Since the Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I have been working on restoring a lot of our vintage furniture finds to create an outdoor living space on the patio behind our garage [1]. I'm happy to say that the project is near completion and we are down to the wire and working on some finishing touches.

[1]View 1: The completed patio space, currently open to the neighbor's yard

One of those "finishing touches" is a 6 foot by 4 foot mural that will serve as a privacy screen between our patio and the neighbor's yard. The neighbor intends to install a fence some time this summer. This is all well and good as he recently removed the stand of trees that offered quite a lot of privacy to our space. Still, I don't relish the idea of looking at the back of his fence and I'd like it to feel more like home. Hence, the privacy screen.

The artwork will be done on 6 foot by 4 foot piece of plywood, sealed with a polycrylic finish, and mounted on steel legs that will be sunk into the ground about 2 feet. The bottom of the painting will be positioned about a foot above the patio's pad. The brushed nickel finish on the legs should make them barely noticable so the painting should feel as if it is a floating screen.

We're faced with a forecast for mostly inclement weather for the remainder of the week and so I am working on sketches to present to my husband for his consideration and approval. I am uploading the digital sketches as I have them completed but I expect to have them completed today.

[1]The Farmer's Wife: Scaled to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood

[1]Mock Up showingThe Farmer's Wife in place as a privacy screen

[1]The Hostess: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood

[1]Mock Up: The Hostess

[1]Bringing Up Dolly: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood

[1]Mock Up: Bringing Up Dolly

[1]WallFlower: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood

[1]Mock Up: WallFlower

[1]Prodigal Matriculation: Scales to 6' x 4': Intended medium: Acrylic on plywood

[1]Mock Up: Prodigal Matriculation

06/14/2008
We finally settled on the Farmer's Wife so today I took the opportunity to sketch her onto the previously primed, 6' by 4' piece of plywood that will used as a privacy screen.

Once I was settled and happy with the sketch I drew in the outlines.

[1]The 6' x 4' privacy screen, primed, sketched, & outlined. The original 18x24" painting that inspired the digital version as well as this piece is hanging on the garage.

The outlines dried quickly so I was able to start color blocking the art.

[1]The Farmer's Wife, color-blocked on the 6' x 4' privacy screen.

Once the color-blocking was dry we were able to build and bolt her to a frame, created from [3] 6' pieces of angled steel. This frame keeps her floating above ground level and will also prevent her from warping in the weather.

[1]Back View 1: Post holes were dug and filled with quick setting cement.

[1]A wooden frame holds her in place while the cement dries and cures over night.

The next morning, 06/15/2008, the cement was covered over with ground and I finished painting The Farmer's Wife.

[1]Once the painting was dry the wooden frame was removed.

I am allowing the painting to cure for a few days before she is fixed and sealed with an acrylic overlay. This overlay will protect her from the weather and insure additional lightfastness. The use of high-grade acrylic paint also helps.

A diary and photo album of the project [2] is posted in the Su Casa group if you're interested in following along with the development and getting a better view of the space itself. The finished project also appears as a "Before & After DIY [3]".