Notes From The Nest

This cute little chair was found at a back yard sale for $2.00. The lonely little fellow was an orphan with no mate, and I whisked it away in the back of my truck. 

I had been wanting to try my hand at decorative painting and this find seemed to scream to be painted. The seat is nice and flat and the perfect canvas for a cute paint job.

First I painted the chair a cheery robin's egg blue. Next I took a paper dessert-sized plate and centered it on the seat, tracing around its edges with a pencil so as to create the rounded shape I wanted. I sketched in the nest and eggs and began painting, using the paper plate as my artists palate. The nest was painted using a brown, black, and creme colored paint. I mixed them on the plate to create a multitude of shades of brown. I painted the eggs in the same robin's egg blue that I used for the chair.

The secret to this kind of painting is too take your time and shade so that the nest looks real. Darker brown paint around the eggs really makes them look like they are nestled down in the twigs and straw. The nest is lighter around the edge where the light would naturally hit it. I finished the chair by lightly distressing it with sandpaper (yes, also over the nest as well!) and applied a coat of clear wax.

I was very happy with the results and sold the cute chair the next day in the shop!