By Karen Graham
Last week, Susan Sheets of van Gogh paints provided a workshop on how to transform that ugly, dated but possibly useful piece of furniture you’ve inherited, outgrown or maybe even found at the side of the road. Using a Canadian original chalk-type of paint, in the space of two hours visitors watched as a detailed press-back chair took on new life with a coat of paint, some wax and a few easy application techniques. Voila! Affordable and original shabby chic style.
Sheets was demonstrating the use of van Gogh paint, a product developed five years ago by Cathy van Gogh, who is a direct descendant of Vincent of Starry night fame. Based in Vancouver, the founder studied authentic ornamentation, marbles, wood grains, gold leafing and just about every other branch of what is generally referred to as decorative art in Italy and France. Returning to Vancouver, she opened her design company called FAKE IT, so called because her work can transform drywall into beautiful marbles, exotic woods and antique stucco looks. She then moved on to create a line or products designed specifically to refinish old, abused furniture and turn it into a pieces of furniture in the French Provence or Shabby Chic style. Called the van Gogh Fossil Paint Collection, it includes Fossil Paint, Beeswax and a top coat finish for surfaces which will be exposed to water.
The fossil paint is produced using lime and pigment and magnesium or calcium carbonate, or chalk. All paint consists of three parts: the vehicle, or base, which in this case is water; the pigment that gives it colour; and the binder, which holds the ingredients together. Van Gogh paints use chalk as the binder as well, adding a bit of adhesive to ensure the paint adheres- and that it does in spades! The product adheres to all kinds of surfaces, with no prep work required. That includes wood, vinyl, metal, glass, ceramic and stone, and in a diluted form it can be used to dye fabric. Because chalk is one of the main ingredients, the finish it provides is very matte and velvet-like, but also means the paint must be stirred regularly to keep the chalk particles suspended. It can be applied with good quality paint brushes (no foam) or rags, and dries quickly with no odour. There are 32 paint colours available, but the fun extends when multiple coats and colours are used. Distressing is done using moistened wet/dry sandpaper to gently remove some of the top coat to reveal glimpses of different coloured undercoats or the original finish of the piece. More intense coloured paint selections have a translucent finish, requiring multiple coats to achieve the true colour. After drying overnight, pieces receive a light wax coat or for high traffic areas, the application of a sealer.
With the arrival of spring, there may be tired pieces of wicker or garden pots in your basement or new yard sale finds that could use some shots of colour and flare. With minimal prep, quick application and forgiving finishes, this paint allows a quick transformation from blah to wow, with the added benefit of the satisfaction of being able to say you did it yourself! Bear Essentials will host another painting workshop on ___ to demonstrate this interesting product line.
