365 Day 111

done!

Here are the two sneak peeks for my submissions to the upcoming Meth & Hot Dogs 2 show, curated by Kill Taupe at LIFT in Royal Oak, MI.

We aren't supposed to show the entire piece, so here are two teasers.







'Nipped -- an insatiable catnip addict









The Nice -- his unscrupulous catnip dealer











Oh man -- it's 5 a.m. -- I need some sleep!

365 Day 106

general work day

Today I have been working on sorting and clearing up things, packing up auctions that closed, running very close/short errands and then working on 'Nipped.






before







It may be sort of hard to see it, but I put two layers of color on today. The before photo shows how the various painted layers were still showing through most of the piece. The next photo show the orange-over-a-layer-of-yellow detail.






after







I am starting to get more close to being done now and I don't want to show overall shots until after the opening of Meth & Hot Dogs 2. I will continue to show close up shots and teasers.

365 Day 101

more work on 'Nipped and his companion piece









'Nipped, partially gesso'd











I didn't mean to still have this much work to do on my Meth & Hot Dogs 2 pieces by this date. Life happens, more unexpected work needed to be done on 'Nipped (and had to dry), other deadlines happen...today 'Nipped gets gesso'd and base coated.

The companion piece is partially done. You remember how I really dislike painting? Well, I had an idea for the stripes on this guy yesterday that I think turned out pretty darn well and saved me from painting. Tonight I will be painting his face and head. Then he will just need to be sealed.





this guy gets a face tonight

365 Day 99

more plaster cloth!

Meth & Hot Dogs 2
I ended up needing to do one more layer on the neck area of 'Nipped before I went to bed last night. But here he is...sleeping/drying.








'Nipped sleeping/drying





New Project!
There is currently a display at Northville Square Mall (where Solid Grounds Coffeehouse is) that shows various projects from some sort of learning center for little kids. I don't remember exactly what the name is (if I see it again I will come back and edit this part). It reminds me of going to the science fair when I was a kid.

There are lots of tables with different examples of all sorts of activities they do at the learning center. It is really really great.

One of the displays has a long snake made out of paper tubes -- I think it has to do with recycling things for art projects. ANYway ... that inspired me to do my own Studio Snake. I go through a lot of various paper tubes: toilet paper, wrapping paper, paper towels, mailing tubes, etc. I usually recycle them but I want to do a ongoing long-term project that will allow me to keep adding to it and try out different paint combinations, embellishing techniques, etc. This project will also help me play with supplies and try stuff. Maybe I will start to ease into painting even??? Perhaps get to not hate/dread it so much??? Hmmmmm...

The kids' snake was plain paper tubes that they painted or glued things to. I am going to put layers of plaster cloth on mine. This is the basic shape in the first layer stage. I already have a bunch of ideas for embellishing the body sections. I am really excited about this!











Studio Snake: the beginning






Woot! Woot! Dept.
AND -- finally -- I think I came up with something I am happy with for Juana's very belated birthday present. This is a deliberately cryptic photo so that if she happens to see it, she won't be able to tell for sure what it is.




Juana's long-belated birthday present: the beginning

365 Day 98

last night of wet plaster cloth for this project


This is me just before getting all plaster-y. Tonight is the last possible night to finish the wet plaster layers on 'Nipped, my main character piece for Meth & Hot Dogs 2.












Meth & Hot Dogs 2 is a celebration of character art in all its forms. The exhibit will bring together a group of 36 artists whose illustration, plush, custom toys, sculpture and paintings show an appreciation for the demented, cute and strange.

Meth & Hot Dogs 2: A Collection of Even More Unscrupulous Characters
Curated by - Kill Taupe
Opening Saturday, April 30th | 7-10pm

LIFT Designer Toys and Gallery
228 W 4th St -- Royal Oak, MI

365 Day 96

back to the plaster cloth!

Today I have been adding more plaster cloth layers to my main character -- 'Nipped -- for Kill Taupe's Meth & Hot Dog 2 show, but this is all you are going to see today because I am supposed to only show teasers (until after the show is over).









these are the scissors I use to cut the plaster cloth -- my hands are usually quite plaster covered

365 Day 90

'Nipped teaser

We are only supposed to show teasers for our pieces that will be in Meth & Hot Dogs 2, so here is a teaser of today's layer of plaster cloth on one of my pieces for the show.

