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Artist and Designer Aaron Christensen's Blog for Embellishments Studio.  Art, kids design, display, store design and pediatric office theme builder.
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Newly Vintage - the repurposing of old materials into new retail display props

8/23/2016

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Often when I design props for store displays or fixtures for merchandising they are purely from my imagination.  The challenge lies in bringing those ideas to life.  I recently proposed a farmhouse chic style trim for one of my apparel boutiques.  In my mind I saw old water/wind mills, old barn doors and abandoned relics.
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 To create vintage look props its easiest to find old wood and supplies to build them out of.  One of my local haunts, The Rebuilding Center serves me well.  There I can find treasures to build my ideas from.  For this particular trim I came across old packing crate supports, degraded galvanized flashing and oddities, old cast wheels and a ton of reclaimed  bits of wood.

Staring at the items in my checkout cart I decided to build a windmill out of the flashing, an old hoe and the packing crate supports which were rich with rusty character.

The wheels, some old mahogany wheelbarrow handles, old galvanized  channel and 2 x 12's  would become a vintage look florists  or fruit vendors merchandising cart.

Random chair parts, old wood, part of a tv roof antennae and miscellaneous bits of hardware would become an abandoned swift bird house.

A faux vintage birdhouse created from reclaimed wood and oddities by Aaron Christensen.  The piece becomes a focal point in a retail boutique's store window.
Old furniture parts, odds and ends, and reclaimed wood are transformed into a birdhouse. One that would be stationed by a field crop to be occupied by swifts or bluebirds. Weathered paint techniques and distressing turn the new piece into something that looks decades old.
Reclaimed metal flashing, old packing crate parts, a garden hoe and scrap metal are transformed into a vintage look windmill by Aaron Christensen.  The piece serves as a window display pieces for an apparel boutique.
Old rolled flashing is reworked into windmill blades. An old garden hoe, miscellaneous metal pieces and packing crate supports are used to create the functioning windmill. Distressing and weathered paint techniques age out the newly made piece.
Cut up metal channel, rusty metal railing, old wood, wheelbarrel handles and wheels are reworked and transformed into a mechandising cart, like those use by vendors.  The piece by Aaron Christensen was designed to serve as a seasonal store fixture for an apparel boutique.  The painted chalkboard sign reads
Reclaimed wood, old metal channel, a piece of metal railing and oxidized wheels become a rolling merchandising cart like a florist or fruit vendor would use.
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As Far As The Eye Can See - a garden mural grows

8/12/2016

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Garden mural project

It started five years ago when I was asked to paint a nursery mural.  The McClure's wanted something watercolor like, soft and indicative of their new hometown Portland.
We decided upon a park like landscape.  A flowering cherry tree (a Portland favorite) served as the focal point over the crib's location.
Baby Girls Nursery Mural featuring trees and forest handpainted by Aaron Christensen Embellishments Studio
Forest Tree Mural for a baby girls nursery painted by Aaron Christensen EmbellishmentsKids.com
Some happy inhabitants were added for whimsy and for future conversation with their daughter.
Flash forward four and half years, they called me back to help them with their backyard eyesore, a cinder block garage wall.  Their fresh landscape and beautiful hot tub gazebo and deck built by a friend of mine, Dave Izer were fantastic.  The backside of the neighbors wall not so much.  It was decided to cover the wall with a landscape that extended their yard visually.  
Garden mural to cover ugly exterior wall.  Handpainted by Aaron Christensen EmbellishmentsStudio.com
There of course was a special request by their daughter (who's nursery I painted).  She wanted a unicorn.  With Mom and Dad's nod, I tucked a sleeping one into the painting.   It's a magical surprise when you approach the mural but its not really visible from the house or deck.    That way the illusion wasn't affected by the appearance of a large mythical creature.
Exterior Garden Mural featuring a Unicorn by Aaron Christensen EmbellishmentsStudio.com
Below is a time lapse video capturing the evolution of the mural.  There were a few days with no cloud cover and I could not shoot into the sun falling behind the wall.  
In the evening the sunlight bounces off the house's windows and beams directly onto the wall.  You can see the almost round highlight in the tree below.   It will be interesting to see where those reflections point as the seasons come and go.  Could one hope for a beam of light on the unicorn....who knows.
Artist & Muralist Aaron Christensen of EmbellishmentsStudio.com
Exterior Wall Garden Landscape Mural by Aaron Christensen EmbellishmentsStudio.com
Time Lapse Video
Here's one reason I love my job.  When I completed the mural, it happened to be one day before my birthday.   Well, my lil' client brought me a card she drew and a mandala she colored in.   My heart melted.    Good thing it was the last day because nothing could top that moment.  Thank you McClures for your faith in my work and of course treating me like family.  You're amazing!
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Shop top selling  wall art, paintings and prints for boys, boys rooms,  kids, teens, adults, tweens, nurseries and rooms by artist Aaron Christensen.  Vintage sports art, racing art, scoreboard art, rock and roll art can be found in our shop. View works by interior designer Aaron Christensen, whom specializes in children's spaces, theatrical and themed spaces, pediatric office and retail environments. Based in Portland, Oregon. All images, text, DIY's and art copyright Aaron Christensen. All rights reserved.

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