Finding Beauty in Old Wood

Table top

Isn't this pretty? What I thought last week was a pink elephant has turned out to be a really nice check out area for the shop.

We decided not to try to move the 700 lb elephant down to Rick's workshop and to try and work with it where it sits. Remember it from my last post?

Big blue work table - aka the Pink Elephant

A little sand paper and paint went a long way on the base. And a lot of sand paper and muscle provided by my son went a long way on the top. It had been abused terribly with paint, oil, grease and lots of dents and holes.

Before polyurethane

One more of the pretty wood top

All finished

I think it turned out nice and it will be really useful. All these years it had been up against the wall and we had completely forgotten it had storage underneath. This is going to be where we keep our shipping supplies and I'm thrilled to get that stuff out of the studio and out of sight.

More next week...it's moving right along. 

Shop Update 8/23/20

Ranch Dressing - the shop - is finally cleaned out, cleaned up and newly painted. We even have new lighting...which is going to go a loooong way in heating this space in the winter....my word they are HOT. Next comes a dimmer switch. I should have remembered this from the gallery.

We finally got everything out on Friday with the exception of the 700 lb. steel desk that was previously used in a substation and then as my husbands worktable. Only because it's too much of a hassle to move, he's building a new one for himself and I am keeping this one as my checkout counter and for shipping supply storage underneath.

Shop before painting...grey, dusty and in some places...dirty!

I have wanted to use this color somewhere in my house for a year now but I just don't have the right space...so I am thrilled with it in the shop. I went with a neutral grey/green in the gallery years ago, but I don't have to be quite so serious here, thank goodness!

And, this is what it looks like on the wall.

A few final details inside and we will start moving things in.

More to come...and hopefully soon!

Worktable Wednesday: Not Black or Red

Hugging Bear Border Floorcloth awaiting leather rug fringe

If you will remember a couple weeks ago, I showed you some sketches in my journal of a new floorcloth design that got it's start from a standard design shown on my website. When I left you, the decision of what color rug fringe was left to the customer and we were all on the edge of our seats waiting...well, I would love to believe that...LOL...

After learning that there is NO black in the room although some black furniture exists in the adjoining bedroom, I suggested that we go with brown instead. There are lovely brown picture frames in sight of the future rug position and they need to be tied to something else in the room...so we switched out the black for brown and added turquoise to pick up that color from the shower curtain.

We are going with brown leather rug fringe with the rough side out for a soft look.

Brown leather before it's cut into fringe

Tomorrow I will begin cutting the leather into fringe. What do you think about using the rough side out? I haven't done this before but it looked like the obvious thing to do this time...and how do you cut YOUR fringe? Scissors, utility knife or rotary cutter? I have used all three.

Ornaments aren't just for Christmas

Hand painted ornament ©2010 Angie Nelson

I painted this handsome fella Saturday afternoon. I love painting on such a variety of canvases...and this is one of my favorites. I love the way the acrylics work on frosted glass...or maybe it's just the contrast of the detail against the soft white.

Anyway, he's headed to Oklahoma as a gift to the owner of this gorgeous stallion. Shhhhhhhh! It's a surprise.

I think I enjoy making the gift boxes as much as painting the ornaments. I never expected I would enjoy making them so much but this last year I've really gone quite wild with covering boxes with great papers and trims.

Hand painted ornament with faux ostrich/pink paisley gift box ©2010 Angie Nelson

For ordering details click here Pet Portrait Ornaments. It would be my pleasure to paint a mini portrait of your sweet horse or favorite pet.

Talk to you soon.

Worktable Wednesday...A Peek into my Art Journal

When a customer orders a floorcloth from me they can have anything under the sun they would like...some want something completely original and some like the standard designs just the way they are...and then some want the standard design, but customized. That's the beauty of a floorcloth...it can be tailored to your needs.

On the worktable today is a blank canvas waiting on approval of a design. The customer found something on my website that she liked but wanted something with fringe. In my mind I couldn't see fringe on it in it's original composition and I asked her if I could tweak it a bit in order to make it work with fringe.


Here's where we are today....

The Original Floorcloth Design      Hugging Bear            Angie Nelson© 2009

These are the sketches from my art journal...where I keep records of my designs and ideas..sometimes for specific client's and sometimes just things I'm thinking about painting. For this client I've scanned the page and sent her three options according to her thoughts on color. This is the first time she's seen the idea of using the bear motif as a border rather than as the only focal point on the rug.

