Modern Living Room

Indian Fireplace

Tools And Materials Needed

• Orange terra cotta latex paint
• Water-based glazing liquid
• Mixing container
• Roller and tray
• Stippling tool
• Cardboard for design template
• Design (We copied a design from a piece of Indian fabric)
• Pencil
• Sharp knife
• Low-tack painter's tape
• Artist's acrylics in vibrant colors
• Artist's brush
• Straight-edge ruler
• Gold paint pen
• Mirrored contact paper
• Scissors

Getting Started

Glaze: 1 part orangelatex paint, 2 parts water-based glazing liquid.

1. The fireplace surround was colorwashed in the same manner as the Curry Walls.
2. Mix the orange glaze and apply it over the colorwashed base of the fireplace surround.
3. Using the stippling tool, scrape through the wet glaze in straight horizontal strokes. You will see some of the base coat coming through. Wipe the excess glaze off the stippling tool after each stroke. Then gently pull the stippler through the glaze from top to bottom so that lines will run in both directions.
4. Draw a template of the design you have chosen onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out. The design we used was traced from sari material and filled in with brilliant colors in keeping with the Indian theme. Tape the template in position and trace the designs around the surround with pencil.
5. Paint in the forms in a variety of colors using an artist's brush.
6. Outline the forms with a gold paint pen, using a ruler for the straight lines.
7. Cut circles from the mirrored contact paper and stick them onto the design. Outline the circles with a contrasting acrylic paint.