Day Two Hundred Sixty-Six
I have been hit really hard today/tonight with the darn allergies and associated problems. And my various rotten pain sources are also getting in on the act. I am taking the night off. Tomorrow will really make up for tonight.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Day 265 - 365/2014
Day Two Hundred Sixty-Five
Part One - I worked on this guy early this morning (which was really late last night because I hadn't gone to bed yet). I wanted to play around with the plaster cloth but I didn't want to tackle anything large. I saw this guy in the materials bin in the basement and brought him upstairs. I got him at a garage sale for under a dollar and I never intended to do anything with him but plaster cloth him into a new creature.
So I had to fill in all of the space between the original ears and forehead/nose area. This is maybe just the first stage for this guy. I don't know what I want him to be yet, other than just a creature.
I love his dangly legs -- but I wanted to not have them be cloven hooves anymore.
I like them so much I made a little movie of them...like to see it? Here it goes:
Part Two -- Juana and I visited Sanda Cook at her studio! We had fun talking and getting to know each other and looking at her wonderful artwork.
Part One - I worked on this guy early this morning (which was really late last night because I hadn't gone to bed yet). I wanted to play around with the plaster cloth but I didn't want to tackle anything large. I saw this guy in the materials bin in the basement and brought him upstairs. I got him at a garage sale for under a dollar and I never intended to do anything with him but plaster cloth him into a new creature.
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| I really dislike this guy in his original state...except I like his dangly legs. |
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| another view |
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| I think he is supposed to be a pig or a boar but that doesn't seem like a very piggy or boary tail. |
So I had to fill in all of the space between the original ears and forehead/nose area. This is maybe just the first stage for this guy. I don't know what I want him to be yet, other than just a creature.
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| First he gets the masking tape cover up. |
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| The body and feet get the plaster cloth...tail tbd. |
I love his dangly legs -- but I wanted to not have them be cloven hooves anymore.
I like them so much I made a little movie of them...like to see it? Here it goes:
Part Two -- Juana and I visited Sanda Cook at her studio! We had fun talking and getting to know each other and looking at her wonderful artwork.
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| Yep, I "made" Sanda do this pose. |
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| Sanda and Juana. |
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| Take two. |
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| Take one -- much too serious. |
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| That's better! |
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Day 264 - 365/2014
Day Two Hundred Sixty-Four
I have been drawing versions of the newly named biteyou creatures for a long time. I based the mouth/teeth/smile on the way my dad always smiled for photos...it cracked me up. I have been playing around with the biteyous more lately. I have a few large repurposed canvas collages (the ones I purchased from estate sales as framed oil paintings) and an easy/easier way for me to fill up the space (because the non-painter me is inexplicably needing to paint on them) is to do a large version of a biteyou guy.
There was a game online by Tiny Speck called "Glitch". You could create a game avatar from a whole bunch of different elements and space them/place them a million different ways. My character was called Cloudyhead. My favorite version of Cloudyhead is this one, I think you can probably see why. (I think the resemblance is kind of uncanny.)
The artwork of Glitch was amazing. I spent waaaaaay too much time in the game and was often lost for days. They did an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to publish a book of the artwork. You can learn a lot more about the artwork and stuff at that link.
So...anyway...
Today I have been playing around with eyes and mouth/teeth for the dark blue furry biteyou. Here are some of the results.
And then I was thinking of an idea I had a few weeks ago...maybe try a girly-er biteyou with Cloudyhead-style eyes. So I started over:
And I am thinking if I go with this idea, I will probably be stitching around the elements of the eyes and stuff because of the stitching on the moon/planet. But I am not sure yet...I am not happy with the mouth/teeth yet.
I want to get some color into this piece on the biteyou, no matter what way it ends up. I'm not sure I will go with the eyes based on Cloudyhead but if I do, I will be sure to credit it in the end work as mentioned here.
I have been drawing versions of the newly named biteyou creatures for a long time. I based the mouth/teeth/smile on the way my dad always smiled for photos...it cracked me up. I have been playing around with the biteyous more lately. I have a few large repurposed canvas collages (the ones I purchased from estate sales as framed oil paintings) and an easy/easier way for me to fill up the space (because the non-painter me is inexplicably needing to paint on them) is to do a large version of a biteyou guy.
There was a game online by Tiny Speck called "Glitch". You could create a game avatar from a whole bunch of different elements and space them/place them a million different ways. My character was called Cloudyhead. My favorite version of Cloudyhead is this one, I think you can probably see why. (I think the resemblance is kind of uncanny.)
