My Inchies Are Done

This was a lot of fun to do. After you get past the aggravation of trying to find that many tiny images that are meaningful or pleasing to you. I think I left off at going around the pics with black paint because my gel pens wouldn't write on it. So I just made sketchy black lines around each inchie. Then I dry brush coat of gesso. Then lines with a charcoal pencil that you smear. Then more dry brush gesso. Then more smeary charcoal.
Then you hit it randomly with a dry brush in grey.
The mag says to have gesso and marks on your inchies. And to outline some of the pics in the inchies with black pen.
But I didn't want to mark or cover any of them. They took too darn long to amass!! So I skipped this step.

Then I took stencils and made words that seemed to fit and dry brushed them with gesso. Then I lightly outlined them with charcoal pencil that I smeared.

That's it. Like I said, fun to do. Wouldn't it be cool to have a son or daughter or BFF collect images and do one of these pieces for them?

Peace

Wall Hangings

I'm not sure what to call these, wall hangings or placques or what.Anyway, this one is for a sister who had a bit of a run in with her teenage daughter. The words are'Raising teenagers is like trying to nail jello to a tree.' I was really happy with the image of a woman I found. I Google imaged Frustration and there she was.

This one is just cuz I like the saying. It is 'Give a man an inch and he thinks he's a ruler.' For some reason it just cracks me up.

So that's some of what I've been doing. Nothing profound, just putzing around.

Peace

No pics today

Today is for remembering.
I know I will never forget the feeling of horror and outrage.
That someone, some people would dare do this to us.
It couldn't be true.
But of course it was.
And now our boys and girls are still over there.
Even after all this time.
I am proud of my son and my nephew and all the soldiers.
But it saddens me and sickens me and I am always frightened for them.

Peace

Me in Inches

So I saw this done in Cloth Paper Scissors and it intrigued me. So I figured I'd give it a shot. The idea is to cut images in inchies and mount them on a canvas. So first I graphed out the canvas and found out that I would need 99 inchies!!



Then I decided that my inchies would be things that represent me or that make me happy. So I made an inchie stencil out of a piece of plastic and started looking for pics. It is a lot harder than you would think to find things that are able to be identified when cut into an inchie.

It probably took a couple of weeks of searching images in mags and catalogs etc. And I used some words from an old dictionary. But finally I got 99 and there they are all mounted with matte gel medium.

Next you're supposed to start painting in between them with a paint marker, but I don't have one so I am using a brush and some Topaz metallic craft paint.

I'll keep you posted about the next steps.

Peace

Heart Songs

I was inspired to make these by the article in May/June Somerset Studio.
The artist is Sarah Whitmire. There was just something about them that I had to re-create.

I used the museum canvases, which I love. I have found that Sax Art Supplies carries them for a decent price. Call them and get a catalog, it's full of great stuff.

I had a bunch of trims and old lace scraps, and I used them to trim out the bottoms. I used mechanics wire for the false hangers.

I cut scallops from sheet music for the sides.

I tried the crackling paints and didn't find them to be any better than using the medium. You will save a step, but the crackle isn't as noticable.

Peace

Trauma, drama, illness and an artistic kick in the teeth

I have been away from Bloglandia for a VERY long time. What a lot of stuff has been going on. But thankfully it is mostly over and life can get back to normal.

First there was family trauma, which will happen from time to time, especially when the family is large like mine. And there is always drama to accompany the trauma.

Then I got to lose over a month to an illness which while it could have been fatal, wasn't.

Before all this stuff happened, I got a real artistic kick in the teeth. I had mentioned the show I was going to be in. I entered this piece 'Imaginary Friends'And this piece 'Warrior'

And this piece 'A Really Good Hair Day'

So I'm pretty happy with my work, I thought I had some very unusual and creative things. Then they had the judging and I got beat out by this! A knock-off of a lawn ornament that the guy who made it told me he threw together just to prove he could do whimsy. I don't expect to win every thing I enter. I know full well that there are many many artists out there who are better than me. I also know that it isn't always who's better, sometimes it's all about the judges taste. This judge was a man and I don't know what to say about his taste. The welds were sloppy and the painting was spotty. I was really confused.

Then I enter a jury show for the first time. I am again feeling pretty good about my work. I entered the big black beaded wing, the bone and jewel dragon sculpture and Miss Noteworthy. I feel these are some of the best work I have ever done. I didn't enter looking towards winning, because this is a big show with entries from all over the states. But I truly thought I would at least get in.

