Is this a sign?

....or an art piece?
A new illustrious shop has opened in downtown this summer. One of our prominent interior and architectural designers decided to go public with a shop full of wonderful touches that make a house a home. Actually the name of her shop is The Home Shop.
I was happy given the assignment of making her sign. She had an image of her daughter in mind and it was easy to translate into reality.

This photo shows the finished sign, propped inside against the glass, waiting to be hung outside.
courtesy of Nancy Leary, proprietor. 


Below are some photos I took of the process:

 

(left) This became my guide for the finished piece. It has notes as to the size (big!) permitted as well as suggested hanging spots. 

Although I think in 3D assemblage, this showed the overall look of the finished piece.

(middle) I marked off the size limitation so I wouldn't make it bigger than desired (I know how things can get away from you), and eyeballed the drawing on primed sign board (plywood with a brown kraft paper finish) painted black. Chalk makes it simple to make corrections and easy to see while cutting it out.

(bottom) I make a pattern of the pieces to be in relief (face, hands, leg, house, sash), cut two of each  (it's a 2 sided sign, hung perpendicular to the front of the building), painted each element using my usual house paint palette and glued them in place following the chalk outlines.

And viola! Another of my signs hit the street in downtown Brandon. Now a rest then back to creating art for inside homes.

A Breath of Fresh Air

I sold my two fine art acrylic on canvas paintings and the gallery wanted replacements.

Sold: 'Old Wooden Dock' Acrylic on canvas  ©robinrkent

Since they were hung above/below each other, I had a narrow, vertical space to fill. A tall order.

And my bandsaw is fixed.

Sold:'Away From It All' Acrylic on canvas    ©robinrkent

So I went 'shopping' in my wood shed for the right size 'canvas.' The shed decor is very eclectic. Many forms to choose from. Haven't figured what the ironing board (below) will be used for yet since I'm unfamiliar with its original purpose. 

Wood shed with sentry

I found the perfect size in the form of a garden gate that had been trimmed at the top to accommodate some special space in a previous life. Tall and narrow. And it wanted to be outside again. That was the inspiration for the subject. Many times I listen for hints of what the reclaimed have to say.

'Al Fresco Dining' wall assemblage  21x50"  ©robinrkent

Sticks were used for the overhanging tree,
wooden balls for fruit,
scrap wood leaves and robin,
two shingles make the table,
spindle splinters for chair and table legs,
plywood for dishes and napkins,
the key hole is original;
the rest is house paint.

A summer vacation would add the final touch.