Before and Afters...

I paint almost all day almost every day, so I sometimes get a little bored, simply painting on canvas, so I throw in things like wood working, sculpting, sewing, furniture decorating, and especially love reupholstering to revive an otherwise trashy piece into a fun treasure. Below are some items I have given new life with fun fabrics, trim, and even some feather edging on an awesome vintage set I found at the flea market and revived with some tiger stripe and even a little vintage purple polka dot for fun!

Junky to spunky Bench redo

 this bench I personally liked better above... before I reupholstered it, but to make the customer happy, below... I really revamped it!

 

 This sitting area in a retirement home is much more fun with the eclectic mix of new and old to give the residents a less boring, not so institutional place to sit and visit.

Western Bench

 I trimmed the southwestern geometric wood pattern to soften it some and sanded before painting and reupholstering this

 Vintage Flea Market 

Settee, Love seat, and Chair Up Do

 I reupholstered this set with fun fabrics and even some feather boa trim along the edges

 I found a great vintage purple polka dot fabric to accent for a little unexpected spice!

Odd Eye and Swallowtail

I am a self taught native Texan artist. Since I paint cats O.K., I get lots of commissions to paint purrrry pets. I often incorporate funny hidden meanings, that to me, are significant, tho others may not  notice. Painting is my way of silently expressing myself, in hopes of bringing more smiles to the world. I painted this picture of an "Odd Eye"Persian cat... after someone was rude to my son, Matthew, at work... for looking different.(He has a rare birth defect called EA - esophageal atresia, so his neck is scarred, and after eating he often has a bulge in his neck, as big an apple, since food goes down to his stomach very slowly) Sometimes, something may look odd, but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful as well. My son included!lol Even a beautiful butterfly is odd when it starts out as a worm!

Matthew actually smiles a lot... this is him.. 

trying to look grown up... and like he isn't a jokster!

Sitting room redo

I redid this small sitting area at work as a vintage western library, to fit into the Nursing homes western theme, so the nursing home residents would have a fun colorful place to sit and read or write letters to loved ones, and staff could sit to do paperwork or enjoy a quiet break. 

 For fun I painted the walls pale purple to add some zest in an otherwise

 somewhat unzestfilled existance! 

I found tall table legs to replace the short coffee table legs, 

for a library desk,

 for which I built a bookshelf hutch out of old window shutters.

I painted the room freshener to look like a cowboy hat hanging on the wall.

I painted Trompe l oeil books, picture, mail slots, vase, and potted plant as fillers.

 On the desktop I painted a dear John letter with a feather quill pen and ink well.

I painted the emergency exit door

 to similate the library door, as if inside looking out into the old western town 

I built a tall bookshelf with four old shutters 

 and painted books... 

and potted cactus

 beside the library desk I painted a fun globe to fill empty space

and I painted a trompe l oeil tuxedo cat on a shelf...  

beside the door I painted a faux grandfather clock adjoining the wall clock

and removed the clock face to paint this fun grandfather clock face... 

I added faux leather cousion, two leather straps, and four porch post finials for feet, 

to make the footstool out of an old vintage samsonite suitcase