The Inspiration of Ellen Leigh

Family Diner

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:22:00 +0000

Moving on to the kitchen area in my client's home, we finished up (for now anyhoo) the antique signage projects on the list this week. Above is the arch over the range that just cried out for some fun details to frame the area. After tossing a few ideas around, we came up with a plan and I set to work planning out the lettering and colors to really make it sing. While I was working, I took a break every now and then to snap a few photos, so you could see how a painting like this comes together.

Yesterday, I taped the whole archway off, and layed in the base coat artwork, going for an old wood sign look with some of the paint faded and weathered away. I had another small project to work on at the same time and got that one done that same day.

Today, I set up the lettering mask I had made and cut it out right on the wall. This is a great way to do lettering, creating a one time use stencil, removing and replacing sections as needed to mask off different areas.

I painted a mottled cream base coat for both the letters and their shadows, and did a bit of a frame around the lettering to complete the look.

A hastily and artistically applied deeper beige allows some of the cream to show through, giving it a weathered look.

Each letter got a lovely pumpkin colored outline to really make it pop against the weathered black and deep purple shadows. Notice the green frame around the sign to bring the greens over from the dining area.

Ta-da! Lettering all painted in, ready to remove the masking and do any touch up needed before letting the colors dry for a bit.

Masking removed! Looks great so far, the antiquing glaze- good old 'Decades of Grime' will tone the colors down, and that's what I want.

See? Perfect look. Lovin' it

The dark shades in the sign balances the dark browns and blacks in the granite counter tops, framing the whole range area. I could spend the whole day cooking in this kitchen. I did notice as I was packing up though, that there is a decidedly bare soffit on the opposite side of the room over the sink. I think it might be jealous now, because this side of the kitchen is awesome.

'Decades of Grime'

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:01:00 +0000

There's nothing quite like abusing furniture to work out the frustrations of daily life. I had a great opportunity this week to do a makeover on three pieces of already fairly distressed furniture.

This Chalkboard is made out of part of an old door, there's a bit of old crown molding and a bead board shelf bracketing the top. All it needed was a fresh coat of cream paint, some sanding through the layers and a glazing of a color I like to call 'Decades of Grime'.

Next on the list is this rather large handmade cabinet. It too is created from re-purposed materials- some tongue in groove panelling, boards, old hinges, and some old moldings. The owner told me she's painted and repainted it several times, threatened to get rid of it, but still thinks it has a place in her dining area. The thought here is to make it look like it was made out of an old store sign- quite plausible on the tongue in groove panels.

Grabbing my trusty can of cream paint again, it got a rough, uneven coat and then a bit of lettering in several colors and striping to create the old sign look.

After drying overnight, I got out my sandpaper, and scrapers to abuse the bejeebers out of the brand new paint, revealing layers, colors and the patina of years in the out of doors.

The last step was to again get out that special 'Decades of Grime' glaze to add to the illusion. This is when the magic happens, and the glaze catches in all the scratches, dents and gouges, just deepening the patina of aged loveliness.

The sanding and scraping has revealed layers of color, faded and brighter areas in the lettering. The glaze just adds even more depth to this, until the illusion is complete.

I just love this cabinet! There are plans to build some shelves above, distressed and glazed with 'Decades of Grime' of course, and add another chalk board to the mix in the coming weeks. It'll be a great look, lots of fun, while being very useful as well.

Project three was to take an old oak pedestal table that had seen better days and just give it some personality. It's really pretty plain, isn't it? OK, but could be so much better.

Again, out came the cream paint for an rough, uneven coat. Remember- the idea isn't to make it pretty and new, but even older and more abused, and with pizazz! I topped off the cream with a stencilled medallion and another on the skirting, plus a bit of cream on the pedestal to tie it all together.

Great medallion stencil! Again, sanding through the paint layers adds years of patina, while giving my arms a great work-out for the day. I need more of this sort of work to get rid of those arm flags.

Of course the table got the same special glaze to add even more personality to it's great look. It will look terrific in it's place of honor in the front bay window.

I am just loving the projects this client finds for me. She has even put my sewing skills to the test creating table cloths, and I'll be making over draperies and upholstering benches in the next couple of weeks. You go girl!

