Fresh As A Daisy!
by Debby Forshey-Choma
Daisies
(Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) grow all over North America, but they are not native wildflowers. European settlers carried daisy seeds to America. Some seeds were brought intentionally for growing garden flowers, but most daisy seeds came here by accident, mixed in with grass and other crop seeds.
As nineteenth-century poet John Leyden observed, some species of daisy close their blossoms at night. For this reason, speakers of Old English called this flower "day's eye". Eventually the name of this cheery little "eye of the day" was condensed into a single word, Daisy. Daisies do not wilt quickly after they are picked. Therefore, the expression "fresh as a daisy". A bouquet of daisies will stay fresh in water for almost two weeks.
Adding different techniques, however simple or detailed to backgrounds, adds interest to the design.
SURFACE:
Hinged Keepsake Box (4” x 6” x 3”T) #SKU: 207-11669 available through www.vikingwoodcrafts.com
PAINTS:
DecoArt® Americana Acrylics: www.DecoArt.com
DA09 Antique Gold DA208 Celery Green DA01 Snow White
DA180 Asphaltum DA168 Golden Straw DA155 Soft Black
DA052 Avocado DA272 Purple Cow DA211 Wisteria
DA063 Burnt Sienna
DecoArt® Sealers/Finishes:
DuraClear Matte Varnish DS60 Media Gesso – White DMM18
Chalky Gesso – Grey CG27 (or sub. Grey Sky 111) Multi-Purpose Sealer DS17
BRUSHES:
Royal Langnickel®: www.RoyalBrush.com
#1360 – sm, med, large Debby Forshey’s Texture brushes #4585 – 10/0 Majestic liner
#1114 – large Royal Stencil brush #4700 – ¾ Majestic glaze wash
#3080 – 1 Oval Wash Combo #930 – ¼ Filbert Comb
#4150 – 8, 12 Majestic shader #M770M – ¾ Moderna oval mop
#4l60 – 5/8 Majestic angle #K-4 – Langnickel palette knife
#4170 – 8 Majestic filbert #R2020 – Wool Sponge
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES:
Baby Wipes / Rubbing Alcohol
Frog® Tape
Blue Shop Towels
Krylon® Matte Spray #1311
Cosmetic Wedge / Brayer
Wooden Ball Knobs (1”) x4
Clear Graph Ruler & Spattering Tool www.DebbysTouch.com
Quick Grip® All-Purpose Permanent Adhesive www.BeaconAdhesives.com
Postmark Script Collage Stencil #09-19476A ; Botanic Collage Stencil #09-19488A ; Winding Vine Border Stencil #09-19326 www.cdwood.com
Mini Fanciful Borders #TCW615s www.TCWstencils.com
Or use stencils of choice
*Suggestion - always try new techniques on a piece of poster board; which has been base coated with a coat of acrylics.
PREPARATION:
Apply a coat of Multi-Purpose Sealer over the entire box; using the glaze wash brush.
Lightly sand, and wipe off with a slightly, dampened blue shop towel.
Gesso Relief Stenciling Technique:
With Gesso and the Botanic Collage Stencil (or stencil of choice), apply the diamonds to the right bottom corner of the surface;
using the Relief Stenciling technique. Refer to the photo for placement.
Position the stencil on the surface, and secure it with Frog Tape.
With light pressure, apply a thin layer of Gesso over the diamond area of the stencil; using the palette knife.
To remove the stencil, hold down one end with your fingers, while gently and slowly lifting the opposite end.
Immediately clean the palette knife and stencil with baby wipes or rubbing alcohol.
Basecoating:
When the Gesso is dry, basecoat the entire box with Chalky Grey Gesso; using the glaze wash brush, achieve opaque coverage.
*If you do not have Grey Gesso, you can substitute Grey Sky 111.
Background Sponging:
Dampen the wood sponge with water, squeeze out excess water, pick up Purple Cow on the sponge, dance off on your palette,
then randomly dance over the surface and outside walls of the box (the inside and underside of the box remain grey).
Allow drying.
Stenciling Postmark Script:
With the Postmark Script Collage Stencil (or stencil of choice), Light Wisteria mixture (Wisteria + Snow White 1/1), and the large stencil
brush, and stencil over the surface of the lid.
Position the stencil on the surface; refer to the photo for placement.
Secure it with the Frog Tape or hold it with your fingers.
Load the large stencil brush with a bit of Light Wisteria mixture, and swirl the brush on a blue shop towel to remove excess.
Apply color in a circular motion in one direction and then in a circular motion in the other direction (changing directions frequently)
over the stencil.
Fill in some of the design fully and leave other areas incomplete.
When completed, this application should have a slightly distressed appearance.
Carefully remove the stencil by holding one end with your fingers and lifting the opposite end.
Clean the stencil and brush immediately; using baby wipes or rubbing alcohol.
When dry, lightly mist with the matte spray over the surface.
TIP: Lightly misting with the matte spray will allow for easier clean-up.
You can lock down acrylic paint with matte acrylic spray at any time during the painting process to preserve previous work. This
allows for a fearless painting of the next steps, as any unwanted results may be wiped off without harming the underlying work.
Stenciling Winding Vines:
With the Winding Vine Border Stencil (or stencil of choice), Light Wisteria mixture, and a large stencil brush, stencil on the four outside
walls; refer to photo for placement.
