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  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle.

    You can find me writing for Home Living Handbook, HGTV.com, and a handful of other websites. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

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Playing With Inkblots (In Silver)

February 6, 2012

Shiny and fun. Fun and shiny. And, sure, with the right master’s degree training, it’s probably a little revealing too.

A DIY inkblot test piece.

I think Rorschach Inkblots always look a little like an uterus and ovaries, if that helps to generate any information about me and my psyche. Nonetheless, the symmetrical forms have always been eye-catching, and after seeing this Andy Warhol print pinned by Curbly on Pinterest, I decided I wanted to try one (or a few) for myself. However the print is used, in psych offices, college textbooks, or on Jay-Z’s book cover, it’s pretty striking every time I see it. And it’s shiny. Always distracted by the shiny. Also another psyche-related observation for you. I found it online here, FY-sourcing-I.

Andy Warhol's Rorschach.

I’m pretty sure inkblotting is the first thing you explore when Mom and Dad let you play wildly with the finger paints after years of cautious tutorials (a psych analysis by itself), but as an adult, it’s still oddly fun to paint and smush, paint and smush, and see the random results.

For my own little interpretation of this famous piece, I opted to recycle some paper from a marketing collateral that Pete produced for one of his clients a long time ago. He has better work in his portfolio now-a-days, and the glue was so old that it came apart without making cuts. Meant to be. Thanks Pete.

It's free paper. I'll take it.

The textured stock is nice. A little something more interesting than a smooth, satin finish, and of course, awesome since it’s f-r-e-e. I folded my first piece and started to play.

It's free folded paper. I'll take it.

I chose to toy with two paints (already owned, another $0.00 from my wallet): Rust-Oleum Oil-based paint in Aluminum (shiny!), and some leftover Coastal Jetty Gray from when I refinished the office filing cabinets.

Oil-based paint, known forthright as OB is a ODB to clean, so I choose a painters brush that has seen it’s day and is almost trash anyways. For the water-based Jetty paint, I used a separate (less junky) brush. And, then I dabbled in making my own Rorschach art, with all intentions of trying to avoid ending up with 5 uterus prints.

Trying. What will this inkblot become?

One thing: It’s decieving how much paint is instantly absorbed into the paper, lessening the chance of the flawless transfer when the paper is folded and smushed. Use more paint than you think you need, but not so much that you end up with one solid blotch (I’m not sure what that would say about you).

Blotchy ink blots. Try, try again.

Some I created were pure Aluminum.

All silver inkblot.

Others were a combo of the Aluminum and the Jetty options, because I was hoping to achieve a mixed glossy-rich and shiny look. Interesting layered concept, but not my fave.

An inkblot combo of wall paint and aluminum paint.

Still others were messed up. This one, I folded and mushed, and then got distracted by the phone. No bouncing back from that one, the Jetty cured like Elmer’s and then tore the paper apart.

Torn inkblot error.

My favorite piece was this one (the first one I attempted). Simple, with clean lines and shiny aluminum finish, it’s clear that I was a little more patient with this one than the later pieces in my little “series”. I dig it.

Pretty silver inkblot.

I liked it so much, that I pulled an old frame out of storage, cut a custom mat, and framed it. The frame itself, something that I found at a yard sale many years ago (clearly handmade and polyurethaned, but all hardwood with lots of texture). It may or may not have been the initial inspiration for me to create my own line of custom reclaimed frames.

My DIY Rorschach Inkblot. In silver.

The mat was made from a scrap piece of mat board. You know when you cut the center out of a piece of stock to create the mat opening for another piece of art? Save it. It’s still big enough to use for smaller creations. Voila. I even signed “merrypad” to it in a moment of late-night pride. And then promptly added “2/12” representing the February 2012 creation date, though the following morning I realized that it read like this Rorschach is the 2nd in a series of 12 prints. It’s not. Don’t be fooled. Sorry.

My DIY Rorschach Inkblot. In silver.

Reinterpret anything famous lately?

P.S. Thanks for the fantastic response to Thursday’s Apartment Therapy House Tour, I’m elated by all of the positive comments and wonderful e-mails. You’ve made it all worthwhile!

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Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast living a very merry, DIY-filled lifestyle. As a freelance writer, you can find my work on many popular home and garden sites, including HGTV.com, Home Living Handbook, a Pursuit Channel for Men's Journal, and other outlets. Follow me on social, or drop me a note.

2 Comments


Rosane Tardin
February 6, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Reply

I am thankful to the Apartment Therapy to have come this far. A beautiful experience. Loved your site. I will always be here. Love.



    Emily
    February 6, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    Love to hear it, Rosane! Thank you for visiting!

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  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    You can find me writing for Home Living Handbook, HGTV.com, and a handful of other websites.

    Thanks for visiting!

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    Merrypad // Emily Fazio

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    I’ll always say yes to a maker space experience, I’ll always say yes to a maker space experience, and The Shed at @timberland’s HQ did not disappoint ✌️🥾 @homelivinghandbook 

Final footwear design not shown 🙂

PS tagging some cute shoes they gifted from the Fall 2024 collection!
    I made the call and snapped off the elephant garli I made the call and snapped off the elephant garlic scapes yesterday evening. Who’s going to help us harvest and eat the next 1,000? 🧄🧄🧄🧄
    Hi! Boy, do I have things to share. 🎉 🫶 Fr Hi! Boy, do I have things to share. 🎉 

🫶 Friendly reminder to focus on balance and wellness: Pete and I lived abroad with our family for the entire month of August 2023. If you ever have the opportunity to work remotely, I promise it to be a worthwhile adventure that’ll change your POV in so many ways. And, If you need an in with an incredible AirBnB in Denmark, DM me. From new playgrounds and museums to the culture and design, making this trip a reality continues to be something we celebrate every day, and I wish everyone can experience it on some level.

💻 Friendly reminder to say yes to new (overwhelming) opportunities: The professional celebration happened upon our return. Last fall, I was approached to launch @homelivinghandbook, a new Pursuit channel for @mensjournal that highlights home improvement and DIY! It has been really fun to see it come to light, and truly one of the most exciting partnerships I’ve ever had. Timing couldn’t have been better, and I’m really happy to see how it grows over time. Please follow along — the team published 150 articles in two months, covering all kinds topics for home enthusiasts! So much more to come. #linkinbio #homelivinghandbook

✌️ the end, many thanks for your support!
    How much garlic is too much garlic? Maybe we’ll How much garlic is too much garlic? Maybe we’ll find out in 2024. Finished planting 1,005 cloves (and 19 shallots) in three new beds at the farm, and crossed one huge chore off my list 📝 #gardennotes #garden2024
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