The Finished Floor

the shop floor (6)I did fine tune that painted grass rug day before yesterday. The paint stick that Buck made for me made that grassy style painting possible.  The bamboo has a lot of flex. All I needed to do was stand up, dip my stick into the paint that had been thinned to a loopy consistency, and vibrate. It went on for days, but it was fun. Absorbing. This is a perfect winter project. Not so much thinking, just my eyes following my hands. A pair of hands working is a big fluid situation, all to the good.

the shop floor (5)Rob got up on the ladder to take this picture. Not that anyone will ever see this floor at this stage, from such a perch.  I was just interested to see if my plan for consistent texture with color that was shifting was working. The shop lights are glaring off this semi-gloss paint, but I was happy with what I was seeing. By the way, if you ever have any paint project inside or out that requires fine quality paint, I highly recommend Porter Paint.  It is a paint favored by sign painters. It is the only paint I ever use, inside or out.

the shop floor (8)This room in the shop gets a terrific amount of traffic. The effort it will take to finish it up is the most I will even see of it. Right now, the rug is prominent, as there is not much else to look at. By the end of this week, it will be filled up with whatever Rob has in mind.  This floor will become part of a bigger scene.

the shop floor (3)For me, the marvel of the outcome belongs to the tools. A bamboo stake, a wood plant marker, and a sharpened orchid stake made all of this happen. All I supplied was some energy.

the shop floor (4)To follow are a lot of pictures, and not so much commentary. When I am painting, I am not talking or writing. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

the shop floor (7)The dogs could not wait to get in to room that Dan had roped off. Dogs hate being excluded from any event.  Howard was barely in the room before he laid down, and started licking the floor. Interpret that however you wish.  I think he thought the project tasted good.  Me too.

the shop floor (20)I have spent the last 2 days painting my representation of English lawn daisies over top of the grass painting.  It took a while to get the hang of how to paint those bellis flowers.  Suffice it to say that I painted with a sharp stick, in a certain pattern.  It took the better part of two hours to get comfortable and expressive. Not much news in this regard.  Any project asks for a go ahead. I went ahead. After the go ahead, a great idea can take hold. Establishing a rhythm takes some time. It took a while, but I finally managed to let my tools take the lead.  If you are a gardener, you understand this. The tools, lead by a pair of hands, can make a garden.

the shop floor (15)a painted English daisy lawn

the shop floor (18)midway

the shop floor (16)close to the floor

the shop floor (13)Rob took this picture from the top of a ladder.  OK, I think I am done painting the daisies.

the shop floor (19)My daisies are geometric and regular, against a field of green swirls. Did I know this this the beginning? The swirls versus the geometry?   No. Every project evolves.

the shop floor (1)Detroit Garden Works reopens for the 2016 gardening season next Tuesday. March 1. If you are local to us, feel free to check out the floor. That said, we have so much more going on besides this floor. I promise that your visit, from the floor up, will be an especially beautiful celebration of the garden.

daisies on the floorWe have English lawn daisies blooming.

 

Comments

  1. This is fabulous! Don’t you hate having people…and dogs…walk all over it now?! I would want to keep it pristine for awhile. I know it isn’t possible but it is so cute!.

  2. bruce dingeldein says

    Inspiring…I have been wanting to paint again and just dont know where to begin.

  3. Splendor in the grass!

  4. Lita Sollisch says

    Absolutely spectacular.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!

  5. Sheila Gleeson says

    Over the top fabulous!!

  6. I am enthralled with this floor! Amazing and beautiful!

  7. Absolutely fabulous. Thank you for sharing your amazing unending talent!

  8. Peggy Bryant says

    OMG!!! this floor is absolutely amazing! I love it

  9. Just beautiful! Love how it turned out – hope you do too! Thanks for sharing your process – its been fun following along with you!

  10. Wonderful!!!!! Have you ever thought of making one on canvas, like a floorcloth??? You give them coats of poly in the end,they last for a long time

  11. Leslie Lindbloom says

    It’s really beautiful. You didn’t by any chance take any video of the painting technique with the bamboo stick? I would love to see how it happened.
    Thanks for all you do. You’re an inspiration.

  12. The final photo with the daisies that show their yellow centres makes me wonder if the other overview photos were taken before the yellow was complete… Normally yellow stands out so much and it seems to disappear in the overviews.

    Regardless, the floor painting is fabulous. Like another commenter asked above, do you wish you’d painted it on a floor canvas?

  13. Absolutely love the floor! Thank you for sharing the process. I enjoyed watching it come to life.

  14. Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, 1863 meets
    Pique-nique sur la pelouse de style Motor City, 2016
    (Picnic on the lawn Motor City Style) How cool is that?

  15. Really looking forward to seeing the English daisies lawn in person. It looks lovely. YOu have quite an eye — no surprise.

  16. Howard is awesome.

  17. Jennifer Taylor says

    Incredible! Cannot believe what you did. It’s just beautiful and so realistic. Andrew Wyeth would have loved it too

  18. I hope you will apply a few coats of top sealer on your masterpiece Deborah before opening day. Are you going to share your technique of daisy painting with us?

  19. Love it! can’t wait until March 1st…..

  20. So what does Milo think?
    Would like to see the video of you in action too. Can’t quite picture technique used with Buck’s tool. Your wrist, or arm, must be sore? Better than sore knees.
    Love that you painted on the FLOOR, and not on a canvas.
    Art does change our lives.

  21. beautiful!

  22. Another magical vision brought forth from the mind of a true artist!

  23. Looks fantastic! We paint a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk vine on the floor of our headhouse every winter. It direct our visitors from the entrance to our butterfly house. Has to be touched up every year, but the kids love “following the vine”

  24. LOVE it!

  25. Susan Roubal says

    Outstanding!!!

  26. colette raker says

    This is amazing and beautiful. I also paint and wish I could have thought of this when I tiled the veranda at my house. Keep it up, you are a genius!

  27. Uniquely beautiful-painting all those daisies–BACKACHE!!!

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