Monday, January 20, 2014

More Bricks and Saints




Slow But Steady.....

It was easy enough, Dear Readers, to get the last few bricks attached to the chimney, (because there were so few still to add!) allowing for a brief sense of Euphoria that the Chimney was coming to Completion! All I had left to do was paint and grout the bricks and then attach it in place! Oh, and add the cap stones... and it would be done! So I set right to it! But I remembered that I would need to paint a coat of primer on it first... and while I was slowly painting it I remembered how fiddly it was to get the paint into All the cracks between the bricks... and ALL Four sides of the chimney! It took longer than I thought it would...

And then it needed to dry.... 
in all the cracks between all the bricks......
It took longer than I thought it would.....
And then the painting part....
I use acrylic artist paint and mix as I go....
It took longer than I thought it would....

 Because it needed two coats of paint on all four sides......
And then it needed more color and texture added in places....
(I forgot to take good pictures...)
And then it needed a coat of polyurethane sealer....
In all the cracks between all the bricks on all four sides....
Yeah, it took longer than I thought it would!
Above you can see it late Saturday night... 
painted but still no grout.... but progress had been made!

So Sunday morning I started right in with the grout.....
But first I took a Morning Light picture of the partly done chimney...
without the grout in place it is really difficult to tell whether the color of the bricks 
will match what has already been done.... so we just have to hope for the best!


And get started on the grout....

Section by section you push the grout into the cracks 
and wipe off the excess with a damp sponge....
The abrasion of the grout takes away the gloss of the polyurethane sealer...
In fact, it took away some of the skin on my fingers....
Which I didn't notice until later!
Hmmm... should I have used some gloves?


But eventually all the grout was applied....
And I just needed to wait while it dried....
And keep wiping off more of the dried loose grout.....
Yeah, It took longer than I thought it would!!!
But, Oh boy, the grout really makes it look like bricks!!!


Here you can see it in place....
And none of the bricks match very well....
But the Story is that it was constructed in several parts originally....
And it is very old so some of the bricks are more worn than others....
And it will be getting more "Aging" as we go....!


 So you can see that you will probably never even notice
 the different bricks when it is all finished....

Here you can see the end view.... 
without the cap stones....
 which I haven't made yet...
And which will be a whole other adventure....
But it is starting to look like I had imagined....

Here is the interior view....


I think those bricks look Amazingly real!!!
But before I can attach anything in place, 
I have also decided that the windows need interior muntins....
(All those little cross bars on the window panes)
It bothers me that they are only real on the outside....
So I stained a whole lot of thin strips.....

The window on the left is how the kit looks from the inside....
the one on the right has the interior vertical muntins 
but none of the horizontal ones....
(I forgot to take a picture of the completed window)
I have a Lot of windows to complete.....
but the one window didn't take as long as I thought it would!!

And last but not least, lest you think I was doing nothing 
while all that paint and grout was drying....
I started painting another Saint on the Castle Great Hall Ceiling....

This is Saint Cecilia.....
(Couldn't you tell...?)
She was surprisingly difficult to find ANY contemporary images to copy!
The only version I have is in the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, 
which has one of the most complete Hagiographic sections ever....
But I didn't like the image....
It didn't include any of her traditional attributes....
She is the patron Saint of Music.... and it showed her with a Hawk!
So I searched images of Rood Screens..
(Isn't the internet Awesome!)
And while I couldn't find an image that was hers for certain....
many of the surviving paintings are very badly damaged....
I found a pose and attributes I could use.....

But she is only just begun...
I have to invent most of how she is....

I apologize for the Lousy pictures... 
the lighting is so difficult at this time of year...
But you can see her in conjunction with the other saints.....

And here is a view with the ceiling in place...
Again, the lighting is difficult... 
it gives a much too orange cast to the painting...
And I have only one more Saint to begin!
But they ALL need tons of details to finish them!
So you can see, Dear Readers,
while it might take longer than I thought it would....
whether its Saints or Bricks....
Slowly but Steadily...
I have made Progress!

33 comments:

  1. Lots of work on that brick, but it was worth losing some skin on your fingers - it looks great! I really like the juxtaposition of the angular roof trusses against the curved arch of the bricks inside. Its very lovely.

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  2. It is quite a lovely and beautiful project. I am so completely in love with your Conservatory. It is complete and your bricks look like real stones.
    Hugs
    Wyrna

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    1. Thank you, Wyrna! I have wanted a Conservatory for all my life it seems! Now I get to have one in mini!

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  3. Wow, everything looks so realistic - the bricks are so great :)

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    1. Thank you, Lady Fanberia! Welcome to my blog! I love the way these bricks look so real! Thank you for commenting!

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  4. I am in love with your conservatory! The chimney looks fab now that it has been bricked and grouted. The interior view is gorgeous, the outside too of course, but the idea is to get inside and not stay on the sidewalk right? :-) I love what you're doing with the windows. It looks much better this way. I am curious as to what Saint Cecilia will look like when finished. The ceiling looks amazing!
    X
    Véronique

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    1. Hi Veronique! (I almost wrote "please come inside"... in the post but I was too lazy... and sometimes I think I use too many words...!) I am glad you agree about the windows.... they just bothered me... I want to be able to see the dust on the muntins on the inside!!! It will be a bit of work.. and will require that I get inventive at the corners where they meet too closely.... but such is what happens when you kit bash! I am still arguing with myself about whether some of them should open.... while I am making things difficult for myself!!! LOL!