A Whole New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

So, we've started a brand new year, good-bye to the old. I did some assessing of the past year, and while financially I sure wish I had done better (and who didn't?), I really feel I did some of my best work. I just wish I had done a lot more of it. As the old year closed, I also considered going off in a whole new direction, looking for a 'real job'- you know, the kind where someone else has all the stress and headaches involved in running the business, and I just show up, do what I'm required to do, and every week or two I get the exact same paycheck I got the last pay period. After all, that's what most of my clients, family and friends do, and that's what most people understand- nine to five, sit in a cubicle, talk on the phone, work on a computer, fight off sleep in a meeting. Same thing every day, counting the days until the week-end, counting the weeks until vacation. Year after year, with a raise or a bonus every year if they are lucky, looking forward to retirement. I could do that, I've done it before, that's an option, wouldn't be so bad. I know some people who would be really, really happy if I did that, they get that. Absolutely nothing wrong with this sort of job, I'm not knocking it at all. As things are, I might be able to make a better living doing something else, at least in the short run, and it wouldn't be as risky. I even applied for a few jobs I felt might be a good fit for me. Yeah- I got in line behind all of the other well qualified individuals all hoping for those jobs.
There have been times when I've had to depend on family and my 'significant other' to get me through a slow period, and while I appreciate it sooo much, it is a drain on them that I wish wasn't necessary, and it hurts that I have to do that. Deeply. If it weren't for them I would have been forced to get a real job years ago, or live out of a shopping cart. I hope they know how much I do appreciate their support.
The problem is, I feel so blessed to be able to do what I absolutely love to do. I can't imagine not doing it. I love working with my wonderful clients to dream up a beautiful work of art for their wall, or design a new finish for their furniture. I love talking to their kids to decide just what they are passionate about and then paint a great mural for their rooms. I love figuring out how to achieve the look we all agree will be fantastic, gathering all the tools and supplies I need, hauling them up and down flights of stairs, setting up my work space and spending hours climbing a ladder and crawling around on the floor. I love every exhausting minute of it- at the end of the work day, I'm euphoric, expanded spiritually, and there's an indescribable feeling in my soul, because I spent the day using the gifts God gave me. And I get paid to do this! I wish everyone could feel this way about their work, and I know too few do.

Is it all wonderful and rewarding all the time? Not at all, as with every job, there are parts of it I don't like much: paperwork, accounting, cleaning tools, maintenance, gassing up my car in the winter- but those jobs fall to me too. There are frustrations as well: looking for new clients, maintaining my web site, trying to find enough work to make ends meet, and it costs me more to do the work that I am making less doing. I work on a shoestring budget to advertise and keep my name out there, relying mostly on word of mouth and referrals as my best advertising. I have some great clients who really spread the word well, I just wish there were more of them.
It's tough to be in business for yourself, it is surely not for everyone. It can get scary when things are slow and money is only going out, not coming in, but very rewarding when everything comes together and those nice big jobs come along. It takes a thick skin when someone I've spent hours with, planning a mural like I was their new best friend, suddenly drops the whole idea and won't return calls. There are also those who just give me an idea of what they want and let me run with it, gladly writing the checks to pay for it all, then have me come back again and again to do more work. It takes patience and perseverance to keep trying new things, new ideas and new techniques, to hope that the years of keeping in touch with colleagues, friends, clients, relatives through postcards and e-mails will bring in new business. It does. Eventually.
Mostly I have to be my own cheerleader. There are a bunch of people who do cheer me on from the sidelines from time to time, and I never know when to expect it. This past week I had five or six of them, one a blast out of the past I've kept in touch with for over 20 years! Comments on my blog, replies to my newsletters, a little note in an e-mail with a few encouraging words- these are little things that mean so much. Not everyone does it, even those I'm closest to, so I notice and deeply appreciate those who do. That some people don't find value in what I do is a painful reality, but people are entitled to their opinions. I don't need validation, but it sure is nice when it comes, and some people's opinions matter more than others.
I've worked hard to get where I am, and I'm proud of it. In the past 20 years I've built not only a reputation for delivering great artwork, but for reliability, dependability, and integrity in everything I do. There is the potential to make a great living doing what I love, if I can get enough work on the schedule. I'm thinking of sticking around, carrying on with what I do best, painting some walls and making 2012 a great year. Your continued business, referrals, and cheering from the sidelines will help make it so.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, see you soon!!!