The artwork of Glitch was amazing. I spent waaaaaay too much time in the game and was often lost for days. They did an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to publish a book of the artwork. You can learn a lot more about the artwork and stuff at that link.
So...anyway...
Today I have been playing around with eyes and mouth/teeth for the dark blue furry biteyou. Here are some of the results.
And then I was thinking of an idea I had a few weeks ago...maybe try a girly-er biteyou with Cloudyhead-style eyes. So I started over:
And I am thinking if I go with this idea, I will probably be stitching around the elements of the eyes and stuff because of the stitching on the moon/planet. But I am not sure yet...I am not happy with the mouth/teeth yet.
I want to get some color into this piece on the biteyou, no matter what way it ends up. I'm not sure I will go with the eyes based on Cloudyhead but if I do, I will be sure to credit it in the end work as mentioned here.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Day 263 - 365/2014
Day Two Hundred Sixty-Three
I was thinking today that maybe I could use a head from a plaster cloth guy that I started a long time ago for the head of the male mannequin (that I got yesterday at the non-garage sale).
I took a photo of the mannequin and also of the working dog and the tiger-like guy. Then I printed them and cut them out to see if they looked like they might work.
I like the tiger-y head a lot, but I was happier with the dog head for this so I thought I would cut it off of its base and try it out on the mannequin...heh...not as easy as I was hoping.
Then I took the head out to the back porch to see how it looked.
Then I had a "duh!" moment...what about "the goat-ish guy that I'm building from scratch in the basement" (that will most likely not be a goat after all anyway)? THAT would be even better!
But -- of course, there is always a "but" -- I need to cut away that roundy part. Gah -- more sawing!
Man -- that really wore me out...and it is about to rain...
Dammit! I will have to figure out what exactly is inside of this guy...but for this second, I think I can balance the head on the shoulders for one more quick photo before the skies open up...
Okay -- here comes the rain. I will probably have to really come up with a new neck, and the shape of the head needs more work, but I think I like this much better than the dog. This is going to be a massive project!
I was thinking today that maybe I could use a head from a plaster cloth guy that I started a long time ago for the head of the male mannequin (that I got yesterday at the non-garage sale).
I took a photo of the mannequin and also of the working dog and the tiger-like guy. Then I printed them and cut them out to see if they looked like they might work.
I like the tiger-y head a lot, but I was happier with the dog head for this so I thought I would cut it off of its base and try it out on the mannequin...heh...not as easy as I was hoping.
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| Wow -- there was much more resistance once I cut through than I was expecting! |
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| It just didn't want to give in! |
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| Ah...this is what was causing me problems...a second neck inside the first one. |
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| Gah -- AND -- masking tape over a plastic bin. |
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| HAH!!! I won! |
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| No...this dog head is not quite right...it looks more like a dog/pig hybrid...it needs a lot more work than I want to do AND that will make it too big for this body. |
But -- of course, there is always a "but" -- I need to cut away that roundy part. Gah -- more sawing!
Man -- that really wore me out...and it is about to rain...
Dammit! I will have to figure out what exactly is inside of this guy...but for this second, I think I can balance the head on the shoulders for one more quick photo before the skies open up...
Okay -- here comes the rain. I will probably have to really come up with a new neck, and the shape of the head needs more work, but I think I like this much better than the dog. This is going to be a massive project!
Friday, September 19, 2014
Day 262 - 365/2014
Day Two Hundred Sixty-Two
A couple of really neat things happened today.
First -- yesterday on the way to my doctor appointment I passed what looked like a garage sale with a whole lot of mannequins in the yard. I had plans already to help my sister so I couldn't stop after my appointment, either. Ah well...maybe it wasn't a sale...maybe they were just cleaning their garage or moving or something...no garage sale sign out. I figured (after much fretting all day) that if they were still there the next day (today) I might still be able to get one.
So today I met up with Sue again and it turned out (out of the blue) that she could actually spare a little time to go with me to see if what I saw was a garage sale...cool!!! So we got over to the house and there was no garage sale...but...I could still see a few mannequins near the garage and much trash out for pick up (as if it HAD been a sale) so I got up my nerve and pulled in the driveway and rang the doorbell. The guy was very nice and told me that yes, it had been a sort of a garage sale (they do this mannequin thing every year at this time) for one day. He made a few calls to find the person in charge of the mannequins and -- YES!!! -- they did still have a couple left!
