopping involves dark, dusty warehouses filled with grimy bits of the past. I'll keep you posted on what I find!

While the circumstances that created this job for me are sad, this transformation will be such a joy to complete. Jodi had created a beautiful space that showcased her unique style, but because the house was built for another family before hers, it was laid out for a different lifestyle. She now has an opportunity she never expected to shift walls, change details, and make the space function better for her family. I am so looking forward to playing my part in this, and sharing the progress here, with you.

Third time's a charm...I hope!

2011-11-09T23:18:00.000-06:00

One of the nice things about having a piece of furniture custom painted, is that it is custom. Which means you can change your mind, even after it's completely done. It will cost you more, but you get exactly the piece you want, exactly the color you want.

Julie's hutch, take 3.

This hutch was on the blog just a couple of weeks ago. Julie was thrilled with the blended finish when I left, but called about a week later to say that after living with it for a bit, she really wanted it darker. I stripped off some of the previous paint, so I would get some wood showing through at the end, then added a spruce green glaze, topped with an icy wash of the original pale green.

Julie's hutch, last week.

There isn't really one right way, or one right color. I think both finishes are equally pretty, but I do admit I like the darker green with her cherry cabinets and black counters. Mostly, I like when my clients are completely happy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I just be holdin' the brush!

For information on how to commission me to paint for you, visit my website, theartofthehome.com.

If you are customizing a piece yourself and run into questions, feel free to email me, and I will do my best to answer. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com

What's pumpkin dip got to do with it?

2011-11-07T21:25:00.001-06:00

I remember how Mondays were, back during those rare times I worked for someone else. Favorite blouse laundered but forgotten in the washer, hurriedly blow-dried to semi-wrinkle-fee wearability, only to discover the laundry trolls had stolen a button. Late to arrive, grumpy hung over co-workers, snarky corporate office person dropping by, Snackens from the vending machine for coffee break at 10 a.m., and then only six hours left to go (with stale garlicky Snackens breath...ugh). Regular paychecks were nice, but not nice enough to tempt me back.

One of the joys of self-employment is the flexibility of working at home. Actually, most of the time, I work in other people's homes, but Mondays at least are spent mostly here at Belle. Today, after a morning of torturing one art student with perspective, shading, and the math required for building scale models, and a few errands, I was ready for a break. I was also aware that I needed a blog topic for tonight. Call in this season's stand-by, pumpkin dip.

Recipe: One regular (vegetable can-sized) can of pumpkin, one package of reduced fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), brown sugar or maple syrup to taste, about 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Whip cream cheese with mixer until smooth, blend in pumpkin, then add maple syrup or brown sugar to taste, starting with about 2 Tbs. Blend in spices. Serve with apple wedges or ginger snap cookies. This also works great on a dessert buffet piped into bite-sized tart shells. A few nights ago, I sent some home with a friend who planned to have it on bagels for breakfast. It's very versatile, very fast, and very good.

I worked the weekend, so I balanced that today by slowing down the pace, keeping the do-list to a minimum, and treating myself to the pretty details. I don't have time for this because I'm self-employed, I make time for this, even though I'm self-employed. Since I don't have paid sick leave, I decided years ago not to get sick. I am not exaggerating when I say I have not had a cold or flu for more than five, maybe six years, now. Occasionally a day where I feel a little run down, maybe the hint of a scratchy throat, but nothing that lasted the day. It's a choice I make.

I choose to be well. I choose to slow down when the Speedy Gonzales thing starts feeling like too much too fast. I choose to take time every morning for a meditative period of writing and prayer ( and I choose to get up ridiculously early for this extra hour). I choose to deal with troubles as they arise, and when I can't, to try to remember that worrying accomplishes nothing, while having hope makes hard times bearable, and keeps the door open for help to arrive. I choose to forgive as quickly as I notice that I'm holding hard feelings. I don't do it perfectly, but I do it consistently, and I make it a priority.

I'll mention this process to people occasionally, when their litany of illness finally is too much to listen to any longer. They usually get hung up on forgiveness, sure that the rotten bastard in their life is far worse than anything I've faced. Hmm. Let's just say, I've survived enough RB's to write a pretty harrowing mini-series, and leave it at that. I didn't say I forget injustice or injury, I just choose to try to understand why the perpetrator would be so rotten, and then, in a forgiveness meditation, I let it go. I acknowledge that I would have preferred that things had been different, but I release my expectations of them. It's very simple, in a very difficult sort of a way, and profoundly effective.

I truly believe you can prevent most, if not all illness, but it's not just one magic bullet, as seen on TV, or one rare and costly miracle herb, as reported in this month's issue of Health Fads and Foolishness. It's a way of life, and while for some that means a slew of vitamins and blender drinks, fancy exercises and alternative treatments, for me it's a state of mind, and a choice to keep things balanced and joyful. I live in a beautifully imperfect home, I practice my faith mindfully and daily, I maintain friendships with a core group of rather quirky like-minded souls, and I choose to make it a priority to live the moments of each day with as much attention to detail as I can make time for. Is it always as pretty as today's afternoon tea? No, but it is when it needs to be.

Do I believe my way best for everyone? Nope. Different personality types probably respond best to different methods. Some people even find it easier to catch a virus and get over it than to do any sort of program or lifestyle change to prevent it, and who's to say that's so wrong? But if you find you look forward to calling in sick and staying home, I have two suggestions:

First, consider creating a business of your own that would allow you to work from home, and create a really nurturing home from which to do it. You will most likely work more hours, but if you choose something you love passionately, perhaps something connected to a hobby that already gets a chunk of your time, you won't mind that.

Second, if you choose to work for someone else, use your sick day and call in well once a month. It's best if you belligerently tell them you are calling in well, in my experience, though I do have a higher tolerance for risk than most people. There just seems to be added anti-oxidant power in confusing management, but use your best judgement. Take this day to do some spiritual reading or journalling, drink something yummy from a pretty cup, eat what makes you happy, whether that's spa food or three meals of Godiva's finest, and do something playful like a craft project, rearranging the living room furniture, or going through your memory chest. It's most beneficial to do the whole day in pajamas. Do not do laundry, especially laundry that doesn't belong to you. That is not a day off, and will negate all benefits, and waste a perfectly good day of paid leave.

It's November now, and we're headed toward the holidays. May all your days at home these next two months be healthy ones, surrounded in beauty and comfort. To steal Garrison Keillor's line, "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

If you need paint work done before Thanksgiving or Christmas company arrives, there is still time to make that happen. Visit my website to see a portfolio of possibilities, and all the info on how to hire me. theartofthehome.com.

