I finished “landscape dresser no. 4” yesterday and had the chance to style and photograph it today. The prop-pickings were slim in the studio, but I love how everything came together to showcase this piece.
As a reminder, here is how the dresser started. It really was pretty as it was, but I’ve learned that even pretty wood pieces don’t usually sell for me, so I went ahead and painted it.
I would call this a “mixed media” dresser, since I used two different kinds of paint together to get the finished look. I used about 90% MMS Milk Paint and 10% Liquitex artist acrylics. I used those acrylics to add some more intense color where I wanted it and for mixing with the milk paint.
I used the milk paint like watercolors, so I allowed them to be translucent and to run and bleed, especially in the sky. You can check out THIS POST for the details on the colors and techniques I used.
Since I last shared the dresser, I added the tree, fences, and a lone cow. I realize cows are generally in groups, but I liked the composition with just one cow. Maybe this one misbehaved or was so endearing that the farmer couldn’t bring him to auction with the rest. Either way, he’s happily having a snack under the shade of the tree.
The knobs on this piece are the “screw-in” variety, so I wanted to keep them and I liked the idea of not painting them. They become more of a feature.
I just revived the top with a little bit of Hemp Oil.
I lightly distressed the paint around the edges and allowed it to chip where it wanted to. I finished the body of the piece in Tough Coat.
This piece may be for sale. My mom might want to swap this one out for the other one she recently claimed! My furniture-shuffling tendencies may be rubbing off on her. I’ll let you know if it is for sale or if the other one will be.
The rabbit print belonged to my husband’s grandmother. I admired it when we stayed at the cabin in Colorado a few years ago, so I’m so happy to own it now.
And, did you notice the floors?
They are just perfect for my “photography area” in the studio. I’ll share more about them soon.
Until next time…
47 Responses
This is my favorite landscape dresser so far!!! Love the colors. The technique -all of it. It’s just lovely!
I can honestly say that I loved the look of the old floors better……these are just too new. They look out of place in the photos using antique and vintage items. I’m really surprised that you covered old wood up!
Amy, Don’t panic,. If you have been following the progress of Marion’s floors, you would have seen that these “new” floors are only in a corner of her studio. The floors were “orange” and a combination of plywood and pine. It is a temporary solution since she rents the space and can’t do anything permanent.
It’s gorgeous!! my absolute favorite so far!
PS love the floor! perfect for your style.
This reminds me of the Blue Ridge Mountains…. so pretty and unique!
Very pretty, I think this is my favorite of the landscape dressers. And I see the wing chair, it didn’t sell at Luckett’s?
That’s actually a different wing chair, one that was displaced from my house, so I’ve been using it in the studio.
Really good. I love the mountain scene…the dimension is lovely.
Marian, just so you know, cows are she! Bulls are he!
LOL…well, you learn something new every day! 🙂 No boy cows. Got it!
I learned that from my mom a few years ago. I had to call to report a cow in the roadway and I was telling my mom about it, how dispatch asked me to “Describe the cow…” I was telling them “it’s a black cow, he…” etc…My mom stopped me right there and said, ‘He? If it was a he it would have been a steer, not a cow…” etc. Well, excuse me Mom (her father (my grandpa) raised cattle for over 40 years). hahaha
a steer is a bull that has been fixed 😉
ha! lol !!
I love this dresser…..the solitude of just one cow and all the landscape standing on it’s own. I really like the new floor and have a couple of friends that have used this product and are so happy with it. I start my day with this site as I drink my coffee and start the stressful parts. This peaceful landscape is just lovely. Thank you for sharing and have an excellent holiday weekend.
This dresser is beautiful….I love all the farm scenes you’ve done. But, I live at the beach and wondered if you would consider doing a seascape scene on one of your dressers. It has all the colors you love…blues, whites, greens. I know it would turn out gorgeous. And best of all, I could try to copy your work…as I enjoy doing for my home. Thanks for all you do-you’re an inspiration.
This is my favorite landscape dresser yet!! Love the gorgeous bright colors in this one.
Floors look great too.
Beautiful! You should sign the landscape pieces you paint – after all, they are one-of-a-kind pieces of art!