Wrong.

I got the form letter saying thank you but no.

So I guess I have been creatively pouting in the midst of all the trauma drama and illness.

But I'm over it now. So screw 'em if they don't like my work. I do.

Peace

Dancing Goddess And A New Mask

This is a new Goddess I just finished. Her word is Dance. I wanted to play with trying to make her look like she is moving. She is a little misshapen and her boob is where her waist should be, but all in all I am pleased with her. This is 'Warrior' a new mask I did for a show. I have to say I like her best of all the faces I have done. Her background color is copper, it just doesn't show up so well in these pics.

There is an art show at the Center where I had my gallery show last Dec. You can enter 3 pieces. They have to be made within the last 6 months and never shown at the Center before. I entered 'Imaginary Friends', 'A Good Hair Day aka Hannah' and this piece. There is judging and awards so fingers crossed.

This is a closeup of the top of her head. She is wearing a Fox head headress embellished with Wild Turkey feathers and Pheasant feathers and with curly dried vines.

This is a scrap of leather I had, I scraped the back of it with a knife and cut into the edges and then slightly burned them with a wood burner. More feathers and some bones finish her outfit.

Like always her eyes are doll/teddy bear eyes mounted in paper clay and glued into the back of the mask.

Peace

The Winner Is...

First my apologies for posting the winner so late. We have been in the middle of a family drama/trauma and it is causing all kinds of headaches including a migraine for me.

But the winner is Kathy from Pieces Of Me in my links list. Please E me your addy Kathy and I will send your Goddess to you.

I did my first cut and paste collage. I love collage and am a huge fan of Kathy from Pieces of Me and Peggy from Peggy's Mixed Up Art. They are both in my links list. I am lucky to own a piece from Peggy and it is beautiful.

So I wanted to try my hand at cut and paste. The idea is that the little girl is holding back a sunflower that has gotten too much Miracle Gro.
What was most fun to do, was the piecing together of 5 different garden pics to make one.

And I finished my rooster. I am happy it looks like a rooster. Since this is the first picture I have ever painted, and I didn't sketch it out first, I wasn't sure what it would turn out to be. I just did a rough pencil shape and started painting. The feet are kind of wonky, but feet usually are LOL!!

Peace

Changes

This is a piece meant to represent the changes in Japanese fashion/culture. From the old to the new. I googled Japanese street fashion and got these images.

The Geishas are from google and Art Chix. I did all the circles because I thought it looked kinda Asian.

The Kanji symbol says 'Changes'.

I have been experimenting with paints lately. I have never painted a picture before, so I'm kind of creating by the seat of my pants here.

My DH is fascinated with roosters. I don't know why. We don't have any. But he loves them. So I googled a pic and this is the start.

I'm using water colors.

Peace

A Really Good Hair Day

Yay, she's finished! I couldn't be happier with her. I have renamed 'Hannah' after my friend Marys, from Working Projects in my link list, granddaughter. I have seen her pic and she has hair just like this. Hers is all one color tho. And it doesn't have beads and stuff on the ends. I went round and round about jewelry for her. I toyed with the idea for a jewel in her navel. But in the end, I think this look suits. She has purple sequins around her arms and a little black pearl necklace.

This is a journal page I did. Not much writing on it, but I was so happy with the way the colors turned out, I didn't want to cover them.

See the post below to enter my giveaway.

Peace

A Goddess Give Away

This is to celebrate my 100th post! I can't believe I've posted so much. And it amazes me that people like what I do enough to follow my blog. So as a thank you I am giving away this Goddess.

She is about 6 1/2 inches hi. Her word is Peace. I chose her because my son will be going back to Iraq for his second tour in May, and peace is what I wish for us all.

She is made from copper wire and glass beads.

So leave me a comment and on May 1st I will pick a winner by having DH randomly pick a number.

Please make sure I have your E addy so I can let you know if you win.

I have been playing a lot with journal pages this week. Experimenting with paints which his something I never do much.

This came out looking like the view from my kitchen window, so I detailes the trees with a gel pen. You can't see it from the pic tho.

I am surprised by how this turned out, I just smudged paint around without a plan. I used these colors because they were the only tubes of water colors I had that hadn't dried out!

