Day 18 - 365/2014

Day Eighteen

Today/this evening was for thinking about (non-Arto) Animal People, Juana started on a new felting project, we went through a bunch of my Arto-collection, Juana gave me some faint outlines for the striding bear guy's head, and then when Juana left I "erased" old lines from the canvas, then went back to thinking about non-Arto Animal People on/in boxes.  Whew!

I was thinking (before Juana arrived) that I want to try to use some of the nice frames I have already and fit the art into the frames rather that fit the frame around a piece of art.  These are some of the Animal People I put together recently that are too large for the Art-o-mat blocks.

Juana arrived -- and she brought the incredible Krampus doll that she felted over the holiday.  She says he still needs a few accessories -- but wow -- isn't he fabulous?!!!

"Hold him like a baby, Juana."

"No...all the way scooped up like a baby."

yikes!

Juana set up in my basement to work on a new felting project.

I "helped" by transporting the hot water downstairs as she needed more.

This is the project she is working on -- a New England boot tray...and yes, the recipients do live in New England...I asked.

Covering the middle layer now.

Using a swimming pool floaty tube thing to help with the rolling process.

And now in the other direction.

Checking on the felting progress.

Later...back upstairs...time to go through my Arto-collection.  Juana and I first discovered Art-o-mat together...it is only fitting she should get first crack at some of my older collection.

Yay -- Juana is taking home quite a few pieces of my Arto-collection!

And now...to give me some pointers on reshaping the striding bear guy's head.  Juana made a faint white outline for me to follow...she also suggested making his whole head area larger...I agree.

I need to "erase" some of the other/older upside images from the canvas...but you know I didn't want to paint it out.  We talked about probably using layers of the same papers that are already in the collage to cover up the tell tale marks.

I started with some yellow mulberry paper...but it didn't cover the marks up too well...although I did want to get some more yellow into the picture.

A little bit of pinkish mulberry paper helped blend in the yellow.

Then I used some of the less transparent papers and kept layering...it is still pretty wet in this shot, but it looks a lot better...the lines are pretty much gone.

And I took out the lines underneath his arm...as well as lightened his arm up a bit...another wet shot, the camera really didn't understand what I was trying to show it.

Ta-daaaa...there is still much more to do, but I am very happy with the amount of lines I was able to get rid of.

Hard to see it, but his head looks a whole lot better -- thanks for the outline, Juana!

And I brought a wooden box up from the basement -- I am thinking I'd like to make dimensional collages on the inside, maybe collage/decoupage the outside.  Maybe with the little cat girl in the pink dress on the outside and the cutie pie in overalls inside.

Or maybe this little cowboy puppy guy inside and one of those toy metal sheriff's badges outside... western theme.

Or maybe it is the rabbit kid's secret hideout.

I still have quite a few boxes downstairs...I would like to make a bunch of these "houses"...but then again, that means painting...yuck!