Paint and Vinyl Canvas Project {#CCBG Challenge}
Last Updated on April 17, 2018 by lydiaf1963
Let’s just establish right off the bat that I’m not a painter, ok? Still, I had some fun assembling the supplies for my project and learning how to use the Cricut to create my first paint and vinyl project.
You won’t be surprised if I told you there’s a backstory to this, would you?
If you’re a fan of The Big Bang Theory you probably remember Bernadette’s cute apartment with all the kitschy furniture and art. On one wall, she has a painted canvas loaded with blues and greens with a couple swallow silhouettes. It caught my eye the first time I saw it. It’s one of those things you’d make during a paint night and I could just imagine Bernadette, Penny, Amy and Raj with their glasses of wine and a paintbrush in hand on one of their girl’s nights out. (She also has a paper reed frame which served as the inspiration for my mirror project.)
Finding a still shot of the painting was easier said than done. However, I did come across the one above. If you don’t watch the show, I’m sure you’re going, “What in the world?” In this episode (The Deception Verification), Howard had been applying estrogen cream to his mother without gloves and it was causing him to gain weight. He and Raj were just checking to make sure Howard wasn’t developing man boobs when Bernadette walked into the room. You can see the painting on the wall, just follow the arrow. It has been several seasons since this episode and now that Howard and Bernadette have moved into his mother’s house you can still catch a glimpse of the painting in one of the hallways.
Anyway, back to the canvas. Knowing my limitations as a painter, I put off the project for ages and didn’t revisit it until my sister, daughter and I invested in a Cricut Explore Air last fall. This is an amazing machine. It cuts vinyl, fabric, paper, and more. It also draws, much like those old school plotting machines. Check out Cricut’s inspiration page for lots of ideas for using it.
After prepping the canvas with some spray paint I found in the garage, I just kind of squirted the acrylic paint on and spread it around with a brush to create the background. My idea was to emulate the sky…if you squint you can see it, hahaha. This turned out to be a travelling project. I had to drive to my sister’s house for the paint (leftover from our painted rocks) and my daughter’s house to learn how to convert the clip art I’d chosen into a format used by the Cricut. It wasn’t that difficult, especially with my daughter there to help me get started. Cricut’s Design Space software is very sophisticated and intuitive to use, although I didn’t do anything especially complicated. Once the vinyl had been cut it was just a matter of transferring the shapes to the canvas. The end result isn’t going to set the art world on fire, but I took my first steps in exploring a fun, popular craft with vinyl. As an added bonus, it didn’t cost me anything since I used craft supplies we had on hand. Yes, I have a stash on two continents and several houses, hahaha.
The canvas is now hanging in my upstairs hallway where it reminds me of all the swallows that should be flying around Valladolid in another month or so. It’s great to sit on a terrace with a glass of wine while the birds swoop and dive over head.
As mentioned, this project was part of a large craft challenge featuring paint and hosted by the Creative Craft Bloggers Group. Next month’s challenge is to work with drawing materials. If you’re interested in joining us, drop me a line in the comments and I’ll help get you started.
5 Little Monsters – Hot Mess Canvas
Try it – Like it – Monoprinting with a DIY Gelli Plate
Al Things Beautiful – Art Ideas for Kids: Painting on Cardboard
Two Dishing Divas – Easy Home Decor Painting Tutorial
