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Hellco Army

After getting our organizing pants on, I figured I’d keep the streak alive and get that mistreated art out of our drawer and onto the wall. Gifted to us by our talented friend Jimmy last year, we had every intention of wasting no time (oh, funny!) – we’d frame the print (titled Hellco Army), hang it, and enjoy it.

But, you see, I wanted to use that ridiculously over-ornate frame (salvaged from my college day photo-wall-collages). And, you see, that frame is ugly. I’ll fully admit that I have an addiction to photo frames, and the tackier, the better. It was tacky, and it was ugly. Win-win, yeah? But the fake, rubbed gold and, uh, red (?) scuffies (made that up) went a step too far. Store bought to look vintage. Ugly. Ugly bad.

And so, as most stories go, it was nothing a bit of paint couldn’t fix. With a small sponge brush, I used on-hand acrylic yellow to stipple the paint. Since it would be going (naturally) on the mini art wall, and yellow + gray = love, I didn’t even think twice. (On a bit of a side note, the glass was glued to the frame. Not sure which frame-factory-man thought that was a good idea, so blue tape came into play.)

About halfway through my first coat, I realized that maybe this wasn’t going so well. The yellow was looking gaudy against the print. Gaudy bad. As it turns out, yellow + swishy, swirly ornate + sepia art = wrong!

I really, really wanted the yellow to work. And it just… didn’t. Or, maybe I should say, it just didn’t work with our print. I had a feeling this would be the case (I like to push those feelings right outta the way), but I’m stubborn, and I had to see for myself. So now that I’d made the decision to nix the yellow, I moved forward with a fool proof glossy white.

As usual, the over played, over done, everyone-and-their-momma white won the game. The sepia print pops, and the neutral colors work right alongside the rest of our mini art.

The ornate frame adds a punch without being obvious (a-hem, yellow), and – after a bit of re-arranging – balances the other white frames. Aah, we love watching our collection grow.

Looking back, the original frame did kinda sorta go with the print. The golds and reds picked up the sepia hue… but, no. Not going there. I didn’t like it. And not to diss on white either. Not at all. But dang, I just love yellow! Yellow and gray! And, um, color! Scott digs the white, too, but he wasn’t home for the disastrous oh-no-yellow moment. He ooohs over my simple, painted frame (I love my cheerleader), but knowing he’s a color man, too, I wonder what he would have picked.

When not using white (or other neutral), what’s your go to color of choice?

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  • Susan @ Jubilee Furniture6.1.11 - 10:07 AM

    Though the white painted frame is lovely and even a little elegant – and please don’t judge me – but I thought the original frame color was great! Maybe in person it was worse than it looks in your photos? I’m trying to justify why I like something you describe as “ugly,” “tacky” and “ugly bad”!

    Help! Has all my taste gone to my mouth?ReplyCancel

  • Annie6.1.11 - 10:11 AM

    LOVE it! What an awesome frame!ReplyCancel

  • Lucy6.1.11 - 10:14 AM

    I like the original frame too =XReplyCancel

  • Kim6.1.11 - 10:59 AM

    Susan and Lucy, no judging! I suppose it just wasn’t our style :)ReplyCancel

  • I use white a lot, too. Silver or charcoal grey are great, too. Too bad the yellow didn’t work, though. :(ReplyCancel

  • jerome6.1.11 - 4:04 PM

    NIce! take a wire brush to it and scratch off some paint to reveal the old paint and petina? I like the white….. and put a bird on it!ReplyCancel

  • Jimmy Dean6.1.11 - 7:48 PM

    Awesome guys, looks really good… who to think that a frame would make my art look good. ThanksReplyCancel

  • Cait @ Hernando House6.1.11 - 8:36 PM

    Sad that the yellow didn’t work, but I love it in white! I usually go for green or blue if not white, but I’ve been on a yellow kick recently.ReplyCancel

  • rosita6.14.11 - 1:08 AM

    i kid you not – i got that same frame for our wedding from dillard’s. wonder if i still have it somewhere…ReplyCancel

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