Posts Tagged With: Painting

The MLK Public Art Project, Charleston, W.V.

Posted on February 24, 2020 by jolynnpowers

I love to paint, I love murals and I love Dr. Martin Luther King and his message of equality. So, when I found the Facebook post about an open to the public mural painting in our Capital City of Charleston, I knew Christopher and I were going to be there to paint too.

Painting of Dr. Marting Luther King Jr.

Jeff Peirson Scaling the painting to size on the wall. Photo from The Office of Public Art Charleston WV Facebook page.

This event was so wonderful as an Artist, a Mother, and West Virginian. I am so proud that the work of 60 volunteers will grace the skyline of Charleston for the next couple of decades and will remind people of the ongoing work we have to do in this world to fight for Beauty, Fairness, Love, and Equality.

Christopher and I work on a section of Martin Luther King’s eye and nose.

Some of the volunteers that came to help with the mural and the man who I got paint all over.

The mural was painted by volunteers in about 4 or 5 hours at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in downtown Charleston. The image will represent our diversity. The image uses diverse colors, is painted by diverse age groups, colors, shapes, and sexes of people from our state. It will rest on the roof of the community center and display the faces of 1000 diverse individuals in the background. Each face is a self-portrait of one volunteer that helped to make it come to life.

Jeff Peirson Director of The Office for Public Art explains how the project will be constructed.

Under the direction of Jeff Peirson the director of The Office for Public Art in Charleston, West Virginia. A painting of Dr. King has been blown up and traced onto large sheets of plastic canvas for volunteers to paint on. Using special paint the volunteers filled in numbers sections of the mural, much like a paint by number, but on a huge scale. Christopher and I painted light purple and some orange over the course of the afternoon. It was amazing to paint an eyeball that was the size of a basketball and a nose that was almost as big as Christopher is tall.

pieces of the mural displayed together to dry and adding the final coats of paint. From The Office of Public Art Charleston, WV Facebook page.

Then when the sections were left to dry we were encouraged to paint a self-portrait in monochrome shades of purple. Each volunteer tried to paint what they thought they looked like. Christopher was quite unhappy with my drawing and said it looked nothing like me. He explained later that my hair was not right in the drawing or painting. I did have my hair up and the only hair I had was waving wildly aroung my face, So it only showed part of my hair.

My pencil self-portrait with hair up. Christopher says it needs more hair.

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

Then that evening the large pieces were assembled and the overall look started to come together. There will be a blending of the colors with more paint next. Then about 800 school children will make a self-portrait on the canvas like material to create the background before the final installation is put up in late Aug. The mural should last about 15 years with no need for repairs.

Christopher with his new friend Mayor of Charleston Amy Shuler Goodwin.

While Christopher and I painted we had the pleasure of working on the mural with the Mayor of Charleston, Amy Shuler Goodwin, who spent quite a while talking with Christopher about our state and why we drove 2 hours just to be part of the event. She told me she was so happy to have us come and help make our capital city a more beautiful place.

I loved meeting the people from the community and the Mayor, some were families, some were single men and women, and some were children but most lived nearby. I even accidentally painted a man’s hand as we crisscrossed the canvas with our brushes and we laughed for several minutes. Christopher made instant friends and played and visited with about 6 other kids his age. It is my hope that sharing these kinds of experiences with him will encourage him to want to be part of a creative community when he grows up.

As the painting time ended we headed back to my car for a picknick near the MLK Jr. Community Center. We talked about how much fun we had and how important it is to share time with new people and how important Dr. King was to all Americans. This day was what Dr. King was teach us all those years ago. A day where all colors and ages come together to share in the joy of being American and creating a better place for us all.

On Aug 21st I am looking forward to the drive down I-64 to finally see our hard work come to life from way above the community center. It was a day I will not forget anytime soon and I hope Christopher has wonderful memories of our painting Dr. King together.

Categories: Charleston West Virginia, Community Art, community service, Creative Place Making, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., family fun, family memories, Martin Luther King Jr., murals, Painting, The Office of Public Art, Uncategorized | Tags: Charleston West Virginia, community, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., family fun, family memories, murals, Painting, The Office of Public Art | 5 Comments

Bathroom Update is a Mix of Old and New.