Here are a couple pages from 2008 when I first started thinking about tipi art for floorcloths...I either use markers or Prisma colored pencils...and sometimes both.

Since my customer already knows what the bear actually looks like I probably won't do a mock up of the entire piece like I would do for a new design. There is a small design fee for new work that covers the time spent on the concept and I will actually do a small acrylic painting on paper representative of the actual piece. The fee is applied to the cost of the new floorcloth so it really is no additional cost.

So here I sit with the blank canvas...ready to start. I'm looking forward to seeing her decision...I'm kind of leaning toward the red fringe myself...how 'bout you?

Cowboys and Indians Magazine...My Favorite!

I'm checking in this morning for a quick hello and to touch base with you all. I hope you are having a wonderful summer...seems like it's hotter all around the country than ever...I know it's been killer here with the 90 degree temps and 80 % humidity.

I'm spending my time during the heat of the day in the studio or online researching the values of things going into the shop. I am working hard on my time management skills...the ad I mentioned earlier is now in print in the latest edition of Cowboys and Indians Magazine -look for Reba on the cover. I got a preview about two weeks ago and wanted so badly to show you...

Most months, there is a handsome cowboy on the cover, but every so often they will feature an outstanding cowgirl. This time it's our girl Reba with a 10 page feature article.This is also the Western and Native Art issue. Good stuff!

FYI, I have 8 years of back issues that I'm going to start parting with  soon. Who's your favorite cowboy? Real or movie star, I bet he's been on the cover of C & I. And, just so you know in advance...Russell Crowe is not going anywhere.

At any rate, my website traffic was somewhat improved over the weekend and I am excited. This issue will be distributed through September at lots of interesting venues such as the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wy and the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. My ad is in the back in the General Store section.

I had wanted badly to try and exhibit at the Western Design Conference this year. I haven't been since 2003 or since they moved it from Cody to Jackson. After some discussion with Rick back in March and a few tears later I decided he's right...again...and that it would be crazy to throw another element into my life right now...I am, after all  supposed to be enjoying this journey I'm on. So, I thought I'd take a shot with my favorite magazine and see what happens.

I chose to use an old pet portrait that's still on my website because it's one of my absolute favorite pieces. It was exhibited at the WDC in 2002. The adult dog is my dad's and is still alive and well, while the pup, Cowboy, was my son's. We lost him 2 years ago to kidney disease and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about that dog! He was the one I yelled at every morning of his life with us until his last couple..."Bad dog, bad dog!" He reminded me of the dog from the movie Hope Floats that chased and barked at the ducks everyday...well Cowboy barked at and annoyed the horses coming into the barn every morning. It's just what he did. Good memories.

I hope you will run out and get a copy of the September edition of the magazine if you don't subscribe to it already. It's full of interesting articles and the ads have more eye candy than you can absorb in one sitting. I always check them out first to see what's new with my peeps!

Talk to you soon.

Worktable Wednesday

I am using my worktable again and it feels sooooo good to know where all of my supplies are and have space to work. This was worth all the effort of the re-do. I hardly remember the bumps and bruises.

Today's project is for me. I am working on a collage with 20 years worth of memories...from day one in the floorcloth business. My first hand lettered and hand drawn business cards and brochures created by my sister and I in 1989 to accomplishments in 2009. I'm not quite sure where to draw the line or just how big this thing is going to be.

I wanted to do a collage to save wall space and put the history all in one area. I didn't realize until today what an accumulation I have! I have impressed myself. I think sometimes we forget how we get were we are.

This is me in 1990 from a newspaper article....I look like a kid! 

I had just mailed slides off to Country Living Magazine.

I think getting into the magazine gave the confidence to continue and build a business rather than to supplement our income while I was out of work raising our daughter.

The plan was to go back to work once she was in school and I did try that for a while but it felt WRONG! I am so happy the way things have turned out.

I can't wait to show you the collage when I'm done. No promises when...it will evolve as I am inspired. It will most likely be done this month. I will keep you posted. 

Has anyone else taken on such a project...so much in one piece? I don't think it will have any rhyme or reason, but we will see. Talk to you soon.