How cool is this?

My cheap @$$ secret pal sent me the most beautiful present. The little plastic spiders aren't part of the picture - they were just in the envelope and I thought they were funny.

Check it out.

It is a Theorem Painting, which (I have learned) is a type of stenciling using oil paints on velvet that was very popular in New England around the 1830s. My CASP has tea stained this one to make it look aged and more like the 19th C originals.

I'm totally floored by how pretty it is. Magically, the colors she has chosen are exactly what I have used in my house. I can't wait to frame it and hang it in my kitchen.

In her note, she mentioned that she was pleased to see that I was stenciling. Um, I put sparkly birds and dinosaurs on t-shirts, she makes art. I feel a little bit like Chaka Khan just caught me singing in the shower.

But I love my new painting and have enjoyed surfing through some Theorem Painting websites this morning. It is well worth the google search to see both the antique and modern intepretations of this artform.