Tips on Painting and Decorating – Part 1

Tips on Painting & Decorating – Part 1

Over the years DIYers have kindly sent in lots of tips and ideas to make decorating easier. A selection of these are below for your education, and in some cases, for your amusement. We hope you find these gems from fellow decorators useful.

Please note that these tips have not been tested by Resene and are included below as supplied to us.

• To get paint odour out of a room, cut a large onion in half, place in a bowl, close the doors for a couple of days, and the paint odour will be gone. Don't know how it works but it does and the room doesn't smell of onions.
• After lifting a carpet, I found that there was paper on the floor. To remove it, I used a steam iron (old one) and a spray bottle to soak and remove. Took about 10-15 minutes to remove approx half a metre. From: Susan
• To remove glue from a wooden floor use a wallpaper remover that gives off steam. We had tried everything else -even a spade to try to scrape it off. After holding the steamer onto the glue for a couple of minutes, we could scrape the glue off with just a paint scraper. It saved us hours of work. Make sure you use a mask. From: Joanne
• Plastic freezer containers from the supermarket or empty ice-cream containers make great paint trays for speedbrushing. Clip the lid on between coats to save paint wastage. From: Stephanie
• If you have a bit of spot priming to do on your roof use a pop top drink bottle to hold the paint. Just squirt a drop on the spot you wish to prime and brush the primer out. The bottle is easy to seal and can be put into your pocket and the brush slipped into a plastic bag. No need to cart a can around. From: DG Mansell
• Move your cars to a safe place when you are painting the roof. A while ago we painted the roof on a warm day with a light breeze in the air – once we got down off the roof we discovered our cars had little spots of red paint all over them! True story – we learned an expensive lesson. From: Karen
• My husband and I had just finished stripping the wallpaper in the family room of the house that we were redecorating and were in the kitchen having dinner when we heard a whining noise from the family room. When we raced in to see what it was, we found our dog Betsy lying on the ground with wet wallpaper all matted in her fur! Tip: Close the door when decorating with animals/children in the house!From: Roil
• If you paint around windows but haven't masked them properly use the ceramic cooktop razor cleaner to remove the dried paint from the glass. It has a handle and is easy to use without scratching the glass. From: Lyn
• My best diy/decorating tip is to do one room at a time! From: Shute
• When painting above your head with a brush, paint tends to drip down the brush onto your hand. To avoid this, put a small hole in an ice-cream container lid and place the handle of the brush through the hole. You won't get any paint on your hand as it will go onto the lid. Once you have finished the job you can clean and reuse the lid. From: Nicola
• If you want something done, start on it yourself then leave it half finished. This way your husband/wife will hate looking at it and finish it off for you. This has been tried and tested by me. I wanted the garage painted so started one wall and never quite finished it. When my husband saw it, he couldn't bear to see it half done, so now I have my garage painted! From: Veronica
• Paint one wall of your house each year. Then the job seems a lot smaller. From: Ron
• If your husband says he is going to paint the house, rush out and pay someone that week to do it! Sorry to all DIY hubbys. From: Adele
• When taking out or walling up a door or window, use the gap to create an in-built bookshelf. This is very effective if you have an arched door you no longer want. From: Andrea
• Use a grinder to get melted clothing off an iron. From: Michelle
• When putting up plasterboard on a ceiling and lacking people to hold it up while you screw it in, tack a temporary ledge onto the top of the walls that you can slot the edge of the plasterboard into while you screw the other side to the ceiling. From: Shanny
• Prepare the surface before you start painting, and apply the paint as per the manufacturer's written instructions! From: Samir
• If you are a keen do it yourselfer and have a hands free phone, wrap the phone in gladwrap. It will be kept clean even if you answer it with your hands covered in paint. This is also a good idea if you have a mobile phone. The film does not affect the phone and it does not reduce the sound quality. From: Bob
• When painting a feature wall, use tape. Tape the sidewalls and the skirting boards to protect against paint splashes. When you are cutting into the ceiling, use a 'cutting in' brush. From: Katrina
• To make a tile-like paint effect cut a pot scrubber (i.e. sponge and pot scourer combined) into squares of whatever size you want, glue the scouring side onto a stiff backing leaving space between each square to represent grouting. Paint the squares in various colours or the same colour and apply around dados or doors to get a Greek tile effect. From: Liz
• When painting with a roller, cover your glasses' lenses with gladwrap. Then when you have finished painting, just peel off the gladwrap. From: Noleen
• My Dad put in a watertank at the farm to collect drinking water off the roof. He was up his aluminum extension ladder and had just finished connecting the final piece of spouting from the guttering to the watertank. He climbed down the ladder and as he was putting it away, discovered that he couldn't – he'd put the spouting through the rungs of the ladder. TIP: Always move your ladder before connecting the spouting! From: Jim
