Monday, February 11, 2013

Painting Up A Storm!




Dreaming of Spring in the Depths of Winter.....

I hope you can forgive me, Dear Readers, for showing you a whole lot of Half Finished work this week, but I could not wait to show you the Progress on the Tree House Bedroom! I have been "Painting up a Storm" (which simply means painting a lot!) as I work on the Chinoiserie murals, but progress is slow, so you are going to have to use your Imaginations! These walls are a Long way from done! But Unlike the Huge Snowstorm we have just survived here in New England, the murals have Nothing to do with cold, white Frozen worlds.... however beautiful those can be... but are the most Ideal portrayal of Perpetual Springtime that I know of! And you are going to have to forgive my crude attempts to render this deliciously delicate style of wall decoration in miniature on my Tree House walls.
I am afraid the trees are ending up a bit stockier than is ideal..... 
I started by under-painting with white where the trees would go....

And then painting the dark gray base coat.... but I think the white under-painting was not necessary in this case and ended up causing the tree trunks to be stockier than I had imagined them being. But I think it will be okay that way... each part that gets added changes the entire balance of the composition....

Here I am beginning to add the secondary plant forms.... 
the lacier trees that twine with the darker ones...
And adding layers of gray to define the trunks better....

And filling in the Ground and adding the "planters" ...
and under-painting where the birds will go....
I apologize for the lousy pictures..... 
it is really difficult to get the colors to show well...

Here above is a closer view of one of the planters partly done....
This is on the outer door of the Room which has been removed for painting....

And here above is the Dressing Room door..... 
painted as one with the wall to make it invisible....

And then I added another planter to balance the first one....
These are SO difficult to photograph...!

 And they are SO Far from Done!
But I wanted to show you my progress!

On the left above you can see the Dressing Room door in place in the wall...
Where it will be almost invisible!

But that is not all I have been painting, Dear Readers! 
You may remember that I had started to build the bed for this room...
Well, I decided that it was not the right shape at all!
So I started over with more delicate spindles for bed posts....

And added a decorative "Fret-work" headboard....

Made from cut off slices of woodsies...
(left over from making the library books!)

Which then just needed some painting.....

And then I confess I got carried away with this project...... 
and decided it really Did need a Pagoda Roof for a canopy....

 This is made from manilla file folder paper and a delicate gold braid trim...
And I forgot to take pictures of the next dozen steps......
Ta da!!!


I know, it IS a Trifle Over The Top....!!!
But it is Not unprecedented.... 
the inspiration came from the Bed made for the Duke of Beaufort
in 1754, as seen below...

So you will have to forgive me for trying to copy such an Iconic Bed....
In such a small scale!!!

It barely fits in the room!!!
So even though Spring is a Long way off, 
and my Mural is a Long way from done...
I have been Dreaming of Spring....
And Painting up a Storm!




20 comments:

  1. BETSY!!!!!!!!!!!!AMAZING!!!!!!! I think you should start to think of selling your smalller scale miniatures! After what happened to the Office I've started to think about smaller scales and seing your BED I thought I would LOVE to have one! Can't wait to see the whole bedroom!

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  2. Hi Betsy, shall we do a little "Spring, Sunshine" dance together. i am so done with winter. Over here it's also freezing cold... yet again. We had a sunshine filled spring like week last week and this weekend... that bloody snow and cold return. I am done with it! ;0
    The mural FAB! The pagoda bed... AMAZING! I love it it work perfectly in the room you build. gr. AM

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  3. I love what you have done to the bed, its amazing, the mural is looking good to, can't wait to see it all finished

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  4. is there no end to your talent Betsy??

    This room will be a delight, it is already!! The chinoiserie mural is looking beautiful and that bed is just stunning.

    ML Fi xx

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  5. Ooo Betsy, the bed is really amazing!!! The mural painting is so well done, it looks gorgeous.
    Hugs, Ilona

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  6. Dear Betsy,
    What an amazing bed. It's a real masterpiece!
    Hugs Dorien

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  7. Oh Betsy! You crazy crazy girl! And how we all love that crazy part of you :):). A mural in 1:48!!! Chinoiserie to boot! And then as if that is not difficult enough, you made a pagoda bed ! I am almost speechless. Luckily, my hands can still talk :):).

    That tent top must be so fiddly to make. I tried building a tent before, my last version , Version 3? 4? is crumbling, although I used an umbrella.

    Over the top for Chinoiserie is good, very good :). Now for some brocade pillows and dragon carpets :):).

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  8. I like your mural painting. The bed is gorgeous.
    Bye Faby

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  9. I so admire your painting skills...and in this small scale, it's unbelievable and so beautiful!!!
    And I love the bed, it's amazing!!!

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  10. May I send my bare walls of the 2nd witch tower over to you to paint them with for example some dragons? *grin* I was sitting here open-mouthed (I just noticed this happens often to me when visiting your blog) staring with fullest admiration at your murals and when I saw your bedhead I thought at once it's looking chinese. The bed is a dream, and incredibly well done in that "size".

    Greetings
    Birgit

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  11. I really like this cute bed! The room with mural painting is gorgeous!!
    Magda

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  12. Looks like you're well on your way to having another beautiful room. :)

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  13. Hello Betsy, I like your little paintings; so full of fantasy and so small. My compliments for the bed as well!

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  14. I love, love, love that bed! even though you are far from finished I love seeing the room!


    M.

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  15. Hi Betsy,

    More amazing work! The murals are lovely, I love that detail around the door, reminds me of a house nearby called Claydon that has some fine Chinoiserie plaster work around its doors too.

    The Pagoda bed in inspired, it looks very similar to the bed in the photo, and is very glamourous! It's a bold statement, but it needs to be with such lively wall paintings next to it!

    Congratulations on all you've done in such dismal weather. Roll on spring!

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  16. Awesome! I love how you built up the bed.

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  17. Wow the murals are great and the bed is def amazing!

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  18. Brilliant bed Betsy, I'd love a full-size one like that. I read somewhere ages ago that those curved Chinese roof ridges are to prevent wicked spirits sliding down to earth, apparently they are thrown back up into the air when they reach the curly ends, so they can do no harm!

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  19. Well, as usual Mom is last to comment. Time does go by!
    I, too, love the bed, and one would never know that the murals on the walls are so small. The scale is great.
    Carry on!
    Love, Mom

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  20. Wow, love the bed! The doorway is great too. CM

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