Google the term “World’s Fugliest Painting” and you will get 51,700 results.
Then last weekend at Goodwill, I hit #51,701.
It was beige. It was flowered. It was HUGE. It was $7.00.
Ladies and Gents, do you know how much a 4’x5’ canvas at an art store costs? A Helluvah lot more than $7.00, that’s for sure. And this one came framed in that odd bronzy colored metal that makes one think of old people’s homes from the 1980’s. HOW COULD I NOT BUY IT?
I bought it.
I decided to paint over it hang it over my kitchen sink. You just don’t see a lot of art hanging above the kitchen sink now do you? I decided I would be the first. Then I decided that not even I had the balls to subject my splatter painting skills to my battlefield-on-the-beaches-of-Normandy-style dish washing skills, and thus began my afternoon journey with what is known as Mod Podge: Nectar of the Spangled.
Sure, I could have decoupaged anything with Mod Podge, but I decided to use ticket stubs because 1. They were in my drawer already in this was one of those projects that was done on the NOW NOW NOW2. They were pink. I miss my pink kitchen. Did I tell you I painted my kitchen white? It was about a month ago….
And yes, that was another impromptu NOW NOW NOW project. That’s very like me – waking up early and deciding to paint a whole room using whatever supplies were already in the basement, by myself, with no help or pants. Know what’s very unlike me? Painting things white. Chartreuse, maybe. White, no. Though, it was a good call, I must say. The room felt cleaner and fresher than it had in months. It’s not that I was physically cleaning the room and different, that’s just the power of good quality bright white paint – it makes other things look better by comparison.
And yes, that was another impromptu NOW NOW NOW project. That’s very like me – waking up early and deciding to paint a whole room using whatever supplies were already in the basement, by myself, with no help or pants. Know what’s very unlike me? Painting things white. Chartreuse, maybe. White, no. Though, it was a good call, I must say. The room felt cleaner and fresher than it had in months. It’s not that I was physically cleaning the room and different, that’s just the power of good quality bright white paint – it makes other things look better by comparison.
Anyway, no real tutorial here. All I did was mix a 50/50 batch of water and Mod Podge in a plastic shoe box, then let the tickets soak in there for 5 minutes to get good and saturated. Since I was working in strips of five to ten, it only took half an hour to get all the tickets adhered to the canvas. Then I added a couple more clear coats to seal, Et voilà! Big Pinky was born!
Because the roll of tickets was a few years old, there is a lot of variation in the coloring. Some are bright pink while others are closer to pinkish gray. Others got so tattered by soaking in the glue mixture, you can barely see the print.
The glare from the window makes it look much shinier than it appears in real life, but you can see Big Pinky is just a blob of color and texture than livens the room without making you think too hard. You can also see that I have dishes in my sink and a Santa soap dispenser. Yes, it’s April. Listen, Yal, Santa keeps clean year round.
Cool art and cookies by the sink? You are brave!
Love this idea btw. (And the Santa soap dispenser, teehee! We still have a Christmas wreath hung up on our closet. It will probably be there til October.)
The cookie jar is filled with dish soap actually. I am brave but cookies are sacred!
Ooh, all the great texture, and the variations in a tone of pink that I particularly love! What a wild, fun project. (I have some of those tix and never came up with anything – must revisit.) Great tip to soak them, because they’re so thick.
How do you paint with no help or pants? Yes, you actually said that! Also, who has rolls of tickets in their house? This is a great idea. And that was the ugliest largest painting around. I have a large very modern condo type mirror in storage. I have no idea where it is from. I think I’ll take it out and glue things on it. I can leave space in the middle and let the mirror peek through. Ann
The question is, who DOESN’T have rolls of tickets laying around the house? (Michelle above says she has them too!)Mine were leftover from a raffle at a fundraising event years ago…I used them to line the edge of shelves in my old kitchen. Thought i would use them to wind around gifts…never happened. Still have half a roll left if you want to go to town on that mirror!
My goodness, that sure is pink! Although that much pink is too much for me, it looks perfect over the sink. I can imagine thinking what those tickets could have been used for while during a mundane task of washing dishes. You are one very creative woman.
I have tickets stashed away in a box somewhere! This is a great idea.
That pink artwork is bound to make the dishwasher and a lot of other folks happy.
Apparently the person who owned our house before had two rolls of yellow tickets, which they turned into a wastebasket. One for the bottom, and the other spiraling up to make the sides. Lots of mod podge, that thing is sturdy! It currently holds our dryer lint, but now I think it needs a more visible location.
Ummmm…a whole wastebasket made of tickets?
Photo. I demand a photo of this wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles.
Thanks for the clever idea! I have a friend who has saved every ticket stub from every event she’s ever attended – I will share this post with her. Her artwork (if she doesn’t think I’m nuts and decides to do it :)) will be multi-colored and a memory board all rolled into one!
Ooo, a whole mish mash collage. Wouldn’t that be awesome?!
Peaches … we are identical twins separated at birth! I have underwear with paint smears … a hideous floral panting on a huge canvas from Goodwill currently awaiting time/inspiration … a Sam’s size sleeve of coffee filters for my next floral escapade … and window boxes full of Solo cup flowers from your wonderful tutorial! I’ll have to send you some pics of the flowers.
From an old post … I’m a split brain…my day job is database design, total left brain and pays the bills but my right brain art keeps me sane!
I come here for inspiration, directions and pics but always come away with wisdom, humor and frequently tears in my eyes.
Thanks Judy 🙂 I have underwear with paint smears too! We should start a club. I’m on it.
I love love LOVE this idea! I don;t have an entire roll, but I do have a bunch of random tickets so I might try this on a smaller scale for art for my boy’s room.
Still chuckling at the no pants painting…..
HAhaha… I have a Santa soap dispenser in my bathroom as I type this– I kind of want to keep him around year round.