Painters love sharing. I’m tickled pink to be asked to be part of the first ever Ornament Exchange Blog Hop. Every day of the hop, 4 more amazing artists will be sharing ornaments and their talents with you. Please take time to follow my blog by signing up at the bottom of the page.
Comment to Win !!!
DecoArt is providing the DecoArt product used in this project to one lucky winner. To enter to be a part of this giveaway comment on this blog post. I will select the winner on November 3rd. Each artist in this blog hop will also be offering the DecoArt Give Away so check their amazing ornaments using the links below.
LET’S PAINT “Aqua Skies!”
Gather your paintbrushes and please join me in my studio!
You can find this cute 3 3/4″ wooden bell with opening from CDWood right here.
To paint this project, you’ll need:
- DecoArt® Americana Acrylic Paints & other products: Aqua Sky, Bluegrass Green, Country Blue, Hauser Light Green, Payne’s Grey, Snow White; Glamour Dust® in Turquoise Sparkle; Multi-Purpose Sealer; Americana Sealer-Finisher Spray
- Dynasty® Black Gold Brushes: #’s 8 & 12 filberts (Series 206Fil), 1/2″ angled shader (Series 206A), #3 round (Series 206R), #’s 10/0 & 1 liners (Series 206L)
- General’s® Charcoal White Pencil #558 (a chalk pencil)
- Miscellaneous: brown paper bag, 16″ ribbon for hanging, stylus, small battery operated tea light
Start by sealing the bell with Multi-Surface Sealer. When it’s dry, apply a coat of Aqua Sky to the entire the bell. Let dry. You may need to lightly buff the bell’s exterior with a piece brown paper bag to make it a bit smoother. About now, my hands are already covered with Aqua paint so be sure keep the paint on the bell when you give it a second coat, ok? Remember to paint the top button with Hauser Light Green…just because!
Draw a chalk pencil horizon line in a bit of a wavy pattern about 1/4″ above the bell openings. Use the #12 filbert to skim a Country Blue foundation for the snow area. Let a bit of the Aqua Sky background show through. Get ready for the snow! Rinse the brush, dry it on a paper towel and pick up Snow White. Apply the snow in drifts all around the bell allowing the Country Blue background to show through here and there. Define drifts and shadow areas by floating a bit of Country Blue and Aqua Sky in several areas. Deepen them with a touch of Payne’s Grey. I dipped my fingertip into Snow White paint and added a few mounds of snow in front of the shadowed areas.
I encourage you to free hand the trees at the horizon line. If you aren’t comfortable doing that, draw a few trunk lines on with the chalk pencil. Vary the heights and sizes of the trees and apply them using both the #10/0 and #1 liners with water-thinned Show White. Start the silhouetted, branched trees at the trunk and add the main trunks first, then add the branches making them gradually thinner. Start the pine trees from the top down, I like to use little splotches of paint to establish the pine branches to create openness. It is much easier to go back to add a bit more paint than it is to take it away. Vary the trees by making some pines with branches that angle upward while others slope downward. Now that wasn’t so hard, was it??!!
Add Snow White dots or snowflakes at the top of the sky around the button. Let smaller dots drift downward around the trees using fewer dots about half way down the length of the sky. Dry thoroughly, then use the 1/2″ angle to float Bluegrass Green around the button over the dots of snow. Walk the color 1″ into the sky. Let dry, then deepen the area once more with an additional float of color. When dry, pat Glamour Dust on the top half of the sky and on the button. Add Glamour Dust to the inner edge of the large opening. Let it dry thoroughly. Spread a little sparkle wherever you go!
Finish the bell with a quick dusting of Sealer/Finisher Spray. Add ribbon, insert the tea light and enjoy!
Isn’t it pretty? Such a fun thing to add a little more sparkle to your holiday season!
Special thanks to DecoArt for sponsoring this Blog Hop along with CDWood (Cupboard Distributing) and the Pixelated Palette. We get by with a little help from our friends!
DecoArt is giving away one of the products used in this project to one lucky Blog Hopper. To be included, please leave a comment in the reply section below.
Day One
Jane Allen Amy Mogish Franca Marzi Judy Westegaard-Jenkins
Day Two
Golda Rader Debbie Mishima Tracy Moreau Linda Sharp
Day Three
Sandy McTier Deb Antonick Laure Paillex Wendy Young
It’s pretty Judy 🙂 Love the surface – a wooden bell! 🙂
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Love the bell! Thank you!
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Love love this beautiful and simple all in one!
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Love it!
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