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Monday, July 28, 2014

Reclaimed Herringbone Art and A Tale of Staging Pictures

I have a secret.  

Okay, I know, it probably really isn't a secret, but did you know bloggers stage photos?  Yep, there it is, the ugly truth, we are photo stagers.  Which means when we show you our lovely mantels, dressed for the latest season with the perfect touches, we may be taking those pictures while standing on a pile of mangled blankets and enough scattered legos to make a firewalk look like a cakewalk.

I love creating projects, home decor.  I love taking photos and editing them.  I do NOT love staging them.  Because I sell most of what I show you, when I show you something hanging on my walls with other fun things all in a grouping, it is most likely not staying there. Let's not even get into a discussion on holes in my walls.  Suffice it to say hubby has given up and just rolls his eyes when he sees me pounding yet another nail in the wall.

So, it was Saturday morning, 6:50 AM.  I had been up for an hour, was showered, was coffeed up, ready to head out the door at 7 for Farmer's Market set-up,

Then, suddenly I remembered I hadn't photographed my latest scrap wood art.  If I create it, I want to photograph it to share with you.  Some blogging days are DRY and I need content--don't want to waste a content opportunity.

I raced to my car in my bare feet, camera in hand--mind you my car is packed tighter than a 40 year old mother of 3 trying to fit in her high school jeans, and yanked that darn art piece out.  I traipsed across the wet yard (it was 46 degrees out), plunked that piece down in my weeds, um, er flowerbed, ignored the young twenty year old guys across the street (just arriving home I believe) who think their neighbor is crazy, and clicked away.
reclaimed wood art http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/07/reclaimed-herringbone-art-and-tale-of.html

The good things about this impromptu photo shoot--the light is amazing at 6:50 AM and my weeds are tall enough to hold heavy pieces of reclaimed wood art.  
reclaimed wood art http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/07/reclaimed-herringbone-art-and-tale-of.html
The bad part, my weeds are tall enough to hold art, there was only a small part of the yard in sunlight and I didn't have the time to worry about it.  
reclaimed wood art http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/07/reclaimed-herringbone-art-and-tale-of.html
I did at one point drag a piece of picket fence across the yard and tried to use it as a backdrop. The bad news, it wouldn't stay propped up.  The good news, that means my weeds aren't quite as massive as I thought.  Here is a photo just as it is falling over.
reclaimed wood art http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/07/reclaimed-herringbone-art-and-tale-of.html
I didn't take process pictures, it was one of those pieces I was so excited to make that I didn't pause once I started creating.  I began with a 24" square piece of plywood and two 24" narrow wood strips.  
reclaimed wood art http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/07/reclaimed-herringbone-art-and-tale-of.html
I cut pieces at a 45 degree angle, and pieced it and marked where I needed to cut as I went.  
I glued the wood scraps in place and then secured them with the nail gun. A "frame" was added.  Some pieces I painted, most were scraps already painted from other projects.
reclaimed wood art http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/07/reclaimed-herringbone-art-and-tale-of.html
I must say, even in the middle of my weeds I think this piece is fun--colorful and whimsical and a great way to use up those scraps.

Linking up at Knick of Time Interiors.

10 comments:

  1. I always forget to take photos of the steps to make things! I love your herringbone art, Becky!

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  2. I love this art piece and I think it looks pretty propped up in the weeds. Gorgeous photos!

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  3. It's amazing! I love the colors. And I have totally overlooked weeds until it was too late!

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  4. "...my car is packed tighter than a 40 year old mother of 3 trying to fit in her high school jeans..."

    What???? I have no idea what you are talking about!
    Hahahahahaha! I love this post! :)

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  5. I'd love to have a whole wall with that design pattern on it and with the same colors, too. That would be so fab! Love your art piece.

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  6. This is definitely one of my favorites you've created, Becky!

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  7. Absolutely gorgeous Becky - and I loved the whole story of trying to get the photo - LMHO - I'm out there at ridiculous times to0o.................
    And if I go anywhere without my camera my whole outing is ruined - because there'll always be something to blog about - missed opportunities indeed !!! LOL
    So happy you shared - and I just love your artwork!
    xoxo

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  8. You had me really chuckling on this one, so true, all of it!! Awesome art work I love it! It looks beautiful in your yard :)

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  9. So funny! And so true! My husband is always threatening to take a photo just to the left or right of my staged photo to show the real part of our lives. It's an ongoing joke. Love your project!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate your kind words!