The Elusive Butterfly

After several months of being preoccupied of other things, I'm back. I promise to try do do better.

This summer, I wanted to go return to doll-making, so I signed up for Cindee Moyer's Elusive Butterfly Class, listed at Joggles.  I've done several of Cindee's Doll Classes before and I really enjoy them.  I'll be including some of the steps in progress.

The first week of class involves preparing the base and constructing the doll head. 

 Step one: Painting the wooden base a light color. (I used Golden Titan Buff.)

 Step 2: Sponge paint base with combination of a light and a dark color. I used Golden Titan Buff and Lumiere 448 Old Brass.

Step 3. Glue on assorted butterfly pictures.  (I thought about using stencils or stamps, but decided to try those techniques another time.)

Step 4: Seal finished base with acrylic medium. (I used Golden Matt Gel Medium.)

Next time: constructing the head.

Mockingbird in a Rose Bush

 I'm still working with the Sketchbook Challenge February theme: Close-up.

There is a large wild rose bush growing at the corner of the dilapidated garage. In the past several years, a family of mockingbirds has established a nest in the center of the rosebush. This year the birds have wintered in the bush and tolerate close approaches by the humans.  It was an ideal time to take some pictures, without the fear of being attacked by nesting parents.

Friday (Feb. 2) was bitterly cold, with temperatures in the 20's and a wicked wind coming from the north. My subject was not totally co-operative, retreating into the rose canes several times before I could take some shots. I managed to get within 5 ft. and took several shots before I lost the feeling in my fingers.  Seven pictures were acceptable.

After saving the best shots,  picked one photo zoomed in and cropped the background.

I sketched the bird using pencil, ink and watercolor in a Moleskine sketchbook.

Today I added some final touches.

African Trade Beads - More February Close-ups

I'm still working with the Sketchbook Challenge February theme of Close-ups. 

This time,  I searched through my "Stash o' Stuff and found a string of African trade beads. I purchased a number of these in the '70's and used most of them in various craft projects.  However, my sister collected some of beads she liked best, strung them on a  cord and saved them in a chest of drawers in our parents house. I found them when I was closing the house after my father died. 


My first sketch was done in ink in a Moleskin Pocket Watercolor Book (3.5"x5.5").  Next, I watercolored some of the beads, but the details were too small to do a satisfactory job.  For the next version, I did an extreme close-up of individual beads and tried filling in the colored areas with Prismacolor pencils.  I can see several other ways of using  trade beads in projects.


Carol Sloan suggested sketching every day, even if it is only five minutes as a way to "flex your creative muscles" and improve your sketching and observation skills.  
It's a reminder I need, since I often get overly involved in other projects and let my sketching fall to the wayside.

Taking a Really Close Look.

 I haven't posted much lately, because I've been involve with my beading project. 
I've done very little drawing and painting, but The Sketchbook Challenge blog 
has given me motivation to pick up my paper, pencil, pen and paints again.

The Sketchbook Challenge theme for February 2012 is CLOSE-UP.  
I searched through my photos and found one that has always grabbed my attention: 
the praying mantis I encountered while I was clearing brush last fall.

Isn't that face worth a close-up?

Maybe I Should Change this to My Crime Adventures?

I don't live in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

The police have stopped an armed robber two doors from my house.

The police diverted traffic around the corner to my street when a local storage unit found a suspicious device. It turned out to be harmless.

My pharmacy has been held up so many times,  I have to be let in to pick up my medicine.

However, this is not the what you want to see when you walk out the door.

 Apparently this was part of a robbery, kidnapping,  hostage situation. 

Embeadery and Bedazzled Stitches

Two years ago, I  purchased a copy of Embeadery by Margaret Ball.  I loved her work, but the instructions may as well have been hieroglyphics as far as I was concerned.  I put the book away, only to take it out periodically and try to decipher the instructions again, with similar results. It appeared I would never succeed and the book would soon be on its way to one of my  "eBay internet garage sales".


This fall, while browsing through the Joggles Online Class offerings, I found Beadazzled Stitches taught Christen Brown.  I loved the beadwork. I had many of the supplies already, because I use them in other projects. Most Joggles classes are filled with clear instructions, many photographs and the instructor available online for extra assistance.  I signed up and soon was working on my beaded project.


The Beadazzled class has increased my confidence in my ability to do beadwork; I brought out my copy of Embeadery again. Having the background experience I gained in the Beadazzled class made the Embeadery text seem less like hieroglyphics and more like instruction. 

Impression of Crystal Bridges

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened  on 11-11-11. We waited until November 20 to make our first 
visit, to avoid some of the crowds.  Actually, the crowds were still there, but we missed the V.I.P.s . 


We spent the whole afternoon looking at the various exhibits in the galleries. There were volunteers ready to help lost visitors, guide tours, and answer questions about the pieces of art. The facilities are still under construction, including landscaping and trails.

 There were more galleries than we had time to cover, so we wound up spending most of our time in Wonder World, Colonial, and 19th Century collections.  I jotted down some of names of some of the pieces of art and the artists, so I could view more of their works online. I took some photos of some of the works (non-flash permitted).  I have uploaded some of my photos from the Wonder World exhibit.

Vik Muniz: White Brazilian Orchid After Martin Johnson Head

 

Nam June Paik  John Cage Robot II

    

Evan Perry: Old Self Portrait of the Artist as He Will (Not) Be Var. #2

                Nick Cave:  Soundsuit 2010

 

            Nick Cave:  Soundsuit 2010