Any thoughts to share or questions to ask? You can click on the word "comments" below and leave them there, or email me at dawnmariedelara.@gmail.com

Creative Spark: Dayle Doroshow

2011-11-04T23:42:00.001-05:00

Dayle Doroshow teaching at Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts. (click the names to view their websites)

Change the mood
That was the message on the "chaos card", I was directed to select, when I stopped in to say hello at Maureen's, on my return from the paint store. Dayle Doroshow, one of the Big Names in polymer clay art, and a popular teacher in the US and abroad, was the instructor this week, and though I wasn't in the class, she included me in this Creative Spark exercise. I was on my way home to work on a commissioned painting, so I was to use this directive to put a new spin on the piece. One thing led to another though, and I didn't get to that project this afternoon. However, as blogger just mysteriously deleted my nearly completed blog entry, causing a minor (okay, maybe not so minor) temper tantrum, perhaps I'll play that card now.

I love all the interesting textures, patterns, colors and details in these figures!

Originally, the posting was a brief bio, and information about Dayle and this class. I haven't had time to actually create anything inspired by her, but I am inspired by her story, by her life, and most decidedly by her artwork. Her class this week was about trying new things to spark interesting, creative discoveries. Since the whole goal of this blog is to inspire you, my precious reader-friends, to try new things, you can imagine how delighted I was to stumble into this gathering! So let me tell you how a chance encounter today has inspired me, and given my heart a change of mood...

Some of Dayle's samples for this class, in a collage I just created in my simple little photo program...look out folks, I just discovered how to blur the edges, and I fear I am in danger of attacking all photos with this treatment for awhile!

Dayle leads a really expansive life. She's been a professional ballet dancer in New York, and an actress. She now lives in California, creates fabulous mixed media art, and teaches all over the U.S. and in France, where by an interesting series of events, she came to own a home, her perfect French home, on the same street as the place she teaches. Although Maureen originally turned me on to her work, I've seen Dayle featured in numerous magazines, and photos of her artistry in a slew of books on polymer clay and collage. She does not hide her light, but shoots it out in seemingly all directions at once, like a pyro lighting a fireworks finale.

Why is this student smiling so contentedly? You do see the table load of creative possibilities in front of her, right? Add a teacher like Dayle, and a retreat center like Maureen's and what creative soul wouldn't be blissed out?

Dayle not only leads an expansive life, she's also a really expansive person. She is generous with compliments and praise, and with her knowledge. Though I was a party crasher, I was invited right in, given quick explanations of the various projects being worked on, and then invited to stay for the afternoon demo. In thirty or so short minutes, my head was stuffed with dozens of sparks of ideas, challenges to think or see differently, and a resolve to re-expand my concept of the possible (I find I lose focus and let the boundaries of my life shrink, if I'm not vigilant). There are lots of vague dreams I've left floating around in the not-really-serious realm of Some Day. Thanks to Dayle, I find I'm in the mood to get serious about some of them.

Let Dayle spark your imagination! Check out her website to see where she's teaching next: Dayledoroshow.com. If you can't make it to a class, she has a book out, co-authored with Cynthia Tinapple:

This is the first time I've grabbed such a flashy link, so in case it quits functioning at some point, just click on the link to Dayle's site in the story above.

When I'm not crashing classes at Maureen's, I do actually work at creating inspiring environments for my clients. You can check out my website at theartofthehome.com, for more information on that.

If you have questions about a creative project of your own, feel free to email me. If I know the answers, I'll be happy to share. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Peacocks and Periwinkle

2011-11-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

Guess what I finished! Remember the post awhile back, "There are peacocks in this bramble patch"? This was about the nearly finished bathroom that I decided to add a little more detail to, and ended up on yet another "hike through the brambles"(that's where I skip the road less traveled, and head off through the underbrush). Well, after spending about forty hours of my "free time" standing in front of the mirror, which I haven't done since highschool, my eyebrows are still wildish, but I think the wall looks mighty fine.

Hand sculpted plaster squash blossom scrolls, with hummingbirds, this time in a slightly Art Nouveau style.

Okay, of course, no it isn't really finished. Nothing in my house is ever finished. It just gets to an interesting stopping point. Last night I finished sculpting (I'm pretty sure) the scroll work around the mirror and peacock sconces.

Perfectly nice periwinkle painted bathroom, with custom vanity, topped in faux marble counter.

Hand sculpting this takes about an hour to an hour and a half per running foot, including the time it takes to plan, prep, sculpt, scrape off not-quite-right bits, and resculpt them. I plan the general layout and style in advance, but the detail is created as I go.

Although it is perfectly fine to leave this natural, I might eventually give it an antique glaze, or just maybe I might silver leaf it. Not the paint, but the real metal leaf, which is it's own trip off through the brambles, which is why I'm not going to start it now. I really like the way this looks as is, and I have other things I want to do in this bathroom, like figure out something interesting for the ceiling, maybe paper, maybe stenciled plaster, and then there's the window that needs a curtain, but what about stained glass, and the shower curtain needs at least three layers of fabric and trim, not to mention the tub surround which needs me to decide on the tile, and I never did paint the shelves Dad installed on his last visit, and...

A good adventure is never really finished!

Do you think I should add a blossom down here for this hummer?

If you like the hummingbirds, but not such fancy vine work, check out the plaster page of my website, http://www.theartofthehome.com/ornamental-plaster.html. There is a version there with very light, more naturalistic vines. While you're on the website, wander around through the pages to see what else I do.

If you are trying something like this yourself, scroll back to a post last summer titled "where feng shui meets Santa..." for some basic product info and directions. If you still have questions, feel free to email me, and I'll try to answer them. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Have you seen my roommate?

2011-10-31T12:12:00.000-05:00

Just for fun, a ghost bride watches over trick-or-treaters from the balcony of Belle Ami.

I should have spent the day painting the balcony trim (which I scraped last weekend), before the weather drops too cold, and Belle has to spend the whole winter looking haunted, but the forecast for the week is for nothing colder than it's been, so I have a bit of time. For now, I think the shabbiness kind of adds to the Halloween decor, which includes this "ghost" on the balcony.

Personally, I think the peely paint on the balcony trim is scarier than the ghost, but she's not bad, either. Click for a closer view...if you dare!

When you have an old house, like my 105-year-old Belle Ami, it is inevitable that people will ask if you have a ghost. I certainly get the question often enough, and I've always answered in the negative. The people who built the house, and those who lived here since then, were by all accounts contented, and of religious beliefs that would not (to my thinking) make them likely to hang around after the fact. I'm not a ghost enthusiast, but I believe in the possibility of their existence. I even believe I might have seen one, as a young child, though I couldn't say for certain. I've only twice here in Belle had any sense that there might be a ghost, but both circumstances were so vague and fleeting, I'd not change my answer based on them. I have changed my answer, though.

