Thursday, May 5, 2016

Haven't You Always Wanted a Cow Table?

A friend of mine dropped off this table at my house a few weeks ago.  She knows that I've been painting furniture, and donated this stained but beautiful coffee table to the cause.


It took me a while to figure out what to do with it, which was fine because I've had a few projects to finish up in the meantime.  I just left the table in my studio, and had no choice but to look at it all day while working on other projects.  Also, the studio is our entry way to the house from the garage, so I pass through it multiple times a day.

While looking at it kind of intently the other day, I noticed some curvy details beneath the tabletop.  At first I thought, "I wonder if I can get rid of those?"  and then, all at once, I saw that they were...wait for it...udders!!! As in, COW udders.  Then, I noticed the feet were hooves. Obviously.  
Once I saw it, I could not unsee it.  Did I need a cow table? of course not.  Did I know anyone who wanted a cow table?  I didn't think so.

Well, as it happens, my 9 year old son is obsessed with cows.  As soon as I told him my idea, he FREAKED OUT.  So now, I am making him a cow table.  For his bedroom.  I don't think he has space for it, but there was no talking him out of it.  So, a cow table. For his bedroom.  


My first step was to prime the table.  I use  Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer which means I don't even have to sand the shiny varnish off the table.  I just paint one coat right on.  I haven't done this before, but now that I know about it, I'm never sanding another piece of furniture before painting again!

Once the primer was dry, I drew the outline of the cow. The only challenging part here was the face.  I looked up some great cow pictures and tried to get the "essence" of the cow face.  The body was just random black splotches, so that was no big deal.


 I used Titanium White Liquitex acrylic paint for the body, and a mix of white and pink for the nose and the udders. Seriously, I think those udders are the best part!


Then I filled in the spots and the face with a mix of ultramarine blue, dioxanne purple and mars black Liquitex Paints (This is my standard mix for painting dark areas-- I never use a flat black). My son thought the cow should be wearing gym shoes, which I thought was awesome, so, per his request, I painted each foot a different color (red, green, yellow and blue).

I added another layer of paint to make the colors richer and to clean up the messy spots.  I also added laces to the shoes.


I protected the cow table with Parks Super Glaze Epoxy to make sure that it will be protected and can be used and therefore cleaned up.  This is especially important since it will most likely be living in my son's bedroom, and he is not particularly neat or careful.

Truthfully, I really want the cow to live in our playroom (my favorite room in the house). Here are a few a pics of it there:



But Sam wanted none of that:  










So we put it up in his room:





I guess its like he has his very own cow guard.  Or pet cow.  Or something.

What do you think? Do you need a cow table in your house?

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Practical Products for Painting Furniture

For me, half the fun in creating is teaching others to do it as well.  So today I want to share a product that I have been using to protect the artwork that I create for more practical purposes, like tabletops.

When I create tables, I want them to be used.  But used tables can get spilled on and get dirty.  So, how do you create a surface that can be cleaned without worrying about scratching or ruining the artwork?

I found this product last year when creating a mixed media mural for my kids elementary school.  We needed a surface that kids could touch but that would not allow them access to the cut paper images that we created.

We found Parks Super Glaze Epoxy Resin and it is a game changer! (seriously, this is not a paid promotion, I just really can't believe the results from using this product).

Rust-Oleum Parks 1-qt. Gloss Super Glaze Interior Finish and Preservative (Case of 3)
It basically creates a 1/4 inch thick clear surface that is virtually indestructable.  I can paint my tables or other surfaces that will eventually see heavy wear and tear, even adding cut paper or other mixed media additions, and then add the resin to seal it all in place.  I actually think the resin makes the artwork look even better--it brightens it up and it looks amazing!

Epoxy resin is a two part liquid that when combined creates a chemical reaction that hardens into a clear solid.  It is the most annoying part of creating my art (its kinda smelly, and I need to wear gloves and be careful because you can't really clean it up, and there are timed components that need to be precise, which are at odds with my artist brain)- but there is no arguing with the end result.

This is the table top I'm working on right now. For this project we took it off its base for ease of transport.  When its done it will be reattached.


I used acrylic paint, india ink, and I also used cut papers for detail and texture.  

When I was ready to mix the resin and cure the final piece, I laid it out over a small table.  It was important that the edges of the table top that I am working on are bigger than the stand it is resting on.  If the resin connected the tabletop to the stand, it would be difficult, possibly impossible to separate them.  So I used a small side side table for balance and I placed the whole thing over a large dropcloth.  



Since I also wanted to protect the side edges, I used masking tape to catch extra epoxy resin around the bottom before I poured the resin over the whole table top.

 I mixed the resin with its activator (both part of the box set), followed the instructions, and used a rubber spreader to spread the resin and let it dry.  That part of the process is a little bit stressful and can be messy, so I didn't take any pictures.  



About an hour into the curing process, I removed the tape and spread out any drips along the bottom edge.  After that, I let it sit with no interference for at least 8 hours. When it was finally dry, I noticed that there were some spots that had not been completely covered, so I added a second layer, and waited 8 more hours.  
It takes a full 72 hours to be completely cured.  Once it was completely cured, I sanded the hardened drip marks along the bottom edge and delivered it to its new home.

Here it is, back on its stand and ready to be used!