SALS Challenge - Hair

 Each month for the Stansbury Art and Literary Society Meeting we have a challenge. This months challenge was HAIR.

I love Victorian Ephemera so I used this darling image to loosely paint my angel you see above her. It was so fun to see if I could pull this off in a day, I did it! I am looking forward to seeing what everyone shares.

An Autumn Abstract in the Making

Started off with gold and then orange. Now to the metallics. This will be fun!

Whoohoo! It's Time to Get Ready For Hallowbaloo!

 

Come one come all, 

We'll have a ball!

Enchanting creations 

To delight your imagination! 

 I received an exciting invitation to debut at Seattle's first Hallowbaloo show this September! Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming! Funny how retiring from working as an art teacher has given me the opportunity to say YES, to participate in a new show. I will be rubbing shoulders with some of the best Halloween folk artists, which is thrilling! More information to come as I gather my wits about me and get down to business.

Americana Santa on PFATT

Not a lot of creative writing to be found in my scrambled brain right now as I am just wrapping up my final year teaching art and trying to sort out my comings and goings this year. I will have so much more freedom to be here and there so I'm looking forward to that. My daughter and I will finally get some good time together, and our home is going to get the finishing touches so we can move in next year, yay! So here's the skinny on my newest piece, no fuss, no fancy smancy language.

 Using a beehive textile bobbin, some clay and lots of creativity I pulled this Santa together. He has moveable arms that are attached with wire, and vintage buttons to spiff up his coat.

 This Santa stands on a wooden star base, and carries a pipe cleaner wreath and bottle brush tree.

As always, he is a one of a kind original that comes signed and dated. Find him at the PFATT Marketplace. Thank you for stopping by!

My Three Entries for the Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts

Calabaza de Cuero

 It's nail biting time again. Funny, I always worry about being accepted, and haven't been turned away yet, so why the nail biting? I guess it's that old lack of self confidence creeping in. Keeps me humble right? Lol.

Sunset In Sonora

 This was an interesting challenge, but a lot of fun to do. I wanted to try and use my doilies in a tree painting, and it worked, although I had another style in mind prior. What's nice is I can still try my other idea. I've learned though that joint compound does not like cold basement floors. It was a bit hard to spread, and a lot more crazing happened than I like. The paint filled most of that in luckily, and the antiquing process brought out what was left, to my advantage.

The Red Hen

Pastels and chickens, who knew that would be my new fun challenge to try?! I have a couple of other challenges in that regard, and my temptation is to blow past the sketch step and get right to it, but I think I will try and sketch out my idea first to make sure I have my light and dark areas figured out. I can do that while Kent is doing his dulcimer practice so it works for both of us.
I'd better get to finishing getting ready for work. I am introducing Mary Cassatt to my students today. It will be interesting to see how they settle in after Spring Break.

Western Style Tooled Leather Look on Carved Gourd

 Got this done finally, and it turned out pretty nice if I do say so myself. Nature Guy and I were both sweating it, as two days ago this was not looking the way I had hoped. Proof that details matter.

I had to change a plan or two, for instance, the holes around the top band of the gourd weren't doing it for me. As I was rummaging through my jewelry making stash I found some eyelets that intrigued me so I tried placing a couple in the holes and they sure made a difference so that was a nice discovery slash inspiration. I had another plan for the base of the gourd, but acrylics weren't working the way I had hoped. it's all good though as the end result turned out great as well. You can't really see it well in this photo, so when we get back from our travels I will share more photos. All in all, my art pieces for the show are going better than I hoped, whew! Are you working on anything new?

Gourd Carving... getting ready for the WVFA

 Trying out a new technique and flying by the seat of my pants so to speak. I see a new book out on gourd carving, right after I already started this...lol. Oh well, I've always wanted to try a tooled leather look on gourds, but I have another piece in mind. This may be titled "Trial Run".

I am getting close to my deadline, so I'd better get this done. So far, so good. I have a few tweaks to do before I finish the painting, but I am nervously and feverishly working to finish this and another piece before my deadline. I know, why wait to the last minute right? Well, work, and family stuff and illness and a family death put me behind big time so as usual I'm scrambling. It will all work out. In the mean time I think I'm going to order the book I saw and see what I can learn.