Pigcasso, a rescued pig, paints on a canvas at the Farm Sanctuary in Franschhoek, outside Cape Town, South Africa February 21, 2019.

Painting sow Pigcasso hogs the limelight

South African swine has carved out a career as a commercially successful painter

Step aside Francis Bacon. Brandishing a paintbrush in her snout, Pigcasso enthusiastically tosses her head to create bright, bold strokes across a canvas propped up in her sty. The sow was rescued from an abattoir as a piglet and brought to an animal sanctuary in Franschhoek, in South Africa’s Western Cape region in 2016, where

And the winner is…

And the winner is…

Voters chose a denim-like colour as their top choice in paint

Beauti-Tone, a division of Home Hardware Stores Ltd., recently asked Canadians to choose the brand’s 2016 Colour of the Year from a list of four top contenders. The winner is French Charming, a cool blue reminiscent of a well-worn pair of jeans. Canadians chose that comfy fresh denim-like colour as their favourite. “French Charming is


Create a floor mat as well as a fun and useful hall tree.

Do-it-yourself projects for the home

Around the House: Read on for a couple of how-to ideas to get you started

Here’s two projects to brighten up your home: FLOOR MAT Create works of art for your floor with a canvas drop sheet and paint. Materials: One 5×12-foot canvas drop sheet No-Sew Glue Painter’s tape Beauti-Tone Designer Series Paint in chosen colours Beauti-Tone Designer Series Silk in a clear untinted base Instructions: Cut the size of

Try to find a picture of a finished room that includes decorating ideas that you might like to try.

A photo can help you make decorating decisions

Seeing some of your ideas in a finished room will help you decide if they are right for you

So you think you know what you want for your décor but can’t quite make the final decisions. Try to find a photo with similar features that you’d like. Seeing your ideas in a completed room will help you decide. The featured photo is a good example for me. The wall colour is very similar

Update your bathroom in a weekend

Some paint, a little work and a few new accessories will transform a room

As you can see from the “before picture” (see further down) this bathroom needs an update. Barring a full-on renovation it was updated in a weekend with paint and a bit of elbow grease. The oak cabinets were dated and well used, as was the inset mirrored medicine cabinet. The wall cabinets were taken down