Since the Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I have been working on restoring a lot of our vintage furniture finds to create an outdoor living space on the patio behind our garage. I'm happy to say that the project is near completion and we are down to the wire and working on some finishing touches.
View 1: The completed patio space, currently open to the neighbor's yard
One of those "finishing touches" is a 6 foot by 4 foot mural that will serve as a privacy screen between our patio and the neighbor's yard. The neighbor intends to install a fence some time this summer. This is all well and good as he recently removed the stand of trees that offered quite a lot of privacy to our space. Still, I don't relish the idea of looking at the back of his fence and I'd like it to feel more like home. Hence, the privacy screen.
The artwork will be done on 6 foot by 4 foot piece of plywood, sealed with a polycrylic finish, and mounted on steel legs that will be sunk into the ground about 2 feet. The bottom of the painting will be positioned about a foot above the patio's pad. The brushed nickel finish on the legs should make them barely noticable so the painting should feel as if it is a floating screen.
We're faced with a forecast for mostly inclement weather for the remainder of the week and so I am working on sketches to present to my husband for his consideration and approval. I am uploading the digital sketches as I have them completed but I expect to have them completed today.
The Farmer's Wife: Scaled to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood
Mock Up showingThe Farmer's Wife in place as a privacy screen
The Hostess: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood
Mock Up: The Hostess
Bringing Up Dolly: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood
Mock Up: Bringing Up Dolly
WallFlower: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood
Mock Up: WallFlower
Prodigal Matriculation: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood
Mock Up: Prodigal Matriculation
06/14/2008
We finally settled on the Farmer's Wife so today I took the opportunity to sketch her onto the previously primed, 6' by 4' piece of plywood that will used as a privacy screen.
Once I was settled and happy with the sketch I drew in the outlines.
The 6' x 4' privacy screen, primed, sketched, & outlined. The original 18x24" painting that inspired the digital version as well as this piece is hanging on the garage.
The outlines dried quickly so I was able to start color blocking the art.
The Farmer's Wife, color-blocked on the 6' x 4' privacy screen.
Once the color-blocking was dry we were able to build and bolt her to a frame, created from [3] 6' pieces of angled steel. This frame keeps her floating above ground level and will also prevent her from warping in the weather.
Back View 1: Post holes were dug and filled with quick setting cement.
A wooden frame holds her in place while the cement dries and cures over night.
The next morning, 06/15/2008, the cement was covered over with ground and I finished painting The Farmer's Wife.
Once the painting was dry the wooden frame was removed.
I am allowing the painting to cure for a few days before she is fixed and sealed with an acrylic overlay. This overlay will protect her from the weather and insure additional lightfastness. The use of high-grade acrylic paint also helps.
A diary and photo album of the project is posted in the Su Casa group if you're interested in following along with the development and getting a better view of the space itself. The finished project also appears as a "Before & After DIY".
@ Martinilush!
Faboulous
er...that doesn’t sound difficult, just sounds time-consuming and many-stepped.
These are all fabulous!! How will you ever choose?