Trash to treasure art project

In the continuing adventures of a retiree dabbling for the first time in visual arts, I present Gladys, the sun goddess.

We found Gladys in the backyard while having our fence repaired. She was stuck behind a tree, and the fence guys pulled her out and set her aside. I immediately thought, “Trash to treasure!”

Steps:

1. Wash
2. Air dry
3. Sand (I used a Dremel tool)
4. Wipe clean
5. Spray with anti-rust metal primer
6. Apply Gesso (Liquitex) acrylic primer
7. Paint with acrylics
8. Cure for 72 hours
9. Seal with Liquitex varnish

Now, I guess it’s just a matter of finding a place for her in the backyard. She’s not perfect, but I like her. The biggest lesson learned was about primer. Metal primer alone is not a good foundation for acrylic paint. You still need acrylic primer to get a glossy coating.

Also, my hand is not all that steady for detail work, and I have no freehand skills to speak of. But that’s OK. I’m having fun and taking advantage of retirement as an opportunity to explore a whole new side of myself.

If you’re thinking about dabbling, I am reminded of these words by a colleague who was also a talented artist. I asked him how he knew he had artistic talent. He said, “There’s no such thing as artistic talent. You either do art or you don’t.”