For more on why Ellen doesn't have a real job, please read:

Why I Paint

Children's Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

I love to paint children's rooms. It's a good thing, because I sure do get to paint a lot of them. I guess it brings out the kid in me, and I get to have lots of fun creating something geared towards each child's interests. Girl's rooms are great to paint, usually with plenty of pretty things, flowers, fairies, kitties and the like. Boys rooms are full of adventure, sports, or cars. Some rooms could be for either- I've painted the solar system a few times, some for boys, some for girls. I was poking around in my old files this morning and found a few that I really like, so here there are:

A fun Railroad Room

This boy and his Dad were really into model trains, so I filled the room with scenery, tracks, railroad crossings and all things train. Next to the door, I painted a tall railroad crossing sign with feet and inches marks for measuring him as he grows.

Cheeky Monkey

Love this Cute monkey! He's just a small part of a Jungle theme room for a young girl. All the way around the room, I painted a bamboo wainscoting, with several palm trees, monkeys, a leopard and a macaw flying above the headboard.

Sweet Robin Nursery

I like this nursery because it will grow with the child. with realistic trees and birds, and a more sophisticated color scheme of mostly green with just a bit of pink, it's not something she'll tire of for quite a while.

Michael Jordan

What boy wouldn't like a sports hero or two flanking his windows? Michael is only about six feet tall, so not life size, but still....

Da bears

For the boy who loves the outdoors, here's a mountain scene with a stream and a couple of bears right across from the foot of his log bed. Tall pine trees flank the bed on either side with real bird houses hanging from the branches, just for fun.

Sports Bench

Sometimes a guy is just into everything, so a pile of mixed equipment is the way to go.

Quilted Butterflies

Butterflies! Too cute. The bedding was adorable, the art on the walls extends the theme up the wall. Just a little detail that completes the look.

Flower Power

Big and bold flowers and butterflies were just the thing for this older preteen.

Solar System

I actually learned a lot doing the research for this room. All of the planets, the sun and the moon were painted across a starry sky. Near each heavenly body I included an interesting fact about each in white paint. Most of the stars are dotted with glow in the dark paint, so when the lights go out, the stars come out!

So, there's just a sampling of some of the children's rooms I've painted through the years. More can be found on my web site. Click here to go directly to a slide show of Children's Rooms.

Just for fun

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:23:00 +0000

I've always loved fabrics and sewing, playing with the fabrics and creating things, making clothes, unique items, window treatments and pillows for my home among other things. Sometimes I even dye, stencil and paint on fabrics to really create something different. So when I discovered these absolutely gorgeous batik fabrics on a trip last spring, I just fell in love immediately! We were meandering around Iowa, and spent a day in the Amana Colonies. I found a roll of 40 coordinated 2" batik strips in a wonderful range of colors and patterns, and just had to have it. I spent the rest of the trip finding more fabrics to flesh out the simple pattern I had in mind for a nice toasty quilt. It'll be a special souvenir of a special trip.

Quilting is something I do just for me sometimes. It's a challenge to assemble all of the small pieces into blocks and the blocks into a quilt top. After the top, batting and backing are basted together, hand quilting it gives me something to do on long winter evenings besides sit under the toasty quilt and channel surf.

Still a work in progress, but what a joy to work on!

The process of collecting the fabrics was so much fun that on our last trip, I collected more fabrics for a new project- a large multipurpose satchel. We toured around Michigan, visiting 101 small towns and used the addresses of quilt shops to GPS our way from town to town, and I gathered fabrics as we went.

The bag has a big interior pocket, large enough for a lap-top and has a couple of smaller pockets inside in addition to the two outside pockets. It will come in handy for future travels, but for now, I keep my quilt in progress in it when I'm not working on it.

OK, so after assembling both of those projects I had a good sized pile of small scraps that I just could not bear to throw away, I am seriously in love with these fabrics. (it's a sickness, I know).

So, I made a table scarf! 12" squares with random scraps stitched on them, banded and machine quilted. I didn't use up all of my scraps, I'll save those for another project when I think of one.

So what do you create just for the fun of it?