• Use old lampshades as funnels when pouring from one paint can to another. From: Peter
• Decorating tip for men: It is obvious that the wife will have ideas on redecorating but will insist on your input, which will then be discarded as either inane, insane or just plain dumb. However it is no use saying 'just do as you like dear' as that will be regarded as not participating properly and will confirm her feelings that you are not really involved with this project. So it is best to listen to her half carefully (as apart from not at all) during proceeding weeks leading up to the decision, and then when the question comes you can suggest some ideas along the lines of those you know she has been thinking. It is even wise to browse a couple of mags she has left lying around (this is not by accident). This is really smart as it saves arguments, she will think you are brilliant to be thinking the same as her and what's more she will come to the idea you have a modicum of taste and may let you buy your own clothes in future. From: Dave
• When painting outside windows, place masking tape around the already painted areas and the windows to avoid unwanted paint splashes. Make sure you take the masking tape off before the paint dries. From: Liz and Stu
• When painting, empty the paint can so there is enough room for you to tap the sides of the paint can with the paintbrush. This helps to remove excess paint on your brush. Stir your paint thoroughly before putting your brush in. From: William-John
• When using a roller, use zigzag strokes, covering the surface in a 'w'shape. Keep the roller on the surface at all times, as if you let it spin, it will spray the paint around. Finish the rolling in one direction.From: Stan
• When painting ceilings, wear a plastic shower cap to stop paint dripping on your head. From: Lynda
• New roller covers tend to leave unattractive fuzz behind on the painted surface, even the ones that say lint free. To avoid this, wrap masking tape several times around your hand sticky side up. Run the roller over the tape several times before painting. From: L Hammond
• Both my bathroom and toilet walls were painted a pale yellow. To liven the rooms up I painted orange from the top corner of each window down to the bottom corner of the door when entering. It now looks like a ray of orange sunlight coming through the windows even on the dreariest days. It is really effective without being overpowering. From: Debi
• Use a 2L plastic milk carton for a paint and brush holder. Simply cut away the side of the container (opposite side to the handle), starting 4-6 inches above the base up to just short of the neck. Pour in your paint and use by holding the milk carton handle as normal and dip brush into the paint via the cutaway side. Take the cap off so you have somewhere for the handle of the brush. Once you have finished painting you can turn the container upside down and drain through the cap hole. From: Paul
• Everyone hates cleaning up after painting so here is a tip on how to make this job easier. After emptying the tins that our baby formula comes in I keep them for cleaning our paintbrushes. They have a plastic lid on top, which means you can cut holes in it if you have a larger than normal paintbrush handle and leave it sticking through. The lid also seals in the fumes from your cleaning solution. From: Anon
• To help keep your children's rooms tidy, paint old beer crates in bright colours and use them to store clothes and toys. From: Jason and Suzanne
• Tips on cleaning brushes: Using enamel (oil) based paint: Half fill a jam jar with mineral turps and dip your brush into it several times. Then rinse the brush clean using warm/hot water. Repeat 2 – 3 times until the brush is clean. My husband scoffed at me when I started using this method as he thought you shouldn't mix oil and water, however 5 years on and I am still using the same brush. Needless to say he now cleans his brush this way too. Using waterbased paint: When cleaning your brush under the tap use wonder soap as well, especially when you have dry paint around the top of your brush head. From: Jane
• I've recently painted my 3.5m stud Kauri ceiling with a brush, as the roller didn't fit between the batons. Rather than walking up and down the ladder with one brush full of paint, I found the best container to carry the paint in was a cut down 2 litre milk container with the handle intact. It held enough for one ladder's worth of painting and had a large well balanced handle. From: Gretchen and Pauline
• If you want to create a neat texture, use springs off a spiral notebook, and swirl it all over the fresh paint. From: Anon
• How to check your spirit level is level – Place your level on the floor. Mark the position of each corner with a pen/pencil then note the position of the bubble. Turn the level around and align it with the markings you made on the floor. Check the position of the bubble. Now do the same with the level upside down. If the readings of the bubbles match your level is level, otherwise use the screws to adjust the vials and repeat the checks until the readings match. From: Matthew
• My tip: Don't let your husband attempt to DIY otherwise you may end up like us: (1) Fixed leak in roof, but now we have a hole that is growing with every drop of rain and one day will collapse. (2) Paint job, yes we (or I should say professionals) will now have to eventually re-paint the roof as he thought he would include other areas not intended. Also thought the carpet needed painting. (3) Lining in pool – Hawke's Bay has had the best weather this summer and unfortunately, even though we have a pool, we have been unable to use this due to his patchwork and neighbours complaining that our pool is leaking in their gardens. It is now empty again. From: Melanie 39. To remove old wallpaper, wipe over the wallpaper with water and dishwashing liquid, leave about five minutes and it will just peel off. From: Richard and Sandra
