Ugly Frame and Canvas Painting Transformed into Vintage Bike Advertising

I had this ugly painting hanging in my storage room not because I thought it looked good there, but because I’ve been holding onto it to make something of it… sometime… well I’m glad to say that after, oh about 5 or 6 years, that time has come! 

I have been working on transforming the family room in the lower level of ‘Our House’ lately, and needed some art, so I took that framed canvas and re-made it into something.

Isn’t the painting in the ‘before’ so ugly? It looks like a big tree in the background crossed with a mushroom cloud and exploded on the canvas… I have no idea where the artist was going with that, but as you can see on the right, I drastically changed the way it looked. 

Here’s how I did it:

First, the frame originally was a very gaudy fake gilded, shiny gold frame. I wanted to change it to look like a distressed oil-rubbed bronze frame.

For reference I actually studied the way the metal on the reproduction oil rubbed bronze light fixture in my kitchen looked. 

I noticed that the bronze highlights show on the bumps and in the grooves are a black color. So to achieve that, I actually needed to put the bronze on first, so that when I wiped the black off, it would reveal the bronze on the bumps. This may seem simple to some, but I always want to do that backwards. 

Here’s a simple step-by-step approach to the frame:

The Ralph Lauren metallic paint I used on the frame is the same can of paint I used on my master bathroom counter, and I used on the little brick cottage radiators, and the young couple we’ve been following as they’ve transformed their bungalow used on their radiators. The same can. I love this paint. It goes on so smoothly, the color is glorious, and it usually covers in one coat. 

That’s the frame treatment, now for the canvas.

I got all the vintage bike advertising and pictures from Graphics Fairy. 

I read an old post of hers about how to transfer, but instead of painting the image on, I just wanted to use Mod Podge, with the actual photocopies, but I still used some of her tips, especially the one referring to BlockPosters.com, that was so helpful, and really fun to play around with. 

Once I had my pieces assembled how I wanted in the sizing I liked here’s how I put it all together on the canvas:

I’m sure you all have used Mod Podge, but just to clarify, I had to let each step dry… to speed that drying time up a bit, I had a fan on it. 

My printer was getting low on ink, so I did need to ‘touch up’ the thicker lines of the photocopies with a permanent paint marker before I started to Mod Podge them.

And the 3 smaller bikes across the bottom of the canvas, I mounted grey mat on foam core, and then the bikes on the mat, then with my glue gun, glued the foam core to the brown mat on the canvas. 

Also, obviously I did change the way the frame hangs from a horizontal orientation to vertical, so I simply moved the hanger on the back of the frame to suit this new direction.

I love the way the new artwork looks in our family room now. 

The antique tennis racquet with its original canvas holder hanging above the bike collage, my son picked up at a garage sale in Ohio. And the log bench sitting below the collage my dad made 30 years ago. 

Well the new lower level is just about ready for the ‘reveal’ and I’m super happy with the results. (notice the wide plank flooring??? Well that’s part of the family room transformation!) I think it’ll be fun to show you the whole room too!

I’m linking up at the following link parties… for even more creative inspiration click on the links too:

http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/03/wow-us-wednesdays-108.html

http://www.diybydesign.blogspot.com/2013/03/winter-blues-wednesday-its-party-107.html

http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2013/03/open-house-party.html

http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2013/03/treasure-hunt-thursday-97-highlights.html

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2013/03/06/hookin-up-with-hoh-138/

http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2013/03/transformation-thursday-no-194.html

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2013/03/home-sweet-home-109.html

http://www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2013/03/feathered-nest-friday.html

http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/03/link-party-94-and-les-features/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2013/03/family-time-and-new-honey-pot-show-and.html

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2013/03/flaunt-it-friday-143.html

http://www.fivedaysfiveways.com/2013/03/feature-friday-free-for-all-57.html

http://tatertotsandjello.com/2013/03/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-wallpaper-for-windows-giveaway.html

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/03/sns-178-reclaimed-wood-projects.html

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/03/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party.html

http://www.dianarambles.com/2013/03/pin-me-linky-party-23.html