Posted on August 26, 2018 by jolynnpowers

Every summer I plain a home improvement project, some large,some small, this one was the most frustrating to finish. The updated 1/2 bath was very challenging but with worth the effort. Even if we did not get all of the pipe issues resolved this summer.

To start with let me share with you some of the photos of the bathroom that we started with. To our best guess we are looking at a 80’s update with fixtures from the 60’s. The wall paper is slate blue, mauve and purple textured wall paper with floral trim vintage 1980’s. The mirror is 1″x 1″ tiles stuck to the drywall, the counter is white with gold glitter and is over 7 feet long with only one sink guessing 1965. The hot water tank is hidden in what should have been a linen closet. The wooden box you see near the floor is our exposed water lines in and out of the hot water tank. The cabinet over the toilet is hand-made but without shelves to store smaller things. But my least favorite feature of the bath is the powder blue sink with a water pressure problem.

So an update of everything was needed. Since my taste is more rustic and historical then the former owner. We are going with a more casual look with wooden accents with bead board paneling and

bathroom counter with tile mirrors

Below counter is empty space and blind raised shows water heater and wood box to cover exposed water lines.

recycled shutter cabinet over toilet

The idea for the remodel all came together from Tom wanting to use recycled crates as shelving in the bathroom. We found this crate while out shopping at a local antique store and the ideas were set in motion in my head.

Side view of blasting cap crate

top view of blasting cap create

Tom had to have the crate, he loved it and wanted people to see the Blasting Cap label so where and how we used it was up in the air. After a few minutes of talking at the antique store Tom thought we would create a wall of crates to hold towels, soaps, lotions maybe with a couple of baskets. So the hunt was on for crates that worked in our space. I ended up with four different sized and we planned to stack them so they form a pyramid. Here is the dry fit run of the crates. Attaching each crate to the crate below making one large crate shelving unit. We are not attaching the crates to the wall but you could if you wanted to get them off the floor. We even talked about adding legs but I am pretty happy with what we have here.

stacked crates, bottom is a citrus crate, a seed potato crate, an unknown crate and the blasting cap crate on top

Tom was also able to recycle some old barn wood and a mirror from a 80’s head-board to make me a nice make up mirror for the bathroom. I think it added to the antique feel of the room. I also found a school-house light fixture that was in the salvaged section of an antique shop. The light was tough to install. We had no problem rewiring it, but the base was about 1 1/2 ” larger than any standard electric box and wider then any of the mounting screws we had. So I had to order one that adjusted and would still fit the screws in the electric box. We sealed the rusted base and shortened the chain.

modern drape covers hot water tank and shows off the new vanity and mirror

This bathroom never had a medicine cabinet so we added one over the toilet

crates assembled and ready for towels, tissues, perfume bottles.

The flooring is a non-slip vinyl that looks like hardwood. We had hoped that the hardwood floors in the rest of the house had extended to the bathroom, but what we found was just participial sub-floor and we chose to just try to get a close match to the rest of the floors in the house. I am happy with it for a bathroom location. The toilet is a taller than standard and I love it. We will one day replace the full bathrooms toilet with this also. Makes it easier for you to stand up and fits better with my tall family.

Over all about 5 weekends to complete and a few days to demo the mess. The lesson learned here was 1960’s people plumed our bathroom is such a terrible way that we had to moved all the water pipes to the sink to hide them in the walls( not that we had planned to open up two walls but we did). We still have pipes that were never placed correctly and we will soon replace the hot water tank with a tank-less model and should be able to place a door where my curtain is now and rid the bath of all the other exposed pipes. But that is another project for a time when I plan to have no water for a couple of days.

So as fall sets in and my friends and family are getting ready to visit I am happy to have this project finished with all the improvement we were able to make. I am most excited about having a sink with the correct water pressure and my crate shelves. A shout out of gratitude goes out to my hardworking husband who can take my ideas and help me make them into reality.