New Web Site

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:15:00 +0000

For the past several weeks, in between other more important projects, I've been remodelling my web site. It had been a while since I had been able to update it, my old computer just couldn't handle the work anymore. With my new laptop, I was able to install my web site program and get at that overhaul I'd been wanting for a while.

I've kept a few things the same- those things I really like, but it's simpler and cleaner. I eliminated some things that I think people don't really care about, like links to other sites, and extra descriptive sections, the old 'What's New' pages. Other things, like the photo galleries, I've expanded and simplified.
So take a look, you can find me at www.ellenleigh.com . Let me know what you think!

Powder Room

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:50:00 +0000

People ask me if my home has lots of murals and fancy finishes in it. The truth is, this one doesn't. Lots of artwork, yes, but not directly on the walls. I have added some color to the home though in most of the rooms, and this powder room had been crying out for some sophistication for a long time- the flowery border and white walls had to go!

I chose a lovely ocean blue shade for the walls, since it was a small and narrow space. Like the rest of the floor, it has 9 foot celings, making it seem even taller and narrower. Using the old rule that horizontal stripes make things look wider (remember that one, ladies?) I felt a wide stripe up high would do the trick, and that a deep shade on the upper wall and ceiling would lower it without making it seem too heavy. You can go bold in spaces you don't really spend much time in.

I love the combination of blues and browns, so popular right now. The brown I pulled from the living room wall color, no need to buy additional paint, when that would work perfectly.

For the accent stripe, I just taped it off and had fun layering colors I liked, and colors pulled from the glazes on Al's pottery I was going to be displaying. Some of the paints are metallic, difficult to photograph, but adding their own dimension and glow.

Art is usually an afterthought with me, I figure I can always paint something to hang on the walls, or print up some photos and frame them, whatever works. I knew I wanted something with a calm feel to it, some scenery, probably water, and it had to have the right colors to complete the look. We do have a small stash of prints and artwork that didn't seem to fit anywhere, that we kept because we liked them, some are mine, some are Al's. So I went 'shopping' in the unused art section of the basement to see if I could find something that would work, at least for the time being.

Looky, looky what I found! Do you think this print could be more perfect? I don't think so. All that remains is to find a couple of towels the right color to hang on the newly 'bronzed' towel bar that matches the T.P. holder. I've already picked up some dried grasses and reeds to fill up the pots above the commode, and a few other accessories. There's a magazine basket under the pedestal sink, a sparkly copper votive holder and new soap dispenser on the sink to boot. Don't you love it?

Pewabic Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Just a small project, but a nice way to dress up a wall. See that leaf tile below the quote? That is not only a pretty little design element, but is the solution to a problem. You see, the house is very old and beautiful- built in 1929, it has had a few changes made through the years and there is an electrical junction box cover in a weird spot on the wall.

Part of the reason I was hired was to figure out a creative way to make that become a part of the design. I wanted to do something that would fit with the house, and not be too overwhelming. The rest of the house is very understated, and has much of it's original character intact. Homes of this era in the Detroit area almost always have a bit of Pewabic tile somewhere, so I suggested that we make the cover look like a tile. Their eyes lit up- there was Pewabic tile in the foyer! The floor mat was rolled back, and there were some gorgeous examples for me to use.

original Pewabic Floor Tile

Pretty, eh? I used the above photograph to create a mask for the cover, and while I was doing the lettering layout, layered on all of the colors needed to create the 'tile' illusion.

'my Pewabic Tile'

It's a nice way to incorporate a design element from another room into the space, don't you think?

Alternatives For Girls Project

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:30:00 +0000

A month ago while I was out of town on a trip, Terry Grahl of Enchanted Makeovers contacted me again wondering if I would be available to donate some mural time for 'Alternatives for Girls' in Detroit. I had worked with Terry before, so of course I said "Sure, love to!"

I met with her on site a couple of Saturdays ago to see what the room was like, figure out a few details and firm things up. And this week, I spent a couple of days painting pretty things and meaningful signs on the walls for a couple of little girls to share. Another group had made beautiful quilts for the beds, so I selected my color palette from the photograph Terry sent. Soft sky blues, leafy greens, pale warm yellows, corals and lilac shades made for some pretty flowers in green meadows on a fine summer day.

Painting the tree branches onto the wall light was pretty fun.
I balanced it with a sign on the other side of the tree

Love this tree!

