I'm seeing Red!

Working to tidy up some things around here before my daughters shower next month.

I don't know about you but I get in moods where I wake up and find I'm completely obsessed with taking on something that's been nagging at me. 

For instance, this dresser that was in a previous post....

I found this beauty sitting in a field on my way home one day.  There was a yard sale at the house but this piece was way off to the side by itself.  25 bucks and 5 minutes later it was on it's way home to the Barn.  I had intended to paint it but when I got home I ended up just wiping it down with a little stain and it looked so good I decided to leave it as is.   So anyway, this area around my dining table has been making me crazy.  There's also been a little plain pine bookcase that we've had for over 15 years, and it was just sitting along the wall next to the table but the problem was this wall is 18 feet high so it was so underscale it was so horrible to look at it was litterally hurting my eyes.

So the other day I realized that the little bookcase would fit nicely on top of that buffet.  So I painted it red to match it as closely as possible with what I had on hand. Set it on top and moved both pieces up against the big wall.

Pretty good match, I think.

I just stained the back a little darker to give it a little contrast.

A little extra detail just for fun.

Paints are handy on the bottom shelf with canvas's in the drawers below.

I piled some silver on top to give it some extra height. 

A few vintage books with a little watercolor from Paris.

And she has such pretty legs too!

I think I can live with this for a while. 

I'm linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed

No Minimalist Here 
Redoux

Save the date!

The kids wanted a barn, up on  hill with a vew of a vineyard.....

 CHECK! (whew!)

Invitations designed and ordered....

CHECK!

 via  Pinterest

The perfect dress found and bought....

CHECK!

Everythings falling into place beautifully!  Friends and family have stepped in to help in ways I cannot even begin to express enough thanks for.  This is going to be a wonderful day for a very deserving couple.  November 5th is the date.  Praying for warm weather!! 

Barncasso? I don't think so

Well I've discovered a new passion.  And it's consuming my every waking thought. Wait make that EVERY thought as I even dreamed about it last night.

Oil Painting.

Sigh.....

My mother has painted since I was little and paints beautifully, although like all true artists she is her own worst critic and says she's "not very good".  Ridiculous! Anyhoo, I have many memories of coming home from school and stopping by her little studio room and saying hi and watching her paint.  I was always fascinated by the process. The colors mixed on the pallette transfered to canvas to become something to admire. Water drops on fruit that looked real. I loved it all.  Yet I never touched a brush.  Odd.  She never invited me to sit down and try it and I never asked.  Funny when I think about it. But for some reason it's become something I've really wanted to do.

Last month the Getty Museum had a Paris exhibit that I was determined to go see. So the Cowboy, being a good sport and never having gone to an art museum before went with me.  It was beyond spectacular!!!

Oh, yeah, here's a nice little Dega next to a Van Gogh. Just hanging out. 

 Breathtaking!!

Here the Cowboy admires a painting by a Dutch artist from 1635 of the biblical story of Joseph and Potapher's wife.  1635!! It's unbelievable.  And the depth of color is truly indescribable.  And many of the frames are original to the artwork so it's truly awe inspiring to see.  We spent probably the most time looking at the Dutch artists.  The Cowboy loved Renoir's work.  Go figure.  At 8:30 in the evening I was dragging him outta there.  We covered only 2 out of the 4 buildings and we can't wait to go back. 

 But that really did me in.  While sitting still, staring at a beautiful landscape by Corot I knew I had to start painting.  Who knows where it will go. I'm sure there will be many little canvas's painted over, put in drawers, hung in odd little spots in my home for my own pleasure, but who cares.  As long as I love it.   So far I haven't had the courage to make it past  the basic layer of sky, clouds and a little base horizon.  I keep going back to rework the clouds.  I found a guy on YouTube who does on line lessons who rocks! 

Tim Gagnon.

I've really relied on his videos for my cloud work and as soon as the wedding is over I'm going to do his online landscape course.

He seems to have a very easy teaching style and I really like his work.

So my mom donated a bunch of her old oils and I set up shop on a buffet in the dining room so that it's all easily accessible when I have a few minutes to do a little work.  I just move the tray and easel to the table and go to work and put it back when I'm done.

Distracting during the day when I'm supposed be doing other things.

But a distraction I can live with.