I lucked onto these cute chairs at a yardsale and had to create a table to match them. I have done nest tables in the past but they were round. This time I could shape it more like a nest. I found a table pedestal that was cafe style and a perfect height. I used an old table top and cut my nest shape.
A few roses and a bird nest on the chairs and an oversized nest with eggs on the table.
I had some aqua rose fabric that matched so I made cushions for the chairs.
Ready for afternoon tea!
~NEST
I am always interested in new art techniques and I wanted to try my hand at a painted tapestry. A client wanted me to paint something to go behind two old window panes so I thought I could experiment.
I started off with heavy cotton duck fabric. I used melted crayon to block in my colors and create a wax batik texture. Then I did a color wash of blues so it could highlight the crackled wax. I then painted more detail on the fish.
It was missing something so I consulted my fiber artist friend Randie Felts and she showed me some yarn that I could use and how to do a crouching stitch on it. I added a few more fibers of color here and there. A few aqua beads sewn on and it was done.
Once behind the old frames the Koi story really came to life!
I always believe a cat finds you, and not the other way around. If you are a cat saint, many cats will find you to help save them. This kitten was lost and seeked out her saint and was delivered to a new loving home.
This moment was captured in a photo and I asked permission to paint it. I wanted to express the cat's anticipation and the new chance of a long life provided to her.
The persistence of the kitty seeking her future presented itself to me in this drawing to keep pushing the colors, the depth, the lighting and shading...until it was purrrfect.
It was a combined effort of colored pastel, colored pencil and acrylic paint for highlighting. I showed a few stages of the progress.
The hungry ladybug caught my eye as she slurped up a dribble of cream of chicken soup that was on my table.
I have been wanting to try out a color pencil technique and had got them out and they were right next to my visiting model.
And so it begin....I snapped a few shots of it at first, but then bent done with my eyeball for a closer look. I had to decide in which angle I wanted to portray my subject.
I went with a typical lady bug pose, so I could capture all the color I wanted to see.
Pencil to paper, her body appeared, followed by a wet pastel wash and then color pencil layers.
My model flew off from time to time, but at the end she was there, on the tip of my brush.
We are all drawn to a color or a color family. We are orange and reds, blue and aquas, greens, yellow and golds, pink and purples, and grays. There is usually a pattern in most people through their personal color. They decorate with it, wear it, and are attracted to it.
Surrounding myself in bright hues of green and aqua make me feel happy. Little pops of color here and there are like color winks. These fun, decorated, adornments feed my artistic soul.
Call it clutter or what you may, but I need it around me as nourishment to my creative process.
If we aren't surrounded by what brings us joy, We may never fully bloom.
Like the inside of a butterfly wing, unfold and show your colors...
Sometimes you must look back to move forward. This new year I want do better and discover who I am through my art and design.
I used to paint cows. I studied them, I stalked them, I loved them.
My subject matter may change but my obsessive observations never waiver.
Join me on a masquerade of menagerie as I take you on a walk on the wild side through my imagination.
Let's do this 2014!
