Painting My New Slate Frame

'Tools' Should Be Pretty!

   I just made this Ash slate frame for working my flat top casket and tho I really like how it came out, it was just so plain!  I thought, if I am going to be merrily slaving away for months over work stretched on this frame...it should at least be pretty! Something simple...not to busy or distracting...but nice to look at, so I designed a simple rose border with my name at the center of one of the bars. Its taken me all week to paint~ in early 19th c schoolgirl style with India ink and watercolours.  First I inked a bit of the vine and my name.

  I would prefer to paint outdoors, but with watercolour it is quite picky about the weather~ to much sun/heat, and the paint dries right on the brush...too much wind, even the gentlest of breezes~ same thing. I cant even have the ceiling fan on so I sit by my window at a little table where the light is good. Just like in my china painting, many thin layers of paint always looks better than one thick one globbed on. I love to paint~ not only do I enjoy the outcome, but the process even more~ I put on my Al Bowly...or maybe some Astrud Gilberto, and can sit and paint all day long!

 After inking I have added a bit of green  to the vine and blocked in the base for my roses

 Leaves are now drawn on with more India~ buds are painted

 Lastly the roses get their delicate petals and will sit a day before varnishing

 I have had many folks express interest in me making them a slate frame~ and answer if Of coarse I would be happy to. This size frame I am really liking, outside measure is 24"x 24" with a working inner area of 21"x 19" at the largest, all the way down to 7" x 19" smallest dimension. I can make larger or smaller frames, if you are interested just email me~ address is in the sidebar.  Price depends on what wood I use and size~ and what a special gift a custom painted frame would make for the needle worker who has everything!

 My name~ inked in India with an actual dip pen. I will say here that a distinct difference can be seen between those who 'cheat' and use a modern Pigma marking pen, and those that draw with a quill or steel nib pen. There is a flow and pooling of the ink when using a quill, not to mention India is very opaque and just a deep rich dark black~ you just don't get the rich colour with a  modern pen, and as well, there will be telltale distracting little dots at the end of each pen stroke from a modern pen

 This is the smallest dimension at 7"x19". You will notice I do not staple canvas to the stretcher bars~ I prefer to lace my work on all four sides like was done in the 18th c.

If you liked & missed my first skep thread palette set, I will have another on offer on eBay this next week~ this time painted with a double skep and inked around the outside edge of the palette
 "How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day, from every opening flow'r"
  You can find it by clicking the link on the right to my eBay specials~ it will be on later today