Monday, July 2, 2012

Verdigris Almost

Scaly and Mildewed




Start with a UV degraded plastic chair.  Best if it's green.  We stole this idea outright from Sand Creek Inn in Sandpoint, ID.  Their outdoor lounging area had old, green plastic Adirondack chairs that had been painted copper.  Over time the copper paint has worn and been scraped off a bit revealing the under green surface. The effect was perfect, a copper chair turning an antiqued copper/green.

This doesn't scrub off









Our six green plastic chairs were oxidized from the sun all summer long and mildewed from the rain all winter long.  The combination is fatal for sure. The mildew cannot be scrubbed off because it is embedded in the rough crust of the deteriorating plastic.  But wash these chairs up a bit to get off the big chunks, let them dry well and the copper paint adheres perfectly.
Freshly painted and a little too bright maybe

One year of use and weather with bits of green beginning
to show through for charm.










It's taken a long time to do all  six chairs, but I could feel it in the air that painting the last two was on for the Things I get to do today.   













Paint on the surface stops the UV damage. A little wear and tear lets the green shine through.  Verdigris in reverse.

3 comments:

  1. Verdigris. Good word. I wonder if anyone knows it nowadays.

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    Replies
    1. It implies age, time, endurance. Might be too slow for folks.

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  2. dearest andrea: today i head off for Wellfleet until thursday with Geri and Jack. wee robbie and i can't wait! i haven't written on your blog for so long, but wanted today to say: i love you ever so much, love your blog, love everything about you and yours. have a wonderful 4th! i loved your celebration of my birthday -- what could be better!

    love, karen and wee robbie

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