Flea Market Finds: All that Glitters

Im so happy to welcome back the always impressive Matthew Mead for another smart project. This time he is sharing a sparkly take on traditional piece of art. If you like his simply beautifully classic style, be sure to check out his new book-a-zine, Flea Market Finds.

In every family, there are often works of art passed down to some that are coveted by those who do not have the piece hanging in their homes. This was the case with this very beautiful water color painting of clematis plants painted many years ago by a relative. In today's techno savvy world, it is possible to make copies of such pieces so that each family member can have a little piece of that special heirloom.

To do this project, I photographed a portion of the painting and printed it with my everyday color printer. I decided, however, to make the piece my own by updating the colors, adding some interest, and framing it in a simple contemporary cream frame.

You Will Need: art or a photo printed on double-sided matte brochure paper, artistic pastel chalks, make-up applicator, glitter in desired colors, mod podge, small paintbrush, tray or cookie sheet to use as a work surface

To Make:

Photograph and print the subject.

We chose to use a home printer, so the size limit was 8.5 x 11. Use pastel chalks in various colors to highlight and enhance the colors of the print.

Many times, vintage pieces fade from excess exposure to light and a scan or photograph of the piece can dull the look even more.

Apply the pastels with a make-up applicator to restore some vibrancy to the image:

Once you have highlighted the art and added color to the image you can add more dimension with glitter.

Glitter comes in many, many colors today and the bit of sparkle in the light really draws attention to the art work. Begin by gathering your glitter colors, glue, and brush and work on a tray or a cookie sheet:

I used a super fine glitter from the crafts store that came in a pack in a multitude of colors:

Use a small liner brush to outline and highlight the watercolor.

I placed glue along the dark edges of the flowers and leaves and then sprinkled the glue portion with glitter:

Turn paper on edge and tap into tray to remove excess glitter:

You may want to clean the tray after each different color application. Repeat and re-glitter each spot as you embellish the leaves, flowers, foliage and stems.

Hold the finished piece up to the light to see if you have glittered all the highlights to the best effect.

Clean the finished piece with a 1/2 paint brush to remove any excess glitter and place piece in frame: