(above) The first regular coat provides an even layer but it will still show the wood grain.

(below) The right side shows the second coat using the chalkboard paint mix.

This was a fast drying paint mix.  I let it cure for a day and then used charcoals and chalks.

All done. Now it's time for the interesting part of this project, which will be on the next post: 
What to draw or write on your chalkboard wall.  Some ideas and designs coming up.

There is a saying in Spanish that talks about how no more culprits or fools are left ever since excuses were invented:  
          “Desde que se inventaron las excusas se acabaron los culpables.”

The truth is that this family is constantly making things.  We have a lot of work-in-progress paintings, drawings, repurposed furniture, and a bunch of other stuff. 

We just start building things on a moment of inspiration and forget to take pictures of the process or any at all, then things change completely or those projects are gone.  That is why I admire bloggers who spend the proper time on their site not only writing and editing but curating the perfect graphics and format.  I am always saying that this is a great time to have young children and record all those wonderful moments and share their incredible imagination on a blog.  My intention is to attempt to recollect, recreate, and record ideas from my childhood all the way to the childhood of my now 3 teens, regardless of the availability of visuals.  No more excuses, except please excuse the old images.  

I am often asked about a floor painting from years ago.  It was outside our studio, on the landing of cement steps, exposed to 3-digit hot temperatures, crazy rainy seasons, and heavy traffic.  I will talk a little about it, but we need to keep in mind there are better methods and materials for having your creations last longer on different surfaces.  

We let some very young students paint the floor just for fun.  When the artwork began to fade we decided to keep painting over it.  We changed the design constantly.  When we painted some goldfish on it, nobody wanted for us to change it again.  This is what we did:

1.  Primed
2.  Painted blue (outdoor house paint, latex-acrylic)
3.  Added a coat of floor polyurethane (water-based, clear)
4.  Painted orange & yellow fish (regular acrylic artist paint)
5.  Sealed with 2 more coats of polyurethane (won't yellow)

Many Years Later

The best angle to appreciate the illustrations was when looking from above as you crossed the landing.  You had to see it, it really looked like water, and all those fish looking at you, no wonder the kids loved it.  I liked it even more when the mural weathered and exposed more texture and interesting spots.  

As I've mentioned before, I've always been a maker and not so much a picture-taker so I'm glad we can share this fun floor decor thanks to the photos taken by  Cristina  &  Joe. 

 We have to talk later about what we did to the concrete stairs.