The white metal daybeds are just perfect for the room.
I added a path, some flowers and another sign by the light switch.

The third sign decorates the wall behind the door,
a special secret place just for the girls who will call this room theirs.

The other wall light in the room became a cloud

with the sun peeking out

My favorite sign in the room.

I'm glad I listened to my heart and took on this little project.

I truly enjoyed working on this mural, hoping that somehow my work can help to make a couple of young ladies feel at home. Terry was great to work with, just as she was on the previous project she asked me to participate in at the Women's Shelter in Pontiac. There's a few photos of that project in the archives of the What's New page on my website.

Follow the bouncing balls

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:41:00 +0000

Such a simple mural for a little boy, a great shade of blue, and something he won't soon tire of. I truly enjoyed creating this room for him- the painterly graphic sports balls and dashed lines for bounce trails just gave the room some fun without being overwhelming.

Out in the Barn

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:24:00 +0000

When this client called me last May, it was just after lightning had struck their home, frying several appliances, entertainment equipment and every inch of wiring in their lovely victorian home before causing a small fire. Repairs would be extensive, requiring removing nearly all of the drywall in the house, destroying the full room murals I had done seven years ago in both children's rooms. The kids were just devastated. Could I redo their rooms and recreate what they were going to lose? Sure, no problem- it wouldn't be exactly the same, but it would be similar enough, was my reply. As the summer wore on though, the chiildren came to see that they now had an opportunity to have new rooms, and new murals to reflect their maturing tastes and passions. So what was a room full of dinosaurs much loved by a young boy of 5 became the more sophisticated and updated Gymnastics room in the previous post, and the lovely garden themed room full of birds, insects and animals became a warm and cozy barn.

With a passion for horses and all things equestrian, the young lady who will call this room her own had a fairly lengthy list of requirements for her walls. Foremost, it had to look like the inside of a barn, so before I could even get to the list of creatures and accessories she wanted included, the entire room had to be woodgrained. Phew. I think I ended up graining walls in my sleep. The hard work paid off, and created a great backdrop for all of the other things she wanted to include.

the main wall, a distressed black painted bed and nightstand will go under the 'window'

I just loved painting all the animals in this room, especially the horse. I was clear when I met with the client that the girl just adores her horse, and when I suggested that she could be peeking in the window over her bed, her eyes just lit up.

'Minnow' peeking in the window

As we sat at the table discussing the project, Barn Swallows were dashing back and forth over the lawn, following the lawn mower, scooping up disturbed insects. She is quite the birder, asked to have one of the birds included in the room, so below is one in flight to it's nest to fill those open beaks.

Barn Swallows

One of the things she was going to miss about her old room was the portrait I had painted of her kitten, Cupcake, so of course she needed to be included in the barn.

'Cuppy' snoozing on the bales of straw

Next to the bales of straw, there is a bench to match the furniture, and two of the family's dogs to keep her company.

Bench with boots, saddle blanket and riding helmet, and dogs

Tessa and Lucky

And to finish off the list, a tree frog looking less than disguised climbing up the wall.

Grey Tree Frog

Flipping Out

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:11:00 +0000

It seems like every blog post I write starts out with "What a fun project!", but this one truly was. Along with challenging, creative and great exercise. The young man who will occupy this room is a gymnast, and his simple request was for just the gymnastics equipment he uses to be painted on his walls. No cheering crowd, no Olympic references, no people at all. In looking at photos of the equipment on line, I found that the bars, rings, vault, pommel horse and other equipment he uses in the pursuit of his passion, are fairly, well, just boring pictured alone. It's the athlete and what he does on that equipment that is exciting, and if he didn't want that part shown, it was going to be a pretty inartistic and boring room. I took some time to start thinking creatively, brainstormed some ideas, played with some paints and came up with a background for the equipment that has tremendous amounts of motion, depth and yet is not over the top with busyness and color. Layers of glazes, paints, brushwork, striping, stencils, and spatters of paint create all the motion and excitement, then the equipment is featured in a very painterly fashion to further show the enjoyment of the sport. There will be quite a bit of furniture in this small room, partially hiding portions of the equipment, but most of it will be very visible. He won't get to see it until the room is all completed, new window treatments and lighting fixtures are planned to go along with his darker wood furniture. I think it's going to look great, and hope he does too.

