A Special Spring Afternoon Window Box Project

An Afternoon Window Box Project

This hand made wooden box I use for flowers is very special to me
because my brother in-law Don made it for me long before I started my business.

At that time I was experimenting with painting tile and he made this box so I could apply tiles to the outside of the box.

I never did get to that project however, I have enjoyed painting the box over and over again and reinventing it every spring.

Don is no longer with us, but I have this memory of what a kind and thoughtful man he was. I keep it freshly painted with new designs every few years in his honor.

	How to make something old new again! Step 1: In a well ventilated area, set up your workspace in good light and protect the area with a drop cloth. Wipe surface of the window box with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or dust. Lightly sand the surface. Step 2: Fill in any damaged area with wood filler then apply a coat of primer.
	Step 3: Sketch in your design with a soft pencil, most of these lines won't show under the paint if you lay the lines in lightly Draw the pot first in the center. Next draw the outline of the flowers. The stripes are drawn in last, these look best if they are done freehand for a fun, whimsical look. If you are going for a more elegant style use a ruler.
	Step 4: Paint in the stripes with a mixture of white and a shade of red paint . Use long even strokes to fill in the stripes.
	With a little help from the peanut gallery,Tilly and I decided on a violet pot as the base. Step 5: Dilute the paint with a little water to lighten the intensity of the paint. Apply this first then add undiluted paint to create instant dimension of ribs to the pot. This adds a curve to the bowl. Do all artists have cats?
	A buttery yellow created a nice contrast against the raspberry shade. Don't forget to take the stripe over the top edge of the box. The design comes to life on it's own when you follow your instinct you'll see what color looks best.
	Step 6: Using a small brush to paint the flowers. Violet,blue,burgundy and a range of greens created a nice texture. The weight of the color is applied at the center and the spacing is increased (not the intensity of color) towards the edge of the arrangement.

	Step 7: Add a thin line to one side of each stripe to create balance and dimension. Violet is a nice color to bring out the red. Little touch of color outline will balance out the whole piece, simple to do but makes a big difference in how it looks from a distance. Not necessary but a nice finishing detail.
	Step 8: Apply a high gloss Polyurethane to seal the artwork. Lacquer also will work but not last as long. This can be brushed on or sprayed. You can see how many times I have painted this piece from layers of color on the inside.
	Now you can see the plants with red blooms that surround the window box and you can understand why I chose the red colors. There are lots of plants with the red blooms that are next to it and it pulls out the colors in the box. As spring turns into summer the violet petunias will get full and accent the artwork even more.
This is for you Don!