If you are at the point in your painting and you feel like you’ve totally botched the piece and have ruined it forever, then stop. Take a step back. Go inside and go about your day. Come back tomorrow with fresh eyes. What could you do to help correct the places that you are unsure about? Sand more? Touch up with paint? Apply wax in spaces you missed? Great. Do it.
If you are done and feel as though it just doesn’t “look right.” I hear you. Take your piece and put it in a separate room from where you’ve been working on it. Then accesorize it. Put some books or frames or candle sticks on it. Imagine it in a room. PUT it in a room.
You will visually remove the piece from a “project” into a piece of furniture and it will look better. It may even look darn good. You won’t notice those little spots that seemed to glare at you in the florescent light of the garage. They will be part of a whole and part of a complete look. The piece will be one piece in a decorated room instead of one piece in a work space.
What I always say I heart about ASCP is that it is never over. You never have to throw in the towel. You just start over. And if you really, really don’t want to do that then just put a bunch of cool pieces on the top of it!
Christen, You are spot on with how I am feeling about 2 pieces I painted for a friend. The paint went on just fine, even the clear wax was looking good. When it came to the dark wax, well I just worried that it was muddy, streaky, and just wasn’t the look she was looking for. My first thought was I had had made a big mess and was asking any and everyone who came over what they thought. They thought it looked just fine. I had to go to my local stockiest and look at some of the pieces in her shop to see that hey maybe these 2 pieces were going to be alright, I also went back and looked at your tutorial as well as Annie Sloan’s. I am still waiting on the approval of my friend who trusted me to do a good job on her furniture. Reading your blog today just made me realize that we need to take a break from our work sometime, and the finished product and the clients opinion is all that matters. Sometime when we think we have totally messed up, it can turn out to be the best lesson we ever learn! You are a great example to those of us who are just getting into chalk painting. You, Annie Sloan and my local stockiest are making this so much fun. I look forward every day, just to see what you three ladies have to say….keep up the GREAT work!
This is a very timely post as I have just finished a cupboard that I am not happy with. The top is bumpy and despite extra sanding and waxing hasn’t come up to my ideal look. But never the less, it is in place in the lounge room and I will decorate the top with something pretty.
Hello,
Great job on the videos, very inspiring. I was just curious, I looked for the “how to” on the cool screens you made to hide your television and I could not find it, just wondering if you produced it as of yet?
Thanks so much.
Nicky
Inspirational ….Thank you for sharing your talent and encouraging words!