Tricks of the Trade: Fun With Magnetic Paint!

I painted these guys in the new toddler room at church

Each of the critters is "holding" a magnetic board painted right on the wall.  We considered using chalkboard paint in this room, but then I remembered that my toddler eats chalk.  She also eats mulch and rocks, which makes her an exception to the norm, but we didn't want to take any chances.

The teachers plan on using the boards for lesson plans and other activities for the kids.

Here is another space where I used magnetic paint.  It's kind of a Part 2 to the Keeping it Simple post from this room:

On the wall adjacent to the Serengeti mural I painted these

The silhouettes are done in magnetic paint!  I wanted the kids to have fun "stations" to play in and I was looking for an idea to coordinate with the mural in the same room.

These graphic shapes are a dynamic and fun addition to the room... a really bold statement for a small time and money investment.

Be sure to check out other Tricks of the Trade painting tip posts in the sidebar.

I am loving this magnetic paint!  Have you used it before in a fun way?  Let me know in the comments!

Blessings,

Jamie
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Tricks of the Trade: Keeping it Simple

I've finally gotten a little smarter with age!

I did this in a day.  That has to be a mural record for me.

I'm finding more and more that a bold and clever design beats out intricately detailed murals every time.  People don't have as much money to spend on home improvements these days and frankly, I don't have the time.  I want to get in and get out of a job so I can get back to hanging with the kiddos; clients are looking for inexpensive options.

I've put my time in with detailed and tedious murals.

I'm proud of my old work, but I don't see myself taking on jobs like this anytime soon.

I had originally designed a mural that was much more involved than this one.  Time and budget shrunk the project down so this is the solution I came up with.

The bold shapes are recognizable for the kids and it took me a quarter of the time the other mural idea would have!

There is something so cool about a silhouette

These ads were brilliant in their simplicity... your impression of the product being sold wasn't shaped by what the person is wearing, the expression on his face, whether or not he had a zit on his nose.  You got the point with just a little bit of information.

I'm slowly working toward minimalism in my life and I think my work is starting to reflect that.  This blog is a wonderful resource if you're interested in simplifying your life through minimalism.

Back to murals.  Wow, that was a tangent!  I painted this on the "big kid" side of the room

I've done graffiti a few times before and failed miserably at it.  I had it stuck in my head that it all needed to be done with spray cans.  Real graffiti artists use super expensive spray paint and nozzles (which aren't exactly in the budget for me).  A regular can of spray paint with it's standard nozzle gives you very little control and just doesn't have the same effect.

I finally figured it out that it's easier to paint the graffiti with a brush and then do a few spray paint accents.  Again, just keep it simple and go with what you know!

Here it is in progress

Notice that I outlined in chalk

Some spatters and spray paint accents to make it look more "authentic".  I'm not sure if I'm fooling anyone :)

We'll see what the kids think.  They're the true clients here!

I hope you're enjoying the Tricks of the Trade series... there's still much more to come!  If you have an idea for a post or are curious about anything to do with paint, don't be afraid to ask in the comments.

Blessings,

Jamie
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