Hello and welcome to the “chairity event” page for the Hopkinsville Art Guild. Our chairity workshop for members will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2011, from noon until 4:00 p.m. in the new Guild Art Studio next door to the gallery.
It might seem that the chairity event was my idea, but that’s not the case at all. Hundreds of chairity events have been held across the country over the past 20 years. I became familiar with the concept when an organization in Paducah held a chairity event for about five years in a row and several artists with whom I am acquainted worked their artsy magic on chairs for the event. And they were magical! I suggested it as an addition to the Hopkinsville guild’s annual art auction, and we were fortunate enough to have access to hundreds of high-quality solid wood chairs at a very good per-chair price, courtesy of a local church. (If you don’t have a chair, go to the gallery to pick one up for the ridiculously low price of $10.00.)
But don’t think you have to use one of “our” chairs. You can use any chair you like, including bar stools, foot stools, and any other type of chair you can acquire. And don’t think you are restricted in the creation of your chair. Burn it, cut it, drill it, paint it, nail it . . . whatever you can imagine, you can do! Add to it, take away from it, upholster it, weave it, wrap it, glue it, even take it literally to a different level. It’s okay if it remains functional, but it does not have to – it can be transformed so that it is simply but profoundly a piece of art. We would ask, however, that extremely delicate mediums, such as pastels, be avoided, as even moving it around during the auction could cause it damage. Make it great, but make it as durable as possible.
PREPARATION
As we will only have four hours to work on the day of the workshop, I would ask that you have your chair prepped before you come. This could be difficult; I personally haven’t prepped any of my chairs because I have no place to do so that’s not 95+ degrees. If you have no safe place to prep your chair, I will have a separate area set up for those who really need a cool space in which to do this. Please DO NOT MAKE YOURSELF ILL TRYING TO PREP A CHAIR! Our hot weather is dangerous right now and we have until the event in November to ready the chairs, so you WILL have a chance to prep your chair in safety at some time between now and then.
If you want to bring your chair into your home to prep it, do the following:
- Lay down a drop cloth or old sheet;
- Make sure there is no air blowing through the area (fan, nearby air vent, etc.);
- Try to keep dust to a minimum;
- If using chemical strippers, make sure there is no ignition source nearby (pilot light, light switches, people smoking, oxygen equipment, etc.);
- Make sure there is proper ventilation and take frequent breaks from the fumes.
- Afterward, vacuum thoroughly.
In other words, use extreme caution!
The most important part of preparing your chair is to “degloss” it. If you plan to use your chair in its natural wood tone and perhaps do pyrography, deglossing probably won’t be necessary. But if you plan to alter the surface of the chair in any way, such as with paint, stain, or adhesives, deglossing is absolutely necessary or the new surface you apply will not adhere. There are several ways of deglossing your chair.
- Sanding is always a good way. A good medium grit, coarse enough to remove the shine but fine enough to not gouge the surface, is a good start. Yes, it makes annoying dust, but it will work best.
- Deglossing with a product like naphtha or some other paint thinner works well. These products can get into places that you might not be able to reach with sandpaper.
- Priming with a good quality primer is absolutely critical if you plan to paint your chair. Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 or Kilz, or one of Valspar’s sanding sealers or primers, would be a great choice.
- If you have any questions about purchasing or using any of the above-mentioned products, or types of paint or adhesive, the paint specialists at your local Lowe’s can be of great help. Explain to them what you’re doing and they can advise you on products that will be easy to use and that will do a good job.
- Always read the product label thoroughly for preparation, application, safety, and cleanup information.
- Above all, remember to wear a dust mask, protective gloves, and safety glasses!
DECORATION
Now comes the fun! There are so many things that can be done to a chair that the possibilities are mind-boggling! Our workshop will not be held to tell you how to decorate your chair – YOU have to decide that. The workshop will give you a place to work with assistance and some guidance if you have ideas but don’t know how to get them onto the chair. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
- Paint is always a good place to start. A good source for paint is the sample cans at Lowe’s. You can have them mixed to any color in the paint department and the paint is high quality. If the paint color will be the primary source of decoration, try a semi-gloss interior latex. If the paint will simply be a base for a great deal of other decoration, an eggshell or flat latex might work better, especially if you’re planning to seal it with a glossy or semi-gloss varnish.
- Speaking of varnish, a good polyurethane is your best choice. If you’d like to do a garden-themed chair that might need to go outside, try a marine varnish. It will cost a bit more, but will offer maximum durability and some UV protection.
- If you plan to decoupage, the industry standard is Mod Podge. It’s not expensive, and that’s good, because you’ll need to cover the entire chair with several coats.
- Try adding things to your chair. A few easy ones are glue-on jewels, decorative upholstery tacks, nails, screws, tiles, paper items, fiber, wire, glass, bits of metal and metal items, or anything else you can find that you can attach. You can even cut out wooden items to mount on it and turn it into something other than your typical chair.
THE WORKSHOP
Bring whatever you like to the workshop. We want every chair to be unique, so it is impossible for me to bring any supplies for anyone. Our primary function for the day is to discuss things you’d like to do to your chairs but have no idea how to do, and to offer suggestions for same. Bounce ideas off each other, offer others items you have that you know they could use on their chairs, find out where to get that odd item for which you’ve been searching, or learn about just the right glue. If you want to participate but really don’t think you have any ideas, come and get some ideas – we have plenty! For a few ideas from artists who’ve created chairs for other events, see the links below.
And have fun!
