365/2013 - Day 26

I'd kind of like to try and paint something...I think

What?  Did I actually type that out loud? 

It doesn't happen very often, but yes -- sometimes I think I'd like to try to paint a picture.  I never have a clue what/how I want to do...and I usually end up not doing it at all...but today I figured what the heck -- I'm going to give it a try.

This morning I started doodling while I was half-watching a movie (that I've seen before).  I kept playing with it and adding more and more elements.  As you can see, it has a lot more to it than my "normal" near-stick figure doodles or my super plain creatures.

After a little bit I got tired of the movie and I went into the studio to use the computer to find some variations on a song from the movie.  I ended up spending a lot of time on YouTube and at iTunes and Amazon.  I got a bunch of songs and made a new compilation CD for the music player in the temporary studio.  PLUS, I managed to avoid working on the labels/printing/boxes for the Tookies.  (I will do them tomorrow...but I did realize I was doing some avoiding today.)

Then I went "shopping" in the basement -- I knew I had at least one small blank canvas down there somewhere.  I discovered the bin that held the canvas and much to my surprise there were about 5 or 6 canvas boards.  I decided to use one of them instead of a "real" canvas...just in case I lost interest or really hated the project halfway through.

The funny thing about these canvas boards is that they have a picture outlined on them.  On the back is (I suppose) what your finished painting is meant to look like.  They remind me of paint-by-numbers without the numbers.  I must have bought them at an estate sale -- the one that had a bunch of used brushes and a paint set and several paintings that I later repurposed into collages.

 
So I gave the canvas board a coat of paint to prime it and cover up the images.  Then I left it to dry and got ready to work on the plaster cloth that I didn't do last night.

The first thing I need to do to the Atomic Fireball Happy Hour guy is add more layers of plaster cloth to strengthen the Happy Hour tin that is his chest area.  It is a time consuming process but most of the guys on the save-it-for-later shelf are in the very earliest stages and they need a lot of work.  It also takes a long time because now I am trying to add wet plaster cloth to very dry old plaster cloth and the older stuff just soaks up every bit of water in the new stuff.

And tonight it has been "get back in there and work on the painting" time. 

I found that (luckily) I could still see through most of the paint and I was very surprised that I was starting to see a creature forming out of all of the still life items...just like when I re-use paintings for collages.  I was not expecting that at all.  

Then I was wondering what I could put in the background and I spotted the perfect circle template.  Perfect, indeed!

I added a bunch of circles an this is how it turned out.

The color in these photos is way off and I wanted to remember what color I used as the base so I scanned the canvas board -- this is closer to the actual color.

And much later (after feeding the cats and having my dinner) I came in to paint more and I started to outline one of the circles then I realized I would be covering up any shading I was doing now so I switched gears and filled in a background base color around everything, leaving a little bit of space for shading.  Yeah...right.  

And this is where I am stopping for tonight.  This is actually turning out better than I had imagined when I started this morning.  Obviously, this is going to be another creature/guy.  Right now it sort of looks like a kind of minotaur/bear/monster.  Who knows -- right now I am still just playing with it.

2012/365 - Day 301

hand sewn creature -- take one

Suzanne is coming over in a little bit to guide me in making my Holly Dolly creature.  

I started on the sewing this afternoon...this may -- or may not -- be part of the final creature.

Whoa -- I surprised myself by how straight my seam turned out!

wow

Some of the spikes have been put in place -- I hope this will be the actual creature, but I am not sure if this fabric is going to work.  I have many questions for Suzanne.

2012/365 - Day 162

the results of the re-papering and a very unexpected surprise

First, here are some shots of how the Unryu paper (in forest green) dried on the beast.  I like it.  I will need to do more painting on him, but for now I am very pleased with the results.

I had to put the beast behind my monitor so I would quit touching the surface while he dried overnight.  

Even the "problem" area on his left rear leg looks good.

It is so hard to get the little point-and-shoot camera to "see" what I am seeing...it distorts the angles quite a bit when I get in too close...but you can sort of get the feeling for how the forest green paper has blended with the original paint layers and gives a whole new layer to the other paper.

The Unryu paper smoothed into the dips and creases pretty darn well!

Yep...overall I am very pleased (so far).







And now, for the surprise...







Fellow blogger/artist Bridget McAlonan nominated me for Versatile Blogger Award.  I read Bidget's blog and we have some mutual Facebook friends and a mutual real life friend.  I've never heard of this award, but it is pretty fun to be a recipient of it!

This is how Bridget's blog post about receiving it looks.  Here is a link for the blog post.

