Decorative Painting: Sponged Fruit Barrel

Many times instead of drawing a pattern or pencil sketching a design, I use various sized sponges, to stamp on a basic layout or design. Stamping gives me the flexibility to quickly fit the design in and around corners on boxes, furniture or any other piece I'd like to decorate with leaves, flowers or fruit. I then use the same stamps to add my favorite colors from my paint palette. I hope this project will inspire you to create your own stamped designs.


Stamp on color with this easy and fun sponging technique.


Barrel Preparation
Stain with a walnut oil stain and allow to air dry for several days before painting.

Background Preparation
Base the background or black area for the fruit with Ebony Black and pull the leaves away from the edges, freehand with Ebocy Black. Use this area to size your project. It could be square, round or oblong. Since you're stamping the fruit, you can fill up the space adding more or less fruit as needed.

Making the Stamps
Make the "stamps" from 1/4" or 1/8" fine-textured foam, such as the kind used for packing in jewelry boxes. Place metal lipstick cases, perfume lids or other lids with sharp edges over the foam, then rub briskly on a wooden chopping board, thus creating neat circular shapes. Make four sizes as indicated in the pattern. Then attach these small circles to wood dowels or thread spools with a low-temp glue gun.

Cut the watermelon and banana shapes from scrap paper similar to a stencil. Fill the inside area with the "plum" stamp. (Only two each of the watermelon and banana were stamped so the paper stencil was sufficient.) Dab on the green and white on the watermelon with the edge of the "grape" stamp. Make the seeds with a teardrop stroke of Ebony Black and a small round. Use a small liner to add a Snow White highlight to one side of each seed.

Transferring the Pattern
Use white graphite paper or white chalk on the reverse side of the pattern and transfer the design to the black area. It's not necessary to trace all of the pattern lines. Transfer the cantaloupe, peach, pears, watermelon, plums and banana.

Applying the Stampled Shapes
Use the three larger stamps to stamp the plums, cantaloupe, pears and peaches with Snow White. Use a paper stencil for the banana and watermelon and fill in these areas with Snow White. Then use the smallest circle stamp and fill in around the fruit with Snow White grapes. When you've completed all these steps, each piece of fruit should be white (see workup on page 47.)

Applying Color
Following the color chart, stamp each piece of fruit in sequence as indicated, using the colors listed.

Detailing & Finishing
Using the #4 or 6 flat, paint Ebony Black shadows around the fruit. Using a small liner and Ebony Black, make stems and curlicues.

Complete the project with your favorite finish.

MATERIALS 10" x 6" wood surface, or wooden barrel, 11" high, 29" circumference
ACRYLIC PALETTE		BRUSHES	OTHER SUPPLIES	PRODUCT NOTES
Forest Green Pumpkin Snow White Red Iron Oxide Tangerine True Red Kelly Green Ebony Black True Blue Salem Blue	Sea Aqua Blush Lemon Yellow Hauser Light Green Dioxazine Purple Lavender Orchid Evergreen Avocado	Large basecoat brush or sponge #4 or 6 flat Small liner Small round	Walnut oil stain Wood dowels or spools 1/4"- or 1/8"- thick packing foam Low-temp glue gun Sharp metal caps or lids White graphite paper or white chalk Wood finish or varnish	Acrylics by DecoArt Americana.