The Writing on the Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:08:00 +0000

Such a nice simple project. Two lines of Psalm 23, seemingly casually placed on a wall. However you want to do it, the homeowner says, then I'll hang some art next to it. Now this could be my favorite kind of client, but it's also the kind that makes me a bit nervous and insecure. Sure, I can do whatever I want, but it also has to please the client, and fit with their vision for what they want for their home. What if they don't like it when it's done? What if I completely misinterpret what they wanted me to do?

I like lettering- it's a challenge. It takes a tremendous amount of planning, measuring, visualization and consideration of the whole composition, then set up on the computer to get the right size, the right font, and finally, the right paintbrushes colors and strokes to achieve that effortless hand painted look.

Once on site with my computer print-outs, I spend the time to tape the lettering on the wall just right, checking that it is all level before tracing it all lightly onto the wall.

Following the tracing lines, I stroke on the paint, allowing the brushes to do the work, laying on the colors I selected to coordinate with the room color scheme. One of them was easy- it's simply the paint from three other walls in the room- a very grey green/blue. The drop shadow is a soft taupe shade pulled from the fabrics and other furnishings in the room.

The actual painting time is fairly short, it's the planning in lettering the takes the most time, so I was able to complete this in just a few hours. The look is lovely, it's the first thing you see as you walk in the front door of this lakeside home, and it points the way to a gorgeous view of the lake through the archway beyond. It sets the tone for lakeside living, don't you think?

Let's all go Golfing

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:47:00 +0000

I thought you might enjoy another step by step post, to show you how a fairly large mural (16 by 8) progresses from the first base coats of color to completion.

monday

tuesday

The first two days were spent laying in the sky, the foreground fairway with sand traps, clouds, and background trees, along with the signature clubhouse for this favorite hole portrait. I had a few photos of the hole to work from, and a photo of a small boy lining up his next shot that I could use as reference.

wednesday

thursday

The next two days, I worked on laying in the grasses, the green and shadows from unseen trees off to the side, including more details, and sketching in the little boy who will soon be moving into this room. He and his Daddy love to go golfing together, and this is Daddy's favorite hole to play on his favorite course. At the end of the day Thursday, the work was completed, except for the protective coating added on Friday. The photos below were taken after the work was sealed to protect it from little fingers.

Looks like a nice day for golf, eh?

I loved this project, this is a mural that will certainly grow along with the boy, I don't see him getting tired of it, ever.

I'm the SGI Featured Artist!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:48:00 +0000

I'm so excited! I was selected by Shoreline Graphics to be their Featured Artist for the month of June! They approached me about a month ago and asked if I was intetested in being featured, and of course I said "YES!" What an honor to be included with all of the other artists there, and by such a nice company. You can read the article and see the works they featured by clicking HERE . Wow.

Soft Moon and Stars Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:32:00 +0000

This is just about the softest looking nursery I've ever done. I love this crescent 'Man in the Moon' for over the crib, and the scattered white and beige stars all around the room on the soft blue-grey walls. Finished off with beige and white quilted bedding and dark espresso stained furniture to complete the look. Baby will sleep soundly in such a calming space, I think. ZZZzzzzzzzzzz......

Abused and beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:26:00 +0000

These pieces of antique furniture certainly had seen better days. The finish was half worn off, crazed and just awful. The client is really into the shabby chic, creamy and antiqued look right now, so she asked me to do that to these sideboards a couple of months ago, and just this past week, to make over some smaller accessories to match.

antiqued sideboard

antiqued leaded glass window

antiqued stained glass window

Also included in the mix are a pair of new shelves and brackets that I had fun abusing, painting and abusing some more to make them look like they had been around for a hundred years.
When I arrived to start the abuse session, she showed me a wonderful table she'd kept hidden under a tablecloth for years because the top was in such sad shape. The base was in really nice condition, but the veneer on the top was lifting in a few places, and the finish was in pretty sad shape. It just cried out to be turned into a stone top to fit in with the granite counters in her kitchen, so that's just what I did. Below is the top with it's paint treatment- it needs a few coats of water based poly to give it the final sheen of stone.

faux granite table top

I wish I'd remembered to take before pictures on this one, the transformation is amazing!

