I got these three chairs years ago when they cost very little money. There was one Farmhouse chair painted very light green and two soda fountain chairs from the 1950s or 60 that had black metal frames and cushions of red and dark gray stripes with the texture of an old rubber ball. They were cute but didn't really go with my other stuff. I had painted them all three shabby white after my accident that put me in chronic pain for a few years, so I couldn't do more. But, with this frustrating winter artists block, it seemed like a good time to beautify these old chairs.

This has my painting "Pallor" on it just to get you to maybe want to buy it. It oil on wood panel with gold leaf all around the sides.

I'd put them side by side but I don't know how to format that...

I had to do many stages with this. Clean the chairs, paint them and get the stripes and stencils lined up proper. Then a layer of wax to give them a sheen. I like how they came out. From funky to elegant. But underneath, still old ice cream parlor chairs.

Then I did the Farmhouse chair. I was looking at designs painted on these on Ebay and wow! They are expensive now. I paid $10 for mine, but they are selling them anywhere form $150-$200 and something now! I can't imagine what my little ice cream parlor chairs are going for, but I haven't seen anything like them

I have  a French heritage and my grandparents had a house full of antiques, so I decorated this in honor them. It's quite a big chair that I used to sit on to paint.

I also decorated a small cupboard that someone had thrown away. Its perfect to store mediums art supplies that aren't pretty. It's all solid wood and was very ugly. I'm not sure I like the Shabby Chic aging I did on it and will probably make it all white. I don't want to ruin my image by showing it in it present state.

The Painting

I finally broke through the ugly stage for this painting---one of the three ---and it came together quite easily after that. The problem was that this was not the painting I had in mind. In fact, my idea was looser and had more movement. It was meant to fit into an ornate antique frame that had fallen apart and I planned to repair. I thought I had measured it right, but it turned out to be a bit too small. Nothing went how I wanted it to.

But, I gave my art practice to Jesus and that means I'm not painting alone. There was definitely another hand in this one. It's still my hand but also Our Lady's. Her month is May. 

Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Flowers

Oil on 18x32 wrapped canvas

So this was finished the first week of May. Its also Her Immaculate Heart to compliment Jesus's Sacred Heart painting. The style is more in keeping with images of Our Lady of Guadalupe than what I was envisioning. More folk art in style.

She decides how she wants her pictures to be and when they are completed. Our Lady of Flowers. of Light, the divine May Queen. Also the Holy Spirit appears because there is Pentecost this month.

The other two paintings are taking a break because I want to make more paintings and will use acrylics because they dry so much faster and I've already knocked out two new ones. I'll show you when I have the series done. They are secular pieces like I used to make before.

I hope this wasn't too boring. I will be changing my website in September---total redesign. I have found a different way to work so I need a new design.

Lots of love,

Alyne