365 Day 66

I did it!

Today my friend Juana and I hand delivered our submission CDs for "Come Play With Me" out to Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester, MI. This is the toy-themed show I have been referring to and it is another "first" for me. PCCA invited Michigan artists to submit original dolls, toys and games for a playful exhibit. Submissions will be juried by PCCA's Exhibition Committee.

Here are my photos -- this is "Chime Cat Visits Cloud City"


















and the accompanying detail shot.


















Chime Cat is 3 feet tall, 14 inches wide and 19 inches deep. It weighs about 30 pounds.

I still need to tweak some of the painting of the cat. Also I want to add clouds to the cart and I have a wooden piece that will serve as a handle for the pull strap. Then I need to seal the whole thing really well.

I am nervous and excited about it. Artist notification takes place between March 14-19. Keep your fingers crossed for Chime Cat!

For the remainder of the evening I will be working on Tookies, adding the flat ribbony yarn to the tops of their heads. I have about 30 to go, then I need to trim up the "hair" on all 100 finger puppets and put them into the boxes and add the acetate/cellophane...then they will be ready to ship to Art-o-mat HQ. I think probably Thursday at the latest...most likely before then. Yay!

365 Day 65

why does someone who dislikes painting so much choose to make things that need to be painted?


Okay. I have done about all that I can do -- for now. I am going to take the photos and submit them for consideration into the toy-themed show. I will need to tweak the painting to clean up lines and possibly add clouds to the cloud cart. I will also need to coat the whole thing in some sort of sealer...but for now...this is basically how this piece will look. Oh, and I have the piece of repurposed leather reins (or something -- not sure exactly what it is) from my niece's horse stuff and a handle to use as the pull part. Whew.

And I really, really, really DO hate to paint.

The title of this piece is now "Chime Cat Visits Cloud City".






















































































And now, back to finishing the Tookies!

365 Day 63

now it's up to me



Matt came over to finish attaching the frame/trim to the cart today. I am so grateful for his help with this project!
















Now the rest is up to me -- the painting and embellishing and finishing. I need to take photos for my submission CD and I should probably come up with a title for it. Juana and I will both run our CDs, paperwork and entry fee to Paint Creek Center for the Arts on Monday. I hope we get to be in this show together!



















Here is the first finished Tooky from this batch of 100 for Art-o-mat. I gave this one the ribbony yarn "hair" and trimmed it and came in to blog about it now because I am afraid I am going to fall asleep in my chair in front of television while I am working on the rest of the Tookies and miss my midnight deadline. I don't know what's with me, I keep nodding off. But it is only a little after 9 and there is no way I am going to bed for the night right now...LOL.

365 Day 61 -- part 2

squeeeeee! it's turning into a cat -- it has a tail!

After polling several friends I decided to take the leap and try to add a tail to the piece. (My secret vote was for the tail, I was just nervous to try it at this late stage, so close to the submission deadline.) I kinda sorta had a tail in the paper tube + masking tape stage that I was toying with and I just wasn't happy with it. It was too segmented (for turning curves) and it was just a wee bit too thick. I like a long tail on a cat, but the first tail was too long.





This new tail was another "happy accident". I was looking for a thinner paper tube and couldn't find one. Then I noticed some foamy sheets that were the packaging material for that Elvis Presley Birthday themed show piece I made that was recently sent back now that the show is over. I struggled (really!) with it to roll it into a tube. It just wasn't having it. Then I got a brainstorm to use aluminum foil on the outer side and roll them together and then tape it real fast. I did three sections like that, but only needed two. I worked on the plaster cloth part slowly in the curved parts and wrapped it so that it would pull itself tight. It pretty much worked -- I am quite happy with it.

So, I worked from 7:20 until 10:35 and I didn't even notice how much time had gone by. Wow. I notice it now...my back and legs are achy (I am getting kinda old, you know)...but it was SO worth it! I am really really loving working with plaster cloth. I also stumbled on some other things that I didn't find in any of the hints and tips literature. I guess you just need to work with something for a while and feel your way around and teach yourself how to do it.










Same sort of goodnight shot as last night, only now he has a tail and a better behind.



I suppose I can stop calling this guy a cat-creature now and just call him a cat.



Matt will be back in a day or two to assemble the frame around the cart.

Now...off to get comfy in front of tv and work on some Tookies while I watch the shows that have been DVR'd. Oh, and get some purr therapy from Dr. Twink.

365 Day 61

really starting to come together!

Early this morning I painted on the first layer of face/eyes/chest/hands.

















waiting for Matt...he's on his way



















Matt brought over the frame for the cart. It FIT!!!
No adjustments/cutting needed!












Matt will come back in a few days to attach the frame to the cart but first I have to do more layers of plaster cloth to the surface of the cart and make a tail.