Elsa Elephant Flashes a Stylish Makeover

On my last visit to Mid-Life Crisis by the Beach, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint stockist Pat Stone-Smith suggested new color combinations, so I bought a few sample pots for experimentation. Paris Grey is lovely, but I am beginning to tire of it.

I switched to Paloma, a grey color with a hint of purple. Believe me, although it’s in the grey family, it feels like a big difference. I decided to pair it with Henrietta, a pinkish lilac.

I wanted to paint elephant bookends. Actually, she–Elsa–is a single elephant split between the bookends. She has a lot of personality and looks very playful. I believe she is a female Asian elephant, due to her she lack of tusks. Hand carved and hand tooled, each side of Elsa perches on a book. You can see how the books have lines on their covers and spines and simulated pages. Elsa is already shellacked in this photo so there will be no bleed through of the dark wood. I’ve already dabbed a splotch of Paloma on her head. As I sat painting her, an email arrived from a friend seeking elephants for her unborn grandson’s nursery. She had just seen my pair of elephants online and wanted to buy them. I told her about the elephant I was working on and offered to paint the books any color she wanted. I quickly sent her a photo with books to reflect a little boy’s library. She decided to purchase the pair of elephants but not the bookends, so I continued on. Elsa’s pizzazz comes from the gold foil. I used Artisan Enhancements foil, size, and clear finish. The foil went into the hand-tooled areas. I highlighted Elsa’s eyes and finished her off with Annie Sloan’s Clear Wax and a buff. Here she is with the gilded pages showing: I loved using Henrietta, a color that’s perfect for females of any age. I am the sole female in our household, so I don’t get to do frilly very much. Even though Elsa’s an elephant, she suggests femininity and daintiness. And I just know she will guard the books left in her care. What’s not to love about this little lady?

Ann Marie and David

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