Tag Archives: painting

Maybe I could paint that!

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Perspective is a technique whereby an artist implies distance on a 2-dimensional surface. This idea did not exist before the Renaissance.

Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675) went way beyond getting the perspective right in his paintings. The man was a practically a human camera—painting the image he saw nearly perfectly on canvas as you can see in his painting, The Milkmaid (1658). How on earth did he do that?

1024px-Johannes_Vermeer_-_Het_melkmeisje_-_Google_Art_Project

Tim Jennison has figured out how Vermeer could have done it. I think that you will enjoy the 10-15 minutes you will spend reading this story. All I can say is that, no matter what, I’m impressed by both Vermeer and Tim Jennison.

Some artists might use the best technology available to them to help them in their art. And it’s good to be reminded that if they do use that technology (the way great artists in the past may have used the best technology of their day), it’s not cheating. That’s a happy thought in our very tech-heavy world.

Here’s a trailer for the documentary, produced by Penn and Teller, that shows Mr. Jennison’s journey. I’m definitely going to have to watch the film.

 

 

Day 12…

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The peaked eaves on the east and west sides of the house needed to be painted. This job was going to fall to Steve and Chris because I don't usually get that high off the ground but they were busy putting up soffits today and I was out of any other useful work to do. So I put on my big girl panties and painted the high parts!

BrockettBefore-Eaves-01 copy

The wood on the east side needed to be scraped. As the flakes were flying I squinted and tried not to breathe too much. I only got a little bit in one eye and even if there was lead in the paint, I didn't gnaw the boards so I should be fine. 

BrockettAfter-Eaves-01 copy

I had to get on the roof to paint part of this area and to paint some wood peaks that are in a weird place on the roof. I was on the roof twice today. The first time I scooted around on my bottom. The second time I was able to make myself stand up and just walk – albeit crouched over.

Chris and I decided I didn't need to paint the louvered metal things. They don't look great but they don't look awful either. They are just fine the way they are. 

Chris and Steve put up more soffits/eaves on the back of the house. You can see the bit that wrapped around to the east side where I was painting. This takes more time than you'd think to construct. And there was a bit of creative use of flashing. 

BrockettBefore-EastWall-01 copy

The more we do, the more I realize that carpentry, construction, is a lot like piecing. You measure, you cut, you figure out how to fit the pieces together so that they cover what needs covering. Except that here we can use Liquid Nails and caulk :-). 

You can see part of a tree in the photo above. It is a huge pecan – one of the biggest in our town. This is a lovely tree that provides needed shade, but I had no idea how much they shed! Sticks and limbs that come off that tree daily. And sticky stuff, and other plant matter that piles up on the roof, on the ground, on the deck… I'm beginning to actively dislike this tree and it knows it. It drops stuff on me! Chris had to take the gutters off because there is no way to keep them clear of tree junk. But pecans are tasty and it is a pretty tree. So it's staying put.

We're taking tomorrow off to clean house and Steve and mom have one last dog obedience class. Taz is actually behaving better, and mom is too! We'll go to church tomorrow night and then we're watching Independence Day over the pool. Sunday it's back to work on the house.

Just so you know, I have found time to do a bit of quilting. Soon I can show you the finished AAQI quilt and I've started working on the project for my Adventure in Italy class. Really, you want to be saving your pennies for this trip – it's going to be great fun!


Day 11…

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I just finished listening to this graduation address by Neil Gaiman at the University of the Arts. Graduation speeches are so often awful – the fine ones actually do inspire. While it takes about 20 minutes, it's well worth a listen.

 

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 from The University of the Arts (Phl) on Vimeo.

 

After listening to it, I realized that today I did a bit of what he talked about. There was a job to do and I pretended like I could do it. And I did. I got way up on the ladder and painted the peak of the garage wall. Four times – 1st and 2nd coat of trim paint, 1st and 2nd coat of wall paint.

I just don't get that far off the ground. Never had. Never thought I would. But I really wanted to finish this wall and if it was going to happen I was going to have to do it. So I did. I got good at using the aluminum extension ladder. I figured out how to hold onto the ladder AND to paint. I feel sort of empowered! 

Here's the before shot:

BrockettBefore-GarageWest-01 copy

And after…

BrockettAfter-GarageWest-01 copy

Andrew Bethany, our Scottish garage door repairman is making the garage doors move more smoothly. Yay – this wall is done! You can see the entry to the right. Here's the before of that area:

BrockettBefore-SidePorch-01 copy

 

And after… The final touch, the light by the door, is on and working.

BrockettAfter-SidePorch-03 copy

Now that I am able to get up high on the extension ladder I've got my job lined up for tomorrow. In the photo above, do you see the brick wall to the right? There's wood trim up there that needs to be scraped and painted. On two sides of the house. I can do it!