• When stripping wallpaper, spray with fabric softener and a little water. The fabric softener breaks down the surface tension of the wallpaper and allows the water to soak in better. This will help the wallpaper come off easier. From: Kathleen
• If you own your own house and want to make exterior painting a little easier, paint the house a standard colour, white is always good, and paint one side of the house each year. This will cut the work down to a more manageable size and keep the house well painted at the same time. From: M Teal
• You can make a paint tray by using an old box with shallow sides and covering it with two white plastic shopping bags. When you stop between coats or colours, just take the bags off and change them. From: Glenn
• Apply petroleum jelly over door handles and hinges before painting to stop the paint sticking to them. Alternatively, foil wrap door handles and other hardware before painting to keep them splatter free.From: R Brooks
• If you hire a ready mix truck to do your driveway, make sure you work from the top of the drive to the road. If you don't, you will be stuck with a truck full of concrete that will set if you don't keep it running (which might cost a bit) unless you want to drive it back over your nice new flat drive that took ages to do! From: Cassie
• Hate stripping wallpaper before you paint? You don't have to! With this tip, you'll create walls of interest. Use a large porous sponge and ready-made plaster. Dip the sponge into the plaster and 'hit' the wall, making sure you make 'peaks' on the wall with the plaster. Let the plaster semi-dry, but before it dries completely, trowel the plaster, using consistent strokes (whatever stroke you chose). Once the plaster dries completely, you can paint the newly textured wall in a variety of exciting colours by Resene. To make the wall even more interesting you can use a basecoat on the wall and then use a Chux cloth (or any other material with an interesting texture) dipped in a contrasting colour and 'hit the wall' with the Chux cloth. In the process of creating a unique design, you'll also cover blemishes. From: Karin
• My top 10 tips for landlords with multiple rental properties are: Buy Resene, anything else is an insult to your preparation efforts. Replace worn wallpaper in rentals with paint (after stopping to a paint finish). It wears better and is quicker and cheaper to repair. Keep walls and exteriors all the same. You can buy your paint in bulk and won't have numerous 1/2 pails sitting around. Maintain the individuality of your houses by using different feature colours. Then write the name of the house and where you used the paint (e.g. roof, trims, sills etc) on the can lid. If you are replacing weatherboards, undercoat them before you put them up. But don't stack them until they really are dry. The best thing to apply paint onto a roughcast house is a car cleaning brush. Get one with a reasonable amount of bristles. Those big square bushes sold in paint shops are good, but they're awfully heavy for a lady and too big to dip into a paint pail. Learn to use a crockpot/cook casseroles. Put tea on and you'd be surprised what you can get done if you do 1/2 hour to an hour most days. Or wait until your little one is in bed and then do internal walls. Wrap your brush/roller in gladwrap loaded with paint to keep it soft. Ladders are better exercise than any aerobic class. Learn to paint with both arms. Take your time to do a good job and enjoy it. Go to 'How To' evenings. You may learn something new. From: Michelle
• To cover an old lounge suite and two chairs buy 1 x double fitted sheet and 2 x single fitted sheets and some small velcro dots. Place sheets over lounge suite and tuck in where needed, then use the velcro dots to fasten down. With velcro dots you can just take off the covers and throw them into the wash. From: Belinda
• To create a weathered Mexican wall look, plaster outside concrete brick walls with cement and plaster by hand to get an authentic look (great way to get the kids involved as perfection is not required!). Paint the wall in your chosen colour (terracotta looks great). Drop small blobs of white paint into the roller tray, roll the roller through it and then haphazardly paint over the original wall colour. This should result in blurred streaks of white throughout the terracotta second coat. Do not roll in a particular direction, just all over the wall. When dry, the wall will look like weathered terracotta. From: Natasha
• Make sure you don't pay for the complete job up front. I bought a house in the north about 3 years ago and the guy that was moving my furniture told me along the way that he was a builder, so I agreed he could help me with my DIY plans. My very big mistake was trusting the jerk. He quoted me about $6000, which like a fool I paid there and then. All he had to do was to put in a wall as three already existed and put in a wall divider. To cut the story short, I fired him after 4 days, as the wall he put in to enclose the room didn't touch the ground! He had charged up tools on my account, ripped me off on materials and not paid some local suppliers. I waited for a few days and then thought I had better get stuck in and finish the job. Two family members joined in and helped and a fortnight later all was finished – YAY!!!From: Roseanne
• When decorating a room, paint a stick or small board with your chosen colours to carry with you when choosing fabrics, accessories etc. From: Meg

