2015 - New Techniques, Organize & DIY

2015.
It's a new year and therefore, time to set some new goals.

This year I want to try and diversify. 
Along with my realism painting, I want to:
1. try some new techniques.  Abstract & mixed media (well as abstract as a super neat, realism painter can be, that is)
2. do some DIY's for my house using things that I already have (think renewable/reusable)
3. and in step with my word for the year "organize"- I want to finish up some projects that were put aside.  (I'm thinking that organize and simplify are interchangeable and yikes! I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try)

BUT, I'm already ahead of the game.  I did a few projects on January 1st & 2nd, here is the first one....

This is a project that I started before Christmas.  I saw a beautiful old wooden bowl in an antique store and loved the color, patina and wear.  So I went home and found a wooden plate and began the process of making it look like the antique.  Then I got "wrapped up" in Christmas preparations and put the project aside.  This project qualifies for two of my goals: DIY and finishing up projects that I put aside.   It was finished today:

First I painted the plate with DecoArt Americana Acrylic paint - Asphaltum.  I let it dry and gave it a light sanding to smooth out the grain and tooth of the wood.  Then I repainted it with DecoArt Americana Acrylic paint - Festive Green - two coats.  Then came elbow grease....using a sanding disk (or fine grit sand paper) I sanded areas all over to create wear marks.  When doing this, try to think about where the item may have become worn with time.  This plate had a high rim so the natural place for wear would be the top of that rim.
The Asphaltum came through the green with sanding.  But in some areas I sanded too much and the raw wood was left after sanding.  So, I added some water to Asphaltum and wiped that all over the plate but concentrated heavier on the areas where the raw wood was revealed.  Some areas required me doing this twice (once the first application was dry).  When everything was dry, I applied wax to the surface to seal the paint.  Because I may want to use this as a tray to serve food at some point, I used Clapham's Beeswax Salad Bowl Finish.  This product says that you can serve food on the finish because it is made from ingredients that aren't harmful. 

I love the way this came out.  It really mimics the authentic antique green bowl that I loved so much.   :) Tracy