Last summer, I dog sat for client-friends. Luke, an old Australian shepherd mix, and Ruby, a young pup of the same breed, came to stay for a long weekend. Once their humans hit the road, I invited my four-legged guests to come in for a tour of the house. As Ruby was only recently housebroken, I watched her carefully as she circled from the back porch, through the art room, the dining room, the living room, and into the front foyer, with Luke not far behind. She was moving along quickly, nose to the floor, not really paying attention to anything above ankle level, when she came to the chair in the corner, one of a pair flanking the game table. Suddenly, she jumped back, looking up at about the height of the face of someone sitting in the chair, then keeping her eyes trained there, she skirted around the area warily, and continued on into the kitchen.

Does an unseen guest sit in this chair? Perhaps...

I was wondering what that was all about when old Luke, who paid no attention to any of my other furniture, before or after this, walked up to the chair, laid his head on the seat of it for a moment, looked up as if at the face of someone seated there, then walked away. Ruby skittishly avoided that corner all weekend, but Luke took no more notice of it. My own dog, McKinley the malamute never reacted to the corner, either way.

So, I wonder if old Judge Whitlock, whose desk sat here at one time, liked dogs, but had no patience for pups. Maybe his son, Friend Jay, who built the house, has come back to the home he lost during the Great Depression, when he extended too much credit to customers at his lumber yard. Perhaps his wife Emmaline Conlin, or his sister Dorlisca, both women who fought for the right to vote, and promoted education for all, wander through to see what I'm making of my freedoms, and their house. Maybe it's not a Whitlcok at all, but one of the later residents, though sweet Renatta was so looking forward to hanging out with Jesus, and seeing her beloved Virgil, I can't imagine she would wander back through here. She visited me once, after she moved to the nursing home, and was delighted with the changes I was making. "It's a house with possibilities." she said. All kinds of possibilities, apparently...
Hope your Halloween is only as scary as you like it!

bits in pieces

2011-10-28T23:42:00.000-05:00

This week seems to refuse to go according to my plans. Not that this is a terribly unusual circumstance in my life, but it's a little frustrating. Now, of course, not all the distractions and delays were bad. Like, I didn't plan to spend my day doing profit and loss statements, but I found a way to save myself a few thousand dollars, so even I, queen of paperwork procrastination put off today's plaster project for such practicalities. (Nice use of P's in that sentence, dontcha think?) That killed one blog post idea, not finishing the plaster in the bathroom, but I had actually planned to feature a friend's upcoming class, so I wasn't worried. Until I found out the class has been canceled. So, plan C: I'm making it up as I write...Let's see what random bits I can dream up at 9:30 Friday night to share with you...

[hang on, I'm wandering around the house, trying to figure out what little things I did this week]
[okay, I'm back. Now to resize all the photos...give me twenty minutes, or so...]

Alrighty then, even on weeks when I don't have a chance to do big creative things to my house, I still manage to tweak details...

I decided I needed more art supply storage space in the dining room, since it really does function mainly as studio extension, so I moved the piano from the dining room to the living room, the settee from the living room to the foyer, then swapped this desk from the foyer for the dresser in the bedroom, which works perfectly in the dining room. Musical furniture. The dresser wasn't practical for holding the clothes I wear most, so aside from a couple drawers of lacies, and one of socks, it was empty. The drawers in this desk do the same job better, plus hold accessories and jewelry. Needs a paint job, but that will have to wait a few months.

These suitcases were in the foyer, intended to look like guests were arriving, or that travel plans were imminent. Somehow, once I moved things around, they gave me an edgy feeling, and I realized their placement actually made me feel unsettled in my home. Up the stairs they went, and in the guestroom, they are perfectly charming, next to an antique Spanish vanity gifted to me by my friend Cindy. By the way, don't let the daintiness of that piece fool you! I hauled my five foot long dresser down the stairs myself, but it took two of us to carry this little marble topped gem up, and it nearly did us in! If you covet marble topped pieces, may I recommend you check my website for samples of painted faux marble? Your back (as well as your favorite painter) will thank you.

I actually did this the last time I moved furniture around. This used to be a nightstand, but it didn't fit when I angled the bed in the corner. I love having it in the closet, to hold clothes I'm rehanging, or stacks of clean laundry I'm putting away.

The top is decoupaged with a calendar page. I matched the paint colors to extend the art further across the surface, then added a quote by the artist, Renoir. "I let myself go and paint as the spirit moves me. I am like a little cork thrown into the water and carried off by the current." The tassel on the drawer pull is made from a champagne cork.

While setting out Halloween decorations, I was inspired by my friend Marci, who has a menagerie of stuffed animals and figurines all over her house, and gives them all masks, hats, or other Halloween costume touches, and by my friends who dress their pets for the holiday. This is Fernleigh. Yes, the fern has a name. Yes, I talk to it. Sometimes I pet it. No, I haven't yet started collecting cats, thank you very much for your concern.

Now, this is turning out very cool. I'm experimenting with covering walls with lace, decoupaged on with paint. One of these days, when it's a bit further along, I'll reveal the details.

In my unending quest for better business organization, I painted the panels of the art room door with chalkboard paint, so I can keep track of the odd bits, bids, samples, and future projects that aren't yet calendared. Now, if I would just remember to read it before setting the schedule for the week.

And finally, this afternoon, when I found out the class I intended to blog about was cancelled, I had a lovely chat with my friend Maureen, who told me about a discussion on the concept of wholeness, which took place in her Spiritual Directions class this week. She didn't think it would be relevant to a decorating blog, just something to mull over. This is my take on the idea she shared...and my rather ingenious method of getting it into tonight's blog. :))) I do love a challenge, and I needed a fresh quote on the kitchen chalkboard!

So there you have it, my blog post pieced together of all the little bits and parts of my week. I hope if your week didn't go exactly as planned, hindsight gives you the satisfaction of realizing you still accomplished more than you may have given yourself credit for. Have a wonderful weekend!

If there's something you think I could do to perfect the place you call home, check out my website for details on how to hire me, and to see a wide range of creative ideas. Click here: theartofthehome.com

If you're working on a project of your own and have questions, don't hesitate to ask. If I have answers, I'm happy to share them. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com is my email address.

How Does a Witch Decorate for Halloween?

2011-10-27T00:42:00.002-05:00

I tried to decorate for Halloween today. I'm not much for the blood and guts horror angle some people go in for; not tempted to do zombies and skeletons. I'm more of a witches and ghosts sort of a gal. Perhaps that's blatantly obvious, already? On a recent tour of the house, a visiting friend who isn't known for sugar coating opinions, pronounced my powder room "Witchy". Hmmm...

