Pretty-Pretty Pirate Playset

"Pretty-Pretty Pirate Playset" 5"x7" Gouache; 2012

 Whelp, she's finished.  Thanks to everyone on the Fan Page that voted for their fave color comps.  As I mentioned last week, I went with an unpublished color comp that happened much later on.

The framed "Pretty-Pretty Pirate Playset"

Closer look at framed "Pretty-Pretty Pirate Playset"

 This painting has been 4 years in the making.  The original idea came to mind a few years back for one of the Gallery Nucleus "Power in Numbers" shows.  I can't remember exactly why this piece didn't get made then, but I'm fairly sure it had to do with the frame.  I knew from the very beginning that I wanted an antique oval frame for it and had trouble tracking one down.  That was before I found out about Etsy, obviously.

I have to address the frame again.  I fell in love with this frame as soon as I saw it in the Little Byrd Vintage shop on Etsy.  I knew it would be perfect for this piece as I thought it would help "tell the story" of the ship wreck.  Or at least match the shipwreck, if not add to the "story".  I also knew that I HAD to get a double oval matte cut for it with a burgundy flocked/velveteen and the gold matte.  Although the frame is beat up, I thought that maybe using the velvet and gold together would subconsciously add to the story of shipwrecked treasure.

Any way.  Yeah.  4 years later she's finally out of my head.  The Creature from the Pink Lagoon has a second piece featuring her now and I must say she looks FABULOUS!

P.S. Not quite done matting and framing the piece exactly, hence why you can see tacks and some black masking tape on the wall.  I'll be finishing her off properly for the first time, which means she'll be getting stapled in place and having brown paper backing on the frame with a fancy hook.

**Update**

I finished the final framing today.  Cut a new gold matte as it had some scratches from when I expanded the opening from 4"x6" to 5"x7".  Also cleaned the glass really well and made sure there were no dust or paper flecks on the matte before I sealed them in forever with some glue and brown paper.  Very excited to have "professionally sealed" sealed the frame on my own.