Mixed Media – Jill R Holland Designs

Acrylic painting, Mixed Media, Uncategorized, Wood painting

Be Our Guest sign

May 31, 2018May 31, 2018 jillrholland

8.5×27 Inch acrylic and stain on wood.

I made this home decor by cutting the wood to fit the lettering I wanted to apply. I used a “8 inch” board, but they are never a true 8 inches. I used a 1.5×1 inch board for the boarder.

I stained all of the wood and all sides of the border but only the top on the largest board. I let the stain dry over night then applied some white acrylic paint. I did paint it thicker in some areas and after it was dry I lightly sanded it, applying more pressure on the edges.

I picked the quote, “be our guest”, only because it is a different way of saying welcome. I did not do it after the Beauty and the Beast movie, however I did have the song, Be Our Guest, in my head. Okay, I am thinking of that song right now. Then I hand painted the letters on with black acrylic paint. Once the top was dry, I glued the border on and used finishing nails for extra support. I also applied a light layer of clear varnish on the top.

Time to find a spot to place it.

Acrylic painting, Tree Painting, Uncategorized

Red Tree Painting

August 16, 2017 jillrholland

16×20 Acrylic paint, impasto, pallet knife and brush on canvas

The background has impasto mixed with the black and white paint. I spread it on with a pallet knife and a little bit with a paint brush. I wanted the edges to be darker and show the lines of the knifes edge. Because I used impasto it becomes thicker, therefore, it takes longer to dry.

The tree- I chose to use two shades of reds along with black and white. I chose red because it would stand out to the background. I do have a little bit of red in the truck of the tree as well. My favorite Fall color is the red maple tree. I could use this just for Fall but I would use this all year long.

Acrylic painting, Flowering Tree, Uncategorized

Flowering Tree

July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 jillrholland

flower-tree painting

8×16 Acrylic and impasto painting on canvas.

This small painting was an experiment I wanted to do to explore more with impasto. I never did get the look I was hoping for but I think I need to try it in a larger scale. Over all, I am pleased with the colors. I have four different colors in the background, 4-5 in the tree and three in the purple flowers. I do try to have depth when I paint and using multiple colors does help that.

I will continue to do more exploring until I get the technique with the impasto, brush and pallet knife.

Pantry Sign, Uncategorized

Pantry Sign

June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 jillrholland

14×46 inch stain and acrylic on wood.

I was honored when I was asked to make this custom sign for a brand new home. The request was a simple non serif font to reflect an older grocery store sign. She also requested 3-4 boards and I used four.

I use layers to treat the wood. I start by a dark stain. After drying over night, I apply a white wash acrylic white paint. As it dries it will lighten so I may need to add more white until I have the way I want it. I also grab a little bit of color paint and mixed in there randomly. It appears to be gray when I don’t add any gray paint. Her walls were painted gray so it worked well.

I do not use a stencil for the letters. I use a ruler to make it straight and draw in the letters to make sure I have the spacing correct, then paint over the marks with black acrylic paint.

Chalk Paint, Flea Market Flip, Mixed Media, Uncategorized, Wood painting

FOYER TABLE MAKEOVER

November 29, 2016November 29, 2016 jillrholland

I saw this table at a second hand store and I new I could give it new life. Change it so someone would want it again and not just get rid of it. It is a good solid table with great craftsmanship.

I wanted to bring up the pattern that was so carefully put in this table. I started off with the bottom by applying linen chalk paint. I wanted to add a different color in some of the features so I found some interior grey paint that I had on hand. I didn’t use a lot of it, I just highlighted a few areas. Using a small detail brush, I used a dark stain to highlight the grooves to make it pop.

I used a special dark Minwax to add a finish that also smoothed out some of that stain. It also gives it a little texture.

I was happy with the bottom and then I had to figure out what to do with the table top.

It wasn’t as good of shape as the bottom. It looked like it could have had some minor water damage. I sanded the top but I couldn’t get the look I was hoping for. I would have loved to be able to sand it down and stain it. I decided on painting the top black but I still could see a few “bubbles”. I decided to go with the paper bag application.

Normally you would use wallpaper paste but I didn’t have any and I don’t live near an area to get it easily, so I used Mod Podge. I do like to have that on hand. I ripped up a roll of brown paper and applied it on a glued surface. It also has to be applied to the top. After it dried and I cut the edges, I went over it with my black paint again. I still wasn’t satisfied with the look and debating taking it all off again. I went to my acrylic paint and put some gold paint on my pallet and rubbed some paint on with a paper towel. Then I was satisfied. I had to go back and seal the edges again because there was a few spots that were a little “loose”.