Recently, I spoke with some of our readers about how they utilize the designs featured in PaintWorks. I was delighted that they were eager to share their thoughts with me and to discover that sometimes they paint the designs as shown in the photos and other times creatively adapt them to other surfaces. In many cases, readers really liked the painting but felt that the surface didn’t fit their design scheme.

When you look at a design, try to envision it on something that would suit your personal taste or needs. Make a list of upcoming events that may require gifts for family and friends. (I had better do that myself, because my daughter will be getting married this fall!) Visualize your design of choice on a surface that suits the occasion and the recipient—don’t limit yourself to the size or shape of the original piece. There are steps that can be taken to make the pattern work for you, including border treatments, background stencils, and more.

In terms of design, I will use the Geraniums Garden Trug and Wineglasses project on page 51 of this issue as an example. I personally love the garden trug and intend to paint it for my front porch. Because I live in an 1810 saltbox house and love pink geraniums, the design fits well into my surroundings, making it a natural choice to paint as shown. But I also intend to add to this grouping by adapting the design to several other surfaces. My barn is home to a variety of old chairs just waiting to be painted—I’m sure that one will work with the geraniums. I also have an old wooden toolbox and a rustic accent table that hold my potted plants. I will determine the background treatment once I decide on the items to paint. If I need to distress the background, I will most likely use a crackle medium and an antique finish. The supplier of the garden trug, Patricia Rawlinson’s Creative Arts Lifestyle, has wonderful unique embellishments for surfaces, so I’ll certainly check that out before finalizing my projects.

Perhaps pink isn’t your color of choice. You can easily substitute red, coral, lavender, or white blossoms for the pink ones. Experiment with colors and make the necessary adjustments to your palette. Paint it as shown or switch it up—the choice is yours. There is a rainbow of colors and an unlimited number of surfaces and embellishments to choose from!

Happy Painting!

Linda R. Heller
Editor in Chief

Projects

Mini Canvases with Easels

Wild Blue Yonder

Cape Cottage Peg Plaque

Lighthouse and Roses

A Trio of Buildings, Part 3

The Old Coach House

"Dream It" Mirror

Garden Slate

Geraniums Garden Trug and Wineglasses

Garden Sign

The Joy of Koi

Under the Sea

Rosy Posy Garden Table

Rosy Posies

Bird of Paradise Patio Pillow

Daisy Canvas

Summer Fruit Place Mats

I'm a Caribbean Amphibian

Patriotic Noodle Board

Features

Brushstroke Technique Guide

Museum News

Art & Coffee

Second Time Around

Try Something New

Prime your Palette

On Track with Trends

Signs of the Seasons

Funky Folk Art

Faux Simple

Savvy Studio

Projects

Mini Canvases with Easels Nancy Scott

Wild Blue Yonder Janelle Johnson

Cape Cottage Peg Plaque Jean Hoder

Lighthouse and Roses Kathi Sojka

A Trio of Buildings, Part 3 Mary Jo Gross

The Old Coach House Rebecca Trimble

“Dream It” Mirror Chris Thornton-Deason

Garden Slate Lynne Andrews

Geraniums Garden Trug and Wineglasses Patricia Rawlinson

Garden Sign Cheryl Nuccio

The Joy of Koi Suzie Shinseki

Under the Sea Linda Hollander

Rosy Posy Garden Table Prudy Vannier

Rosy Posies Cynthia Bowman

Bird of Paradise Patio Pillow Diane Trierweiler

Daisy Canvas Willow Wolfe

Summer Fruit Place Mats Julie Polderdyke

I’m a Caribbean Amphibian Chris Haughey

Patriotic Noodle Board Susan V. Cochrane

Features

Brushstroke Technique Guide:
Fishing Lures
Debby Forshey-Choma

Museum News
Andy Jones

Art & Coffee:
Pears & Memories
Debra Henkener

Second Time Around:
Summer Scene Chair
Donna Scully

Try Something New:
Incorporating Stamps into Decorative Painting
Tammie Wilson

Prime Your Palette:
Encaustic Art: Painting with Wax
Kathi Hanson

On Track with Trends:
A Natural Thing!
Jennifer Blevins

Signs of the Seasons:
Summer Sign & Jar Cozies
Sue Allemand

Funky Folk Art:
Mixed-Pattern Chair
Shara Reiner

Faux Simple:
Planning, Preparation, and Practice—Wood and Leather
Jill DiMaria

Savvy Studio:
Stock Your Studio for Summer!
Kathi Hanson

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