Art Was Framed! Part 2

This was another quick and inexpensive customization of a discounted, scuffed frame.

This plastic/composite frame had a couple of white scuffs. I wanted to use it with an antique photo, so the frame should appear worn and scraped up. I took a piece of sandpaper and lightly rubbed some vertical scratches on all sides. I wiped, rinsed, and dried the frame to remove any dust. Then I took a small amount of black craft paint and a paper towel and rubbed paint into the scratches, wiping off excess paint to leave green as the main color. I let the paint dry and reapplied until I achieved the look I wanted.












I really like how this turned out - giving a modern-colored frame an antique feel, but still maintaining the vibrant color. It works very well with the colors in this reprinted photo of my grandfather, taken in the 1920's.

Were I to do it again, I might use a finer-grain sandpaper and perhaps experiment with different scuff angles, or even used a knife to dig in some deep scratches. I could use multiple paint colors to give the scratches a variety of shading.

Art Was Framed! Part 1

What could I do with faded and worn artwork and a slightly scuffed frame? Make new fresh and fun art!


I had a 20-yr-old 18" x 24" black and white pointillism piece of three azaleas and leaves that suffered from fading ink, yellowing paper, and staining. I didn't want something so damaged on my walls, but I did like the subject matter. So, I cut out the best-preserved portion of the image to fit a frame I recently purchased. (I reused the original frame for better artwork - a Hugh Syme lithograph.)











The new frame had some scuffs, so I bought some acrylic paint in a nice bright green (Folk Art #503 Yellow Citron), slightly lighter than the frame's original color. If I wanted a smooth surface, I would have used spray paint, but I wanted a little bit of brush stroke texture to the frame, so I used a 1/2" art brush. (I decided not to use the matting.)
















I painted the entire frame, with long strokes running the entire length of the side I was painting. I let the green paint dry thoroughly, then let my creative side take the frame design to another level.


















Using a cream-colored paint (Anita's #11323 Cream) and a very small-gauge brush, I continued the artwork onto the frame with small dots, imitating the pointillism style of the art. Alternatively, I could have used black paint or black art markers.


















For just a few dollars for the discounted frame and two bottles of paint, I will be able to enjoy this pretty azalea for many years to come.

I Rode for a Cure!

I'm baaaaack! Had a great time bicycling this weekend from Houston to Austin in the BP MS150.

Max & I got up at 4:30am. We had packed the night before, so we only needed to put on our cycling clothes, pack the bikes, and drive 30 miles to Rhodes Stadium in Katy, TX. The other two start locations were Tully Stadium on I-10/Dairy Ashford, and some location in Waller, TX.

It was a cool morning - colder in Katy than our house. We knew the day would be nice - in the low 70's, so we didn't wear cycling pants, just long-sleeved shirts over our bright St. Arnold jerseys.

Our attitudes were good. We had ridden the MS150 two years before, and felt confident that we would do well on this ride. We got in line about 6:30am and crossed the starting line about 7:00am.

The variety of riders on a large, organized ride is interesting. It's a mix of everyone from very skilled riders on amateur bike teams to first-timers who probably bought a bike last week. (Max & I are somewhere in the middle of this spectrum.)

More coming soon...