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"It is with great respect and appreciation to our family, friends, and community who have served in the armed forces, we say thank you. May the one that got away, be as large as our Yuengling Trout." Janise & Ed Crow This is an evolving photo story about creating fishing themed art that serves as an outdoor wader and boot drying rack out of recycled materials for our veteran community at Camp Breac. |
 After Simple Rustic, Light, & Airy Makeover | This week I want to show you how you can easily freshen up your front porch to be welcoming & bright with odds and ends around your house or with a small budget. Here I chose a rustic, light, and airy decor theme to blend with the current landscape of the area. The goal: low cost, no maintenance (watering plants etc.), and easy to change for every season. A bit of creative recycling and repurposing will crucial to this update. A fresh coat of beige/tan paint on the door, brightens and lightens the brick wall. Spring is tree trimming time, we salvaged several large pieces of birch tree logs and cut them in a trio of sizes. I recycled a couple of old pine Christmas trees, spruced them up a bit and drilled holes in the logs to hold the artificial pine trees. To ensure stability in the wind, and a decorative finish, I used old rope to tie the three logs together. The door wreath: A fun and memorable project. We recycled scrap wood to create a square frame, cut letter C, stained them and applied a white wash technique to give them that old barn board look. Lastly, I repurposed silk flowers from a recent wedding, made geometric shapes out of straws to add a bit of modern to the swag and was a key theme in the wedding. Repurposing these items from the wedding really gives this home a very special welcome to all who enter. I welcome the opportunity to work with you to update or makeover your porch into a welcoming version of your style and personality. |
Neighbors encouraging each other. We invite you to participate and add your painted rock.
 New Sign Replaces Broken Sign  Painting the new rock garden sign |  Our Garden is Growing with over 40 rocks!  Garden Sign Securely Fastened |
After some pretty strong winds our sign had fallen and broken. I knew I had to get the paints out and make a new one. I used a recycle floor tile, craft paints, and sealed with several coats of clear acrylic. It was a fun project. I made it much brighter in color. Ed and I designed a frame that now hangs the tile securely in place. The garden is growing, it's so fun to see others thoughts, art work, and words of encouragement. For me, it rewarding to have neighbors and park visitors stop and chat about the rocks and brainstorming what they plan to paint on a rock. I hope to see more painted rock and encourage anyone interested in adding to it. I look forward to seeing your rock soon.
If you need directions: see this previous post
If you need directions: see this previous post
 We are in a volatile time in the world right now as we experience the Covid-19. We wanted to create a space / place for our community express words of encouragement, fear, art, and other feelings in a safe and simple visual way. The Community Rock Garden – you matter, you are not alone, and you are part of a community Why: We are all experiencing something new (covid-19) which impacts us all and we have many thoughts and feelings about it. Our community has a rich history of supporting each other and I thought a community rock garden would be a good way to express ourselves to one another in simple, but visual way. |
| How It Works: Select a rock, paint/draw on the rock images, messages, encouragement, feelings, art, or what ever you want. Then add it to the tree line garden area located in the middle Greenbriar/Saybrook park, barked/natural areas (not grass) around the trees. Who: Anyone who wants to participate, all ages What: rocks painted your expressions on a rock and share it in our garden When: Started 3/27/2020 – no end date Where: Greenbriar Saybrook Park, in State College, PA (row of trees in between near the Greenbriar pavilion) Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/X6av42yNZz3LLYJ16 Instructions:
Guidelines:
Inspiration: I used symbols on my rocks here is where I found some symbols along with their meanings More inspiring images Share pictures of your work, your story of the meaning behind your art work, the rock garden, you at the garden, etc on social media (be sure to tag us or checkin at Crows Nest Arts) Facebook Instagram CrowsNestArts1 | Thank you so much for sharing this lovely rock garden idea. I just added one and would encourage others to do the same. The process of creating and then taking it to the designated spot in the park felt nourishing. Good for the soul. Jody |
The task was to makeover a tired and falling apart fence/wall to disguise the air conditioning units located in the the garden area. Doing our part to cut down on waste in the landfills we planned an echo friendly project using as many recyclable objects as possible. Color, shape, durability, and function were key elements in our design process. This was an investment of time that was well worth the results. What do you think?
