#3- SHADOW BOX BASEBALL FLAG


The age old tool brand Craftsman is offering a how to video that will walk you through the steps to create this timeless treasure.  For a kids room friendly variation I'd suggest painting the bats.  Imagine them in a grey toned color scheme or the classics red and white.

#4- BASEBALL LAMP BASE

Kirsten dons her gloves and hopefully protective eyewear to drill some baseballs turning an inexpensive lamp into a custom home run.  She blogs over at Paint Speckled Paw Prints.

The workshop is hot today.  Not only are we hitting weather highs in the nineties , I have found myself under a welding mask creating fireworks welding.  I have to be careful I might just slip on my own puddles of sweat.

I'm welding together framework for a faux bois table.   You often see faux bois in historic gardens as benches and archways and in theme parks as railing and fake trees.  

While I've sculpted many things in my life, this is my first attempt at cement furniture.  Hey, I just dive in with both feet.   I've worked with cement before.  I sculpt trees from other materials all the time.  Why not combine the two? 

This table is destined for a retail boutique.  It will be merchandised on as a fixture.  I'm personally handling the store design for the owners.   I want a variety of textures, finishes and hand wrought signature pieces throughout.  I'll journal about the store soon, as we are just beginning construction.

Here's my finished armature.  I will be wrapping it in metal mesh to provide stability and a surface for the cement to adhere to. 

As a feature in the garden, faux bois was very popular in the 1940's. If you own a vintage piece you are very lucky.  Given most pieces were exposed to the elements, many have degraded and sadly disappeared.

I'll pop back in and update this journal entry with progress pictures.   I'd love to hear from you if you own a piece.  I'd be curious how you came to own it.

I neglected to take a picture of the piece wrapped in metal lathe.  I was just so excited to get into it.  The first coat of cement was to cover the rebar and the lathe.  I also shaped the first coat to start creating some of the twists, turns and scars one would see on an old branch.  In the photo above you can see the rough first coat in the back (the darker horizontal branch)  The two foreground branches are after the second coat which is a finer mortar mix.  Once that mortar sets up a little I started carving, brushing and stamping details.  I'm excited how much they look like old driftwood with the natural cement color.  Once the finished piece is stained they will look more like a wood in tone.  More updates soon...

The legs have dried thoroughly so it was safe to finally flip it right side up.  Now I will start applying mortar to the top and sculpting it.

You know him, the beer drinking, pool playing country boy.  Here I've created him the man cave that will make him the envy of his band of bad desperadoes.  My Outlaw from Tombstone art was inspired by those campy old 40's - 50's pulp western movie posters.  And look, the curled up mustache is making a comeback.  

I've been know to crank up the Cash while I'm painting.  His rugged voice and story telling lyrics are the epitome of a bad boy.  While prison cells, gun fights and thievery inspired his music, it's nice to know that his love, June Carter changed him for the better.  Yes, bad boys can be changed.  Good luck with that!  The whole dark black rockabilly honky tonk vibe is evident in my Diamond brand Silver Tipped Boots art.  I could so see it as a mural on the side of some ghost town mercantile or on the back of a leather jacket.  Am I right?  

There's that guy, that one that could smooth talk his way into your life, heart and maybe  your sheets (Bad Girls need love too).  Well this guy is the perpetual bachelor, his 50 shades of desert gray inspired him to go industrial with a bit of slick, potion peddling art.  My Snake Oil piece was inspired by a combination of modern day tattooed carnies and the twisted mustache barkers of days gone by.  I like that it has an edge to it.  There's something bad about wanting to believe in snake oil.  This slick guy has fantastic grooming habits and loves a bit of luxurious living.  What else is he going to spend your four easy payments of 99.95 on?  Act now!

This guy doesn't have your Mom worried because she dated his clone back in high school.  This guy has your Dad all freaked out.  That tattoo wearing, motorcycle driving would-be rockstar is up to no good.   He swept you off your feet and wants to show you his ultra cool urban loft.  Did he mention it's actually in the basement of a brewery?  My Vixen Strings and Straps painting speaks to that character.  It's part tattoo, music poster with a bit of Betty Page.  I hope you can get a cell phone signal in his under dwelling man cave.  You'll need your best friend to talk you out of being the Bad Girl.

I'm an equal opportunity rebel finder.  I thought I'd toss in the Bad Girl.  I know her, you went to high school with her and every man from 16-60 watches her walk by.  Of course they're looking at her tattoos...maybe.  She's a bit more colorful than the brooding Joan Jett rocker.  She knows what she likes when she sees him... I mean it, ya, it!  I'd love to see her tattooed #&@#?^!}+%  that bears the likeness of my Rebel Records piece.

Whew, now go wash your hands, it's been dirty on the blog today!   If these inspire you to do some Bad Boy redecorating don't blame it on me.  You knew when you met me that I'm a bad influence!  Ha!