Here's the etegere in my potting shed style powder room which was recently described as "witchy".

I thought perhaps I would add some Halloween to the mantle, but it's already orange and black, with candles and magical looking objects.

Orange walls, green curtains, dead twig curtain rods and shredded lace valances. I guess I could add a few spiders for more Halloween effect.

Backed by an Ann Viveros painting, the arrangement on top of the piano seems a bit mystical already, as well.

So, what's a gal to do but embrace the verdict? I didn't set out to create a witch's house, though enchanted or enchanting would have been on my list, if I had made one. However, I must admit, I have a denim witch hat that hangs year round on the hook by the front door, and my formal one, burgundy with feathers and a bird, is always on display either in the dining room or the studio. I made a series for an art sale several years ago, inspired by the question "Just what kind of witch are you?" Not what the querent meant, but it did give me oodles of inspiration! I'm not Wicca, certainly not malicious nor evil, but I am a little fey, and slightly wildish in nature, so I suppose my house reflects it. I'm good with that.

Now, my neighbors around the corner, they decorate for Halloween.

Here's their pumpkins. Love the pumpkin carving tools you can get these days. Still takes time, skill and patience to get this intricate, but those little punkin saws work wonders!

My friend Sherry doesn't do so much on the outside anymore, but she still ditzes her whole house on the inside. The line of spiders was inspired by a scene from Harry Potter. We're re-watching the entire series, one per week, before we see the final two. So I'm witchy? I'm in good company!

I did make this piece today. While searching the house for things to go on a spooky wreath, I came across the bird cage, into which I popped a giant glittered spider, then remembered I had a cage stand in the basement. Last year's grapevine wreath fit perfectly over the brass ring, and a bit of orange ribbon spiffed it right up.

"Please don't feed the spider!"

So, that pretty well covers the witchy category in Halloween decorating. Not really scary, but I do get very young trick-or-treaters, and I want them to have a happy night of it. As to the haunted aspect, I'm working on something on the balcony, but again, the house may already have that covered, too. I'll tell you all about that on Halloween proper...

Whatever your personal decorating style, I'll be happy to help you make sure your home displays it proudly. Check out my portfolio and all the info on how to hire me at theartofthehome.com.

Getting crafty for Halloween? If you hit a snag, email me, and I'll try to help untangle it, if I can. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Aw, nuts.

2011-10-24T22:14:00.001-05:00

I had all kinds of things planned the last few days that would have made great blog posts...if any of them had happened. Mainly, I planned to be writing about decorating Belle's porch for Halloween, but instead of doing that, I spent Sunday on a ladder on the porch roof, re-roofing the second floor balcony. Turns out that walnut tree seedling growing in the gutter, wasn't growing in the gutter, but in a hole in the roof right behind the gutter.

Luckily, the afternoon was warm, and there was a package of leftover shingles in the garage. Luckily, I was raised in a herd of mountain goats known as the Lara kids, and our dad thought nothing of putting ten-year-olds on a farm house roof, to help shingle it. I think now, just as then, I made a few neighbors nervous, but I noticed only one person commented or offered help until I was carrying the staircase ladder back down the extension ladder. Just enough arm reach, just enough shingles, and just enough daylight to get them nailed down.

I find it amusing that of all the people who commented, the older woman who stopped to admire the house, when I was just getting started, was the least concerned about my ability to climb the ladders and do what needed done. Then again, though elegantly dressed for a Sunday stroll, she was from North Dakota, where I doubt a woman of her generation had the luxury of being too delicate to do whatever needed doing. Of course, my safety and success may be due to the prayer she promised to say for me, on her walk back up the street to the nursing home. Guess that's all the help I needed. Thanks, Connie. It was a delight to meet you!

I'll try to finish something fun and photogenic by Wednesday night's post. As always, you can check out my portfolio and information on how to hire me at theartofthehome.com. If you are working on a project of your own (of the decorating variety), and have questions, I'm happy to share what I know. Email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

If a tree falls...

2011-10-22T00:34:00.000-05:00

Remember that question from the early 1970's? If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? How stoned was everybody??? Ah, I can see we could easily get sidetracked with this one, and as I'm writing this post well after my bedtime (as usual), let's just get to the point, shall we? Which is?

Remember awhile back, when I wrote about discovering someone had weeded my flower bed, without my knowing? Well, I tracked down the culprit later that week, and she had a really good laugh. Apparently there was almost a betting pool going, on how long it would take me to notice, by the time I finally did...nearly a month later. There are factors in my defense, but that would be straying off of the point, too. Which is: I wonder how many times during that month I felt sorry for myself, having to do (sigh) everything around here all by myself, when in fact that wasn't the case at all. Now of course, I mostly like doing things myself, closet (?) control freak that I am, but I can throw a helluva pity party when I'm overwhelmed.

But good things don't just happen when I'm too whiny to notice. Last night, when I got home from work, it was already dark, but things seemed different in the swath of back yard illuminated by my headlights. The same friend, Sherry, had suggested we haul the fallen tree branches from my lilacs and maples out to another friend's bonfire site, so I suspected morning light would reveal a dearth of fire pit wood throughout my yard.

This morning after my shower, I tried to see from the bathroom window if the big lilac branch that laid at the top end of the driveway most of the summer, was gone, but the steam and the roof line blocked my view. Figuring I'd check later from the back porch, I headed for the closet, and while trying to decide whether to wear paint clothes for a day of mostly office work, I thought I'd better try on my outfit for a night at the symphony that's coming up. I don't dress up very often, so finding matching outfits that are seasonally appropriate is a challenge, but let's not follow that thread, either. Basically, one outfit led to another, and after about twenty minutes of testing possible interesting combinations (most of which weren't), I pulled on my paint clothes, just in case an irresistible urge to prime something came over me, and was just looking for my favorite pink socks, when the doorbell rang.

Sure enough, there stood Sherry. She'd have loved to leave me wondering again, but she also knew I often have scrap wood from carpentry projects, and wanted to be sure we got that loaded to go to the burn pile, too. The funny thing? Yes, she was here yesterday, but today while I played dress-up (a.k.a. procrastinate on paperwork), and apparently just seconds after I looked out the bathroom window, she was loading the big lilac limb onto a trailer her burn-pile friends drove over. These friends-of-my-friend knew the former owners of my house, and in fact she had her bridal shower here, if I remember the story right. Apparently my house has friends of her own in this town, but that's a story for another day, too.