Peace

Starting A Journal

I started an art journal today. This is a big deal for me. I love journals. I am fascinated by other peoples journals. But I never did one because I was always afraid I would sound dorky. Seems like people write such beautiful, insightful and inspiring things. How do they do it?

A friend of mine pointed out that it doesn't matter if you're dorky or not, no one will see it if you don't want them to. She also told me to go to Suzi Blu on U Tube. Which I did and I loved. So I took the plunge and started.

I am NOT going to worry about sounding dorky, or what my handwriting looks like, or if I have anything important to say.

I am just going to play.

Peace

The Angel Of Death or The Bone Collector

Awhile ago, the talented Jen Worden from Travelogue Of An Artistic Mind, (in my links) posted her Fem Bots. They fascinated me and I kept going back to look at them over and over. So i decided to try my hand at her technique. I got a barbie doll knock off from Hobby Lobby. I scalped her and took off her legs. Then I wired her hands together. Then I started covering her with plaster bandage like you would use to make a cast. Then I brought the bandage down to form a skirt. I gave her an underskirt made from window screen.

I painted her metallic black. I gave her a headress of micro beads. Her wongs are from Wild Turkey and Peacock feathers. I had some small skulls that were not in good enough condition for me to paint, and some small bones left over from 'The Guardian' so I beaded and strung them.

Everything is hooked together with fishing line swivels, so it all moves independently.

Thank you Jen for the inspiration.

Peace

Updates

I finished John Lennon and I am very happy with it. I wanted to show what he might have in his mind. I cut the top of his head off and angled it so it would look like his thoughts were pouring out. This piece was inspired by someone asking me 'what goes on in your head?'. I used among other things, an image of a piece of his artwork, and a song in his handwriting.

For the background I printed the words to my favorite song 'Imagine' all in small letters except for the word Imagine. The black ribbon is for balance and because he is gone from us.

This is an 8x10 canvas. I am thinking of doing a series of these about people who interest me. I will call it 'Headshots.'

This is the body of the wire haired dolls head. I made plugs to go into the ends of her arms from paper clay. I used 2 part epoxy to connect them. Tomorrow I am going to buy a dowel rod to fit into her head and it will get mounted. Then she will be done. Except that I haven't decided about the jewel in her navel.

So what do you think, jewel or no jewel?

Peace

This That and the Other

I've got a lot of things going at the same time, so here are some pics of these works in progress.
But first this is one of the many deer who live on our property. This little girl and 3 others were in the backyard eating birdseed off the ground. I shot this thru the screen so it's fuzzy. But still cute! This is a collage homage to John Lennon. The idea is to represent what was in his mind. So I cut the top of his head off and filled it with pics of things I think he always thought about. I'm not sure how the background will be yet.

This is my first attempt at Zetti. I am trying to work more in color this year. So I wanted to give Zetti a try. I didn't have any journal pages to do or other good paper to work on. So this is an artists board. And I found out that markers don't work too well on it. Neither do colored pencils. So I am doing it with craft paints. This is just the beginning. But the idea is a Prom Queen. You know, one of thoooose girls. The popular ones, the in crowd. I had penciled the whole thing in, but when I started painting , of course the paints covered everything up. So I am starting all over.

This is the body for the wire hair doll assemblage. She has teal colored arms with yellow nail polish to match her eyelashes. They will be mounted on the side of the purple ball. The head will be on top. I am thinking about giving her a jewel in her navel!

The black base and purple body are wooden things from the hardware store. I think they go on the top of staircase end posts.

Tomorrow I go to get the fabric to work on the St. Basils collage.

Things to do everywhere. YIPPEE!!

Peace

A Fabric Mosiac

This is my very loose idea of St. Basils cathedral on the Red Square in Russia. This came into my head while watching a dancing show. They had dancers from all over the world. There was a russian ballerina who was very graceful.

I've always been fascinated by the Cathedral. And I thought how pretty it could be to have a ballerina on point in black silouhette (how the heck do you spell that??)in front.

So this is going to be a 16x20 canvas. I am going to paint the background a solid color. The buildings will be made up of different fabrics adhered with matte gel medium. There will be the low fence in front made from textured packing paper/cardboard, then the square will be cobblestones probably made from torn coffee dyed dictionary pages.

That's the plan anyway. I am going to have the piece blown up and make 3 copies so I have plenty on hand for patterns.

Peace