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  5. The chimney looks great now! Can't wait to see more of your conservatory!
    Everytime I look at your Saints I am amazed how on Earth you can paint them when they are so so small! Impressive it really is!

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    1. Thank you Ewa! You know I love to paint small details!!! After doing the Tree House for a year and more... the regular dollhouse scale seems so big! LOL! It just takes me very a long time!!!

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  6. You've done such a great job on the bricks - I think they look amazing, and the differences in them only adds to the charm... they were probably reclaimed from an old manor house in the neighbourhood; or possibly a Tudor monastery...

    I would love to have a RL conservatory like yours... especially with the warm wood stove - I have to pot my seeds up in my kitchen, which makes no end of mess!

    Jonquil

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    1. Hi Jonquil! I like the Monastery part of the story!!! I too, have always wanted a Conservatory.... I think that is why I am making this one big... it is as close to a Real one as I will ever own! LOL!!! I need to go all out with the details.... a true case of wish fulfillment! Yes, the kitchen is the potting center in my house too!!

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  7. You are always making progress and to the observer it often doesn't seem that slowly. The bricks look just fabulous - so worth all the time spent on them.

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    1. Thank you, Sharee! I know, I am impatient with myself! I seem to set myself Big Challenges.... and then can't understand why they take so long! LOL!

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  8. Hello Betsy,
    First of all, your conservatory is a triumph! I just love your brick work. It looks aged and perfect. It has so much character! amazing. The interior view shots just blew me away. It is magnificent. very well done.
    The saints are just coming along beautifully. How incredible the ceiling looks. you really are a wonder Betsy.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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    1. Thank you so much, Giac! (It is nice to have you back in the comments too! LOL!) This project is another one I have been "Dreaming" about for a Very long time... there is still so much to do before it resembles my dreams.... but the journey is the fun part!
      The ceiling is also a long ways from done.... the Whole Castle is a Long ways from done..!!! I guess I have my work cut out for me! Thank you for being so supportive... it really means a lot!

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  9. Such patience! Well worth it. The conservatory is wonderful, but I love the saints best.
    Love,
    Mom

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    1. Hi Mom! I worried about boring everybody with more of the Same old Saints! LOL! I am glad you like them... I think they add a Lot of character to my Castle!

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  10. Oh Betsy, what a lot of work, but it is worth it: your consevatory is awesome, very realistic and brick walls are never the same! But those brick walls adds so much character to the conservatory! I love that peek to the inside, I nearly can see plants growing in there.....:D!
    The saints are coming along wonderfully, it is a real master work.
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Hi Ilona! I still have a long way to go before the structure is all put together and I think about starting the plants! Now, If I could only learn to make them as perfectly as You do... then it would be a work of art!!! I can Dream, can't I? And maybe I better just start practicing!!! Maybe I need a book ... or start with kits... I will need to learn a lot!

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  11. Нет слов! Такая прекрасная работа! Мне нравится кирпичная кладка! Так реально смотрится! Супер! Я представляю какой будет грандиозный потолок украшенный фресками! Вы такой замечательный художник! Великолепная работа!
    Объятья
    Татьяна

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  12. Hello from Spain: I'm sure that the winter garden will be fabulous. Great fireplace. Your saints are awesome. Your work is a masterpiece. Keep in touch

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    1. Thank you, Marta! I really appreciate your comments!

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  13. In my opinion you've made very much progress considering how much work and effort is hiding in those brickwork. Your method takes plenty of time but is worth every single minute you've spent... The resuls is simply breathtaking, especially the photos showing the inside look as if they were taken from a 1:1 conservatory. You're creating another masterpiece... as well as with the Saints. It's always impressive to get a look at them. Btw - did the dreamworld already whisper a name for a special guy to you? ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Dear Birgit, I am sending you an email..... I did hear a whisper just last night!!! :)

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  14. Amazing project. The bricks seem to have been alot of work, but your end result is stunning. Your painting of the saints are beautiful as well. Thank you for sharing this project.
    Lisa :-)

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    1. Thank you, Lisa! I am glad you are enjoying it!

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  15. The chimney looks great!!! Love the worn look! And I'm glad you're taking the time to make the windows look more real, it will look so much better in the end! The ceiling is wonderful, I admire you for your painting skills, the saints are great!!!

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  16. Your conservatory is perfection!!! I can't believe how real it looks! I understand the brick work took some time and some pain :) but it is absolutely worth it, I think...the chimeny looks fantastic and the interior of the conservatory is unbelievable beautiful. WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!! I love it, honestly! Hugs

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  17. Sorry for my lapse in commenting, I have been trying to keep an eye on all my favourite blogs and love what you have been doing, Hope you have a great 2014!!

    Andy xxx

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  18. Oh I so know what you mean by losing skin to the grout. I did the same, and also didn't notice until later that day, I switched to gloves after that.

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