Reno project chapter 4 and some more work on the current painting..

This compass design, adapted from an old map image has kept me busy at the cottage the last couple of weeks. It's handy to the little upper deck  looking out on the Bay where we can see the lobster and scallop boats coming and going. The biggest part of the job was getting rid of the plasticy varnish finish on the hardwood floor, in the circle and the diamonds. That stuff is thick and hard as nails. Using an electric sander just gums up the sandpaper in no time. Next I tried an environmentally friendly stripper, which was supposed to work in less than an hour, but 3 hours later had done nothing. Finally I went at it with a couple of paint scrapers which I sharpened countless times. At last the bare wood appeared and was ready for sanding and staining. Next came the design, based on concentric circles using a stick with holes drilled in it. A nail goes through the hole which will be the center, and a pencil lead goes through the other holes.
    This is the area I have been working on to make a playroom for our summer cottage rental kids, and also I'm looking forward to a visit from the western grandchildren come fall.

Lovely little sisters, can't wait to see them.

So here is the new whitewashed t&g v-groove ceiling over the kitchen, finished except for doing a spot of white paint on the bottom of the joist hangers.
I'm really really happy with it. The top side of this is the rest of the playroom floor, yet to be sanded, stained to match the background of the compass, and varathaned a number of times. This has been a satisfying winter project, although it's been hard to get anything else done.

Like this watercolor that has been hanging on and on. Since the last post I have tightened it up some, mostly darkening the darks to create more contrast. I'm not sure if it's finished or not, wondering if I should re-paint the tractor in red or green (?) for more visual impact. That blue t-shirt kid 4th from left on the load, who was me, remembers clearly it was a gray tractor... I call this "Farmer's Heyday".