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Let me start by saying that I rarely accept custom work, but this one just felt right.  Angie, the client, said I could just do what I do and her only request was that I “add critters”.  She also wasn’t in a rush, so I was able to work on it when I had time and as inspiration struck.

Kriste lightly sanded the piece and painted it in two coats of MMS Milk Paint Farmhouse White to give a blank white “canvas” for the landscape.

I decided to paint this one almost entirely with milk paint.  I have been mixing acrylics into the other dressers I’ve done, but I wanted to keep these colors very soft.  I also wanted to do the landscape primarily in blues and green/blues.

I used Eulalie’s Sky, Shutter Gray, and Farmhouse White for the clouds, Flow Blue, Trophy and Shutter Gray for the mountains, Boxwood, Lucketts Green, Kitchen Scale, Layla’s Mint, and Flow Blue for the hills.  The farmhouse, barn, and sheep are Farmhouse White, Shutter Gray, and Trophy.  I really enjoyed working in the limited palette.

I added a little flock of sheep on the distant hill for the requested “critters”.

I worked on it over a couple of days, giving each layer time to dry.  Milk paint, much like watercolor, is best built up in layers, so the colors don’t get muddy.  It also gave me time to think about the composition and details as I worked.

Once I was finished, I distressed the edges and applied Hemp Oil to the entire piece to bring out the depth of the paint colors and the patina of the wood top and pulls.

The patina and wear on the wood is gorgeous, so I’m glad I was able to showcase some of it.

I kept the painting loose and “folk-arty”, which suited the style and age of the dresser as well as the color palette.

It was really hard to capture the clouds in a picture, because they are very soft…

…but I love how the nuances of the sky turned out.  It’s very subtle, but it’s there.

My favorite part is lone tree and the farmhouse.

…and the little blobby sheep…

Most importantly, Angie loved it.  Well, or she’s being very polite, but she said she loved it, so I’m going to take that at face value!

I had a fun day out shopping with my mom.  Within ten minutes of being in the antique shop, I already filled up most of the van with a gorgeous step-back cupboard.  I just can’t help myself when it comes to a beautiful piece of furniture…

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    37 Comments

    1. Jeanne

      This piece is beautiful! Love that it is simple and whimsical.

    2. Kristen

      Marian I just love this dresser, especially the sweet details like the sheep grazing in the fields and the tiny windows on the houses. I have to ask however, what colour is the stain on the top? Or is it a simple treatment of hemp oil? It is absolutely beautiful.

    3. B. Folk

      Love those blobby sheep! All of your landscape pieces are gorgeous.

    4. Cheryl

      Beautifu,!

    5. Vicki K

      No time to write like I want to – Feedback: please research Center of Interest and Movement (your eye is moved around the picture naturally by the placement of objects, starting with the CoI). My eye went immediately to the tall mountain on the right and ignored everything else completely. I had to drag my eyes back to the farmhouse and the sheep, rather than being led by the CoI, which is the center mountain. Also do you want to be authentic or imaginative? Either one is fine for folk painting. (I know about farms back in the day, and it sort of grates on my nerves that it “isn’t right”, which is stupid of me). I hope you take these suggestions like they are meant, I love your work and your writing or I wouldn’t be here, just have no time to explain it all. The piece is STILL so sweet and nice, maybe you could paint out that high peak. Love your sheep and cows. I like how you are ‘grounding’ your items like farmhouses, (try a soft pale rusty brown-red barn too!) and trees etc. with shadowy things! You are getting so much better, you def have a lot of talent and what’s better: no fear -you made it over the hump! Congrats!! the world is yours. – Art Degreed Teacher, Tx Cert. K-12.

      • marian

        I definitely take your critiques kindly. 🙂 I have a few other artists who have e-mailed me with feedback and it’s so helpful! I am definitely painting “from my gut” and I would really like to learn the technical side of art. I’m hoping to take some classes at some point, but I’ve got to get hubby through is masters program first!

    6. Linda Charlton

      As always, beautiful work.

    7. Lucy

      From one artist to another. I love this piece. It’s beautiful. Would not change a thing. You have great natural talent.

    8. Pamela Allen

      MMS, Words can not express the dreamy story your paintings bring to mind. Please do not ever change the way you tell these innocent tales. One of the things that keep us coming to your page is the beautiful way you share. Just always be yourself. We love you just as you are. God bless you and your talent.

    9. Gavin Cox

      We need to see before photos i.e. before paint, I had to go back and look again for the critters lol
      I’d be tempted to have painted the knobs … just saying

      • marian

        I usually do! I just forgot to with this one. 🙂

        • Lori

          I really liked the knobs left unpainted on this one so that they match the wood top…I think it really ties the piece together!

