Jewelry

 

About a month ago, I signed up for a jewelry class using metal clay to make the pieces you see above. It's my first attempt. The metal clay, in this case Bronze, is very easy to work with and the binding/filler particles burn off when you fire it in the kiln. Metal clay was invented in Japan about 10 years ago and they sell it in all varieties of metal. Of course, bronze is the least expensive by far with the cost of silver and gold being so high right now.

The left two ones that look like a seed pod and the one below it that's like a peach with leaves, I plan to either make into a pin/brooch or attach to a bobby pin. I think those are the most interesting to me but I love the others as well.

I ordered some more metal clay and it arrived in the mail today. You'll be seeing more of these from me soon!

Printmaking: Drypoint

First test proof. You can see areas where the line isn't deep enough for the ink.

Final print - all of the elements showing up nicely.

I took another printmaking class because I wanted to try drypoint. I carved straight into the plate with a needle tool and this method is called drypoint. It's very similar to what I did last time, but this round, I skipped the etch process, which eats into the plate.  It's a much more controlled outcome because what you carve is what you get. Of course there's still the variable of how much ink you use. After the plate is totally inked, you can wipe it off in very decisive ways depending what you're after. I feel satisifed that I got a print that I'm happy with. 

Incidentally, I used water soluble ink for this print, whereas the last round was done with oil-based ink.

I'm not sure I like my work as much in black and white. And I miss the hand quality that an actual painting has. So, hard to say if I will continue with this. Much fun to play with!

Heads down, painting

It's a busy, focused summer as I work several paintings for the tiny art show at Nahcotta Gallery later this year. Here's an assortment of my in-progress digital sketches which are made up from a combination of parts of old and new paintings, raw sketches and photoshop work.

Which ones will evolve into final pieces? Tonight, at this moment, I have no idea.

Buying paper for your design project.

No painting happening here lately, as we finalize the purchase of our next home. However, I am busy packaging new prints.

Which brings me right to the next topic... Paper!

If you're looking for paper for a project like a wedding invitation or business cards (or giclee print labels) and you want more than like 30 sheets, you only have so many options. Some of those options can be limiting and frustrating and expensive. Some of them, can be perfect and affordable!

Basically, your choices are as follows:
A---Go to your local craft store and buy what they sell for scrapbooking. This is a fine option if they have exactly what you want. I tried to make that work but... in the end, the craft colored paper they carried was just too dark to print on. I bought it and tried to go the easy route but it was not working and I knew that ultimately I had to find something better. I don't recall the price.
B---Cute online places like Paper Source. I looked up what I wanted on Paper Source (a fine place indeed...) but not fine for buying more than like 20 sheets. I added up the price of 250 sheets and it was $75, not including shipping.
C---Paper manufacturing companies. There's a bunch of places like Neenah or French Paper Co. where you can buy paper online. But a little hard to buy something specific if you can't see it for yourself. This can be an okay option... totally depends on your project.
D---Pssst......THIS is the correct answer! You look for a local paper reseller. Every town has one. They are there to sell large quantities of paper to anyone doing a large print job. But, they are more than happy to sell paper to little ol' you! You can march right in, look through the paper sample books and either buy something they may have in stock or they can order it. I am usually looking for something simple that they usually have in stock. The above paper is by Neenah and was about $32. "Environment cover - Desert Storm - 250 sheets" And, it's perfect!

I hope this information has been helpful because I know you want special paper for your special project and you want it at a reasonable price.

Featured: dpi magazine, Taiwan, Meticulous Art II

I have a 6-page spread with dpi magazine, of Taiwan, which finally arrived last week. The theme of this issue is Meticulous Art II and my work fits right in with a lot of really stunning work. I'm so so pleased with the whole publication - starting with the beautiful cover. Super great and wanted to share!

Painting, the process

Test painting for color, scale and general layout

Starting the final painting on the left. Test painting on the right for reference.

Final painting, in process

Final painting - complete!

Sunday, I finished this piece and I thought I would share some of the steps with you.

At the top is the test painting which is my trial run for the composition, the colors, the scale of the elements, etc. I probably spent a few hours on it. It has to have enough detail to feel like the real thing, but I have to keep moving because after all, it's a test.

As it turned out with this one, I was pretty happy with it overall. I did change up two of the plants growing out of the top of the frame because I thought they looked too heavy. And I changed the oval frame a bit to give it more interest.

The little color swatches that you see around it, help to make sure the color I have on the brush is exactly how I want it.

This one is ready to be shipped off to the annual AMOA-Arthouse 5×7 show. The opening is set for April 4, 2013 at The Jones Center in Austin, TX.

E.A.S.T. show + opening

This Friday we'll be kicking off the East Austin Studio Tour at take heart, where I have some very new work to show. I would love to see you there. 

If you can't make the opening, then stop by another day. Also, if you haven't been to take heart.... well, it's adorable and I'm thrilled to be in such fine company.

Behind the scenes...

There are paintings floating around my studio, in piles and folders and tiny places. Some of them are rough ideas and some just didn't quite work out. Some laid the ground work for real paintings to come.

This past weekend, I took each one and popped it on a 9" x 12" piece of craft paper and will bind them.  It seems obvious now how handy this will be—for there's lots of little ideas in each of these. And I think it's very useful to keep it all in mind as you move forward— because ideas, new and old, have ways of coming together unexpectedly.

New work

I'm super thrilled with this new painting I just finished for the Women and Their Work, Red Dot Sale. The painting is watercolor with a block print that I designed and carved. I love the texture of the rough print against the fine details of little bits of nature. It's a lovely combination. The show opens September 13th and will be up through the 26th. Everything is priced $600 or less and a portion goes to benefit the gallery. Be sure to stop by and check it out!

Japan.......tasties

One of the many Thai dishes we had. Fantastic.

Chicken, egg, rice dish. Hot, and comforting. Kyoto.

Katsu udon and a rice-stuffed omelet thing with a kind of ketchup. Kyoto.

Cheesy vegetable rice dish at a cafe by the Tokyo National Museum. Delicious.

No joke...The last thing we ate in Japan. Not a very good steamed bun, but it was ok in a pinch.

Unagi roll at a 4-seat Unagi-only counter in the basement of a department store in Kyoto.

Grocery store sashimi and noodles at the townhouse. The fish was divine.

These are everywhere. Think fried sweet potatoes with sweet sticky sauce, served room temp. Yum.

Ramen of course.

Misc treats from the train station.

It's been a couple of months since we got back from Japan but I wanted to share some of the food we ate. These weren't places we sought out ... this is what you might eat if you stumble around and get hungry.

Traveling is a big change to the usual habit of eating exactly what you want, when you want it. But when you travel to a country and can't read or speak the language, you have to adapt to finding food that might seem appetizing (hopefully), even if you don't know what it is. Luckily, the Japanese are keen on either pictures or plastic models of their food, which helps a whole lot.

In the end, we ate plenty of delicious food and some 'different but ok' food, too. When you're tired and hungry, deciding what to eat is the hardest part.

Little

These are just some things. At the top is a glitter project in the works. It's a frame, I think. I don't know how this one will turn out. It's for fun. In the middle, little cactus surprises coming. And, lastly, more diorama dreams.

3D

Excited to share with you my latest project - Going 3D with some shadow box dioramas! It's my paintings come to life in the third dimension. A new way of thinking and yet not, at the same time.

These are still works in progress as I haven't yet decided what the the border treatment and the background texture will be.

The central house element is made from balsa wood and the rest is paperclay. The color will stay varying shade of white, which is yet to come.

With great anticipation, I eagerly await seeing them finished up and hanging on the wall.