Categories: antique, Barnwood, Bathroom update, DIY projects, nostalgic, Painting, Rustic | Tags: antique, Bathroom, DIY projects, Painting, Paneling, Rustic style | 3 Comments

Always Shop with a Tape Measure

Posted on August 4, 2016 by jolynnpowers

So I have become one of the THOSE WIVES. Not the kind of wife who shops and spends behind my husbands back or a wife who hovers over her children…. but the one who buys furniture that is toooo big for the room where it will reside. You would think that after being a furniture sales woman I would have remembered that nothing in a furniture store looks that big until you get it home. Yea, well it really did not look that big in the store!

So this post actually started almost 6 months ago and is just now coming to an end. Early this spring my older brother contacted me to let me know that he was coming out to visit us in October. He planed to bringing some things of our mothers to me when he visited. The only draw back to this plan was I had no bed for him to sleep in and would need to get one before he arrived.

So around March I began the second search in 4 years for a NEW headboard (the last bed crashed to the ground) and again didn’t finding anything I liked. I returned to the idea of finding something used and fixing it up. I did find something I liked at a used furniture store and everything went down hill from there.

What I found was a lovely 4 post cherry bed and a nightstand for about a 3/4 less than the retail price and it was in great shape. I jumped at the bed/night stand combo not even consulting my husband more than “This is what I am buying” and “when can you come pick it up”? I never even ask him the questions of “do you like it?”or “will it fit?” I just found the owner and said”this one is sold!”

So I was happy… I got a wonderful new/used bed that was nicer then anything we had bought in the past. My brother would have a quest bed with the headboard Tom had made me.Little did I know I would not be this happy in a matter of a few days.

We got the two pieces home and began to realize the error of my judgement when Tom took measurements to see how everything would fit in the room. His face told the whole story…. You could see it as he entered the kitchen shaking his head “it will not fit.” My heart sank… “You have to be kidding me?”

moving the new furniture into the freshly painted room

So as you can see we did the only thing you can do when you do not shop with a tape measure.You steal the master bed room back from your seven-year old son.Then begin the long process of repainting and redoing the two rooms again( just painted when we moved in about a year ago).This time with the promise that I would not buy any more furniture for the next few years.

finished Master Bedroom with new bed and paint

The rooms are turning out very nice.The bed looks great and I am lucky to have a room big enough for it. Christopher is happy because we are doing a lot of kid friendly work to the room. We pulled up the old carpet and sanded,stained and sealed the floors so he can play more with this train collection. We are adding stars and a glow in the dark moon to the ceiling and a few puffing clouds to the walls.

removing the old carpet and padding showing green walls

Tom sanding the hardwood floor in the freshly painted room for Christopher

We should have Christopher moved back into his room in about a week and I can finally get a chance to set up my quest room. Lets just hope that it is all finished soon or my brother may not have a place to sleep.

The moral to the story is do not let a wife shop for furniture with out a tape measure. It may save you lots of time and money in the long run.

Hope all of you are having a great end of summer and I will be writing more as soon as this project is over as every extra time I have has been spent either sanding or painting the mistake I made away.

Categories: DIY projects, funny stories, furniture, Home Decor, home remodeling | Tags: DYI project, funny story, furniture, home remodeling, Painting | 10 Comments

Elkins Main Street Creates a Heritage Quilt Block Trail

Posted on July 11, 2016 by jolynnpowers

Following in the same tradition as Barn Quilt Trails of other rural counties, Elkins Main Street begins the process of creating their own Heritage Quilt Block Trail. Located within the downtown historic district of Elkins, West Virginia, community groups come together to support public art and beautification.

With guidance from the Pocahontas County Arts Counsel, The Pen2Paper.org web site “How to Make a Barn Quilt” and many local artist and supporters, we have gathered the best information possible on how to build our own quilt block murals. The four large 8X8 foot painted panels represent 4 traditional quilt patterns used in Appalachian quilts of the area. The large panels will be mounted on the outside of downtown buildings, have an interpretive map made up of other quilt blocks locations and tell the story of the historical significance of each pattern when all four are completed.

The patterns painted on the blocks represent things that are commonly found in West Virginia and bring to mind the beauty and tradition of quilt making in our local history. The first pattern that is now finished is the “Maple Leaf” pattern. This brightly colored quilt block will be the first to be installed in the downtown. It will be proudly displayed on the brickwork of the Elkins YMCA. Working on these panels we have members of the local Generation Randolph business development group, service members from AmeriCorps, Mountain Arts District members and a team from Youthbuild who all work together to prepare and paint the 8 foot X 8 foot panels.

