My Kitchen Reno

it started June 29th with an email to Bax Kitchens

I was somewhat surprised that the first email took place over five months ago. The planning for this new kitchen really started in earnest in August. I decided to contract all the jobs that needed to be done by myself with the help of my husband. This included an electrician, painter, a new floor, appliances, demolition and of course the new cabinets and countertops.

Originally we only wanted a new island but the job kept growing. The first thing we did was buy some new appliances….a refrigerator (counter depth), and a wall oven and microwave. We also needed a new dryer because ours decide to give up the ghost at the same time. The dryer was delivered right away and the rest were put on hold until we needed them.

The kitchen designer visited the house and we made two trips to the showroom. When all the plans were finalized and we were given a rough estimation as to when the cabinets would be ready, we started to organize our workers. The first job was demolition. We hired a couple of young guys who had done some work for me at the cottage.

After Hallowe’en they came over with their truck and trailer and started pulling out the old cabinets, counters and appliances. My neighbour purchased my 5 year old fridge. The wall oven and microwave went to the dump. All the cabinets were loaded into the trailer and the boys drove them directly to the waste station. After six hours and two truck loads of construction waste, the demolition was complete.

November 4 – 5Flooring

The next job was ripping up the old flooring and putting down the new. We decided to have the same flooring from the front door all the way to the kitchen at the back of the house. The first day was ripping up the old flooring and nailing down new plywood. The second day the crew from Aspen Flooring put down the new floor.

Painting – November 18 – 20

Once the dust settled it was time to paint the Kitchen/Dining area and hallway. Cathy from 2Girls and a Brush did a great job. The first day was mostly repair work on the ceiling and holes and cracks on the walls. On day two coats of paint had been applied to the wall and on Day 3 all the trim and windows were painted.

November 26 – Big Day….the new cabinets have arrived

….to be continued

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Purple

thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2024/01/06/weekly-prompts-colour-challenge-purple-2/

I like purple but I have to admit that I am not drawn to it as a colour. Funny because our high school colours were purple and gold. When I think of purple I think of royalty and according to Kendra Cherry from VeryWell https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-purple-2795820#toc-purple-meanings-and-associations, it can also represent spirituality, wealth, mystery, femininity and in the U.S., bravery and courage, i.e. the purple heart.

It is also not a commonly found colour in nature but I have managed to find a number of purple flowers. Going through my archive I’ve found the following purple objects.

99-E86793-75-AD-4-CE2-916-F-CA74-DCFB4119
A0-AD9-FA3-3977-4-A51-A355-7512-CD93-A80-C
E2-A29-E52-22-D4-4-BBF-ACD2-1-D35-EFFEE391
5745-ED73-788-D-4995-9015-79-BA9-AABE934
C21-B9-AAB-D60-F-4485-A0-E9-5287496-B348-C
AFF5-D82-D-F9-BC-4-D7-E-8-AB7-6060951516-DD
8-A852-F3-D-6-C92-4-D5-B-B709-BCAFC45-C13-CE-1-201-a
915-DC6-FD-DC7-E-43-AB-8-D64-553917-E79-EA2
106-B3942-D69-B-4-A7-E-8538-A779-BF2375-C8
A8-CF1408-4-D9-B-4-C3-C-A921-C244-F4997-BEE-1-201-a
This is one of the few paintings where I’ve used the colour purple

An Update on my Art Progress

….finally completed my first big piece

I showed you how my tulip painting started and after several revisions I can now say that it is finished and ready to be sealed and wired. This is the biggest piece I’ve done to date. The canvas measures 15″ x 30″.

98-A12-C4-F-026-C-45-E7-948-E-2-FCD2-DED5490 7-DBD403-B-38-E2-4-B00-BB5-E-650-E5-C0317-F9 A6-B1-BDF4-3438-4-FE4-BA23-C34880-C18355 839777-E8-8-E20-475-E-B19-B-8-B03-ADB5-EA19 64-C1-EC97-CF0-B-4-F65-BD40-78-A58-AAE0692

As you can see I kept layering and layering paint till I was happy with the results. Here is the finished piece.

3327167-C-7189-4368-BCBA-ED0-C24-E001-F4-1-201-a

A Sneak Preview of What I’m Working On

….the first two weeks of May I’m doing another solo art show

I have been procrastinating….nothing new there but I am starting to feel the pressure of putting together enough pieces for a new show. Once I get going it’s hard to stop me. Here is what my art table looks like right now.

B036-E696-512-E-4-EC6-AE23-DD31775-E5-ACC
155877-E5-58-F5-4911-8-CEE-17-B471755-CAB
57-AED892-81-D0-40-D0-A4-A3-4-EF0300-B62-AA
7-C1575-D5-36-FB-4131-95-BB-A419618-A71-CC

Escaping With Paint

….after producing art pieces for my solo show at the end of June it was nice to just paint for fun

I’m currently taking a free course with Louise Fletcher called Find Your Joy. For the first assignment we had to tape off a large sheet of watercolour paper and choose three colours of paint plus black and white. I divided the paper into nine rectangles and then randomly started to add colour to the paper making sure to ignore the tape and go over it as if it were part of the painting.

The process is very intuitive, which suits me to a tee. After 30 minutes of mixing my colours and randomly laying down the paint and some black ink I stopped and carefully removed the tape. I was very happy with the results. Some of these pieces may end up in my show or not but the point was to have fun and escape from the realities of everyday life.

Thanks to Weekly Prompts for hosting this challenge: https://weeklyprompts.com/2022/05/21/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-escape/

45-F64402-2127-44-D4-8-E0-F-3-B475-A709-E8-A
3369149-D-6-C27-422-B-9-BF4-4-BDAD3-C97039

You’re a Hoot

….day 4 of Sketchbook Revival with Tamara Laporte

In one of today’s Sketchbook Revival classes we meet Tamara Laporte. I’ve watched some of her classes before but I think this is the first time I’ve completed an assignment. It was a lot of fun and I think I may go back to her site and try some more.

This owl was first sketched with pencil and then watercolour was applied. Along the way marker, ink, pencil and acrylic paint pens were used to add detail.

59-EAD7-BB-F1-EC-498-A-B822-D6896943-D79-A-1-201-a

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Anything Painted

….thanks to Cee for hosting the Fun Foto Challenge

Hand Painted Egg1-DDC5-F08-B7-B1-4-AF0-B7-B5-6-D63-B9-BC772-D-1-201-a

Part of a Ray Cattell Painting in my house
3460-AA38-8-F02-44-C3-9155-B61178-BD192-B-1-201-a

Watercolour done by me
96-F2-ED4-D-0-E8-D-4860-A19-A-2-F3623793-CA3-1-201-a

COVID Painting in the Neighbourhood
791589-F4-2-D97-4-EBB-9-CBB-713-E9-E39-EFEF

Granddaughter’s Painting
1970-B180-7-ABB-4-A47-85-CD-CA0-A4-C874-A40

Painted Road Sign
A550-C316-ACBB-42-C0-9-CF1-E3-F0-FDD280-B8

Peeling Paint
79-CCDF41-DB18-48-B1-81-A5-64-B976-EA197-A