To complete, refer to steps in #5 Stenciling Postmark Script.
When dry, lightly mist with the matte spray over the side walls.
Spattering:
With the Spattering Tool and thinned Celery Green, randomly spatter in a few areas on the surface; refer to the photo for placement.
When dry, lightly mist over the surface area with the matte spray.
Background Foliage:
Slightly pre-dampen the area where the daisies will be pulled, then using the large Texture brush with Avocado, dance in foliage; refer to photo for placement. Pre-dampening the area will allow the Avocado, to slightly bleed and dry with a soft look.
For the proper use of the Texture brush, use the following method.
Dampen the bristles with water to start the separation of the bristles. Tap bristles into the paint on your palette,
hold it perpendicular to your palette, pounce it up and down to get some of the paint off – keeping the paint
sparse on the brush. Note – this brush can be used on the whole foot or just the toe.
Tap lightly on the surface, dance with the brush up and down, rolling the brush in different directions in
between your fingers when it is up in the air (like dancing the twist, light on your feet). Allow some drying
time in between dances so the paint sets up and you don’t end up with a globby or muddy look.
When dry, transfer the line drawing for the daisies.
Daisies:
Pull the full-size petals with Snow White; the small back oval petals will be pulled after the centers have been completed.
Use the 1/4 Filbert Comb to pull the full petals. Pulling the petals with the Filbert Comb will give a realistic rough edge to the
petals (weathered and bug bitten). The petal can be made in a single stroke (which does look better), re-loading the brush for each
petal; but if necessary, you can go back over the stroke.
The pattern is just a guideline, you could end up with more or fewer petals.
Fully load the brush with Snow White, and press down on the surface to allow the bristles to spread.
Gradually release pressure and slightly turn the brush to the right as you pull the stroke towards the center.
Slow down to allow the bristles to return to the chisel edge.
Think: press...pull...turn...lift...
Using the 10/0 liner, pull veins in the petals with Asphaltum.
With the #8 filbert and Antique Gold, basecoat in the centers.
Continue the basecoating of the centers over part of the oval back petals; these back petals will be pulled over a portion of the
centers later. The centers will require two or three coats of Antique Gold.
Corner load the angle with Burnt Sienna, and float a shade along the back side of each center.
This is a wide float of shade placed along the unpainted back petals; mop to soften.
Now corner load the angle with Golden Straw, float a highlight along the front side of the centers; mop to soften.
With Soft Black and the sm Texture brush, dance pollen in the shaded area of each center and at the base of each of the full petals.
Then dance a little Golden Straw + a shot of Snow White mixture in the highlighted area of the centers.
Daisy Back Petals:
The back petals are pulled half on the center and half on the background.
In this case, too, the pattern is just a guideline.
Fully load the ¼" Filbert Comb with Snow White, press the brush down on the surface, lift, and press down again partially on the previous stroke, lift, repeat working around the back side of the center. Be sure to maintain the curve around the center when pulling these strokes.
Stenciling Fancy Border:
With the Mini Fanciful Borders Stencil, Avocado, and the large stencil brush, stencil around the bottom of the four outside walls;
refer to the photo for placement.
To complete, refer to steps in #5 Stenciling Postmark Script.
Wooden Balls
With Avocado and the #12 shader, basecoat the 4 balls; achieve opaque coverage.
FINISHING:
To protect your painted piece, varnish the entire box with the DuraClear matte varnish; using the Oval Wash Combo.
This brush doesn't leave any visible brushstroke marks when the varnish has dried.
Finishing Touches:
With the Quick Grip adhesive, glue the 4 wooden balls to the bottom of the box, for feet.
For questions concerning this design, you can contact Debby at debbyforshey@gmail.com or visit her website www.DebbysTouch.com, on Facebook or Instagram.
Copyright 2023, Debby Forshey-Choma. All rights reserved under Pan-American and international copyright conventions. Photocopying or any type of mechanical electronic reproduction of any part of this pattern packet or the designs herein is prohibited, except the purchaser may mechanically electronically enlarge or reduce patterns for their personal use. If this pattern packet is purchased as an e-Pattern or CD, you may not re-sell the pdf file, nor make copies of the pdf files for re-sale or to give away. The projects created from the patterns in this pattern packet may be personally painted by the purchaser for fun or for sale (i.e., at local craft shows, on internet auctions such as eBay, and on their own websites or photo sites), although if shown on the internet I do ask that you please give me credit for the design in your description. The designs cannot be used to create web graphics. The product created from or any derivative product made from the designs in this pattern packet cannot be mass-produced in any form without a licensing agreement from Debby Forshey-Choma.
Note to Teachers/Shop Owners…You may not teach this design or your adaptation of it unless a pattern is purchased for each student. I will be happy to sell patterns (print or digital) for each student at a wholesale discount so they can be included with the class supplies at a nominal cost.
Disclaimer: The information in this pattern packet is presented to you in good faith. Since the author/designer has no control over the physical conditions surrounding the application of information presented, I cannot guarantee results, nor will I be liable for any charges against the user for claims of copyright or patent infringement. Please note that with printing differences it is difficult to match the images in this pattern packet to the original pieces, although every effort has been made to do so. Therefore, your finished project may look a little different in color than the images in this pattern packet. The colors used in the project instructions are the ones used by me to paint the finished projects.