There are guidelines/rules for this award -- and you know how I am about following rules -- so here goes:

• Thank the person who gave you this award
• Include a link to their blog
• Next, select 5 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly
• Nominate those 5 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
• Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself

 These are the five blogs I would like to give the award to:
1.  Elin Waterston and her wonderful blog will . love . logic -- this is where I finally decided I needed to do my own 365-blog.  I first met Elin through Art-o-mat.
2.  William Hessian and his boundless imagination/enthusiasm/energy/talent at his main blog Bearded Bunny Blog.  Among countless other things, William is a fellow Arto-artist and the creator of the Miniature Art Hunt...coming to Northville June 22-23!  (This is Bridget/my mutual real life friend.)
3.  Woodie Anderson and her always delightful blog:  taste kills creativity.  Woodie is another fellow Arto-artist...and you really must check out her Etsy shop!
4.  Leann Meixner and her ever entertaining blog Leannderthal.  Leann is another real life friend and amazing artist and eraser carver...as well as a future Arto-artist.  (hmmm...a theme is beginning to develop here...)
5.  Juana Moore and her jam-packed Clea's Cave -- Juana is another real life friend (and hey, Arto-artist) and incredible artist.  Juana was the first person I knew with a blog.  We have collaborated on many Arto-blocks and we are Magic:  the Gathering players, too.   And here is a link to the blog for the Arto-series Juana and I collaborate on:  Penciled In.  (on a side note...William and I are collaborating on an edition of Penciled In, and I am also making a DIY version)

 

And here you go, Bridget...7 things about me:

1. I am a triple Capricorn and most of the things you hear about Capricorns really apply to me -- except for the being good with money and the love of history.
2. I love to turn my tongue blue...cotton candy, jawbreakers, bubble gum, popsicles, candy canes, etc.
3. I wear mismatched pajamas almost 24/7.  I only get "dressed" when I have to.
4. I don't mind dental work because I  * love * nitrous oxide.  Seriously.
5. I am afraid of real life rabbits.
6. I love to spin in circles.  
7. I really hate being outside.

Thanks, Bridget -- I hope you enjoy checking out my favorite blogs/bloggers!

2012/365 - Day 161

Unryu paper to the rescue (again)

I've used Unryu paper to cover up paint messes before.  Now I am using it to cover up/add another layer to the surface I have been papering for the last three days. (I just tried to look that other paper up...I couldn't find the exact one but it is either a Japanese or Thai paper with inclusions...I will find it eventually.)

So this time it is Unryu paper in forest green doing the rescuing.

LOL -- it almost looked like I had pulled off the other paper after the first piece of Unryu was on.

This paper is very very lightweight and fiber-y.  When it became wet with the matte medium (in this particular application) it became very easy to rip and also almost mushy -- so I had to be extremely aware of the pouncing of the brush when I was laying it down...but I still wanted it to conform to the dips and uneven surface...no air pockets if possible.

This is with just the first piece added.

This is when I was done (for today).

This was after I cleaned up the area and set him back on the desktop.

When he started to dry a little I knew I wanted to go back and smooth out the pounced marks.

There was also this trouble area on his left rear leg.  See how the paper is almost melted and mushy?  

I added a few more teensy pieces of paper and smoothed them on with just my gloved finger and matte medium -- no pouncing with the brush.

  

I really need to stop touching it now and just let it dry all the way. 

I can't wait to see how it looks tomorrow because at this moment it looks pretty good -- the forest green Unryu paper is blending back in with the original remaining paint colors.

2012/365 - Day 160

round three of trying out the paper on the beast

I added more sections of paper to the beast.  It is drying nicely, but now I am not so sure how I feel about the overall look of it.  I like the colors.  I like the paper and the inclusions in it.  But now I think that it is looking (to me) like the plain plaster cloth almost.  Whatever happens, I know I am going to have to paint him, too.

How he looked when I started out today.

It kept feeling like the paper needed to be extended further and further...now it looks like he has on a horse blanket/cooler or something.

And then it looked like I should add paper to the top of his head.

I played with the color around his eyes a bit and I like these lines...I wasn't able to repeat them on the other eye...I tried three times...but they kept coming out wide and blotchy.

No matter how he turns out in the very end, I will like him.  I think he is adorable.

2012/365 - Day 159

trying out an idea -- round two

The paper dried as I hoped it would -- you can see color coming through it.  Now, how much more do I add?

Pretty much how he looked when I started this evening.

It is hard to see in the photos, but you can see the color under the paper.

I decided I needed to put on at least enough more paper to cover the little nicks in the paint.

I tore the paper more deliberately today...trying to fill in spaces.

Because I made this guy over another statue/form, he had pretty uneven surfaces.  I know nothing about muscle structure or where bulges should go -- but hey -- this is MY guy, I made him up...so it is all correct.

In a couple of places I had to rip the paper as I laid it into the glop so that it would conform to the surface imperfections.  Like yesterday, as it was drying I smoothed out as many air pockets as I could.

Heh -- he trusts me.

I added a good coat of matte medium over the unpapered surfaces to even things out and to keep the rest of the paint in place...hopefully.

The little guy tries to reassure him that the matte medium dries clear.

AND -- I cleaned up my mess yet again.  (I think this might be a new routine!)