Deck Furniture, Cottage Style

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Here's a peek at the deck furniture I refinished last week. The old finish had started to wear off after several years out in the weather, so I felt it was time for a re-do. I already had the cushions, barely used, since they are kept in a box when not in use, so I painted the two chairs and the bench to coordinate with the fabric and also look nice with the deck stain. I wish I could show you how they look on the deck itself, but currently the deck is home to my portable greenhouse until the weather is warm enough to plant.

Argyle for Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:22:00 +0000

How cute is this? I was asked a couple of weeks ago to add some special touches to a baby girl's nursery. The Mom and Dad to be wanted some adorable cartoon animals painted above the baby's dresser, and a whole wall of argyle above the crib. The room was already painted a mint green shade, I was asked to paint bright fuchsia argyle with chocolate brown details to coordinate with the furniture and accessories for the room. Eye catching, eh? The argyle was a challenge, something I've never tried. Once I set about planning it though, it all worked out nicely.

Later this week I'll be painting in another nursery, inspired by the mural below that I did several years ago.

We'll be changing several things about it, so while it is based on this idea, it will look quite a bit different when I am done with it.

Almost everything I do is completely unique, even if it is inspired by something I've done before. In my now 15 years painting murals, I have only used the same theme on a handful of occasions. So remember, if you are looking at my photos and you don't see anything like what you have in mind, each of those projects was something I've never done before. Your's can be too.

Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:22:00 +0000

Wow! What an amazing inspiring thing to do! A month ago, I wrote about my daughter's commitment to the St. Baldrick's Society fundraising efforts, her plans to become a 'shavee' last Friday after achieving her goal of a thousand dollars. Well- she not only surpassed that goal, but she did it in the first week! So, she raised her goal to $2000, and passed that one up as well. All in all, by the time she sat in that chair, had her lovely auburn locks braided and shaved off, she raised a wopping $2720.00. That gorgeous thick hair was donated to 'Locks of Love', doubling her contribution and support for children who suffer from cancer.

Just look at that smile! Is she one gorgeous young woman or what? And I am one proud mom.

How to achieve 'Peace'

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:28:00 +0000

There's just something about the beach that is so calming and so peaceful. I gave myself a special challenge with this piece- to paint entirely from memory and try to create a contemplative work that would pull the viewer into it to find their own quiet serenity. I had the composition planned out in my head, so I didn't draw any sketches before setting brush to canvas on this one- sometimes you just want to paint what you feel.

Below are the different steps it took to paint this one.

warm greys

I began with an all over warm grey/brown to set up the composition, values and lay-out that were in my mind.

background color

When the previous step had dried overnight, I added in some glazes of color in the sky and water.

glazes of color

Added some deeper green glazes in the far trees, deepened the shadows in the foreground grassy areas, and laid in the color of the sand on the beach, along with more blue glazes in the sky and water.

waves and water

Waves are fun to paint- varying widths of brush strokes, shades of white, glazes for the reflections on the water, the color of the wet sand.

beach and grasses

Beach grasses grow here, there are footprints along the shore, smaller stones and debris have washed up at the edge of the water.

stones and driftwood

As you walk along the beach there are seagulls overhead, and small shorebirds running along the waves. There are piles of larger stones and pieces of driftwood that have washed up during a recent storm. But the storm has passed, and now there is

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"Peace"

Yesterday, I took this painting with me to find a frame for it. I found one that suited it well, and as I paid for it, the cashier looked at the painting for a bit, then simply said, "It's so peaceful". I agree, how about you?

Prints of this painting are available on my FAA site.

Garden Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:35:00 +0000

What a sweet little baby girl's room this will be! This young couple found me on the internet, gave me a call to discuss their dreams and ideas for their baby girl's room. I just adore creating a calming and inviting space to welcome little babies into the world, and this one is right up my alley. Even though the snow was settling in deeply last week, it was summer in this room as I painted two Wisteria Trees and some softly colored Gerbera Daisies in pots sitting on the white chair rail. I love the soft green walls, the room will be completed with all white furniture and soft colored bedding and window treatments. Mom to be has plans to add some three dimensional butterflies, bees, and a scattering of silk wisteria to the murals- I think it will look soooo pretty that way!