And so, back to the point, which is: I truly believe the world is kept going by the unsung Heroes Of The Everyday. You're one of them, I'll wager. Maybe you can't pull off as big a sneaky as my friend Sherry, but you put the new roll of toilet paper on the spindle in the coffee shop bathroom, because the place was busy, and it's just nicer that way. You stood up the bicycle that tipped over in front of the exit door at the hardware store, so it didn't block the next person coming out. You picked up the fallen shirt below the clearance rack at the department store, and maybe you even dropped a quarter in the parking meter for the car in front of you. Nobody knows it was you who did it, but the world runs smoother for your efforts.

So, thank you. Whether your contributions were tiny everyday things, or great big favors, no matter where in the world you did it, the waves rippled outward, and my life is better for it. All those favors, small and large, smoothing the rough edges of the day for friends and strangers alike, I know you did them. I may not have heard the tree fall, nor the truck that hauled it off, never even noticed probably a dozen more branches that came down in the last storm, buried under the leaves that fell the same night, but I know my life doesn't run this smoothly on my efforts, alone.

Thank you.

All the pretty, none of the paste...

2011-10-20T01:00:00.001-05:00

All over woolie damask stencil makes an elegant backdrop for your most precious pictures.

Have you ever applied wallpaper? Have you ever removed wallpaper? Have you now sworn off wallpaper for life? If you answered "yes" to the first two, chances are pretty good you said "yes" to the third. Wallpaper isn't the only way to get gorgeous pattern, though. There are lots of ways to create fabulous patterns with paint, and stencils are a classic. I know, I know, they get a bad rap these days, but to see stencils done beautifully, and a whole selection you can order, go to royaldesignstudio.com. Melanie Royals makes stenciling fresh and new again, with some surprising twists on the old standard, including some sleek, mod patterns even the trendiest of you will adore.

As for me, as much as I love pattern, and as patient as I can be painting individual leaves in a two hundred square foot mural, I can't bring myself to take the time to "properly" stencil a whole wall. For a lot of people, stencilling is a pleasant, meditative way to spend a day or two. For me, it's whine-inducing torture. Lucky for me, I happen to like a sort of aged look, which makes it very easy to do a quick version of stencilling that doesn't require all those hours of carefully pouncing with a nearly dry brush, to get really nice results. Please don't get me wrong. Properly done stencilling, like you will see on the RDS website, is gorgeous and well worth the time, if your temperament is suited to the task. My inner three year old does not do "tasks".

Woolied Walls with Woolie damask stencil, harlequin spacing. In this case, step one for...

In order to keep the inner brat from throwing a fit and refusing to go to work, I've made the process a little quicker, by loosening it up. I do a quick Woolie blend (thewoolie.com) of two shades of paint on the walls, then once it's dry, I use tape to space the stencil, rather than fussing with measuring. Next, instead of carefully pouncing the stencil with a dry brush, I brush more of the same two colors of paint onto the woolie and quickly pat it over the stencil. Because the base paint isn't solid, nor is the paint on the stencil, bleeding around the edges simply doesn't show.

There are many ways to space this stencil, which is Grand Damask from RoyalDesignStudio.com, and it comes with different layouts shown. For my purposes, I made up my own "harlequin" version, then filled in the spaces between with the same stencil flipped upside down. The pattern overlaps, so the effect is all-over pattern, rather than individual motifs.

Woolie damask stencil, all over fill.

There you have it: All the beauty of wallpaper, without seams, paste, or the joys of removing it when you want a new look. I can't say the process is truly quick, but it's quicker than proper stencilling, and pretty painless. If you aren't convinced stencilling is for you, do check out the Royal Design Studio Website from the link above. I think you'll be hooked.

There is another version of this, using these colors and the same stencil, in the sidebar photos to the right of this post. You will also find an example of this technique, with a stencil of my own design, in robins egg blues, on my website theartofthehome.com, under faux finishes

If you decide to try this yourself, and want more detailed information, please don't hesitate to email me, and I'll do what I can to clarify. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Allow me to introduce Amy Kos...

2011-10-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

Soy candles with hemp wicks in recycled wine bottles, from a.k. accessories, llc.

Along with smearing paint and spreading mud on my client's walls and furnishings, I also do interior design consultation. This means I help clients understand the style of their architecture, help them identify the defining characteristics of their own style, and pry just enough to unearth their secret preferences, all so they can make decorating decisions on their own, with confidence. For the people who come directly to me, usually on the recommendation of their friends, this is often enough. However, some of my projects come through professional interior designers, or clients who are working with a designer to do serious design overhaul on a home.

This photo was shot before the window treatments arrived, but the wine bottle chandelier was part of the fun new look, along with a reclaimed barn wood table, and a wooden toy barn, saved since childhood by one of the homeowners. I was asked to paint the wall to look as though we had paneled it in rusty barn metal.

This dining room wall, soon to be featured in Southwest Metro Magazine, was one of those projects. I met interior designer Amy Kos (click here: amykosinteriors.com) on this job, and really loved how she brought a contemporary country vibe to a pretty typical Midwestern country style home. The clients had some special pieces, like a wooden toy barn, which she incorporated into the new decorating scheme. You won't get any "Dahling, it's got to go" fancy-schmancy designer attitude from Amy.

Her personal style is a warm contemporary look that's decidedly more sleek than mine, but she has a great eye for combining contemporary and traditional, and can tweak this in a very hip boho way that would appeal to a lot of my trendier clients. Designers become known for their signature style, but of course, like any really good designer, Amy will set her personal style aside, and help you bring out the very best of your own.

And she just so happens to have just debuted a new line of drapes, pillows and candles!

At her launch party, Amy Kos demonstrated the sheer overlays for her unique drapery system that allow you to change patterns as often as you like, without buying all new drapes.

These are available through in-home parties, here in the Twin Cities Metro area, where Amy presents the line and answers questions. The prices are in the same range as Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, but unlike shopping there, with Amy you get unique fabrics and design, and a real designer to take the overwhelm factor out of coordinating it all. And while you're waiting for your custom drapes and pillows to arrive, you can enjoy the soft custom fragrances of the wine bottle candles she sells, too.

Pillow inserts with eco-friendly fill can be popped into custom covers in a variety of fabric and trim choices, and the selection changes seasonally.

This guest was in love with this pillow. Really in love with this pillow. She was still hugging it when I left!

Check out her website, amykosinteriors.com, and ask about booking a party. If you need more than what I offer in specialty paint and basic design advice, consider having Amy handle your interior design projects. She's a consummate pro, with a down-to-earth philosophy, and a genuinely warm heart. I know you'll love working with her! I can't wait for our next project together.

When I'm not scoping out what other designers are up to, I do a pretty good job of putting paint on your walls. Check out my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

Feel free to email me with questions at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Just because it's wood...

