It is very cold here in Massachusetts! Only had a sprinkling of snow last week, but enough to make me reminisce and want to grab my ice skates and go to the Somerset marsh and skate.
Here are the basic steps I use to create the skate.
These are my handpainted ice skates., painting of the Brayton Homestead, of course. I painted them in a primitive style- aka- giant snowman the size of a house.
First I painted the skates entirely with white paint, including blades and lace openings. I sketched the house on one piece of paper, the snowman on another, cut around the edges of
each and kept moving the shapes around until I liked it. Then traced the shapes.
I made a straight line with a little curve for the snow, painted a deep blue around the house and snowman, even the lace openings, the painted in details. Remember in this naive primitive style, you are not looking for perfection! I glazed over the snow and the snowman with a thinned out gold paint and completed the skates with a gingham check fabric scrap for laces and a hand painted bells as snowmen.
Try painting your house!
You can always take a photograph and trace it-
Let me know if you have any questions.
stay dry and warm and thanks coming by the homestead.
Karen
IMAGES: all Brayton Homestead Interiors
Take my hand, come with me to a world of pure imagination. Don't be scared- but beware- there are thrills and chills and lots of barn pics. (Above is a illustration that I drew and was published )
It all began, my love for barns, when I moved into the Brayton Homestead, circa 1796, shown here in an old photo I found on ebay. If you look closely you can see the barn that used to be in back of the house. Sadly, it was torn down along time ago. But I want to someday to put one back.
What else would have taken beautiful Julie Marie from Idyllhours,
to Bootiful Julie Marie?
As I walk up a hill with just a glimpse of an old barn 
I must go closer and closer...
up really close this barns is just waiting to be rescued...
and some are for weddings.
what a grand and great wedding it was.
then last year my twin, Kevin's (right)
actually married on Halloween!
could not resist to make a bridal card...
can you imagine that crusty BARN hardware like this
always keep in mind, 
and others seem safe
but wherever you call home 
Welcome to the Barn Chick September meeting!
please enter my appropriately red side entrance mudroom
a little vintage stool helps corral the mail...
I recieved this surprise package from the lovely
she had such good time, she sent these as thank you gifts.
all barns are special, I think.
the outside combination of materials
and it's high reaching, vault like soaring beams
another barn in my town