Steve and Chris and Mark, a friend, got the french doors set in in the back wall:

BrockettBefore-BackDeck-06 copy

I've already painted the wall to the left. That is the only siding that is staying put. And they finished the wall that they started on Day 2 or 3.

BrockettBefore-WindowWall-03 copy

Believe it or not, we stopped work today at noon +/- a few minutes. As I look at the pictures it seems amazing but each job was not that time consuming. For my part, I spent as much time fooling with the ladder and washing my brush out between coats as I did painting!


 

 

 

 

Day 8…

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it didn't hit 100 today. Yay! Steve and Chris got the siding and soffits up on the north side of the garage:

BrockettBefore-GarageNorth-04 copy

I washed the mold off of the back wall. A job I was not looking forward to but that wasn't that bad. I also washed and scrubbed the garage doors, but I did not take a photo. Really, you can't tell they are cleaner.

BrockettBefore-BackDeck-05 copy

Steve, and later Chris, took the gutters and soffits off of the back of the house. The French doors will be replaced tomorrow or later in the week.

This bit of old siding is staying put, not being replaced by the Hardie panels. If you look at the left side of the photo above you'll see electrical boxes. We really don't want to touch them. The siding is in good shape. It's staying put.

The roofers were here today, replacing the flat, leaky roof over the side porch. You can't see it but believe me, it's way better. And Chris and Steve got the soffit more than half done over this door:

BrockettAfter-SidePorch-02 copy

Tomorrow I start painting. I had hoped to start today but there you go. I have lots to paint. Maybe the temps will stay below 100. We can all hope…

 


Days 5 and 7…

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Steve had to work at his real job for a good bit on Friday. I painted inside, Christopher worked outside. This is what the north side of the garage used to look like:

BrockettBefore-GarageNorth-01 copy

Chris took off the siding, soffits, and gutter:

BrockettBefore-GarageNorth-03 copy

Taking off the wall led to a serious cleaning out of the garage. I think Chris enjoyed imposing order on his stuff. The pile of debris next to the street is much bigger. I need to take a picture of that tomorrow!

Steve did have time to take the siding off of the front of the garage and he replaced the rotted parts of the studs that hold the roof up.

BrockettBefore-GarageWest-03 copy

BrockettBefore-GarageNorth-02 copy

The garage is open to the breezes for now.

We took the 6th day, Saturday, off. I did some actual quilt-related work. There are now fat quarter bundles up on the site! Click here to see them. I expect to send a newsletter soon. Probably when we are about done with the renovations.

Steve and I worked 3 hours today, Day 7. Steve put up some extra wall studs on the north side of the garage. We put the facing up around the side door. We caulked. I put the finish coat of paint on the wall around the window inside the bedroom. You can see the quilt, The Ground (as seen from above) hanging over the bed.

BrockettBefore-Bedroom-04 copy

The window still needs to be trimmed out. The french doors to the back yard (which you haven't really seen yet) get replaced later this week. The bedroom is mostly done, but not all the way done.

This afternoon Mom and Elanor and I are going to see the local production of Fiddler on the Roof. It'll be a nice break! Tomorrow I begin painting outside and the guys are going to be putting up more siding. I'm hoping that by the end of the week most of the painting will be done as the final siding and soffits go up.



Day 4…

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I worked inside today, painting. The new bedroom window was smaller than the old one which meant that that room needed painting. And Chris and Lorna were ready for a new color. I can paint fast and accurately so I was on to paint. The room used to be a darker turquoise blue…

BrockettBefore-Bedroom-01 copy

I remembered to take photos after I had painted the ceilings and had begun the white primer coat on the walls…

BrockettBefore-Bedroom-02 copy

The ceiling is now pale sky blue, the walls will be white. One wall, with a very large bookshelf against it, is remaining turquoise.

BrockettAfter-Bedroom-01 copy

I couldn't paint up next to the window because Steve is still working on the sheetrock. It won't take much to go back and paint that area.

BrockettAfter-Bedroom-02 copy

You see that light fixture? I broke the globe that goes to it. I was being careful but not careful enough. It exploded when it hit the floor. What a mess. Chris and Lorna are going to find a new one at IKEA on Saturday.

Tomorrow I am painting the finish coat of white in this room and in the attached bath, so they match.

Steve and Chris got two of the three soffits up at the side of the house…

BrockettBefore-SidePorch-05 copy

BrockettBefore-SidePorch-06 copy

The roof will be repaired over the door so the guys want to wait to finish that soffit.

The guys then moved to the back of the house. Here's the before…

BrockettBefore-BackDeck-01 copy

Chris took down the thing over the deck and the gutters at the edge of the roof. He and Steve began taking the siding off of the east side of the garage…

BrockettBefore-BackDeck-04 copy

Tomorrow I am finishing the inside painting. Then it's back outside. It is very hard to believe that the 4th of July is next Wednesday. We'll be working on the house. If we keep at it we are on target to be finished two weeks from today, or earlier. Each day is hard, but we're getting there!