A Winter Project – The Old School Chair

Coming across an old metal and plywood school chair was the spark for this winter project. It could well have been a chair I sat on over 40 years ago in my local National School.

As I looked at its battered frame, stained and peeling with age, the idea came quickly — to turn it into something that captured the sense of wonder I had as a child, daydreaming about nature and the mysteries of the world.

That same day, I sanded it down, wiped it clean, and painted the whole frame black. That evening, with the stove glowing and the room warm, I pulled out my acrylic paints and began. No plan, just instinct. Over the following week I painted insects, flowers, and a colourful galaxy, letting whatever came into my head find its place.

When it was done, I sealed the work with a strong varnish to protect it. The chair is no longer just a relic of school days past — it’s now a small celebration of imagination, memory, and the joy of creating.

Job done.