Hand Painted Plaques

This wooden plaque has decorative painting of roses and the Home Sweet Home has been written with MS Paint.
Since its a round plaque it can be positioned in a number of ways and words added to it as one wishes.

Decorative painting Tulips

I was lucky to find this wooden oval plaque at a big craft store chain and decided to paint a Welcome sign or plaque. Along with this I also bought a few more wooden boxes and circular plaques to be used for one stroke decorative painting projects.
Since I am learning decorative painting on my own I have to select different subjects to paint and practise. This time I have selected a basket of tulips , and also added a ribbon!

The message is missing as I have to learn how to write 'WELCOME' neatly on board!

Cushion Covers-DIY

Recently I completed painting some cotton cushion covers but sadly could not find anyone to stitch them. At last I found a perfect video on DIY envelope type cushion covers and noted down the steps:-
1 Measure one inch more than the cushion ie if the cushion measures 12"x12" then mark 13"x13" on material for the front part.
2 For the back part measure 17"x17" ie 4" more for overlapping.Cut in equal halves and hem or stitch.
3 Now both the parts are ready to be stitched.
4 Keep the front side pretty side facing up and place the back part pretty side facing down.There will be an overlap in the centre of the back part for inserting the cushion.
5 Pin all round so that the material stays in place.
6 Stitch all the 4 sides.
Cut the excess material to give sharp corners.
The cushion cover is ready, yipeeee !
PS -I really did stitch a cushion cover after watching the video upteem times , if I can do it so can you!

One Stroke Roses

One stroke decorative painting has enthralled me totally and I spend most of my free time painting and watching videos of the same.This rose panel is a result of my pastime!
Luckily I have found a tiny framing shop which has small leftover odd pieces of hardboard gathering dust. The owner is happy to sell them and it suits me as I want to paint several small projects instead of a single large one.
These roses started of as regular pink white ones which I have been diligently painting, but changed color after two days! Acrylic paints are so versatile that its easy to paint over and change the color scheme.
I wanted a pale pink yellowish shade for these roses and started by painting over one pink rose and a few buds. Later I liked the shade so much that I painted all of them in the same shade!

One Stroke Painting- Pansies

Pansies are winter flowers and look quite exotic with their unique petal arrangement and coloring .Generally they have two different color combinations in each flower. There can be two yellow and three purple colored petals, or two purple and three white colored petals or light and dark shades in a single flower!
I love pansies and wanted to paint them in pastels , here they are blooming on a wooden tissue holder.

Hand Painted Clock

This old defunct wall clock was kept for a rainy day, and it came in handy for my latest Decorative painting project with Acrylics!
The clock has been photographed without the glass cover to do away with the reflection. I plan to screw on the glass cover tomorrow after the paints have dried.
This time I tried making hydrangeas along with roses and daisies.There was no pattern as such and I was happy that the clock base was ideal for acrylic painting.
I like painting on items that are useful in daily life and make them look beautiful!

Fruits- One Stroke Painting

This is my first attempt at painting One Stroke fruits with Acrylics.There are peaches, grapes, strawberries, and a solitary apple. Strawberry flowers have been painted to provide contrast and fill up empty spaces.
I had fun painting grapes , strawberries were a bit tricky, the apple turned out quite easy. Peaches turned reddish and yellowish at my whim!
Most of my free time is spent looking up One Stroke painting sites and picking up painting tips. This genre of painting is for people like me who dabble in painting for the love of it.
I had never expected to paint fruits so easily sitting at home without any formal art lessons, if I can do it so can you!!

Decorative Painting Roses

One Stroke painting is really exciting as one can achieve outstanding results with a bit of practice and of course patience. But the good part is that Acrylics are a real blessing in this venture as mistakes can be easily rectified as they dry fast.
There is no pattern as such , these are my practice roses , I have tried to make them in different positions so that I get a hang of painting them. Similarly plenty of leaves are a good learning experience!
I find that Decorative painting works best on wood , these roses have been painted on hardboard with Acrylics and now I have two rose wall plates to decorate my home and show off my new skills !
This painting is not by design :)

One Stroke Painting-pot

One Stroke painting technique paired with Acrylics can work magic even on the most dull and boring items around the house.Its amazing to see a dull clay pot turn into a work of art before your eyes within a few hours.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
1 Clay/terracotta Pot
2 Acrylic paints, brushes, rags for wiping the brushes.
3 Design, carbon sheet.
PROCEDURE
1 Spread newspaper over the work area.
2 Wipe the pot , if possible rinse it and dry overnight.
3 Sandpaper the pot to even out rough surfaces.
4 Use Acrylic paint to paint the background.Double coat , dry between coats.
5 Select a design keeping in mind the shape of the pot while the pot dries.
6 Use a carbon paper to trace the design.
7 Select color scheme for flowers/fruits , leaves.
8 Start with the leaves as they are dark and define the flowers.
9 Paint the flowers or design.
10 Complete the painting and double coat wherever necessary.
This project can be completed in a few hours as Acrylics dry pretty fast.
Varnish the completed pot, it will take at least 24hrs for the varnish to dry.
TIPS- Check out One Stroke Painting videos for learning the strokes and technique.

Decorative Painting

Acrylic paints are fast becoming my favorite medium for decorative painting.Unlike oil paints they take very less time to dry and suit me fine as I am a very impatient person.Brushes can be easily washed with plain water and the painting does not have a lingering smell.
Acrylics paints are ideal for decorative painting which is about decorating boxes, nameplates and even furniture with a double loaded brush! Its fun to see beautiful roses and other flowers blooming on this dull spectacle box with limited brush strokes.
I am a great fan of One Stroke Painting and am trying to learn from the net and also watch painting videos .
I have used an angular brush for painting the roses. I need to work more on the leaves , but am quite happy with the roses :)