Front & side view of decorative wooden birdhouse: the very first thing I ever painted, back in 1992. I was unwise, failing to prepare the bare wood before painting. This I later learned is important, for I should have sanded all surfaces as smooth as possible; sealed with an appropriate sealing coat; then repeated both processes before applying any paint. I was lucky there were none of the usual “knots” in the pine wood - had there been, those would have eventually “bled through” the layers of paint (something which did actually happen to a clock I did later, which was also not properly prepped before painting). Anyway, here I was trying to go for colours of Dawn in the sky, so the rough, amateurish vertical brushstrokes of “sky” are in shades of soft peach, pink and a bit of cream. Around the base is my attempt to do something like an Impressionistic garden, using both brush work for the deep green base and also thin cut slivers of a sponge to make upward strokes of dark and lighter green for the “leaves” and deep rose for “floral spikes,” as it were. Each of the 3 “perches” were painted to match the area they were in. For the roof, I used a metallic copper paint, to approximate a “copper roof.” PLEASE NOTE: birdhouses like this, which may still be sold in hobby shops in the US/elsewhere, are NOT for actual OUTDOOR use (see how they’ll always have a base, for standing). They’re strictly decorative! If you decide you’d like to paint a birdhouse for actual use by birds, make sure to buy one specifically made for that purpose and - this is VERY important - make sure to use only paint that is specifically made to be “wildlife-safe!” That includes any sealant you use to make sure it’s weatherproof, too. Regular paints/sealants made for fences & sheds are NOT Good for an outdoor birdhouse & can poison birds! But there are Wildlife Safe paints & sealants on the market, if you look carefully.
Side and back view of decorative birdhouse.
Another side and front view of decorative birdhouse. Here it’s obvious where my failure to properly prepare the wood before painting shows up, as there’s quite a bit of rough edge to one of the corners, at the “join” near the top of the side.
Rear view of decorative birdhouse, which I was trying to make look a bit like an Impressionist painting. Perhaps a bit too ambitious for a first attempt at anything! Nevertheless, I still like it, for all its flaws: I love the colours. It’s the only one of dozens I painted - in many different styles & patterns over the years - that I kept. - tam
Decorative Birdhouse - tam, acrylic on pinewood, 1992.
The very 1st thing I ever painted. I made mistakes, I know. Please read all thru the extensive ALT for the first picture for some vital info re #birdhouses . #painting #crafts #craftpainting #decorative #art #Impressionism
