Here, a couple of murals I have painted:
My first work is meant to be some Roman ruins all around our last home bathroom walls. I got the idea from a book a friend lent me. ( Hope the author will not sue me for this!!)
It took me 2 years to finish it. Soon after I started, I discovered "I was with child" for the third time and it was not safe for me to be climbing on a ladder in such a delicate condition.
At the time I was also working full time and doing an HNC in Business Studies at university. That, besides my family (husband and two daughters) took all my time.After my son was born, time was lacking even more.By the time I finished my master piece, my husband got a new job south east of England and relocation was imminent. Imagine my worry about potential buyers' appreciation of my Roman bathroom. Luckily, a couple bought our residence and I've been told that some heavy work seems to have been done at the premises leaving my former bathroom in ruins.
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My second mural was done at a friend's house. She and her husband are from
Hong-Kong and wanted a Chinese theme in her conservatory. I did it early
into my pregnancy and it took me about two and a half months to finish it.
She even insisted in paying me and suggested that I might help her complete
the decorating of her room. (I seem to be good at making curtains, colour
schemes,etc.). This is a photo of one of the corners of the room only. I
actually paited all four
walls.
These two murals took a lot of research: roman arches are not like greek arches and chinese consider feng-shui to be very important. Thanks to the internet, the Jewry Wall Museum in Leicester and the local library I seem to have reached customer's expectations.
My artistic side was awakened when my doctor suggested I got a hobby as I seemed to be with a bit of post natal depretion after my second daughter was born. I started ceramic lessons and made jugs, vases, tea pots and plant pots. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I started watching TV and reading about crafts and decorating and decided to make some new curtains my self and cecorate some walls with stenciling. In these photographs you can see some of the work I did in our former house:
| I made the curtains (picture on the right) using an antique sewing machine
which did not have a pedal to press, so it only worked by moving the wheel
by hand. The paint effect on the walls is called clouding. The stencilling
below the ceiling took me 2 weeks as I had to do it one bit at a time.
(In the photo, a couple of friends) |
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In the hall way, I made my own stencil in acetate so that I could paint
a design I found in a mail order catalogue, but which dimensions were not
suitable for this particular wall. (Photo on the left).
You can just see behind Charlotte's smily face. It was actually, a planter full of ivy on a pedestal complemented by the mini arch above it. |
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| I have also explored the world of decoupage. I find it to be quite fun
and you can make wonderfull things once you have learn the skills. On the
right, the picture of a wooden box I decorated for my husband. He keeps
computers CDs in it.
The picture, I am affraid, is not very good, I had quiet a few problems trying to scan it. |
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| I have even dare to make a medieval dress for Charlotte's school fair
(with the help of my mother in law). She won the first prize!
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| I will be doing a page detailing more of the crafts, upholstery and costumes I have made, very soon. Stay tuned ! | |