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2017 has arrived!  Most of last year was devoted to a solo show in October where I featured my series of marionettes.  Ready to do something different, I pulled out this vintage ceiling tile that I had found at Caravati's Salvage Co. in Richmond.  It actually was removed from an 1800's dwelling in the Shockoe Bottom area of the city.  My first step was a call to my metal works artist friend, Kirk, to get this tile mounted on plywood.

Not sure how to prepare the surface so that oil paint would adhere, I contacted Gamblin Colors, my 'go-to' source for information.  Removing any rust, lightly sanding to remove all loose debris, cleaning the surface with Gamsol and sealing with Gamvar (matte finish),  it was finally ready for the paint.  The tile is 24"x24" with the center 12"x12" for the painting image. 

An Ebay search gave me a large selection of vintage kitchen utensils and a vintage rack on which to hang them.  I mounted the items on gator board, spotlighted the set up, and all that left was to paint it.

The slick surface was quite different from the smooth canvas I am used to.  I painted the items with multiple layers of paint.  The vintage kitchen utensils came from an Ebay search.  When the painting was completely dry, a couple coats of Gamvar (satin finish) sealed the entire surface.  Finding a suitable tile that has a little damage to make it 'shabby', but not so much that it looks like it should be in the dumpster, was probably my biggest challenge.  Preparation of the surface for paint took work.  The finished title:  Vintage Kitchen Utensils.  I'm ready to start my next one.... I'm thinking of an old clamp-on roller skate that reminds me of my childhood....  of the shoes I ruined and a few skinned knees.