My friends and I are
busy planning a tropical vacation for our families to take early next year. Thinking
back on memories of my vacation to Puerto Rico and Mexico had me running to the
albums to reminisce. Ah!....the sharp blues, the almost white sand beaches, the
brightness as reflected by the water. Everything just seemed bluer, whiter, sharper,
more color vivid.
Inspired by that
emotion, I painted this cabinet in shades of blue ‘Caribbean splash’ and ‘Bermuda’.
And to denote the sand I used a textured paint in sand color called ‘Caribbean
walk’ sprinkled in with some sparkles. How can you go wrong with color choices
inspired from nature, right? Can you imagine yourself in a small thatched
bungalow by the beach? Large doors and windows letting in the warm tropical
breeze. White sheer curtains blowing in the breeze, lounging on the deck
looking out to the ocean with a drink in hand that you just made at the bar
that is housed in this beautiful blue cabinet. Well! That’s the picture I had
in my head while making thisJ. Drawing
inspiration from those vacations and the easy relaxed peaceful feeling that being
in nature brings, I went with colors of the water and sand. The two shades of
blue on the cabinet soothe and engage the viewer catching the subtle variations
in shades of the water. The sand color with sparkles highlights and brightens
the piece. All together I hope this
piece reminds you of the exotic flowers and birds of the tropics, the lush
saturated colors, and the surreal quality of the calm ocean.
I like to think
that my work is about relationships; the relationships of the colors, the art
work, and the compositional details to one another; of the ideas and feelings that
evoked it and what that in turn evokes; of me to the piece; and of you, the
viewer’s reaction to all of it.
My elderly
neighbor gave me this bookshelf when she moved out. It had been hand built by
someone in her husband’s family decades ago. In her memory and for sentimental reasons,
I was reluctant to dispose this off. So it sat in my garage for almost 3 years.
Here it is before:
Finally I decided to change this into a cabinet of sorts with doors intending
to use it as a bookcase. I had originally intended to put regular paneled doors
and paint on it. But an inspired moment extended this into a learning project; Shaped
Cutouts! I had been using a saw for regular cutting purposes only and with this
project I decided to try cutting out shapes. So here’s a bird on a branch and an
exotic hibiscus flower that I cut out using a saw, adding to the tropical look
of the cabinet. I must say I am pretty proud of my first attempt. Can’t wait to
try out other cut out projects. Though showcased as a bar, it is not very deep
and would serve very well as a bookcase too.
I hope this piece
encourages you to come take a closer look.
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