This is my main character. He is an insatiable catnip addict. The name of this piece is 'Nipped.

I am about to turn in for the night. I need to get up early in the morning and do some chores before leaving to get Juana and we take off for Kalamazoo.

Meth & Hot Dogs 2

This is another show I am very proud and excited to be participating in!

Facebook Event page: link

You can also click on the poster on the main page of this blog for more info.

365 Day 83

the last look at these guys for a while







'nip dealer -- rear view before gesso and 2nd coat of blue paint









Now that I have completed the Tookies that I will be taking to the 1st-Ever Tiny Market at Tiny Studio in Kalamazoo for the April Art Hop there, I am turning my attention to:

1. finishing my Chime Cat Visits Cloud City for "Come Play With Me" (Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester)
   
2. my entries for "Meth & Hot Dogs 2" (LIFT, Royal Oak)

From this point on I will only show teasers. Photos of the final complete versions will only be shown at the blog after the run of a show.

The first three photos tonight are of the two main pieces I am making for "Meth & Hot Dogs 2". Click on the poster for more info.

Around these parts (my house, that is) my cats like to partake in a bit of catnip (aka 'nip) on occasion. My characters will be 'Nipped -- a hopelessly insatiable catnip addict and his 'nip dealer (untitled as of now). The dealer is a snake that I originally made as a tail for another creature (last year) but that I thought looked better on its own as a snake. Up until now I have been using this guy as a test surface for color combinations and palettes for other plaster cloth (and/or papier mache) items I have been working on. The stripes in the first photo were the basic pattern for Chime Cat's socks.

Both characters are shot from the back view tonight...that is the teaser part.

The snake has loads of layers of papier mache and plaster cloth already (because I was teaching myself how to use the materials) and I don't even remember how many coats of colors he has altogether (so far)...but tonight he got another coat of light blue and another coat of gesso....oh I have plans for this guy, all right.






'nip dealer -- paint and gesso -- rear view












'Nipped still needs quite a few more layers of plaster cloth. He was originally made for a figurative show I ended up not entering. I was basically not happy with the human-ish thing I made and it was mostly because I had forced it -- it wasn't really "me".

[That little exercise in futility helped me to learn that I can't really work like that. I need to make things that I want to make, that I have had in my head for a while...or that I feel some sort of connection with. I need to just make things because I need to make them. Then if they happen to fit an upcoming call for entries, cool. Or perhaps a basic shape can be tweaked for a show...that sort of thing. I think that was a really big part of the turning point for me this year.]

I have added a lot of roundness to his head (especially on the back) and added the ears. I also gave him more shape and substance with the addition of the shoulders and upper torso. I am reeeeeally happy with the ears so far.









'Nipped, rear view








Thankfully the delivery date for the art for "Come Play With Me" was extended a week. This will give me plenty of time to do the final painting of Chime Cat and to finish off his cloud cart, the pull strap and the handle for the strap. He will also need several layers of sealer.




unfinished Chime Cat, rear view


It has really been amusing to me that several people have thought that Chime Cat was in a sort of traveling litter box. He is actually in a cloud cart for getting around in Cloud City. I think it will be easier to see when it is finished. Plus, if you go see him in person, when that cart rolls and you hear the chimes you will know that there is no way that's a litter box....LOL.

365 Day 74 -- part two

a Meth & Hot Dogs 2 teaser














I am only going to be showing teaser photos for my 3 pieces for Kill Taupe's Meth & Hot Dogs 2 show at LIFT Designer Toys & Gallery in Royal Oak, MI.

I love how the ears are turning out for my main character!

The title of this piece is 'Nipped -- he is a cat with an insatiable catnip addiction.

Very exciting news!

Remember I said one of my goals this year was to submit work for local shows? Well, I did and was accepting to one of the most fabulous shows! I get to make stuff for Meth & Hot Dogs 2 and I am so excited!

I have an idea of the character I want to make. I know I will make a collage, but I am also going to try to do justice to the character in some sort of sculpted form.

Below is a brief description of the show and the artists line up...swiped from Kill Taupe's blog. Here is a LINK to Kill Taupe's blog entry.

Meth & Hot Dogs 2 is a celebration of character art in all its forms. The exhibit will bring together a group of artists who have an appreciation for the demented, cute and strange. M&HD2 opens April 30th at Lift Designer Toys & Gallery in Royal Oak, MI.