Tags
art by Lisa Brunetti, concrete floors, Energy before a storm, old furniture makeover, porch balcony projects, Timeout for ARt No Rehearsals
Picture perfect afternoon! Surely the skies will be clear for days?
Talent renders the whole idea of rehearsal meaningless. When you find something at which you are talented, you do it – whatever it is – until your fingers bleed or your eyes are ready to fall out of your head. (Stephen King)
As if to compensate for the most-recent 2-day power outage, a burst of energy kept me working at full throttle for the past several days. After painting touch ups on the wooden balcony floor, I protected it with two coats of a transparent sealer. Between coats, I painted the inside panels of the balcony white, then rolled a medium to light blue and then a lighter blue over that.
The little built-in bench looked quite anemic beneath the colorful moon window, so i painted the back a pastel orange and the seat area in light blue/green colors. As the afternoon progressed, I added more depth and movement with strokes of color.
The sides looked forlorn and forgotten, so with very loose and spontaneous strokes, I added the blues and greens to each side.
I went downstairs to the bodega/magic carpet room, and since the magic carpet was grounded because of power (batteries dead!) problems, I applied a much-needed application of varnish to the compass and surrounding tiles. After cleaning the brush, I then prepped the next section of the bodega floor and retreated upstairs.
Waiting upstairs was the makeover challenge on an old discarded headboard from a friend’s house. The damaged areas (from insects) had been treated with insecticide and then filled with wood putty and then the entire piece prepped with ‘Agua Stop.” New colors an fabric from an old hammock brought it back to life! It was in dire need of some creative grafting, and with hammer, nails and a saw, I converted it into a bench!
Noting approaching darkness, I cut more flowers for the growing collection for the flower drop!
Rain triggers malinche blossoms!
The downstairs floor received another coat of paint, and I prepped a few more items before cleaning the brushes.
As I put away my supplies, I noted the sound of sprinkles on the roof; half an hour later, the wind increased from the north, the skies parted and 1.5 inches of rain fell in a few hours!
Remember that post from last year, “Manana Means Not Today”? – The carpenter never returned to fix this problem!
The window seat received a baptism, and hopefully the skies have purged.
Z
love you’re little piece of paradise and all the color you have added. I’m finally finding time for art and will have a post ready next week. Question for you, when you talk about transparent sealer is that varnish? I have the spray that I use for paintings and sketches and I use a varnish for the driftwood chimes. Was looking for a matte protective finish that can be brushed on. Was hoping to head up your way before we go back to US for a visit, but time is flying too fast so will have to wait until we return. Make out your wish list and email me, or if you prefer to order online , it can be sent to my sisters house. :) hugs amiga
condor makes a transparent sealer – a quart costs about 11 or 12 dollars, though it does tend to yellow with time, especially if it’s subjected to sunlight. sometimes i go back over the white areas if it’s important to keep those whites white.. like with a feather…
in the states there was a water-based acrylic finish (for floors) that brushed on like milk, washed up with water, and i think it takes abuse (foot traffic) pretty well. when you’re in the states, you can probably buy a product from an art supply store… there’s no telling what’s available these days! z
I’ll check that out. Make sure you put a wish list together. :)
buenos dias… did you receive more rain last night? this week’s rain has turned the road project into a big mess near the house!
thanks for the offer to bring something/anything/s back from the states, but right now i cannot think of anything! i’ve always tried not to ‘request’ any item that fits under a want list, though if there’s ever a true need, i don’t mind asking unless it’s something big like a saddle – ja, but that would be a want!
like you have discovered, being without some of those comfort items forces us to look inward and tap into creative ways to replicate or sidestep around the obstacle preventing us from having that product, and we oftentimes learn to make it ourselves – and we feel EMPOWERED!
your sausage and biscuits is a perfect example! i’m not sure if my comment made it through yesterday or not.. i was busy bailing out the rainwater that was blowing in through the window while preparing to leave to meet the tour group!
what’s the date of your departure?
z
I’ve fallen in love with that bench. It’s just wonderful, and the colors are sublime. Now, I have an unaccountable hunger for orange sherbet!
and now you’ve made ME hungry for orange sherbet!
thanks, i’m glad you like the bench!
z
You are amazingly talented!
thank you so much! i’m lucky to be able to tap into my creative voice and allow it to whisper or shout, depending on its mood of the day! teaching others to do the same is rewarding as well!
have a good weekend, lovely amiga!
z
Oh the color, and design! Gorgeous for a morning’s inspiration.
Malinche blossoms? Beautiful, but have not heard of this flower before (I know who Malinche was, though).
The beautiful flame-orange tree is called the royal poinciana, and when it explodes into blossom, it’s dramatic for those who can see the color red! royal poinciana is one of the more-formal names
Delonix regia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delonix_regia
What an amazing amount you accomplished! And all of it is beautiful.
thank you! the deck/balcony project was way overdue! it had served as an outdoor work area, so the floor was scarred with the trail of lots of messy paint ‘nazca’ lines and dribbles. it surely said, ‘ah, thank you!’ after its facelift!
