Chalk Paint Class...fun fun fun.

About a week ago Ginny Vail, owner operator of the SWALLOW'S NEST 
in Gibsons British Columbia hosted a chalk Painting course in her store.

Her gal pal and fellow artist Barbara Moustafa (Barbara Moustafa)taught the course to about 10 enthusiastic women. After dosing ourselves with coffee from the cafe next door we got down to business and spent the morning prepping and painting our sample boards. 

As each layer of Ce Ce Caldwell Chalk Paint was added we began to see a transformation. What was once a plain white primed sample became a piece with depth and character. The colors I choose to work with were "Young Kansas Wheat (bottom)" and Smokey Mountain Grey (top)". Directly below is a photo showing the first bottom coat of paint.

We then started wiping away some of the bottom coat of paint to show the white primer beneath...slowly starting the aging process. I decided to wipe away more of the "Smokey Mountain Grey", leaving the "Young Kansas Wheat" pretty much untouched.

For the third step(below) we then applied a top coat of contrasting color. Instead of doing two completely different board samples I decided I wanted to compare the same two colors...top board (Smokey Mountain Grey with Young Kansas Wheat on top) and bottom board (Young Kansas Wheat with Smokey Mountain Grey on top) After letting the contrasting color dry a bit we then carefully wiped some of that color away using a sponge...which seemed to work better then a rag. I wiped almost all of the Smokey Mountain Grey off of my bottom sample leaving a scant ghost of color behind. I also made sure to wipe enough away so that a few spots of white primer could be seen here and there on my bottom sample.

At this point I am liking the bottom sample best...it is subtle and seems to have a more natural aged look to it. Young Kansas Wheat with Smokey Mountain Grey on top

Shown in natural light this sample best shows the colors and aging wax which can be seen in the crevasses of the board. Young Kansas Wheat with Smokey Mountain Grey on top.

Eager students waiting for the class to start.

Painting my raw Cedarwood cabinet turned out to be a lot  more work then I thought it would be... after much finagling and fussing with primer, three layers of color, coats of wax etc. I can finally say its finished. Colors used were Omaha Ochre, Young Kansas Wheat and Smokey Mountain Grey along with clear wax and aging wax.

An antique reproduction cabinet made by Dave Coyle of Gibsons B.C.
Dave Coyle Antique Reproductions

This primitive cabinet will have some bling added to it in the form of a quartz top with an old school cut edge.

  I have one more bathroom cabinet to paint (below) and am hoping to achieve more good results using chalk paint. Now that I have done one I think this second paint job will go a lot quicker.

Meanwhile Hubby has been busy doing the plumbing and putting up drywall. Next on my to do list...tape, mud, sand and paint the drywall, ceiling...as well as paint this second cabinet. 
What's that old saying...a women's work is never done!

Cheerio my friends
Susan