North West Is So Three Months Ago...

...TODAY it's all about the Southwest.  As in, we're taking a trip to Arizona, baby!!  Load up your luggage and follow me through the terminal.  Good luck to those of you who bring along your paint stuff.  We'll see you after security gets through with you.  Don't expect me to hold your window seat.  (Yes, I know we have assigned seats on our tickets, but once I'm belted in and in the upright position, that's where I'm staying.  You can have my cheap seat.  It's probably located by the lavatory.) 

We are in search of a talented Illinois transplant by the name of Elise Puhala.  She lives there now.  Have you seen her?  Have you heard of her?  Well, you are about to meet her and see her work.  She's a furniture flipper that is an artist, too.  She makes my feeble attempts at art look like a child's drawing.  It doesn't help that mine are usually completed in Crayons.  (My sister Rebecca and brother Michael got all of the artist genes in our family.  Lee Ann & I were left with the funny genes.  Oh, and the good looks genes.  Hahahahaha!  Just kidding, we're all funny.) 

Elise found this table on her local Craigslist...

It was dirt cheap,  and has two square end tables with a center leaf.  It measures 110" long by 40" wide with the leaf inserted.  It comfortably seats 8 people and sports some awesome carved wooden spiraled legs. 

The table had some cracks in it so Elise sanded it down and filled them in with wood putty.  

She then masked off the table "frames" and base painted them blue. 

Using acrylic paint, she handpainted three different Southwestern scenes.  She incorporated a Mexican serape border on the two end tables to unify the table as a whole. The center leaf depicts Mexican dancers in front of a church.  She painted her and her handsome handy husband's wedding date under the clock on the church.  (So SWEET!)  Once her paintings were completed she finished this with three coats of water based varnish.  Elise then waxed the table legs and the skirt under the table with Briwax in Tudor Brown.

That all sounds simple, right?  Well, IT'S NOT!!  You should know better than that.  See for yourself...

 

CHECK THAT OUT!!  Let's look at each table painting one by one...

 

What did I tell you?  Ah-MAZING!!  Elise says she has been painting furniture longer than I've been alive.  I don't know whether to believe her (she says it's true) or tell her to get a pair of glasses.  

Anyway, Elise loves painting and as you can tell, she's good at it.  We'll feature more of her work in the future.  She sent me a picture of another piece of furniture she did that has a sweet story behind it I'll share next time.  She doesn't have a site I can share with you and she doesn't have a Facebook page, so you are going to have to leave your comments for Elise here.   

Okay, let's head back for the airport.  We've got the weekend to do whatever it is you people do.  As for me, I'm ditching you once the plane lands.  I have a triple rocking chair to finish with Triple H!  I can't wait until that's done.  

See ya on Monday!  If you get bored, submit your own flips to me at furnitureflippin@yahoo.com .  Again, before/after pics and details.  If you don't send details I will make up stuff about you and we'll go with my version.  Elise didn't take that chance.  She's a smart woman on top of being talented.  She gave me all of the info I needed.  You should do the same.