before and after - mirror

The other day, I found a mirror in a local thrift shop. It had classical lines so all that was really needed was a little paint and a few subtle embellishments.

Here it is 'before'

 The first step was to gather ingenuity...
and some Inspiration  was called for.

These mirrors (shown above) were on 1stdibs.com found under the subject 'Trumeau Mirrors'

The Definition of a Trumeau Mirror:  According to Mary Gilliatt's Dictionary of Architecture and Interior Design: A late 18th-century and 19th-century mirror set into an overmatel. Often a painted scene or carved panel was set above it.

 I looked through some books and searched online for the decorative embellishment.  The images in the above photo were found at The Graphics Fairy, a wonderful source for free graphic designs. 

After choosing the image, I used transfer paper and transferred the image onto the panel in the small niche above the mirror. Then I painted the design in a monochromatic color scheme using flake white and burnt umber oil paint. In a grisaille style.

Below is the finished mirror!

After

Detail

Have a great weekend!