Service Members of AmeriCorps: Dominic Piacentini, Molly Greenhouse, Kate Sammons and JoLynn Powers

The second pattern is the traditional pattern of the “Log Cabin”, with the center being bright red to symbolize the heart of every home. It is the most common pattern of all the ones we are making for the trail.

The Third pattern is the Pine Tree that students at Youth Build, a local technical school, are taking on a large portion of the painting as part of their training.

The fourth and final pattern is the “West Virginia Star” with bold Blue and Gold Coloring.

Mountain Arts District members Anne Beardslee, Josie Cuda, Frank Cuda and Dominic Piacentini

The Heritage Quilt Block Trail of Elkins will add a warm, friendly feel to downtown that will encourage people to spend more time in the area.The trail is also a way for the public to get involved in making the town more beautiful, remind the public of our unique history and enjoy art in a public setting.

As the project finishes up and the murals are mounted on buildings around downtown, I hope to document their final placement.I hope to do a presentation with photos and Powerpoint about what we have learned, what we did right and wrong, and how it affects the people of Elkins. Maybe making a small statement about the power of art and how it can bring a community together.

Categories: AmeriCorps, Art, community service, DIY projects, Elkins Main Street, Elkins West Virginia, public art, quilts | Tags: Art, community service, DYI project, Elkins Main Street, Elkins WV, Painting, public art, quilt | 2 Comments

Making a gift from the heart

Posted on December 8, 2014 by jolynnpowers

My sweet little grand-daughter turned 4 this month.If any of you have small children in your family you understand the problem with giving them gifts. It seems that small children attract people who love to buy gifts. As they grow older the pile of gifts slowly shrinks until at 19 or 20 you are lucky if your own parents remember your birthday. So as this young lady is so loved I had to really think over what we wanted to give her. I didn’t want to add to the pile of toys that she already had and some how I wanted to give her something that would last past her fickle little girl loves of Minnie Mouse and the movie Frozen. So after talking with her mother and my husband we came up with the idea of making her a toy box.

We wanted to make one that hopefully would stay with her until she at least reached her preteen years. So while I was out-of-town Tom was able to get the supplies and assemble the box portion of the gift. Then when I returned home I painted the box with several coats of white enamel paint.

white toy box freshly painted

I talked with my son and his wife about what they wanted on the toy box. I could get stencils and put images of Disney Characters or even just put a decal on the box but I quickly realized that they thought that a painting of a horse would be something she would grown into and that it would be so nice for her room. Well that opened up a whole new idea for me.

I do like to paint and have a back ground in art, but the one thing I have never painted or even tried to paint was horses. It is hard to believe but they are my greatest fear in all the subjects I could attempt. I spent years raising, grooming, feeding and caring for loads of horses. I have spent hours photographing them but never ever drawing or painting them. I have no idea why.. I just never thought I could do them justice. They are so amazing and powerful just thinking about it I get over whelmed. So how do you over come a fear that has lasted over 20 years? You have a 4-year-old tell you ” I want ponies MaMa” and you just jump in and hope to not drowned.

So after a few days I found what I thought would look good. No ” My Little Pony” stuff on this box.I got approval from mom and dad and started the hours of covering the front of this toy box into a horse-box.

blocked in colors of horse toy box

The process took about 10 hours from sketching to final clear coat. Several times I thought I had a total mess on my hands as I progressed through the layers of paint. I would paint a while and let it dry and walk away for a few days and try another coat and another fix. Each time as I sat at my kitchen table with the huge box on top of it I would think. Horses? Why Horses? I have no experience at this and I am sure it will look like I have no idea what am doing.

final coat of paint close up or horse toy box

So the finale painting will pass as for a 4 years old toy box. I can still see my mistakes but, I am so glad that some how a 4-year-old was able to make me stretch my skills. She was able to make me face a fear I have had for years. I am so glad that we made this gift for her and that maybe she will keep it and some day share it with her little girl. It is truly a gift from my heart and made me so happy to see her love it !