Bookcase Makeover.

You may remember a while ago l went shopping for a dressing table which was a complete flop, except for the chance discovery of this bookcase.l didn't buy it right away cos it was pretty ugly and so very 70's and brown, but l kept thinking about it over the following couple of days as it also had kinda nice curvy mouldings and nice proportions. At $80.00 and a bit of paint it didn't seem like too much to lose. Strangely my son thought the brown was great (go figure) and hubby wanted to chop it up for the wood heater....GUYS!!!!

It took FOUR coats of paint to cover all the brown completely and is done in two different shades. The pale colour is Dulux antique lace which is a very pale mauve/grey, and my old fave....weathered wood. The shelves came separately and had to be attached, so they didn't get into the before pic.It also came with another shelf but thought it might close the space in too much, so l left it out.

 The backboard on the cabinet has been painted in the darker shade of weathered wood as are the recessed parts of the doors and top moulding.

All the moulded pieces have been done in the light shade, this way just highlighting the 3D effect. l've also not been too fussy about painting every nook and cranny, in order to preserve some of the dark wood. This not only adds interest but lets a little of it's history show through.

Now comes the fun bit of spramping it up.
It could be used to store pretty much anything but for the purpose of the pics l've added a quilt, cushions and floral scarf to the lower shelves,

and to the upper shelving l've placed books, one of my paintings (lilac) and some purple pansies for a splash of colour.

A closeup of the lower shelves. The cushions are both vintage and new.. ish.

This is a pic of the entire thing all set up.........

Just wanted to share a couple of pics l found at angelatmytable.com 
Wall scone and candlesticks.

Hope you've enjoyed this post, l had a great ol' time putting it together.

Til next time,
Bron.

Artist - Jacqueline Coates

Well you may have noticed my blog posts have become a bit erratic which is due to changes in my job..... now l just don't know in advance when l'm working, which is a little good and a little bad. Nevertheless l'll still be here whenever there's a free mome, and hope you'll continue to  pop in when  you have a free one.

Though many of you may already be familiar with Australian artist Jacqueline Coates l hope you and those who aren't, will enjoy this post l've put together.
Jac has kindly granted me permission to share pics from her website and also emailed me some pics of her barn where she used to live and paint, but which she now offers as self contained accomodation. 








Cream Roses - Oil on Canvas

Jac was originally working as an art director in Sydney when she dreamed of painting a giant red rose on a huge canvas.... all while singing on stage as an opera diva. When she woke she felt compelled to paint her vision and surprised herself when the finished work was a huge 7 feet square.






Lavender pinocchio roses. Oil on canvas

She hung the painting on her living room wall but a few years later sold it to a friend. When it was gone she felt the need to fill the void that it had left. This too sold, and so did a number of others.....






Lilac Banksia roses and Jasmine from the garden - Oil impasto on canvas.

but it wasn't until after a trip to Paris where the many beautiful gardens renewed her interest in the rose and inspired her to revisit the idea of painting roses more seriously.......this resulted in her first solo exhibition in Sydney in 2001.






Summer roses Lausanne- Oil on canvas

Jac then moved to Kapunda in South Australia's Barossa country where she bought "The Barn" which she renovated and set up as a home/studio. More recently she purchased a workshop (in a last minute decision) which she's also renovated and is now the salonrougegallery.com, an arts centre and gallery, where Jac holds classes, and exhibits her works, as well as those of other emerging artists.







Study in blue and white.

Cafe au laite roses. Oil on canvas

Pink rose blossoms and buds
It's hard to pick a fave isn't it. They're all so lovely.




Jac in her studio.




The front of the barn.

One of the sleeping quarters.

Many of the walls are hung with Jac's paintings.

The lovely and functional country style kitchen.

l hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into the fascinating life of an artist whose passion and love for what she's doing is evident in every choice she makes.
You can visit, see and read much more at jacquelinecoates.com


Have a wonderful rest of your week,

Bron.