I avoided the landscape dresser for the better part of the day with great success. I busied myself with e-mail, phone meetings, writing a post…
I was pretty convinced that I was going to mess it up. That’s just the truth.
Even though I felt inspired to do more landscape painting, I was really intimidated by it as well. I finally put my paints on a palette and started.
It’s just paint. It’s just paint.
It’s easier to show the process in a video, so here it is…
It’s not finished, yet, but I procrastinated so much that I ran out of time!
Here’s how it looks so far…
I need to do the details on the cows, work on the windmill, and fix a couple of other things. It’s coming along, though!
Jeff asked what the pile was under the tree. “It’s a bush!”
If it requires explanation, I might need to do a bit more work on it.
Now that I look at it, it does look a bit more like a pile or a wave. Ha! You have to be able to laugh at yourself, right?
The cows are the part I was most scared of, but I’m pleased with the shape so far. You’ll see in the video that it took me a few tries to get the calf’s head right.
As I said in my post yesterday, I’m working with acrylic paints on this piece. The base coats are in MMS Milk Paint, but I decided to work with artist acrylics, since they have more body and pure color pigments that are better for mixing. My palette is always a mess when I’m done, because I like to mix colors a lot. If you mix colors that aren’t pure tints too much, they start to get muddy.
The paints I was working with are Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics. For this dresser, I primarily used…
- Burnt Umber (brown)
- Chromium Green Oxide
- Titanium White
- Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue
- Ultra Marine Blue
- Black
I also used a Glazing Medium/Flow Aid to help extend the paint (keep it wet longer) and to thin it out a bit. It just makes life easier when you’re painting.
As far as brushes, I used a 1/2 wedge most of the time, with a 1.0 liner and a #4 filbert for the details.
In addition to some finishing and fixing, I will lightly distress the piece and used some Antiquing Wax on it to soften the overall look.
More to come on this piece…
cute!! I think the pile under the tree looks like feed that’s been tossed there for the cows!! this would look awesome in a boys room! love it!
I think the cows will be just as lovable as the “blobby sheep”! Wish I had the money and space for this. Great work, Marian!
The dresser is looking good! I admire your honesty about being scared of a project. With all your talent and skills you still have those insecurities or doubts but you pushed through those feelings. Something I need to work hard at too. What would have happened if you just threw your hands in the air and said “I ll never be able to do this”.? This is something I really need to work on. Thanks for sharing your feelings and your great talent.
Excellent! And will the knobs be wood that are painted to blend in?
What a talent! I love it already! Are you able to share the music information from the video? Would enjoy listening to more.
I love it! You have done it again!!!
Just rewatched part-one again and this is so beautiful! Truly, a one-of-a-kind, can’t find it anywhere else, painted by the milk-paint master, herself! Whoever is blessed to have this piece in his/her home will be thrilled! Thank you, once again, for the inspiration!
I like the cows the best. I always procrastinate then enjoy what Im doing so much I don’t want to stop.
You are fearless! It’s fabulous. I love the cows. 🙂
You are doing a beautiful job! I adore farm scenes, especially barns and farm animals. I love it!!! I can’t wait to see it finished.
I love this. It needs to be in my spare bedroom.
It looks really good! I thought the bush under the tree was going to be a mound of hay/straw but that’s in the bush family so it’s all good. : ) Wishing I had your talent.
Phenomenal!!! You hit it outta the ballpark…again!!! I just can’t get enough….I would love to watch you paint in person, so the videos are the next best thing?. I’m so glad that you unearthed your God-given talent and find the time to share it all with us…what a blessing and inspiration you are to so many, Marian!
Mit vielen dank und ?,
Gloria
Beautiful! I could get lost in the dreamy painting.
You are such a hard worker! Don’t you wish you could paint as fast as that video shows? Think of how many dressers you could do in a day!
I agree with Tracey, the music is beautiful, too!
It would be so much easier to watch if there weren’t so many pop ups all of the time. I understand making money with your blog but I can hardly see the content any more. Regardless, the dresser is very cute.
Is your computer set to block pop ups? Just a thought…
Aubrey, thanks for letting me know. I’m not supposed to have pop-ups on my blog, so if you could give me a bit more detail, that would be helpful. Are you looking at the mobile version (with ads mixed in the content) or the desktop version, ads on the side bar and one running along the bottom? And do you recall which ad is popping up?
Or are you referring to ads on the video?
Yes, I do make money off of them, but when they are getting in the way of the content, that’s a problem!
Marian, I look at your blog on desk top, laptop and tablet (not Mac or iPad) and I don’t get pop ups. I agree with Alison G, could be your pop-up blocker is not set.
I love the white barn! Great job!
I would buy that dresser in a New York minute!!!!! I’m in Connecticut….to far to pick it up!!!! Someone will snatch that right up!!!!! Great job…..I LOVE IT!!!!!
I love it so much!!! I’m sure you will sell it now. I love barns and collect them, wish I lived closer, I would buy it now!! You are so talented!!
I love watching this, the evolution of a piece of art. You know that a dozen people are going to say they want it, one of which will actually buy it. Great marketing! I might have been one except I’m in Utah with a house in Virginia I need to sell. Until all that’s settled, I’m in a buying moratorium. Dang it!
Just wanted you to know Marian I reas this on an android phone. Not a single pop up ad. . .
I love it! Are you going to be at The Purple Painted Lady Festival in Sept? I’m from that area, but now live in the south. Looks like a neat festival, would love to go.
It’s looking really good!
Your loving heart and charm shows up in all your work. Most of us painters add to your phrase. It’s not brain surgery; It’s just paint; It’s just paint. Love all you do.
How pretty Marian!
Marian,
I think that the dresser has turned out really well so far.You are such a talented artist,
Well done.
Penny
So pretty!
Beautiful. I’d love to try this but you always set the bar so high. 🙂
iPad. Ads between photos.
I use iPad as well and get ads. Pop-ups are blocked too. When it gets real annoying I just switch to readers pane which is available by clicking the the little 4lined icon in the address bar to the left.
Love the dresser. makes me want to sit down and start drawing!
That dresser is so darn cute! You probably should work on the “bush” by the tree, tho’, and how about a pile of hay next to the corner of the barn on the left instead of the bush that’s there? Just an idea.
Someone is going to snap it up so fast! Then…you’ll have to find another dresser to paint a scene on! The artful dressers could be the subjects of a lot of posts! I think all of us love watching them unfold.
Looking terrific, Marian.
Beautifully done…but the perspective of the lines of the roof need some adjustment…when you draw the lines further in your head to the horizon ..in the end they must come together….I always make that mistake myself….and have to check…unless you want to leave it like that because it is a charming painting, you don’t have to change it…I hope you understand what I want to say..English is not a my first language…..I admire all the work you do. I am fan and can learn a lot of all your projects…thank you…
Seriously, you were afraid! We should all be so talented. Love it.
I can’t stop admiring this piece. It is just BEAUTIFUL! Your blog is my favorite, so much talent and inspiration. You have inspired me to repurpose furniture but not just to paint it too give it a new life! Thank you for sharing your gift so generously! ?
Lovely. Wondering what you do about drawer pulls?
Hi Marian! Your dresser makes me smile! It’s so beautiful. You have such a talent and I’m so thankful you share it with us. Your home is beautiful, too!
I agree with another reader, too… I love the happy music you chose in your videos of this dresser. Could you please share the name of that song with us?
Thank you! 🙂
I love it — the colors are great ! The cows look happy, and the house and the windmill are charming!
I am like you….those extra little loads