Well, here we are –April 16th–winter has flown by (ha!) and
I’m afraid I didn’t use that wintertime to good advantage to
spruce up some decorating around the house. With this latest
cold snap–ice pellets last night!–I might have a couple of days
for a winsome project. Will you help me decide which to choose?
I’m getting my ideas from an old decorating book by Jocasta
Innes—called “Applied Artistry”. I’m not so sure that’s a grabber-
for-attention of a title, but hey! she’s published, and I’m not, so
let’s see what classy things she’s done around HER house. Oh,
I mean her “interiors.”
Wow–look at those walls! Goodness. I don’t think I’m ready
for that idea–but it’s great. It’d be fun to do something
different for one wall at least.
How to make gesso. I have no Italian blood, but I might be
able to follow these step by step pictures. You know, make
sort of a sculptured, stucco looking wall or something.
Is it “g”esso? or “j”esso? She doesn’t say.
OK, materials:
1. Rabbit skin glue granules
LOL! I can’t go on! Is she serious? Skip the gesso.
Back to the table of contents for ideas. Hm–tinting
limewash . . . egg tempera . . . decoupage (been there, done
that) . . .ah! a Trompe-l’oeil Cupboard! I’ve heard of
that tricky “trompe-l’oeil”—-tricky to say, tricky to spell,
and a trick when you’re done with the picture! Here is a
photo of her project with that –a “drinks cupboard”
made from a junk piece of furniture.
After you’ve done the trompe-l’oeil work, she says to
give “two finishing coats of matt polyurethane varnish . . .”
and my eyes glaze over. OR, another finishing option
would be to “antique” the piece with a “water-based
craquelure, with raw umber oil paint rubbed in . . .”
Seems like a lot of work for a drink.
You know what? I think I’ll go out and plant my two new
Dutchman’s Pipe vines that arrived yesterday. I’ll work on
my interiors next November.
HahaHA! I think you’ve reached the right decision! Poor little rabbits!
Please! Let’s not go there!