Oooops Paint

You might be wondering if someone else's mistakes are worth writing about.   They are.    The oooops paint at Lowes is something to see, every time.   In short, you can usually pay about five bucks a gallon for unwanted colors.  

Put your brush in plastic wrap in between coats.  
Wear something you don't mind getting paint on because you can't worry about that while you work.

Before you continue reading, let me tell you that my taste in decor is questionable and a little on the tacky side.   My color palette is unsophisticated, but it makes me happy, and yours should too.

I don't have the best luck during winter, but spring brings out all of my favorite mistakes.   It's a bonus when the paint is the combination primer and color.   Also, don't worry about using exterior paint on furniture for inside your classroom.   All that means is that it can take more of a lickin'.

A few years ago I rescued some wooden bookcases from local thrift stores and sanded, cleaned, primed and repainted them in cool greens and blues during a Mad Men marathon.   Well, those bookcases were gone before the tornado touched down.   Our school used to host a countywide auction of unwanted school furniture, and I think my sweet shelves got mixed up in that situation while it was in the hall and the janitors waxed the classroom floor.   Dang.   Well, it really doesn't matter anyway.

But I can show you a picture of the rocking chair I just rehabilitated.   If I put it in the classroom, I'll probably have 10 broken toes by the end of the week, but it's the same five dollar color that I'm going to use for a tiny game table I found.   I just need to wait for another humidity-free painting day.   Now that I work a half a mile behind a Lowes, I think my paint collection is about to expand.

Furniture with spindles, rockers, stretchers and splats means patience. You have to move quickly and keep an eye out for drips and paint build up before it dries.   Let it dry between coats.   I painted this chair right side up first and upside down second.   That will let you see any places you missed.   I turned it right side up for a final check at the end.

My Favorite Staff Development

For a while, our school system let teachers pick from a tantalizing menu of staff development opportunities before Labor Day arrived.   Some of the classes were taught by people "on the outside," but my favorite training session was taught by my dear friend and the former art teacher for my school, Mrs. Rachel Oney.

What did we do?   We painted furniture.   Why did I love it?   The process of painting furniture is a stress reliever for me.   It may not be the same for you.   I also have eyes that get hungry for color, so it's good to add something fresh to the classroom now and then.   Learning a new process puts us back in the position of student, and it's always good for teachers to take on that role.   We need to be in touch with what it feels like to take a risk and expand our knowledge.  

The class attracted most of the county's art teachers and me.   We were encouraged to bring a piece of furniture to paint for our classroom.   I chose one of those chunky, old wooden desks-- the kind that's mainly tabletop.   I brought a copy of the book John Lennon's Real Love: The Drawings for Sean.
http://amzn.com/1608870421.   I wanted to mimic Lennon's style and incorporate his self-portrait doodle and a favorite line from his song "Mind Games."   Not being an artist, it was a challenge to reproduce watercolors with acrylics, but I ended up with something I liked.

If you have been following my Blog, you may remember that I mentioned that something from my classroom was retrieved for me by my thoughtful principal.   It was this desk, the one I keep at the front of the room.  

When I heard the news that my school was hit by the tornado, I was at peace immediately with losing everything in my classroom.   I just felt so fortunate that no one was in the building.   Really, what more could you hope for?   Even so, it was this desk that I thought of first.   I was going to miss it.   As an artist friend of mine says, "There's more where that came from."   My mind was already swirling with new ideas.

Figure out a thrift store circuit and hop in a pickup truck.   It's a great way to score affordable wooden bookcases for your home and classroom.  

Also, look for sweet little wooden chairs, tables and rockers  that you can revive for your youngest friends.   Choose a dry day for your project.   Remember, it's always worth prepping and priming before you paint.   Have fun!