Recycling a Piece of the Past
My husband, Myke, owned this footstool long before I met him. It is a remnant of his late grandmother’s that was passed down to him for functional purposes. I’ve decided on recycling a piece of the past, recreating this footstool into a more functional, and loving, purpose.
The Life of a Neglected Footstool
This footstool stayed out on the back porch for many years, used as a small table for laundry supplies. Rain and sun alternately bleached and stained the footstool, with the leg pieces cracking and splaying in the Florida weather, along with a bit of mis-care.
Lizards as well as a black widow spider had made this stool their home by the time I arrived and became part owner.
I had cleaned it up a little bit back then (killing the black widow – I’m sorry for killing a part of nature, but with two dogs roaming the porch and backyard, I took a chance with karma), and we eventually brought the stool with us after selling our home and moving into the apartment.
It was briefly used as an actual footstool on our new porch, but then stowed away in my studio after my surgeries. It was too big for the little porch and Myke didn’t want me falling because of it.
A Renewed Purpose
Even at the house, I thought about pretty-ing it up, recycling it – maybe sanding and then staining it. The bad thing is, it was made from particle board and the legs had chaffed and splayed through the years.
Now, with five weeks left until our move date, and having packed away all but a few small canvases and the large INUKSHUK painting (still in process), I’ve decided to make some headway on this poor, neglected stool.
The Base
I’ve already painted the base of the stool entirely black. This is to “hide” the flaws in the leg pieces, and help keep the viewer’s focus onto the top design.
The Top Surface
For coloring of the top surface, I thought about a dark purple merging into a white oval or round center. Within that oval or round center, I want a peace symbol decorated in flowers.
Here is my first design sketch for the top surface:
Next, I mixed up some purple from the very few paint colors I haven’t yet packed. It ended up being an ugly purple (below), so I think I might go with an entirely white background for the top surface’s design.
Another Peace Variation for the Surface
Here is another design for the top surface, keeping the abstract peace sign with flowers. I used the Procreate app on my iPad. As you can see, the center of the top surface actually has a rectangle cutout.
I’m also thinking about painting the bracing pieces within the base all white, with some flowery/peace designs in them. This is to help tie the base back into the surface design.
Stay Tuned
I will continue this little “recycling a piece of the past” project in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates on my progress. Finishing may be pre-move, but don’t hold me to that. 😎
Thanks for reading.
Lisa
Please also read:
* Inuksuk on Patreon by Lisa Ramsey Art *
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