I remember the day I met this little table.

It was a hot day, last summer, and whilst driving, my car, which has a mind of her own (her name is Elvira, because she wanted her own theme-song), suddenly made a right hand turn.  My conscious mind was intending to go home and turn on the AC (when one lives in a Victorian, circa 1869, and one is a “starving artist” – which isn’t nearly as glamorous as “they” make it sound – one does not leave one’s AC running, when one is out, running about), but my unconscious mind (clearly in cahoots with Elvira), had seen one of those ubiquitous “Garage Sale” signs, and somehow knew that there was a treasure awaiting me.

Yes, here in our little town, we are each allowed one, and only one, garage/yard sale per year, which means that folks save up a buncha good stuff, and put it all out there, for public perusal.  And, here in our little town, we must secure specific signs, from City Hall, to prevent all the street signs and telephone poles from having handmade signs taped/stapled upon them.

But, I digress.

I, or Elvira, made the turn, and we happened upon a yard sale, overflowing from the garage, onto the front lawn.  It was late in the afternoon, with temperature licking upon the triple-digits, so the homeowners were inside (enjoying, I did hope, their own AC).  Over the years, I’ve acquired an eye for picking out the hidden treasure within a heap of stuff … whether that be in a thrift store, or a flea market, or a garage sale, or on the curb, or even near/in a dumpster.  The profile of the item just seems illuminated to me.  And this little table, called my name.

“Look at me, pick me, pick me!  Everyone thinks I’m just a nightstand, but I know you can see my potential!  Pick me, pick meeee!”  I swear, I heard him.  I looked him over, appreciating his sturdy oak construction, and smiling at his dovetailed drawer, and we bonded.

The owner came out of the house, heading toward her car (if she named her car, it might’ve been Bob), and said, “it’s $5.00, just put the money in the mailbox,” over her shoulder, and she drove off.

I appreciate living in a small town where most folks trust most other folks.

I put the money in her mailbox, and took my little table home.  He lived in my work-out/art shack since then, and we’d schmooze while I did my squats and lunges (I have to distract myself while doing those), and he let me know that he wanted to be a chess table.  He pointed out how his little drawer was a perfect place to store the chess pieces.  He showed off his little detailed spindles and arches, and let me know that he wanted to be dignified, but with an edge.

I lament that I did not photograph him, while he was still in his oak birthday suit … but I do have an image of him after being primed.  Here he is, with his friend, the Parisian Rocking-Chair, with a freshly faux-marbleized top.

(See the aforementioned story, about the Parisian Rocking-Chair, to get the details of my faux-marbleization process.)

I was motivated to bring out the stately beauty of this piece!  I put in several hours, using my “Shades of Grey” motif, which isn’t literally 50 shades, but close!  First, I took him downstairs and outside, to apply the gleam of metallic silver paint (it ran out just as I was finished – serendipities!).  Once dry, back up we went (I do a lot of schlepping of furniture, up and down these steep and long Victorian stairs), and I spent the better part of 2 evenings, festooning him with black, white, silver, and numerous shades of grey.

Here he is, with all of the base colors completed. —->

Yes, I know — some of you would prefer that I’d left it as-is … but I am She Who Knows Not the Limit of Details, so I continued with the festooning, until he felt *complete.*

I added silver roses to the grey sections, white dots to the black sections, and black stripes to the white sections.  I left the silver alone, to gleam without distraction.

Next would come the chessboard … which needed to be regulation size, and quite precise.  Yes, sometimes artists have to employ math and/or science.  I found a second-hand cardboard chessboard, and used it as my template, utilizing a straight-edge, and a paint-pen, to create the squares … which I painted in by hand, allowing the “marble” to show through.

I added the silver border, and then put black dots, both large and small, all around it, and then highlighted the larger black dots with a smattering of silver.

I then contemplated whether to paint the area outside the chessboard with black … but chose to leave it showing the marbled-veins, instead.

After several coats of polyurethane (semi-gloss for the sides/base, and high-gloss for the marbleized top), I added on a crystal knob (one of the many things I collect as I go — my life is like unto an ongoing scavenger hunt) … and … VOILA!

You can meet this table in person, perchance to fall in love, at Lunaria Gallery, 113 Water St., Silverton, Oregon, at my “Everything Old is New Again” solo art show, for the entire month of March.  Opening Event is on Friday, March 4, from 7:00-9:00 pm.

Here are the final photos of my completed “Shades of Grey” Chess Table: