Chalkboard Art...finished for now

 Here we go...this is how my project ended up
but just to be sure....

I thought I would just sleep on it and see how I felt about it in the morning

It's only chalk right?

I wonder If Dana Tanamachi does that?

Hmmm

Just as a reminder this was my original graphic design

 about 1/2 way through...
I do like the banner
and Dana uses lots of banners in her work

 and this is the final project...the next morning, I removed the little knives I had added, re-worked the area where the banners was

 and enlarged the lettering on 

"petit cafe"

 I put my basket of bread boards underneath it 

but it just needed something a bit higher

 I have a nice little collection of old bottles 

that I use for vinegars and oil for cooking

 This is a great little bamboo shelf...a nice size for a smallish space...so I gave it a try here

just in case you are wondering about the old bottles...I actually sterilize them like you would a canning jar prior to using them and if there is even a question about cleanliness I don't put any thing in them except maybe a flower for the garden

 a few little dishes, some fresh lemons 

and an old baguette basket on the chalk shelf

Here is a little peek of the kitchen with the new chalkboard

this little sign reads:

the daily bread

petit cafe

olives

cheese

champagne

open daily

I hope you give this a try....
it is so much more fun 

than spelling and arithmetic 

Cheers

Kelley

PS

I didn't seal it 

because I have a feeling I will find some new things to draw 

as Spring approaches...
and I agree with Dana
that there is something interesting and simplistic
about just erasing it
and doodling a new idea

Chalkboard Art Project: details

So lets get started...

Here is how I thought I should approach this:

I started with a simple design 

using a graphics software program 

for Mac called 

The Print Shop 

My cafe styled artwork is called

The Daily Bread

and it lists all of the things we can serve you 

at our little French Cafe!

The finish graphic was printed  out on standard

 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper

 and I left the spacing grids in 

to help with placement

 I started by dividing the board up into quadrants 

 I used simple rulers and a tape measure for this

The font I chose is called Infilto, 

which is one of my favorites !

You can find lots of great fonts just like this one

that can be downloaded for free or there are millions of sites 

 you can purchase great fonts 

for just a few dollars.

 Here we are 

beginning  to add the largest elements 

and some of the type

I really just loosely sketched  

the words and art into the areas that were consistent  

with my computer created graphics

 the banner at the bottom says 

"open daily"

 One of the biggest issues I had was dull chalk ...it wouldn't fit into my pencil sharpener 

so I used a paring knife, 

but it was not the best solution either

Looking at the board at this point

I realized that: 

1.  my bread looked like a Thanksgiving turkey 

and 

2. there was no way I could fit all of those food items 

on to this chalkboard ....

way to much wording

 So I narrowed it down to just three words,

moved the wheat sheaths to the sides of a new bread sketch 

and kept right on going....

 reworking as needed

 Adding a crosshatch border 

was a nice element too

 It took a few times

to get the style of the font 

translated using chalk 

 I have to say, one of the best things about this type of project 

is the ease in which you can wipe off your mistakes

 and try again...awesome!

so here we are...

not finished yet, 

but getting close.... even though my bread now looks like a baked potato

but the basic design is in place

and I learned a lot about the actual process of chalkboard artwork

I will share the finished board on my next post...

Did I mention how much fun this is!!!!?

Chalkboard Art Project

Last year at some point, I remember seeing so many wonderful images of art and typography used on blackboards.  

Some were themed for the holidays, others were inspirational quotes or messages

 about family and friends.

all of them have that wonderful quality 

of being made by hand 

and

 perfectly imperfect 

as only chalk can be

via

Even Oprah

 and Time

hopped on board with a magazine covers

The incredibly talented person behind some of these images is Dana Tanamachi

seen here with Oprah

Dana initially worked for a Graphic Design firm, 

but found her calling in the interesting world of chalkboard art and Typography

while doodling on a blackboard with friends...

and the rest...as they say...it just plain amazing

 

She has worked for quite a few firms in the Silicon Valley...
a made a mark on the Fashion world with store and
window display chalkboards

She has created labels,  

home decor products, corporate office slogans 

and event signage

All of which feature her hand created typography

that is beautiful, thought provoking and original

and to some degree

temporary...which she finds part of the creative aspect of using chalk

here is a clip of Dana:
sharing the process of creating and designing for her clients

and her website 

here

event and magazine graphics

 magnets for West Elm

Ralph Lauren windows

private interiors

what I love about her work is how freely 

she designs and completes a project without grids and templates 

She is really inspirational!

I purchased a vintage slate chalkboard

and would like to have a little art like Dana's in my kitchen

 I doubt it will be all that impressive  

but it's a fun idea 

and there is always and eraser near by!

Hope you enjoyed seeing Dana and her work....

Cheers

~Kelley~

It's That Time Again

There is still time left to get spring bulbs 

and a few choice flower seeds in the ground 

for harvest between February and April

If you're on the East Coast it may be too late... : o (

but here in the West 

we still have a few weeks left

I like all flowers really... but I love 

the romance of a bouquet of Sweet Peas

It is the scent and the soft ruffles of the flowers 

that just can't be duplicated 

Sweet Peas are really easy to grow too...love that part!

  a large pack of seeds 

will only set you back 

about $5 dollars

One seed packet will yield enough flowers for your arrangement's 

for the entire month of April and on into May

 There are many ways to stake your peas...I think I have pretty much tried them all

 This was my "Sweet Pee Tee Pee"

It work well...

until my peas were literally taking over the entire structure...

but at some point I just let it all go 

and just kept snipping and enjoying 

 You can buy your seed packs in a variety of color choices 

but I happen to love the purple and pink varieties

there was burgundy and red in this mixed packet of seeds too

I look for seed packets with clear bags,

 where I can actually see what I am buying

and choose the biggest most plump seeds

 This year I picked up a packet that has salmon in the mix...

can't wait to see that

 This was my  Pea structure from last year 

which I am using again 

I have moved it to a slightly different location  because it just didn't get enough sun. 

My preference now is a Southern exposure 

but Sweet Peas are pretty hearty once they get going 

in about any location with decent sunshine 

 Soak the peas seeds for a day or two before direct sow planting and give them plenty of water 

to prevent the seedlings from drying out

 The peas are a beautiful addition 

to other Spring blooms and bulbs

via

This year I planted yellow Daffodils...

I found a really bid bag of 50 bulbs at Home Depot for $15 dollars 

and the bulbs were huge!  

White and Purple tulips got planted too

and a  special Darwin hybrid tulip variety called 

Worlds Favorite

which I have planted before

 The Tulip flowers are huge!  

And it's a beautiful shade of orange with streaks of yellow

I lucked out and found large quantities of Tulips on Sale

 here

right around Christmas time 

and all the big sacks of bulbs were 1/2 off 

 I have a big yard so the bulbs really get lost 

unless I plant a large quantity...

 I planted while it was raining 

so my soil was super soft which made the job much easier

via

 And the English roses start to bloom in April too

It all sort of happens at once 

and the variety and scent is amazing

via

So what ever you choose for your garden....

you can plant seeds, bulbs and bare root roses right now...

rain or shine 

 the end result 

is nothing short of beautiful!

Happy Gardening

~Kelley~