Remember the party cove nook we posted all those days ago? On the other side of the polka dot fence is a painting I got to do a couple of months ago. Elsie told me I could paint anything I wanted! Since we had just had our baby Imogen and just moved half way across the country, I didn't have a lot of time to paint; so I was super excited to pick up a brush and create something! I didn't really do much planning for it. I just knew I wanted to do something colorful, and I wanted the shape to fit proportionally to the length of fence. I think I also wanted to paint something I normally wouldn't; I wanted to try something new. After a bit of thought, I initially wanted to do a fox made from geometric shapes. After painting for a bit, I didn't like how it was turning out, so I changed direction a bit. There wasn't any real reason behind the painting; I don't believe there always has to. I think sometimes we can create things just for the sole purpose of creating something! The process and time spent is the reason.
One sort of funny thing that happened while I was painting: I was getting to the point where I wasn't hating the painting (the proportions were driving me crazy the whole time), and I was going to add some white. Well, I popped the lid and walked up to the painting, and the bucket basically jumped out of my hand, and in slow motion, a bunch of paint splashed on the painting! It wasn't a super big deal, but after hours spent, it seemed to be. All I could do was repaint the sections and carry on.
I just used regular exterior paint. I had about 12 colors picked out and mixed in the paint department at my local hardware store. Hopefully it lasts for a while!
If you have any questions about my process, I will try to answer them in the comment section. Have a great weekend! Maybe you have an old wall you could paint ;) -Josh
Credits // Author Joshua Rhodes. Photography: Sarah and Joshua Rhodes. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
53 Comments
Love the way it turned out! I also really like the subject of a fox- although not intentional on your part- it reminds me one of my favorite books, The Little Prince. Well done!
I love that you say that there wasn’t any real reason behind the painting and that sometimes we can create things just for the sole purpose of creating something. It seems that a lot of times people are looking for a reason or a deeper meaning and it isn’t always there, it kind of takes the fun out of creating sometimes. Love this painting and that it is outside for more people to enjoy.
I love how colorful this is, josh!
This is amazing.
unreal talent is evident in all your work!
xx
Gorgeous!
Rxx
http://www.peppermintdolly.wordpress.com
Looks amazing! Thanks for the inspiration for the weekend!
So cool! I have never thought of doing this to an outside space. I love that you tried something new and just went for it. Awesome work Josh!
It was so cool to see your painting process! And wow, what an amazing design 🙂
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
How beautiful, I love it!
Very cool.
This is so cute!! I love how you morphed it into something else after you didn’t like where it originally was headed! Cheers!
Just an fyi, the Home Depot link on your side bar opens a pop up when you hover over it. Just thought I’d let you know. I thougth they hacked your site for a second 🙂
I love this painted fence! Very mucho inspiring!
This is so unique! The colors remind me of brightly painted houses on a European seashore (you know, so the sailors and fishermen can see their homes from out at see. Burano island in Venice is an especially great example). I’m always intimidated by bright exteriors of a home – it feels like such a big commitment! But I think this would bring a smile to my face every day 🙂
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
Gorgeous!
This is stunning and I’m obsessed with foxes right now! I would love to have this on a canvas in my living room! It would be fun to try painting the animals in different colors too! Just my thoughts 🙂
Wow! This is totally incredible! It’s things like these that make me want to live in a house instead of an apartment…. someday someday! 🙂
Wow – I think this is my favourite thing I have ever seen on your blog. I live in England and share our garden with lots of foxes who hop over the fence. Just curious do you have many in the US?
Also thought I’d share this in case your skills also stretched to topiary – http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-27519536
OO, that looks really amaazing. xa
http://www.fashiondenis.com
Aaaand, cue me persuading my boyfriend that he NEEDS this on his back fence. 🙂
Wow! this looks fantastic! I’m not much of a painter, but I could sit in front of the computer for hours designing stuff. In fact, I have spent hours in front of the computer designing stuff! haha. Even if it doesn’t benefit me in a way that is evident (like making money, or getting a good grade on a project) I love the time spent just creating and perfecting something. It feels so rewarding afterward!
xoxo
Taylor
This is gorgeous! I looks amazing.
The painting looks just amazing!! Wonderful job!
xo
Amazing. A house next to the place I work just got torn down and I managed to get them to salvage a piece of the fence for me! I am going to attempt something colorful 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration! Wish I had those sweet art skills.
That is awesome!
So beautiful and inspiring!
I agree – he’s amazing!! <3 -Sarah
Wow! This is fab! Love the fox and all the colours. I did a mural of Mount Fuji in my garden, on a wall I kept having to paint white every year – the great side effect of the mural is that the moss and lichen is less noticeable, and 8 years on I still haven’t needed to repaint it!
Josh! It’s amazing!!!! Congrats!!! 🙂
josh is my new favorite. Can I say that? Can I play favorites? He is.
What a fun project. So much more pleasant to look at than a boring fence.
Oh that is so fun! I love this!
Lisa | c/oMKE
This is awesome! What a fun conversation piece for backyard cookouts! How did you decide on painting a fox?
Thanks Dani, I don’t usually use this color pallet, but I do like it- it feels good to branch out!
-Josh
Hey Jsb, thanks! We do have foxes, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in person. They are cool little creatures, that’s so neat that you have them in your back yard. All I have are squirrels, rabbits and random beavers
-Josh
drea, thanks, I’m honored!
-Josh
this may be a silly question but it is hard to tell from these photos, but is this facing the exterior towards the road/neighbors or inside? you said it was on the other side of a white wall with polka dots. i am just wondering what your neighbors think of the colored walls. i personally love them but have lived next to some stick in the mud type people before. hopefully your neighbors love all of your color usages and creativity as much as we all do! 🙂
This looks great! I love how dynamic it is!
I love the look of foxes! So,I’m in love with this fence. Never seen anything quite like it.
Sincerely,
Laurali Star
This is great! Love it!
I love this, it’s so funky
Lauren
livinginaboxx
I’d love to hear how this holds up over time! Reds always seem to be the biggest culprits for fading.
Our loungeroom looks out to a big shed, and I’d love to paint it – a 12 metre mural! I’m an artist but I can’t even settle on something to paint on our own shed. Right now two two-year-olds getting in the paint would make it too hard anyway, but one day hopefully!
This just looks so dang incredible! x
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
Beautiful! Unique! Was the fox intentionally made to look sad?
This is beautiful work, Josh! Definitely bold and unexpected. I dig. 🙂
I’ve been waiting to see the end result after seeing it in instagram. I so wish I had an artist friend to have something like this done!
Wow, that’d incredible. I can’t even explain it love it so much. You have an amazing talent.
Great post. Your artistic skills are superb. You have done a great job by sharing this inspirational post with us.
so cool! 🙂
http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
I love how colourful this fence is! The image that scrolls through the painting at different stages is really cool also 🙂
emmasbeginning.blogspot.com
This is sweet Josh! I’ve been wanting to do something really funky and colorful with our fence too, but sadly we’re still renters 🙁 Can’t wait to have our first house in the near future and do something similar. Rock on!