My daughter!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:37:00 +0000

What a gutsy thing to do! You go, girl!

I am so proud and inspired by my daughter, Katrina. A while back, she signed up with the St. Baldricks Society to shave her head in solidarity with children who have lost their hair to cancer. At first I was shocked- she has tons of absolutely gorgeous curly auburn hair, and to suddenly see her completely shorn will be a shock. On the other hand, she has been as bald as a cueball before, and it did grow in, and will again.

She looks so cute bald!

Below is a bit about what she has to say about her decision, and a plea to help her raise funds for the society. She has a goal of raising a thousand dollars, and already is over halfway there, with three weeks to go! I bet she at least doubles that amount at the rate the donations are coming in. At the bottom is a link for more information on how to donate- you can donate on line as I did, or download and print off a form to mail in with your donation.

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"On March 11th, 2011 I will be shaving my head in solidarity with Children who lose their hair to cancer. I hope to raise $1000 by March 11th. Please consider making a donation, however small it may be to this great cause. I'm just one of thousands of people doing this.

If you're interested in witnessing the head shaving and are in the Denver, CO area, I will be at the Fado Irish Pub at 1735 19th Street in Denver. Head shaving is at 12 noon. If you would like to join me in shaving your head, contact me for more info.

You only live once. Money is meant to be spent doing things that are worthwhile. I promise you won't regret it.

Please consider making a donation through the link below as well as sharing this event and that page with others. It is a very worthy cause. Even if you only donate what you would spend on ONE overpriced coffee, if all of my friends were to do so, I would raise over $4000.

Donate. Please."

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/katrinamniemisto2011

Sunset on the Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:45:00 +0000

There's just something about rural areas that just seem to speak to me. Maybe it's something in the genes- I do come from a bit of a farming background, and still have many relatives on my dad's side that farm. I love to garden, and even on a small suburban lot had so many different food crops mixed in with the flowers that a description of what I was growing made it sound like I had acres of land to work with.
On long drives out in the country, I love to dream about what it would be like to have a farm- a big rambling old house, barns and sheds, chickens, sheep for the sheepdogs to herd, and enough land to grow all the wonderful things I miss.
So I just had to paint this canvas- I may never have a real farm, but here in this painting I can.

"Sunset on the Farm"
24 x 48 Acrylic on canvas collection the artist

Prints of this painting are available in my Fine Art America shop, and at the top of the page in "where to buy my art". I'd love it if you would check out what's available, let me know if you see something you'd like.

I've also used this painting along with one of my favorite quotes to create a new coffee mug design (you know I love my coffee!) and it can be found in my Zazzle store.

The Impact of Color

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:40:00 +0000

Color is just amazing to me. One of my favorite things to do is to find just the right colors to paint the walls, or in a painting to complete the look of a room. To me, white walls are just plain boring, and even the palest cream is better than no color at all. Recently in my own home, I changed the peach color in the Kitchen to a medium khaki tan, and the adjoining Living Room from a deep pumpkin to dark taupe. I was amazed at how much it opened up the spaces, making both rooms appear larger simply because the shades coordinated with the furniture, trim and accessories better. Plus, the more neutral shades really made the artwork and colorful accessories pop.
Last week I had the opportunity to help complete the look of a beautiful Master Bedroom and Bath Suite. The homeowner had selected some lovely linens and accessories for the rooms, but was still living with the original builder's white walls. You know the kind- flat dirty white- the cheapest paint the builder's painter's can buy, easily marred and scuffed.
I worked with the homeowner to select a lovely gold Benjamin Moore shade called Camel Back for the bedroom walls, a yummy milk chocolate called Acorn for the bathroom, and Hilton Head Cream for the ceilings. The colors were coordinated, yet different, and brought out the warm tones of the cabinets and tile in the bath, the rich golds, deep reds and bronze shades in the bedding. The effect is stupendous! Rich looking, warm and inviting, it's a space anyone would love to end the day in.
Sometimes one of the simplest things you can do to give your home a new look is to change the color of the walls. I know it's a bit scary, and there are soooooo many paint colors to choose from, but the paint companies do sell small trial pots of paint to try. For a small expense, you can paint some sheets of poster board and live with the colors for a few days before making a decision. Better yet- contact me, and I'll help you find just the perfect shade of paint!