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Contemporary Art is All Around Us

Quite simply the word Contemporary means of the present period. So a person can probably guess that Contemporary Art simply means art of the present period. The shape, form and indeed the mediums used have changed over the centuries and have allowed artists to express themselves at the time or period in which they either lived or live in.

Contemporary Art refers to art that has been made in our times. It represents such a diverse array of art that one would have a task to describe all forms in one place or web site. Contemporary art has evolved in the past, will evolve in the present time and continue into future art, it is and will be an ever moving form of art.

It was known that during the World Wars contemporary art tended to be more darker and there was an increase in demand for grey and black pastels, pencils and paints. This was obviously people's preception of the world at the time, a more darker place, many more evils than they once believed. Contemporary art allow viewers to see the world through the artist's eyes and gain a new perception of the world they thought they knew so well.
 

As stated before contemporary art does not have to take the form of canvas art or framed art, instead it can take the form of furniture, objects put together and many others. In fact many furniture and clothing designers will take their inspiration from talented artists of the times and sometimes there is a fine line between the two.
 

There is some very useful information at http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign this will get anybody clued up on the world of Contemporary Art, the site is regularly updated and covers contemporary art around the world.
 
So i hope this brief article has shown you that contemporary art is nothing to be afraid of and who knows if you take to drawing or another form of art you could be The Contemporary Artist of our times!<p>

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Leroy Neiman Original Painting ? Find This Original Art for Less

Leroy Neiman is easily one of the most popular living artists in American. His original art over the past several decades have brought prices above $100,000 and it's very easy to see why. Through a variety of mediums, including oil, watercolor, enamel, pencil drawings, pastels, and some lithographs, his view of the sporting world is unmatched today.

Leroy Neiman has received a number of awards, including the Sport Artist of the United States in 2007. He's listed in the Art Collector's Almanac, Who's Who in the East, in American Art, and in the World. It's quite the honor and for anyone who has seen and appreciated Leroy Neiman original paintings, it's not a surprise. For those want to add Leroy Neiman original paintings to their collection, you can expect to pay several thousand dollars at least.

Why do these works strike such a chord with America? For one thing, there isn't another artist that combines such visual markers for sports scenes. For another, his works are also popular with another market. He drew several sketches for Playboy magazine that were used to set up the cameras for the centerfold shots. Many of the original art sketches are sold for thousands, as well. These "other side" of Leroy Neiman brings a little mystery to the man and that's why Leroy Neiman original paintings are so popular.

When you're looking for Leroy Neiman original paintings, you should start online. There are a number of original art pieces that go up for sale each year and many of them are sold online through auction houses and art brokers. This is usually much less expensive than purchasing a piece through a gallery or from a private party. In addition, the reputable art brokers and auction houses will provide a certificate of authenticity to go with the original art.

You can't be too careful today, as there are a number of rather unscrupulous brokers around, too. A piece of original art that is later determined to be a fake can put the buyer in a bind. They won't be able to recoup their loss in their investment and many times, the insurance company won't pay for it, either. Do your background work on any online art broker or auction site before you make a purchase. Those companies that have been in business for decades are your best bet, but it's also a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any unresolved complaints.

In closing, your can find Leroy Neiman original paintings online and for much less than you might think. Using an online source is becoming more and more popular, especially as galleries and private sellers are asking higher prices. When you can get your hands on a piece by your favorite artists and enjoy their work in your home or office, it makes every minute of your search worth it.

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SHAYTARDS PAINTING UPDATE #7 canvas covered!

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