How to paint a brass fireplace screen (without removing it!)

This is one of those projects that I always figured I'd do. We've looked at a million houses and for all the ones with ugly brass screens, I figured I'd get one and paint it black!

So it's actually funny that it's taken me this long to encounter this project and see it through!

I wish I had done this right when we moved in!! But, of course I had other things going on then. Now that it's done I feel so much happier with our historic fireplace!

We had one of these at our la...