2011-10-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

It's been a good week, here in Belle Plaine. Monday, in a slick bit of multi-tasking, I finished the library doors while teaching one art class. Tuesday, I made it to the garden club meeting on time, and the rest of the week, I painted furniture for a few different clients, and even collected a hug from one of them. Any week that ends in a hug from a client is a good one! I like paychecks, but my job isn't done until the client is happy, and Julie was very happy with her painted hutch.

Vintage cabinet, probably circa 1910.

These cabinets are very common here in the Midwest. My little 1922 Bungalow in Minneapolis had one built into the 8' x 7' kitchen, and nearly all the early 1900's farmhouses around Belle Plaine had them. Some of them were painted originally, and most of the rest were painted white in the 1930's and 1940's when the trend was to paint kitchens pure white, for sanitary reasons. In the fifties, in an effort to look updated, they were repainted mint green, soft aqua, or pink. Then along came the 1970's, when they were either stripped back to wood, during the antiques craze that marked the Bicentennial, painted brown to coordinate with the popular earth tones, or ripped out and stuck in the basement or the garage. This one was refinished at some point, but had tiny traces of what looked like pale green in its hinges.

When Julie decided to have this painted, her husband expressed concern at painting a good wood piece. To quote designer Christopher Lowell, "Fellas, just because it's wood, doesn't mean it's good". Although, in this case, the piece was perfectly pretty in it's bare glory. The problem with it, is that it is adjacent to a kitchen full of dark, very fine quality, custom cherry cabinetry, in a house accented with heavy wood timber beams. This hutch's placement and function should have made it an accent piece, and instead, it was the last thing you would notice. It needed color to give it presence in this room.

Vintage cabinet with three color blended finish, lightly distressed.

The lighting in this room changes significantly throughout the day, from nearly full sun, to very shaded, which made choosing a color difficult. Julie thought she wanted Benjamin Moore's Louisburg Green, but was afraid it would look gloomy late in the day. I had the paint guy mix the paint without the black, which he put in a little 2 oz container I brought with me. This way, we could mute the color on site, stirring in black until it was just right in her lighting. This gave us a fresher green, and the cabinet, painted and lightly distressed, was pretty, but still not "wow" enough for the room.

We went to stage two, which was adding some streaks of black and burnt umber. This way the overall effect was as dark as the originally chosen color, but bits of the fresher green kept it from being gloomy, and the effect was far more stunning than any single color. Now, when you walk into the room, the pretty cherry cabinets are an elegant background, and the feature piece takes the spotlight.

Most of the dark color you see isn't the wood peeking through, but bits of black and burnt umber blended in.

So, here are my personal guidelines for whether to paint an antique:
1. If it's common, go for it. Just about anything made after 1900, though it may be antique, isn't hand carved or one-of-a-kind.
2. If in doubt, check with a dealer, to be sure you aren't destroying significant value. If it's ugly, but valuable, you can sell it and buy something you like. Family heirloom? I sold mine and used the money to have a jeweler make me a necklace I wear every day, featuring a pearl on a gold oyster shell. Grandpa isn't around to know, but since oysters were significant to his business, I think he'd approve. If not, perhaps he'll have a chance to tell me about it one day. I'll risk it.
3. Ultimately, don't let "should" make your decision. No matter what anyone else thinks, you are the one living with it. If you think you would enjoy your dining room set more painted in hot pink lacquer, why not do it? Wood is only good if it pleases your eye. Living with furniture you dislike does not improve the quality of your life, no matter how valuable the piece.

There are more examples of painted furniture and cabinetry on my website, theartofthehome.com.

If you are painting a piece yourself and run into questions or problems, feel free to email me, and I'll share any advice I have. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

The usual suspects

2011-10-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

Last night was the monthly meeting of the Valley Garden Club, in which I am an honorary member (they don't call me that, but really they are kind to allow me to call myself one of them in public). Several of the regulars are off traveling, or tied up with kids in school activities, but we still had a pretty respectable turn-out.

This month, one of our own members, Joyce Bailey, a Master Gardener who loves growing pumpkins, stepped up to the front. She did share growing info, but the highlight of the night was her quick tutorial on pumpkin painting. Even members who steadfastly refuse to do crafts were finally convinced to just play along. Actually, we held them hostage and forced them, but they enjoyed it. ;)

All the usual suspects are in the line-up. I think the second and third from the left are in cahoots.

The technique requires only acrylic craft paint, and if you wish, a clear acrylic spray to seal it afterwards. Joyce gave a few tips, like making the eyes really big, starting with a generous amount of white, and outlining everything in black to make it pop. Though I paint all the time, I love learning from other teachers, and I find even simple projects can present new challenges and opportunities. I loved the opportunity to be the student for a change, and to paint something that was just for the pure fun of it, with no importance attached to the results. Try it! You just might like it.

You will have to paint your own pumpkin, but you can hire me to paint your walls. Check out the portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

If you have questions about pumpkin painting, or anything else you see on the blog, don't hesitate to email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com. I'll do my best to answer.

One Door Closes...Finally!

2011-10-10T22:04:00.002-05:00

Completion!!! Do you ever find that it seems to be the simplest little jobs that somehow take the longest? Last Jul... hang on, let me check... nope, August (not quite as bad as I thought), I accidentally walked into the job of painting the doors on the library, which is right across the street from my house. Part of the reason I said I would take on the project was the proximity. Not really the paint work I do, rolling solid paint and brushing trim, but Georgine, the librarian, wouldn't have to come in on her day off, if I could paint the doors there, rather than remove them. In the back of my mind, Little Tiny Voice screamed "Give her Paul's card! No? Then take the job, but sub it to Paul!", but from out of my mouth came something like, "Sure, piece of cake, no problem." I'm pretty sure I heard Little Tiny Voice mutter something like "Just shoot me", before it retreated to a dark corner.

Library door "before". Gray primer with sample colors taped in place.

Deep breath. In... and...out...

Now, I Dawn-Marie deLara, do solemnly swear to never ever again take on a straight paint job, unless I truly am subbing it to Paul and Peggy at Buckets of Color (Minneapolis to Mankato 952-873-4679). There. I've stated it publicly. No going back, now.

I honestly think the most difficult thing for me to do is to get a smooth coat of paint (though pounding a straight nail runs a close second). Add to this a few variables: First, there were weeks of daily rain, broken occasionally by 90 degree scorching heat, and the rare days of fine weather, I was on decorating jobs with strict deadlines that couldn't be rescheduled, so I kept trying to paint this in less than even semi-ideal conditions. Second, on the day I drove 40 miles for paint, my favorite paint store was out of my beloved Benjamin Moore DTM in the base I needed, so I let them substitute an "equal" product.

