Stories Behind The Brush.
Notes from Wendy’s studio, where paintings, furniture, colour, and old things find their way into new stories.
The Mangoes
1. A friend recently asked if I was still willing to paint her birthday gift,a painting of mangoes. She gently reminded me of a promise I had made over a year ago, and of course, I said yes! Truthfully, I love making gifts for people.
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The First Act of Love : The Story of an Early 1800s Cradle
This one arrived with a phone call from George's Station Antiques. One of the vendors had an old cradle they were planning to throw away. "Do you want it?" It was free. I didn't hesitate. When I arrived, I laughed. This was not the little cradle I had imagined! She was nearly four feet long. Somehow, with a little determination (and probably a little wishful thinking), I managed to fit her into my SUV. On a rainy day, I brought her home. As I looked at her, I didn't see an old piece of furniture. I saw a story. At first glance, she looked tired. Not broken. Not beyond saving. Just...quiet.
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The Story Behind Best Friends
My son had two cats who were inseparable. They played together, slept together, and seemed happiest whenever they were in the same room. If you've ever lived with cats, you know they each have their own personalities. But every now and then, two of them form a friendship that is something truly special.
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She Waited Almost Two Years to Be Beautiful
This hutch came to me over two years ago. I spotted her at Eclectic Finds, holding products for other vendors, doing the practical work furniture does when no one has made time for it yet.
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The Vulnerability of When Art Leaves Your Hands
Art is intensely personal. Whether it’s a reimagined piece of furniture or a painting on canvas or 100% cotton watercolor paper, you are offering a piece of yourself to the world. And that is no small thing. It’s vulnerable. It’s exposing. It asks to be seen.
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On Awakening Creativity
Like Spring, when the trees awaken and stretch from their winter rest,energy rising from deep within their roots to unfurl tender new leaves,I feel my creativity beginning to stir again after a long, quiet season.
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Come join me as I teach my first class! Learn how to use IOD moulds and DIY Paint to take home an Easter plaque!
Come join me, George’s Station Antiques, and Bistro 221 on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 5 PM in the loft of Bistro 221, St. George, SC! We will be doing a paint and sip, where you can learn to use IOD moulds, DIY Paint, have a bit of wine, and delicious food, and take something home that you made. All of the supplies are included. Sign up quickly as space is limited.
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Coming Soon, Shop Online!
It is amazing to think that this time last year, I was gathering the courage to paint a landscape on my secretary. I hadn’t painted a landscape in over 40 years, but the desk called for something special. After seeing Dionne Woods of The Turquoise Iris and watching her paint a piece of furniture, I went for it. There were no plans to have a booth, but the opportunity to be a stockist fell into my lap, so In January, I opened my booth at Eclectic Finds. I have been so busy in a year of building, I have not been very good about updating the website or making a mail order component. I have added Pain Pixie Brushes, Emily Lex Watercolors and books, and Iron Orchid Designs! So, stay tuned as I slowly figure out how to build the shopping online part. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me at wendyswhimsicalwonders@gmail.com. I am happy to let you know what I have and take an order. Of course, my booth, Wendy’s Whimsical Wonders is always open, located in the fabulous Eclectic Finds in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
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Welcome to My Latest Endeavor
Welcome to Wendy’s Whimsical Wonders! Here is my latest venture, taking my love of DIY Paint’s clay-based paint and my love of rehabbing furniture and other items, giving them new life. I discovered this wonderful, artisinal paint 4 1/2 years ago. Little did I know it would lead me to being the retailer of this paint and selling my creations. Stay tuned for more offerings, tutorials, and musings!
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Searching for Artisanal Paint? DIY Paint is the answer.
Are all chalk paints the same? Is DIY Paint yet another chalk paint? No! DIY Paint is a very richly pigmented, clay-based paint. It is non-toxic and has no VOCs. And, there is no latex, i.e. plastic, in this paint. What does that even mean? It means you can water-activate it over and over and move the paint until you seal it. For busy people, it means you can paint part of a piece of furniture, stop, come back to it a week later, wet the paint, and keep going. I had a piece I let sit for 6 months, and I was able to pick up where I left off. You can thin the paint with water and paint fabric, such as a sofa, chair, and even your clothes. The color intensity does not thin out like acrylics, watercolor, or other chalk-based paints. And, to set it, you use heat, such as a dryer, or a heat gun. It acts like watercolor, and allows you to do all sorts of techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet on dry, blending, color layering in ways that other paints just cannot. Trust me, I have tried. If you do not like something you have painted, this paint will cover up what you do not like. It is beautifully opaque. As I add more to the site, I will share demonstrations of how I do these techniques. In the meantime, come visit me at Eclectic Finds in Mt. Pleasant where you will find this magnificent paint, along with furniture, canvases, and other ephemera I have painted.
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