Saturday 26 May 2012

An oldie but my fave

Okay...I've been slacking on the posts lately....I know.....EQAO is taking over my life for the next 2 weeks...yip-ee......And my mind has been constantly thinking of this piece I did about 6 years ago......I can't find it ANYWHERE and I've torn my bedroom apart...it's driving me nuts....So because my mind has been CONSTANTLY thinking about this particular piece lately...I've decided to post it up....in the hopes that something triggers in my mind and I can figure out where on earth I've placed it......And I know I've lent it out...but I swear I got it back.....so the ball is in my court....somewhere......

So the story behind this piece......I think I re-started this and crumpled it up at least 10 times....on a Friday night over a glass of wine...I'm a perfectionist....and my own worst enemy...what can I say?  and it was really only completed for one of those basic Visual Arts classes you have to take for Teachers College.....But...when Visual Arts is one of your majors and one of your teach-ables, why wouldn't you make the best of it, no?  So for this particular class we had to create a piece in the style of van Gogh (one of my fave artists!).  It may look more time consuming than it actually is...It probably took me 45 minutes or so to create.

As you know (or may not know), van Gogh created pieces using small strokes in post-impressionist fashion.  So I did the same. I chose to use oil pastels and paper for my medium, and a flower for my subject.

Now be aware: Pastels are messy!  (That's what I like about 'em!).  Once I finished the piece I laminated it...but....if you don't have access to a laminator.....dose your piece in hair spray.  It keeps the pastel from smudging!!!!






And this is the final product!
Now fingers crossed that I find it (soon!).  It's driving me crazy!!!!!!

A.A.

P.S. If you want to see more van Gogh artwork, visit the Vincent van Gogh Gallery: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/.

Friday 11 May 2012

One of my favourite things...

I know...I know....before you say it, I've been slacking this past week.  Not a single post since last weekend....Work has been very busy...teaching, running a book fair, etc.  I keep waking up at like 3 am thinking of everything I have to do...nice, eh?  So I am sorry for the lack of posting.....I guarantee there will be lots in the summer though!

I know this one's an "oldie."  I painted it for my parent's anniversary several summers ago while they were away in Aruba.  But I still love it.  It was the very first acrylic painting I ever created.  I just bought a cheap $10 Reeves acrylic paint set from Wal-Mart, busted out a canvas and this is what my hands led me to create.

I wish I had taken pictures of it in progress...but unfortunately I didn't.....From now on I take pictures of my work in progress.  I don't want to shed a moment.

Here's my very first acrylic piece.  Took a couple of days..but I have to admit..it's still one of my faves...Enjoy!

Without the frame:

With the frame: As mounted in my parents room:




A.A.


Saturday 5 May 2012

If I survive this shin-dig...

Here's the second creation I made for my Nanny & Pappy's 50th shin-dig (now here's to hoping I survive it!).  I have to admit though......I'm not happy with it and am still considering destroying it instead of letting it make it's appearance for tonight.......

I hoped this one would work out a lot better....I actually took my naked canvas and taped the number 50 on it (hoping the crayons would drip over it and that when I peeled away the tape, I would have this white number 50...no dice.....it didn't matter that the tape was stuck close to the canvas...the crayons decided to be a hassle, have a mind of their own, and drip underneath the tape anyways.....Of course.....Why wouldn't it, right?)  Oh well.....

I decided to fix some of my "unhappiness" by painting the 50 in bold black acrylic paint.

Here's the finished product.  I sprayed gold glitter and varnish overtop (you can't see the glitter in the picture!  I swear it's there though!).  And....... it's ready for the festivities tonight.  Wish I could say I'm happy with it....but I'm not....


Being a perfectionist means you really are your own worst enemy.

A.A.

Friday 4 May 2012

Love...or something like it

So it's my Nanny & Pappy's 50th wedding anniversary celebration tomorrow......I swear this shin-dig is larger than their actual wedding.....so tomorrow's going to be a day of getting all dolled up in a "casual" manner (but no jeans - so in other words, formal...).

And as a part of the anniversary gift from me, I of course decided to make something (actually two something's - but I haven't finished the other something yet....I've got less than 24 hours to pull it together...I guess I better get going....).

I really liked this owl creation that I made last summer (the first time I saw polymer clay on sale @ Michaels and I had to pick it up to try it)....and I thought I would recreate a similar piece with some modifications....so I did.  I busted out the polymer clay:


And got to work.  Creating this piece really didn't take a particularly lengthy amount of time.  About an hour of sculpting...and less than 30 minutes of cooking time in the oven.

Here is the work in progress...one of the little lovelies....


And this...is the final product after it is cooked!


Now all I've gotta do is hot glue gun a magnet on the back, wrap it up all pretty, and it's ready to gift for tomorrow!

Phew!

A.A.