I just wanted to try my new Sue's Hues Paint...
All I wanted to do was to paint an armoire, not start a dang revolution. Trust me, this is not my first "furniture-painter-hater" rodeo but even I was taken aback by the level of viciousness in my comment section.
My Clapback Video Response
Table of Content
What's all the fuss about anyway?
This vitriol has always baffled me. Why people should care so much about me painting MY OWN FURNITURE blows my mind.
Here are some of the "Hate-lights" (my new word of the day)
- Painting wood is bad. Full stop!
- This is a valuable antique!
- You have NO respect for History!
- You could have sold that for thousands!
- You don't know what you are doing!
- You should have painted a basecoat!
- I hate the colors!
- Looks like mold!
- The list goes on but you get the drift!
Here are my top Furniture Painter Hater Rebuttels
- My furniture-My choice.
- Not valuable anymore. I found it in the trash.
- I'm actually saving history from the landfill.
- Not even close. I had it for sale for 50.00-no offers.
- I'm a professional painter, I know what I am doing.
- Not all pieces need a basecoat or a primer.
- I don't care.
- So what, I like it.
The HATERS started to ignite my inner Hulk
Don't get me wrong. I did not start smashing cars or petty men.
I did however feel myself transforming. I actually started truly feeling like an artist with a voice and a purpose.
I started to understand why furniture painter haters existed
Indoctrination, plain and simple. It's not so much that people LOVE plain wood or respect the value of craftsmanship. I mean many do of course. So do I. But the vehemence by mostly men got me thinking.
Of course well-carved and wel-finished wood is beautiful, but at what time in our history did it become something to be revered, never touched, held on such a pedestal that people could no longer discern between craftsmanship and fake wood finishes?
Interior Design trends do not serve the Female Gaze
All you have to do is follow the $$$. ALways jsut follow the $$ to get the answers to why things are the way they are.
Historically, as in up to 30 seconds ago, Men have the control, the money, and have dictated our laws, our design, our art and our style.
Women had to fight every single time to be execute influence. Frida Kahlo was just Diego's wife remember??
Am I a man hater? I hope not. That would not be good for my son, but I am a realist and I do know how to do the math.
Admittedly completely overgeneralizing design styles, who is more likely to be happy in a log cabin? Who primarily designed, built and ultimately made the wood furniture we are not supposed to alter? Who still own most of the magazines, TV shows and manufacturing plants cranking out today's styles? Yep. You guessed right. The same one's hating on our colorful decor.
So if men have had a hand in convincing us that we love the design that they love what happens when women start painting over that wood?.
What happens when women design for the Female gaze?
All HELL breaks loose that's what. Random men all over the internet completely lose their shit because they are facing the fact that women once again are demanding change.
Is this too bombastic a statement? All I can say is that if the shoe fits and the duck quacks it's what I'm going with.
Commenters are losing their minds because the next generation of creators do not revere something JUST because it is old, or wood, or made by hand or made by men.
We artists don't hate it either. We just asses the damage, the style, the use and the current value and make our own decisions.
My artistic mission took on a new clarity
I was no longer satisfied being relegated to a Furniture painter or even a Furniture Artist, certainly not a furniture flipper.
Furniture Felon seems more apropos.
Or:
Interior Offender
Décor Desperado
Brush Bandit
Style Subverter
Decor Disruptor
Tradition Twister
Style Shaker
or Convention Challenger
Just to name a few
My New Mission: Pushing the Boundaries of "Good Taste"
It's not enough for me to be a furniture painter anymore, or to be an upcycler or even a furniture artist.
I want to be here to push back HARD against interior design conformity.
If I can influence even one of you to rethink why your house looks like it does and ask your self if YOU created for you or if you just thought you did, I have done my job.
Create what you love and don't let anyone stop you. Especially not anonymous internet trolls.
FULL TIMELAPSE VICIOUS CIRCLE TRANSFORMATION
➡️ Start HERE for Painting Tutorial
Gather ye supplies:
- Furniture with some flat surfaces (less detail the better)
- First Step Prep
- Multiple round tipped brushes
- Collection of Colors (I went with Blues and Greens)
- Painting Board
- Rags Rags Rags
- Contact Paper
- Adjustable Compass
I have made you a shipping collection below if you would like to recreate this exact look AND I have put the paint colors on sale for the month of April 2024.
