Simple and effective Turn a plain craftwood chest into a native landscape with cut potato shapes and paint.

Turn a plain craftwood chest into a native landscape with cut potato shapes and paint.

You'll need:
Craftwood board or chest
Old plate
Five potatoes
Paper towel
Dark furniture wax and clear furniture wax
Cloths: old linen tea-towel or lint free cloth, soft lint-free cotton polishing cloth
Paint: Matisse Folk Art Background Paints in Terra Cotta, Olive Green Deep, Olive Green Light and Pale Beige; FolkArt Acrylic Gouache Artist Colours in Yellow Oxide, Cobalt and Burnt Umber.

Here's how:

Step 1
Using the foam brush, basecoat the board with Terra Cotta paint and let dry.

Step 2
Place a small amount of Pale Beige paint onto the plate. Squeeze small amounts of Cobalt and Yellow Oxide paints onto the side of the plate. Using the foam brush, pick up a little of the blue and a tiny amount of the yellow then mix roughly with the Pale Beige. Paint in a left to right action and back again across the board, starting at the top and working down to the bottom. As you work downwards, gradually grade the blue to a much paler tone by adding more beige. Allow to dry.

Note: Rinse the foam brush well after each colour change.

Step 3
Mix three parts Olive Green Light paint with one part water. Using this mix and the foam brush, begin painting the hilly horizon across arid about halfway down the board, then fill in the foreground.

Step 4
Twist the tea-towel into a sausage shape. While the paint is still wet, roll the teatowel down from the tops of the hills to the bottom of the board to create a textured effect. Allow to dry.

Step 5
Potato prints. Cut the potatoes in half and, using the tip of the vegetable knife, make outlines of the required shapes onto the cut sides. To create the raised section of the shapes (similar to stamps), make a vertical 2cmdeep cut into each outline then make another cut around and into the potato, parallel to the cut side, about 2cm down from the top. Remove the excess potato from around the shape.

Note:

Refer to the picture and cut out the following: four rectangles: a large one for the house, smaller ones for the outhouse, doors and water tank; a square shape for the windows; a large and small roof for the house and outhouse; a chimney and a kidney shape for the trees.

Ensure all the shapes are in proportion to the piece you are working on and to each other.

When printing with one stamp over another, allow the first imprint to dry before applying the second one.

Step 6
Note: Before commencing, test how much paint to apply on the stamp by printing onto the kitchen paper. Working with one potato stamp at a time, dry it on the paper towel, then apply the appropriate coloured paint to the surface. Print by pressing the stamp onto the board, creating the scene one print at a time (refer to the photograph for guidance). Paint in the tree trunks and stumps using the liner brush.

Step 7
For an antique appearance, use the soft cloth to apply the dark furniture wax onto the picture. Buff it off then apply the clear furniture wax and polish it back to the desired colour. Allow to dry, then buff with the cloth for a soft sheen.

Colours We used the following mix of colours for the prints on our picture: House, chimney and outhouse: Pale Beige with a touch of Yellow Oxide. Roofs and water tank: Terra Cotta. Tree foliage: Olive Green Deep with Yellow Oxide loaded onto one side of the stamp. Windows, doors, tree trunks and stumps: Burnt Umber.

Tips:

When cutting the potato in half, make sure the cut is straight and even.

You can cut the whole shape through the depth of the potato half; it's easier to position the stamp.

Press the potato stamp onto the item being worked and hold it in place for a few moments, being careful not to let it slip out of position when printing.

The trick to painting tree trunks is to start at the base aid work upwards - always paint trees the way they grow. The trunk becomes finer as the paint on the brush reduces.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens September 1996