I'm sure the strength is equal, because judging by how hard it was to sand smooth after every messed up coat, a jackhammer isn't going to nick the stuff. Even the times I tried without wind or baking heat, I could not get a smooth coat. I did get very good at sanding, though, and 3M, maker of Sandblaster sand paper, will no doubt see a rise in their profits this quarter.

Finished! Except for top coating the golden primed trim. Oh, and the details...

Finally, a few days ago, I added an extender ( a product that keeps the paint wet longer), which didn't work, so I doubled the maximum amount, and tried it again yesterday, at sunrise, on a calm, cool morning, with prayers and pleas for angelic intervention, and a promise to the Divine to never ever again say "yes" to a job that isn't what I really do. I'm not kidding. There was a good long minute of silence before I picked up the roller. It worked. Credit the extender, the weather, or the angels, but I think it was the promise that I have learned my lesson, that I can safely acknowledge that I am not (even supposed to be) good at everything (which just might possibly be one reason why there are a lot more people than just me on the planet), and that I can safely say "no" to the jobs that really aren't mine to do.

This is of course, not the end of the story.

From the start, I've known Georgine would have preferred some snazzy accent color, something special on the front door, and I've wondered if I should take the time to add a detail. I couldn't charge for it, as it wasn't in the bid, but not only would it please the Keeper of the Tomes, it could be good for business. After all, Georgine, contrary to librarian stereotype, is as talkative as I am, and runs the Information Hub of Belle Plaine over there, so she would certainly be sure to tell people where to find me. My only problem was that I needed to finish this today, and I had an Artgirl coming for class at nine o'clock, during the prime painting hours.

Sometimes problems are their own solutions! I met Faithie at the front door, with an exclamation of "Field Trip!", and away we went. Faith is home schooled, and I am privileged to be a part of that. I mostly stick to art, but lately many of our projects are needing math, so I figured this would be a good place to practice both math and measuring, plus perspective. We've been working on architectural drawings, and gearing up for some model building, so today was a good warm-up for that.

Yes, Honey, you do the math. Yeah, that's my clipboard in her hands. No calculator, no little computer-thingy, just a pen and the little gray cells.

This vintage yardstick from a lumber yard lists their phone number as "38"! Interesting to see what technology has changed, and what is exactly the same! Faithie liked measuring.

Faithie did NOT like taping. I must admit that I DID like her taping. My knees especially liked her taping.

Once she saw the first panel unmasked, Faithie was excited to finish painting the rest.

Ta-da! From flat to formed in about two hours. This is the simplest version of trompe l'oeil raised panels, but even at that, it will fool most people standing right in front of it.

And here's the front door "after"

I would love to see Georgine's reaction to this when she arrives at work tomorrow. Probably it will just be relief to see the job is finally done! Alas, I'm off to paint and distress a china hutch, but I'll see her a bit later at the Garden Club meeting, which meets at the library tonight (if you are in the area bpgardeners.blogspot.com). They aren't exactly impressed with my addition of zinnias and mariagolds to my usual repertoire of mint and ditch lilies, so maybe the door will wow them. Hey, I never said I was good at everything! :)

I am pretty good at decorative paint and plaster, so check out my website, theartofthehome.com, to view my portfolio, and for details on how to hire me.

If you are working on a project that you think I might know something about, feel free to email me with questions. I'll answer if I know something helpful. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

When the moon hits your eye...

2011-10-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

...like a big pizza pie...

Love pizza? Ever make your own? This was something my family did fairly often when I was growing up, as a weekend supper, where no matter how many picky friends we dragged in, everyone could eat exactly what they wanted, since everyone helped cut and load the toppings. Our friends loved it! In fact, I'm pretty sure all of us Lara kids shamelessly used our homemade pizza skills to snare a heart or two in our first years out on our own. These days, I make it to take to movie nights with "the girls", a few of us who meet once a week to watch movies the rest of the world saw years ago, but we somehow missed. Pizza isn't hard to make, but it is a little time-consuming. You need to start the dough about 2 1/2 hours ahead of time, so it takes some planning, but it's worth it.

Crust ready to rise

For the crust, refer to the recipe in this post: http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2010/12/bread-lovers-workout.html. I added about a tablespoon of crushed rosemary and about that much basil with the egg and butter. After the dough has risen, instead of shaping loaves, divide it into thirds and roll it as thin as possible. Place each on a cookie sheet that has been dusted with a handful of cornmeal, stretch it out as big as possible, and roll the edge, to create a drip lip. Allow these to rise about 15-20 minutes, then bake in a 425 degree oven for about ten minutes. You want the bottom to be firm enough to sit on the rack, but not fully cooked, or the crust might burn before the pizza toppings are hot. If you like soft crust, skip the prebake, and bake your assembled pizza on the cookie sheet about 25-35 minutes. Extra dough can be frozen as is, or baked and frozen.

For the sauce, you can use your own favorite recipe, a commercial sauce, or whip up a quick sauce for one pizza with a can of tomato paste, a couple spoonfuls of minced garlic, chopped sun dried or fresh tomatoes, Italian herbs, and enough water to get the consistency up to spreadable, but not runny. Simmer a few minutes to blend.

Ready to take 'n' bake.

Top with your choice of cheese and veggies. I made a quick pass through our farmer's market for fresh tomatoes and onions, used some of the peppers remaining from last week's overflow, and mushrooms from the grocer. I like to put some of the cheese on the crust when it comes hot from the oven, on the theory that the oils protect the crust from getting soggy, layer on the sauce and toppings, then use the bulk of the cheese on top to hold all the toppings in place. I usually put on way too many toppings for any sane amount of cheese to ensnare, but it's probably somewhat helpful. Slide the pizza off of the cookie sheet onto the oven rack (prebaked crust only!), placed in the center of the oven, and bake at 425 about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Fresh out of the oven...it disappears quickly.

Still hungry? This blog http://ordinarylife-mk.blogspot.com/ has some yummy recipes, including one for a caramelized onion pizza, if you scroll down past the salmon prepping adventure. It's written by a woman in Southwestern Oregon, across the mountains from where I grew up, and there are lots of gorgeous scenic photos. Western Oregon is a different climate than Eastern, so her side of the mountains gets more of a cold rainy winter, while the eastern side of Oregon is more like Minnesota in the winter...except with mountains. I miss mountains. Sigh.

When I'm not feeding my friends and pining away for ponderosas, I splash paint on things for people. You can see my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

If you are working on a home dec project and run into a snag, feel free to email me. If I can help solve the dilemma, I would be delighted to do so. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

Does this frame make me look flat?