Click Here to see the entire supply collection
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Sue's Hues Porcelain Paint?
I always say use what you have and what you can afford. I chose my paints for this style because of the extremely fast dry time that allowed me to add multiple layers in one painting session without having to wait. I can't stand waiting.
My paint is also highy saturated but thinner than most chalk and clay paints. This allowed many layers without any buildup of binders.
Why didn't you prime first?
I use my first coat on any piece to work out my design. I don't personally care for primer layers especially if i want to pull back and see the wood in places.
Do you need to seal the paint?
Yes! This is a clay based paint without a built in topcoat like the rest of the Miss Lilliann's line. You can use any of the lusters or my Tanglewood Sue's Wicked Clear Wax.
What if I want to change something in my design?
That's the beauty of this paint. Until you actually seal it you can keep reinventing your design. Have a mister or a damp rag and erase your stroke or reveal multiple layers in your work.
FYI:The paint WILL begin to cure over time so your window gets smaller with each day.
Pro's and Cons of Sue's Hues Porcelain Paints
Pros:
- Intense Pigment & Color Range
- Self Leveling
- Can be reconsituted
- Dries Insanely fast
- Perfect for Layering and Blending
Cons:
- Paint is thinner than what you might be used to-For that reason we created a thickener (Sue's Puddin' Potion)
- Quick Dry time is PERFECT for advanced blending but grab a mister is you want to work a little bit slower
How to Paint Circles with Movement
I had actually painted a piece like this years ago but when I wanted to recreate it on a large surface I knew I would need larger circles.
I serached YouTube for the best ways to create uniform circles and I tried it. Bottom line is that they had no life. No depth. No movement.
I realized that I wanted energy over perfection so I practiced with about 20 different brushes till I found the ones that worked the best.
Here's what I recommend:
- Stiff enough to hold a circular shape
- Chisel tips worked best (I sell one)
- Too soft wont work
- Round brushes did not work except for the tiny circles
- Flat tipped can get you a circle but you cant press it to get it round. You can just drag it in a circle shape.
Rinse & Repeat
A lot of people wanted me to prime first so I didn't have to layer so many circles.
You certainly can do that but I did this on purpose for a number of reasons.
- I wanted to practice the circles
- I wanted to practice the ombre effect
- I wanted to build layers
- I wanted to practice composition
Layering this way was easy with my Sue's Hues Porcelain Paint because it holds pigment in a thinner base so the circles did not build texturally. (I did sand in between layers to also keep it smooth).
Creating the Ombre Effect
There was not a complete randomness in my vision. I wanted to create an ombre effect within the circle build.
To do this I layered the bottom half of the piece by mixing all my colors with "Soulless". Conversely I mixed and layered all the same colors with "Marshmalllow" for the top.
I blended the two layers in the middle to create the gradient.
For this piece I also wanted to guide the eye so I built a darker purple path swerving up the middle.
I kept going till my brain told me to stop :)
Seal Your Piece
Once you get your last circle in place youn will need to seal this paint. I personally always prefer Sue's Wicked Wax, but for such a large piece you might prefer one of my lusters by Miss Lillian's. You can choose glossy, satin or matte and can apply with a brush or a roller.
Meet anglewood Sue
Sue is best known for her colorfully maximalist furniture creations and online tutorials encouraging us all to push beyond the societal definitions of “good taste”. She encourages viewers to surround themselves with environments that put feeling good above fitting in.
In Conclusion
Please do me the honor of always painting whatever the F. you want. Paint it any color, any style, on any piece that brings you joy.
Those dudes who carved those pieces or had giant furniture manufacturing companies who mass produced all this brown furniture: they are all pretty much dead.
Sorry but they are and unless it is in a museum it is not your job to be a preservationist. If you found it, its yours! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
If they give you ar hard time tell em Tanglewood Sue said so!
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