    10. Rebecca

      My favorite one so far!! My sister is an artist and she always says, an artist does what they envision. If you want something else, hire a painter! Art is not something you can put parameters around, Keep finding your voice as an artist!!!!

    11. JaneS

      Imagine suggesting that you paint out a “mistake!” Ha! I’m very sure it was meant to be helpful, but man, where is her governor that tells her to bite her tongue? Marion, you’re a marvel. Keep up the beautiful work. Your pieces are so, so you, as they should be.

    12. Anita H Birkhimer

      Reminds be of Amish country

    13. marylisa noyes

      takes such a steady hand. looks amazing!

    14. Donna Doble-Brown

      Beautiful Marian . . . Just beautiful. . . .

    15. Karen Peterson

      I love it! I just wish the knob wasn’t right on the farmhouse. Not a critique.

      • marian

        I know! When I was putting the knob on, it covered it a lot more than I expected.

    16. Kathy

      i must say, i really love this piece, your panting is beautiful, love the farmhouse and the hills, and …well all of it, i love the fact that you left the draw pulls and the top in the original patina, that really makes it for me. beautiful job. thanks for sharing.

    17. Laurie

      Hi Marian!
      You’ve created a beautiful piece. My eye, which can be critical at times, went straight to the farmhouse. I love everything you do, it’s honest and real. And, since I did have the opportunity to meet you, I know you are honest and real too.
      Love ya!

    18. Sue

      Every landscape dresser is my favorite 🙂 That tree! I was so drawn to the shading (I don’t know if that is the correct term) – just beautiful! There is a small cabinet I have my eye on at the antique mall that would be perfect for a landscape…LMK if you ever want to do some custom work in the Midwest 😉

    19. Tonya

      This is such a gorgeous dresser. Everything about it makes me smile. I adore that lone tree! The wooden knobs are lovely but perhaps smaller glass knobs would be less obstructive of that sweet farmhouse. Beautifully done, Marian.

      • marian

        Yeah, I actually thought about glass knobs, but these knobs are the kind with large wood screws on the back, so they couldn’t be replaced.

    20. Cindy in Oklahoma

      Daring greatly …… and beautifully, Marian.

      Funny… but when a mountain just wants to rise up above the rest, who am I to tell it that it can’t because someone will be distracted and unable to enjoy the fluffiness below? I’ve seen a lot of real mountains and hills and they’re a rebellious bunch, you know?

    21. Naomi S.

      Another beautiful piece, Marian! I won’t say it’s my favorite of all you’ve done because it doesn’t have any cows! But I do love the little tiny sheep. How do you make those little tiny blobs look just like sheep? MIne would look like little tiny blobs, I’m sure! I think your landscape dressers are so unique and so sweet. I hope you keep doing them. Maybe in about five years I’ll be able to afford one!

    22. Tammy

      Another beautiful piece!

    23. Diane

      I love these dressers that you have been painting, I love the critters, the little houses and the soft tones! There is one thing I want to ask…is there a reason why you don’t paint the top of the drawers? I have been painting dressers for my house and I always paint the tops of the drawers, I was just wondering if it was a preference of yours in particular? I think I have to agree with Gavin on the unpainted knobs I would have preferred them painted. As to the critique from Vicki…seems to me that any constructive criticism allows us to build and gain knowledge! Writing a blog you are putting yourself out there and by doing so will mean that you will get everyone’s opinion. Some you will like, some you wont but should we stop people from being allowed to voice theirs, I don’t think so..its a slippery slope! Marian keep on doing what you are doing…I love every one of them, all unique and something to be passed down!

    24. Donna

      Well I love it! My eye did not linger on the mountains, but then I am a detail person, so my eyes don’t “linger”, too busy taking it all in….I love the farm house, want to live in it….and just going to say it, I LOVE SHEEP…it is the very sweetest dresser ever!

    25. Cheri

      Marian what an inspriration you are! If I read only one blog it will always be yours. You inspire me in so many ways! What a gift you have.

    26. Julie

      Great talent Marian. Love the dresser. I wonder if this will ever be on Antiques Roadshow one day, and they will comment on the folk art, and it will be worth $25,000 !!! Never know right?
      Love that you are keeping this art alive.

      • melanie

        No.

    27. Karen K from Buffalo

      Beautiful!…You both should be so proud!

    28. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

      Marian, what a beautiful job you did of painting that antique dresser. It is so so lovely! I just love that piece! You do such gorgeous work. God has given you a wonderful gift!

      Bless you!

    29. Sharon B.

      Absolutely gorgeous, Marian! I love the colours and the folk artsy style of the scene. You are incredibly talented and I love seeing your furniture, but this dresser is really special.

    30. Annabelle

      Love Pastoral landscapesand this one is so lovely!

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