2011-10-05T23:42:00.000-05:00

Nope, I didn't paint the artwork in this home. I got called in to paint the frame. The homeowner liked the style and scale of the frame, but wasn't thrilled with the gold leaf finish. It was a beautiful frame, and if it'd had something in common with either the art or the room, it might have worked just fine. However, while there are small touches of gold throughout this house, there isn't anything formal (like a brass chandelier, for instance), and nothing about the rustic countryside in the painting relates to the formality of the frame, either.

before: painting with gold frame.

So, how did we choose a new finish? There are touches of black throughout the home, and quite a lot of it in this living room, including the fireplace and TV. These black holes certainly don't need to be matched, but they can often benefit by being balanced. Julie wasn't sure she wanted solid black though, so we decided to use red with it. This color is used as an accent throughout the room, as well.

After: Painting with black rub over red oxide frame, with gold highlights.

I undercoated the frame in red oxide, and rubbed back the black top coat to let this peek through. Then, I used a gilding wax to bring back touches of gold, to pick up the details in the carved wood, and play up the little pops of yellow flowers in the painting. Same painting in a different room might get a completely different treatment, just as a different painting in this same room might call for a different frame.

The red and gold details show off the carving on the frame, and pick up just a little of the color in the painting.

Great artwork might not match your sofa (that's a favorite saying among gallery owners and capital-A artists), but with the right frame, almost any artwork can look at home in any room.

Whether you want me to paint a scene as a mural, or just paint the frame for art you already own, you can get all the details on how to hire me at theartofthehome.com.

If you want to tackle a similar project on your own and need advice, do feel welcome to email me. I'll be happy to share what I know. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.

I'm not crazy. Really.

2011-10-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

Oh, look! I did something normal! I turned a quilt block into...gasp...a pillow top. If you're wondering what the big deal is, you're a little new here, aren't you? Click this link to an older post, to see the last place I put a crazy quilt: http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2011/03/inspiration-robin-brownmagnolia-pearl.html. For me, that's typical.

I originally made this quilt block for a purse, but decided that the embroidery wasn't likely to hold up to the rigors I put a purse through. The thing is, I sew my own purses custom-sized and fitted to hold tools, including the cordless drill, for those days when I'm trying to look like a proper designer, but know I'm going to be installing drapery hardware. Next time I really must remember to empty that out, before running in to make a withdrawal at the bank. Yeah, well, I didn't cause anyone to actually set off any alarms, and I didn't say: "Alright everyone, this is a screw up!" mainly because I didn't (thankfully!) think of it at the time. Anyway, back to quilting.

I treated myself to a real day off this weekend. I alternated rereading a favorite book, with burning a batch of banana muffins (recipe here: http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2011/05/best-ever-banana-muffins.html), auditioning a different coffee table in my living room (it failed, but might make a good base for an armoire I want to build), and sewing this pillow. Like I said, the quilt block was done, so I just had to sew the flange (which is a great cheatie way to make a pillow seem bigger when the insert you have is smaller than you would like, but you are not going to get out of your pajamas and drive to the fabric store for a bigger one), then stitch on a backing and a few buttons. I must've had some angelic intervention, 'cause all three button holes stitched up perfectly on the first try, which has happened to me, let's see... never!

If you want to learn the technique for crazy quilting, which is completely different than regular piece work quilting, learn from the Queen of Crazy Quilting, Judith Baker Montano. judithbakermontano.com. The basic piecing is pretty easy, and goes together quick. The time-consuming part is the details. This is the simplest piece I have ever embellished. Usually there are all sorts of beads, buttons and ribbon work, plus charms and embroidered motifs. It can be used to make gorgeous scenic art, interesting mixed media art, and yes, strategic covering for a cracked plaster ceiling. Crazy good!

Now, speaking of crazy good, here's a fun little thing that happens a lot around here. I'm not religious in the traditional sense, but one day I may have to write a book called "God Came Knocking", because The Divine has a habit of showing off by sending people to my door to deliver messages, about once a month. I'll be thinking about something, sometimes asking for answers in morning pages or prayers, and the doorbell rings, and the person there has come to talk about exactly that subject. It's not always something of earth-shattering importance. Like today, which seems to be just fun synchronicity...

See, as I was getting dressed this morning, I was thinking about writing tonight's post, based on my new rabbit pillow. In my head, I was writing something about how I once thought I would take up quilting, and collected several books on the topic and a small mountain of fabric, only to realize after my first block that I would never have the attention span to make two of the same, much less sixteen to sixty of them, but lucky for me, when I moaned about this at the fabric store (they were client's of mine back in my sign painter days), they traded my Georgia Bonesteel quilting book for one of Judith's. So, as I was editing this in my brain (into slightly shorter sentences), and tying my shoes, there was a knock at my door. It was my friend Sherry, who dabbles in dealing vintage and antique goodies, bringing me a birthday gift: a pretty little vintage baby quilt made up of sixteen identical blocks embroidered with pink bunnies. She had no idea what I would want it for, didn't know I had ever quilted anything but my ceiling, and had no idea I was even remotely interested in quilts, but she simply had to get it for me, and had to drop it off first thing this morning.

Crazy good.

...and no, Mom, not to worry, there's not a chance this will get used for it's intended purpose in my house, unless God's sense of humor is seriously warped.

By the way, if you are in the Belle Plaine area, Sherry, who was my sidekick when I had the boutique, is having a garage sale this Wednesday and Thursday. It's nearly all vintage and antique, at REALLY good prices. Just take Meridian north to State street, and State street west toward Blakely. Sherry's place is on the right, just before you come to the end of Belle Plaine and head into the country. If you are anywhere in the TC Metro, drive on down. After Sherry's, you can cruise on along the river to check out the gorgeous autumn leaves, loop back through Belle Plaine for coffee and lunch at Duets, then hit Jim's Apple Barn on the way back up 169, for a few dozen kinds of apples, not to mention something like 87 (I'm not making this up) kinds of licorice.

Normally, I paint walls and ceilings, and I do a pretty good job of it, which you can see at theartofthehome.com.

If you have any questions about decorating that you think I might be able to answer, feel free to email me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com. If you have questions only God can answer, I suggest you ask, then listen for the knock at your door! ;)

The three best things about 46

2011-10-01T00:51:00.001-05:00

1. The gray hairs are still being mistaken for highlights.
2. When I ask if the restaurant has a birthday special, the waitress doesn't suspiciously ask for i.d., like she did at 15.
3. Being born on the stroke of midnight, I get two birthdays, which means two shots at birthday cake, and only 23 candles to easily blow out on each, so all my wishes still come true!

It's my birthday, and I can blog if I want to...or not! :) Proper decorating blog post coming on Monday. Catch you then!

October 10: If you came to this post through fb, the woman who shared it really wanted you to see the next post, so click "Newer Post", or click "Home" and scroll down to "I'm not Crazy. Really."