And it turned out that one of the ones was the standing male one that I had originally seen from the road -- yay! Plus there was a seated female available. And -- oh my goodness -- they were a little under what I had expected to pay for them! I took them both. The guy loaded them into my car for me (they just barely fit) -- oh -- the male mannequin comes with a stand, too!
Then I came in to look at my email and oh man -- remember that incredibly wonderful chair in the chair auction fundraiser for the Northville Art House? The one I figured there was no way I was going to win? I got an email telling me I had won!!! I got straight back into the car and went over to the NAH and paid for the chair but it was still at the Northville Winery and Brewing Company...so I sped over there lickety split and picked it up and brought it home. Man!
I do not have the words to adequately express how much I love this piece of art. It is so exquisitely crafted and perfectly balanced. I adore the way the one leg is poised as if it is taking a step.
The chair is titled "Walking Chair" and is by artist Paul Rochon. This is the photo used at the NAH's website (and in our local newspaper).
Now the trick of it will be to get the cats used to it being another piece of furniture. They are pretty good about the 3D art in the house, but they do tend to run crazy every so often and chase each other while launching themselves from counter tops, tables, and their cat towers. This chair is tall enough not to be a go-to cat perch and it is very steady, but I need to ease it into their awareness so that they don't care about it so much.
So far, so good...tomorrow I will put one of the dining chairs back and see if they leave it alone. I eventually want the Walking Chair to be in the den (I think).
A couple of really neat things happened today.
First -- yesterday on the way to my doctor appointment I passed what looked like a garage sale with a whole lot of mannequins in the yard. I had plans already to help my sister so I couldn't stop after my appointment, either. Ah well...maybe it wasn't a sale...maybe they were just cleaning their garage or moving or something...no garage sale sign out. I figured (after much fretting all day) that if they were still there the next day (today) I might still be able to get one.
So today I met up with Sue again and it turned out (out of the blue) that she could actually spare a little time to go with me to see if what I saw was a garage sale...cool!!! So we got over to the house and there was no garage sale...but...I could still see a few mannequins near the garage and much trash out for pick up (as if it HAD been a sale) so I got up my nerve and pulled in the driveway and rang the doorbell. The guy was very nice and told me that yes, it had been a sort of a garage sale (they do this mannequin thing every year at this time) for one day. He made a few calls to find the person in charge of the mannequins and -- YES!!! -- they did still have a couple left!
And it turned out that one of the ones was the standing male one that I had originally seen from the road -- yay! Plus there was a seated female available. And -- oh my goodness -- they were a little under what I had expected to pay for them! I took them both. The guy loaded them into my car for me (they just barely fit) -- oh -- the male mannequin comes with a stand, too!
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| The mannequins in my car...the male came with a pair of really cruddy jeans...ick! |
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| LOL -- this is how they ended up after the car trip...they bounced around a bit. |
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| The standing male with base. |
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| The seated female...no hands. |
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| Yeh...my neighbors must really love me right about now. |
Then I came in to look at my email and oh man -- remember that incredibly wonderful chair in the chair auction fundraiser for the Northville Art House? The one I figured there was no way I was going to win? I got an email telling me I had won!!! I got straight back into the car and went over to the NAH and paid for the chair but it was still at the Northville Winery and Brewing Company...so I sped over there lickety split and picked it up and brought it home. Man!
I do not have the words to adequately express how much I love this piece of art. It is so exquisitely crafted and perfectly balanced. I adore the way the one leg is poised as if it is taking a step.
The chair is titled "Walking Chair" and is by artist Paul Rochon. This is the photo used at the NAH's website (and in our local newspaper).
Now the trick of it will be to get the cats used to it being another piece of furniture. They are pretty good about the 3D art in the house, but they do tend to run crazy every so often and chase each other while launching themselves from counter tops, tables, and their cat towers. This chair is tall enough not to be a go-to cat perch and it is very steady, but I need to ease it into their awareness so that they don't care about it so much.
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| Bootsy checking out the new object. |
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| Chime Cat moved over to give up the corner space for now...two dining chairs stand guard. |
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| Now it's Twink's turn... |
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| Yep, that IS pretty tall! |
So far, so good...tomorrow I will put one of the dining chairs back and see if they leave it alone. I eventually want the Walking Chair to be in the den (I think).
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