I was thinking the same thing!
my favorite one so far! love that it isn’t busy and has the fence that dips down. beautiful. i would bet the farm that your mom will want it!
So sweet and charming. I have to stick with the popular vote and join in that this is my fav.
LOVE the neutral floors. A nice backdrop to your vignettes.
I’ve had my eye on that same print on Etsy for months as artwork for our nursery, but haven’t been able to commit. But seeing it here, it looks so sweet! I think I need to go order it. I think the chunky frame and large matte suit it perfectly.
Not that that was the focus of the post, but I was inspired!
Maria
thegrowersdaughter.blogspot.com
Love the dresser…Love the floor…Love your blog!
That’s one of my favorite landscapes you have done!
This is definitely your ‘thing’. Love it!
This one is my fave as well! You are even slowly bringing me around to wanting to try painting on my own. And I, too, hope a beach theme piece will be in the mix as you branch out and look for more ideas in your signature palette.
Love, love, love the added fence and those knobs just as they are! Gorgeous! You are truly gifted!
This dresser is precious! Such beautiful artistry in the landscape. I love the lone cow!
I am new to your blog and I am really enjoying reading the posts. Your antique dresser is just beautiful — I love it! You have done such a lovely job at painting it. I have never seen anything like this! I also love that antique picture of the rabbit. I have a similar picture from my grannie which I just love. And, your floors, are beautiful! I am really going to enjoy your posts! Have a great day!
Marian, congratulations! Lights and darks are wonderful. Shape of pasture leads to Center of Interest, cow & tree, a home run. Dresser #4 is really good! I quite like it.
I knew you would take a perfectly fine wood dresser and make it perfectly charming! And I would have laid money on you keeping the knobs wood. If I lived near you I would be knocking on your workshop to buy this piece!
I love each landscape dresser! You are so talented!
Just beautiful and so peaceful to look at.
I second the beach scape suggestion! I think your painting techniques would be perfect for layering blues, greens and whites of the ocean. I love everything you do, but maybe you could step way from the sheep and stretch that comfort level a bit. You never shy away from a challenge!!
This is my favorite landscape dresser yet. I have loved that rabbit print for years. I believe the original is by Durer.
The first thing I noticed was your floor, it looks great, and I have to say I covet your rabbit print. that said, my favorite part of the dresser is the single cow and the fence.
The print is of a work done in water colors by Albrect Durer in about 1500. He was German . I have a copy of the print and was considering gifting it to my son who has always loved it as much as I do.
Love the dresser and I think it’s awesome your mom wants them too!
Love your new floors!!
Everything looks awesome!
Each dresser has made me think it couldn’t get better, and then you do another that thrills me. This one is lovely…I would keep them all even if I had a house full of dressers.I wish I was your mom!
Very nice job on this dresser, Marian. I love it just as much as the others yet it has a completely different look to me. I was concerned at one point after you started this one that it might be too repetitive of the others, but certainly not the case! Has its own feeling and ambiance. Good job! (But I want sheep in mine! ha, ha)
I, for one, am glad you are assigning them a number. It would be terrible to eventually run out of names, but numbers can go on and on…………
The wooden knobs and hemp-oiled top complement the landscape colors beautifully. Another cool thing about this is the way the painting wraps around the sides, instead of just being on the front. However, I have enjoyed all of the landscape dressers, each is unique. Definitely, sign each one!
Just my two cents’ worth, but I think landscapes would be sweet on little stools (either the round or stepladder variety). Accent pillows, too. I enjoy looking at all your endeavors.
Your best landscape dresser yet. Love the punch of color. Good decision to leave knobs unpainted. I’m not surprised your mother is sorely tempted to swap out for your latest effort.
I agree with keeping with the numbering of the dressers – when we go back to drool at each one we can go in order 🙂 This one is breathtaking!
Wonderful job again! What a treasure it would be to own one of these dressers! You have been blessed with a wonderful talent! I wanted to tell you that a cow would go away from the herd alone to calf. They hide their calves for about 3-4 days and come back to them to nurse them. So you did good!
My favorite so far!!! 🙂
This one is my favorite! If your mom doesn’t want it, or the other one I would LOVE to purchase one! Let me know!!
Where is the frame from that the rabbit print is in?