The Other Kind of Painting....

It's Just Got To Be Done....

You Might recall, Dear Readers, that I was also working on the shingles for the roof of The Cloud Palace during my recent vacation. One of those tedious tasks that needs to be given plenty of time. The shingles were not the best quality and needed to be sanded and trimmed and cut to fit to the angles of the roof. And because I had gotten fancy with the roof where the Palace joins the Tower, there were extra fiddly places where the shingles had to be fitted carefully. I really wanted to get this roof finished so I could move on to the other tasks (like finishing the rocks for the sides of the Towers) which are so easily put off when there are so many more exciting things to pursue!

So I worked at it a little every day and finally all the shingles were attached!

And then it was time for primer and Paint!

There is little that is more boring than Primer!

Except that in this case, 

it changed my original ideas about the roof color!

You will probably laugh when I tell you that I had been planning

 to paint the shingles the soft gray color 

and then try silver "accents" on the edges....!

But this is The Cloud Palace, I hear you say.... 

shouldn't the roof be all white like a beautiful cloud?

(I am really Not an All-white kind of decorator!)

But seeing the roof with the white primer

 made me change my mind.

I painted the shingles pure white.

But I didn't like it.

It was too bland. Too flat. Too boring!

Even in the bright morning light 

you could barely see the texture of the shingles!

So I decided to try the silver paint  "accents" 

that I had intended to add to the gray shingles.

I added a silver edge to just the bottom few shingles to test how it looked.

At night it just looked like gray edges.

But in the morning light they glowed!

I thought it might just make all the difference!

So I painted the edges of all the shingles with the silver paint...

Of course, in ordinary light it all looks just like gray edges....

But viewed from the right angle.... it shines!

And even when it isn't glowing.... 

it accentuates the shapes of the shingles 

and adds "interest" to the roof!

So while I had the silver paint out, Dear Readers,

I also decided to touch up all the other edges 

that were still incomplete....

Like along the front edge of the floor where 

the "tab" from the kit intruded on the floor pattern.

And also on the inside where more tabs disrupted the tile pattern....

Tiny little details that really make a lot of difference!

I am loving the way the shingle pattern stands out now.... 

a subtle counterpoint to the geometric floor tiles.... 

same colors, different pattern!

And while I was finishing up all the details.... 

finding tiny places that needed paint.... 

one of those Magic Moments happened....

The setting sun reflected off my neighbor's windows, 

and shone into my house from the East......!

And lighted up the Cloud Palace so Beautifully......

I could not have planned for this if I tried!

Shining all the way in to the painted planters.....

I am always amazed at what the sunlight shows!

And as the sun was setting... it didn't last.....

Gone so fast....

An unexpected gift....!

And even though the Painting was boring, 

Dear Readers, the results are not!

That other kind of painting....

It just Has to be Done!