What is the White Church Gallery?

Mike and Carrie Zaitz are renovating an old Methodist Church in Grindstone City, Michigan. Mike claims he just wanted a place to work on his art. He sold Carrie on it, since she's usually up for adventures. From that happy December of 2011 till now, the investment in time and money has seen the church rebuilt from its glorious bones into a work of art, in progress. Carrie is documenting the process because, well, it's easier to hold a camera than to hold an edging sander. She's done both, because she is having an adventure, but it is Mike who drives this project with his intelligence, talent and energy. Together they are working toward creating an art gallery. A gallery which holds objects of beauty and inspiration, but which always points back to the source, our heavenly Father.
Showing posts with label painting.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label painting.. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Burgundy?

 In our endless deliberation about how to do the arch, Mike decided that we should paint behind the wood that would go up, and that meant putting up some plywood and painting it.
First step: plywood!
So that's what the nailers were for!

Higher and Higher, baby!
Not too high!
And finally,
Next: burgundy paint!
It looked VERY pink coming out of the can…
Wow it's bright!

Crazy color!
But it did settle down once it dried, as paint always does.

Whew! Calm down and carry on!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Looking for a Sign

Look no further. Here's the sign.

Well, maybe we should get out of the way?
 I know it's hard to tell I was being literal, because if you've been following our progress, you know that we try to heed the "signs" that the Maker puts in front of us. We try to listen to Him and get out of our own way as much as we thick-headed humans can.

The Sign!

But this sign is metal and plastic, and it should last a good long time. The art is Mike's, and we love the colors and composition. Most people seem to agree!

Before the sign could go up, preparations had to be made.

I'm prepping as fast as I can...

The painting of the outside of the church is an ongoing process, and I stifled my discouragement when I inspected the painted portion from just last year. It could use a touch up already! We're using a more expensive Sikkens paint because it's thicker and really soaks into the wood.  But the winter was brutal, and the bugs are ubiquitous.

Entering the realm of the spiders and wasps!

As I was painting, my "brothers in height" (Mike, my husband and Paul Fisher, of Rybak's) were across the way having their own adventure at Rybak's Ice Cream Store.
The back portion of the building has to be addressed, and for this job, no skimpy ladder propped precariously against ancient wood slick with spider silk and squashed bug juice would do. They called in the heavy machinery.

What's this?

The name says it all.

No women allowed?

Nope! Women get the aforementioned ladder. This is a MANLIFT!

Lifted Men! Having fun!

Well, I know that working that high in the air has its moments of doubt, but from my perspective it sure looked fun.

This ain't no party...

Thanks, David Byrne. Meanwhile, back at the cottage...

And for something completely different...
It's good to know that it's nap time somewhere in the world. 

Back to the Church. After the paint dried, the sign went up. Construction of the frame took place first, of course.

Measure twice, cut once.

The frame was cleverly constructed to allow contraction and expansion of the sign. Thanks to Paul Adams of Goats Graphix in Bad Axe, MI, we have a beautiful sign that will last far into the future. We were very impressed with Paul's work and will no doubt be using him in the future.

The bottom piece of wood is gone now...

So come on over to Grindstone Corners, grab a yummy ice cream at Rybak's Ice Cream Store, and check out the White Church Gallery!

Opening Summer 2015!

But don't come too close, or I'll rope you into helping me paint...

Just kidding- we'll get you a cold drink and sit in the shade!