The Process:
Design: size built to hide the air conditioning units, visually pleasing, colorful
Bottles: collect used bottles, sanitize, remove labels, drill holes, and rewash
Spacers: collect items to use as spacers in between bottles, we used gears on this project
Build Frame: purchase pressure treated lumber, cut lumber, assemble with screws and bolts, drill holes, stain and seal, and then mount in location.
Bottle Rods: cut rods to length, string on bottles & gears in desired patterns.
Final Assembly: place rods with bottles through holes in frames, add top bottles.
This is part of a bigger custom garden re-landscaping project using recycled materials. Yes, Ed did have to hold on to my feet a few times as I had to dig pretty deep in those recycling bins! Haha! The gears were left over from Sarah Etchells and Will’s wedding decor.
Follow our updates on Facebook See March 22, 2020)
These decorative cinder blocks are part of a larger project to makeover a tired and underutilized garden area. The area was flat with some existing plants and river rock, but pretty lifeless and boring. Keeping with our mantra of to cut down on waste in the landfills we planned an echo friendly project using as many recyclable objects as possible. The inspiration came from Mexican style tiles, I love the colors, and the feeling of playfulness in the artistry. Color, height, durability, and function were key elements in our design process.
The Process:
Design: height with visually pleasing, colors, playfulness, and holes for plants
Concrete Blocks: collect used blocks from around the house, clean, prime the blocks
Color & Design: researched the web for design ideas, and rummaged through paint stashes to come up with a color pallet
Hand painted each block, some needed several coats, then sealed with block sealer, and allow to dry for several days.
Want to work with Janise on your own DIY projects? contact Janise
On to the next items needed. I will keep you posted on the progress of the larger garden makeover.
Follow our updates on Facebook
Design: height with visually pleasing, colors, playfulness, and holes for plants
Concrete Blocks: collect used blocks from around the house, clean, prime the blocks
Color & Design: researched the web for design ideas, and rummaged through paint stashes to come up with a color pallet
Hand painted each block, some needed several coats, then sealed with block sealer, and allow to dry for several days.
Want to work with Janise on your own DIY projects? contact Janise
On to the next items needed. I will keep you posted on the progress of the larger garden makeover.
Follow our updates on Facebook
"To others this may appear as a unique piece of artwork but for me it represents years of memories with my Dad. This carving opens conversations with friends as they visit our home and we are able to share a piece of his story and our memories together. Thank you Ed and Janise for helping to keep his memory alive as he lives on in our hearts each day." CJ & Crystal
I like to carve using a chainsaw. Better, I like it if i can put a story behind the object. It's what changes a carving into a sculpture.
It was a privilege to work with Crystal to surprise her husband CJ to honor the memories of his father who's motto was "Never Give Up". Ed
It was a privilege to work with Crystal to surprise her husband CJ to honor the memories of his father who's motto was "Never Give Up". Ed
If we can bring joy to a veteran by sharing our time and talents, it’s time well spent. You never know what can build a community. For Camp Breac, in Bellefonte PA, it’s trout. Camp Breac sits along Spring Creek, a stream well known for it’s trout fishing. Jim and Denise Lanning had a vision to create a place for veterans and their families to enjoy the outdoors, fish, and most importantly connect with others veterans, families, and supportive community members.
Many volunteers help out at Camp Breac. Kris Edson was tasked with taking out a large old Norway spruce had that had died. He thought the tree and location was perfect for a large trout carving and contacted Ed who is known for his large fish carvings. After Kris cut the large tree it to proper size, Ed carved this beautiful wild brown trout leaping from the water. And Janise added the finishing touches with a bit of color to the water at the base of the fish. The trout carving is finished with a protective clear coat. Lastly, Army vet Daniel Kerstetter created very large Light Cahill fly for the wild brown trout to chase and it now hangs above the carving.
It is our hope that many conversations and connections are made around the old spruce, now a brown trout that serves as welcome to everyone visiting Camp Breac.
It is our hope that many conversations and connections are made around the old spruce, now a brown trout that serves as welcome to everyone visiting Camp Breac.
Estate sales make for interesting finds.... You can make some really cool stuff. I love upcycling vintage bottle caps because they have such a rich history in our culture. They make unique fun jewelry. Here I domed each bottle cap and added a band of vintage Chez seed beads for added interest and color. They are light weight and are certainly to bring complements and envy from those who appreciate handcrafted eclectic jewelry.
You can find these necklaces and bracelets here
You can find these necklaces and bracelets here
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