Add me to the appreciators of your colorful bench.
Your flowers remind me that the woman who interpreted (and did much more) for Cortés in Mexico was called la Malinche:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Malinche
wilkipedia is an amazing research tool,isn’t it? thanks so much for the link!
surely you recognized the tree, also known as the royal pinciana. the recent rains triggered these trees to burst into flame through our dry-rain forest landscape. they’re so classic in shape and aesthetically pleasing when in bloom – or when not in bloom!
Watch out! Your little river house will be added to Ecuador’s most talked about, out of the way, most artistically designed sites to see. :) Love what you did with the bench.
you are so cute and so funny, and i’m flattered! thank you, for your never-ending supply of positive feedback and encouragement! i look forward to showing xavier what i did with the discarded headboard!
z
You’ve created an imaginative and welcoming home. Well Done!
thank you! i enjoy having a place that smiles, and adding those touches is a bit infectious – the smiles jump from one trigger to the next!
Oh that is a lovely bench! Every aspect of your life reflects your art. I envy that so much! I feel like my life is a series of cubbyholes: art here; one job here, another there and yet another there; gardening here; writing there; reading there…I can’t tell you how many people who have known me for years as a server or clerk or bartender are stunned to learn that I am an artist. Wonderful work, Lisa! I’ve been going easy on myself lately, and have missed another Thursday…but I’m trying hard to get back on track!
oh cindy, you are such a renaissance woman, and your art comes through in so many areas! those people might be surprised, yet they probably then realize how diverse and multi-faceted you are.
your art, however, is mature and has a strong presence. i really really REALLY like your work and am always pleased to get a peek at what you’re working on! z
Very nice Lisa.. My emails to you are bouncing back que pasa?
oh my.. i wonder why! yahoo’s new leader has made changes that have upset many, and this is probably a glitch from some new adjustment.
thanks for the info!
All that creative energy, pffh, it is impressive and an inspiration (even if I don’t paint)..
;even if i don’t paint.’ – ah, there’s a grand challenge!
have you ever taken a timeout to attempt drawing or painting in the past ten years?!
You are a powerhouse of energy! It seems to me that you light up your house even without electricity.
ha! that made me laugh! i wish i could do that, as the power went back off yesterday morning not long after this was posted.
Z, love the rejuvenated headboard. Well done, BTG
thanks! it’s funny – if one sticks to a color theme, and there’s enough change in value/contrast between colors, it works – even if it’s not done with scientific exactness!
have a good weekend! z
Scientific exactness can make art look formulaic. You don’t. Well done.
That bench is delightful! Love how colorful your world is. :)
thanks, amiga! i’m lucky that i can immerse myself in color adn spread taht joy with others!
happy weekend! z
And to you Z! :)
I LOVE that bench, the orange just sings and the contrasting blue is perfect. You have so much energy and it just spills over into every thing you do
Wow Z, I love it when you have time on your hands – you see treasure in others throw aways. The bench is fantastic, the magic carpet continues to be the star.
thanks amiga. it helps to take time and let it incubate! z
Wow, Lisa! I could live on your balcony! And smile. Such beauty you’ve created everywhere. The old headboard transformation into a chic and lovely bench is incredible. I never saw the magic carpet before. Those are really tiles? Or is this a floor painting? If it is, it’s so very good that I can’t tell! It’s my favorite, of course. I’m trying to think of the company with two people names who make and sell very expensive painted furniture. Do you know who I’m talking about? I thought of them the instant I saw the furniture. The balcony reminds me of it too. How happy it must be to live among all of this! Eat dessert first… And you do! :-) Looking at your home makes me feel happy, Lisa!
hey amiga
thanks for the huge smile that i’m wearing thanks to your comments! i’m so glad that you like the benches and balcony and concrete floor! yes, you’re seeing paint, and people usually bend over and touch it to confirm that it’s paint and not real tile. my friend xaavier is so funny – he said, ‘i can’t tell what’s real and what’s not!’ i usually havae a painting in progress on the floor -or reference material or something!
i don’t know about the company that makes and paints expensive furniture. i’m intrigued!
thanks again for your enthusiastic and genuine feedback! lisa
I was just talking to a friend about this! I am still waiting – 62 years now – for something to make my fingers bleed and my eyes pop out of my head! The clock is ticking…
ahhhhhhhhhh!
sounds like you need to price tickets to ecuador and we make an artistic sweep through an area of the country! as buffett sang, changes in latitude’ – sometimes we need something to jump start and awaken us! z
I need an alarm clock the size of Big Ben!
Ecuador. Maybe someday …
you are so great and affect so many people with your spirit! you’re probably too close to see that you’re infectious with many things that you do. maybe it’s not your calling to master one thing to the point that your fingers bleed, but to nudge others to their true calling or at least mentor and support them with your praise! thanks for all of the support you give me!
Your kindness is humbling. Thank you. ❤️