On Wings Of White and Skies Of Blue...

Good Day All!
Doesn't seem possible that another week has slipped by.
Hope yours was a good one! Mine was good, busy but good.

I began the 'Angel' (just a working title) painting - among a few false starts...
light bulbs blowing out, printer not working and a whole lot of "I'm not 100% sure of those colors".
Well, all of those obstacles have been hurdled. YAY! And I actually put brush - and pencil and sealant - to canvas.
I opted to use acrylic for the base color. One, it dries faster and Two, it will give me a tone to work off of. So on to the beginning...

penciled sketch - layout in place

the canvas is 24 x 30 horizontal on heavy gallery wrap

colored wash

close up of the color -

comprised of Chromium Oxide Green,

Morning Blue and a touch of

Metallic Aquamarine -

watered down heavily

AND... I think I have finally figured out how to stay on top of my postings (at least it sounds good in my head). I am going to write them as I work, instead of trying to do them all in one sitting. Hopefully if I break it down into 10-15 minute intervals instead of a 2-3 hour ordeal, I can get my weekly posting completed and not feel bad for missing a posting. Wish me luck!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAYLOR!!

For my oldest grand daughters birthday we went to Noah's Ark. It's an animal rescue sanctuary. It was a very sunny, warm day. The trip from the house was about an hour and a half. Of course when you throw in the road construction and the fools who can't drive, it was much closer to two hours. We stopped for lunch on the way at the "Dwarf House". It's a Chik-fil-A. Not sure of the story behind the name. I know there was photos on the walls of the original Dwarf House. Something I will have to look up. They have field parking at Noah's Ark. And there were many more people there than I thought there would be. We saw tigers, lions, bears, cougars, wolves, baboons, monkeys, a variety of birds and emus (emis?). And a big black pig! 

Kennedy and Shaylor 

at the Dwarf House

Kennedy and Shaylor in one of the

concrete shelters - of course Shaylor

spotted a huge bug, the size of her hand!

one of the tigers

and one of the bears

some of the emus and the big black pig - 

sprawled in the mud - this animal was HUGE

and the girls looking at everything.

I'm not certain who was leading who :)

I think that will be all for this weeks post. Still diligently working on the painting - more photos to come. I hope your upcoming week is great!

til next time...

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN

New Paintings

New Paintings in my ETSY SHOP!

I have two new paintings now available in my ETSY shop...

"WHITE CHAPEL"

The story of Jaqlene the ripper.

A new take on an old nightmare.

acrylic paint, acrylic handmade transfers

5 x 5 gallery wrap

ETSY SHOP LINK

"FIELD FAERIE"

Helps gardens to grow

acrylic paint, acrylic handmade transfers

5 x 5 gallery wrap

ETSY SHOP LINK

Go take a peek, Then take one home!  :)

TTFN

Witches, Faeries, Rippers and...Alcohol

Hello All!
Hope you've been having a great week so far.
As you can see I missed my Sunday post....again.
It was Easter, so I kinda have an excuse...yes?? :)

Speaking of, I hope yours was filled with your loved ones and that it was a good day!
Mine was. My daughter was here, my son, his wife and my four grand kids. I made ham and mashed potatoes (my daughter insisted on gravy for the potatoes), cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beans, peas and sweet potatoes. We had twist bread and Bavarian pretzel bread. I did not however, make an dessert. The kids had more than enough candy from the Easter bunny. They had their egg hunt in the backyard - the rain they forcasted never showed! - and they got baskets as well. All in all, a good day!

Ding Dong, the witch is dead! :(
She died a horrible death.
Severe dehydration.
Splitting headache.
The cracks were way too deep for any hope of salvation. And then....pieces started falling off. Because I planned on 'punching' hair, I made the scalp too thin and it cracked, broke and fell off. Really quite depressing. So now I'm sitting here looking at an empty styrofoam head. Next time around I'll have to pretend I'm on 'Face Off'....only 3 days to get it done! HA!

the crack thru her face goes all the way 

to the styrofoam

these are the pieces that began falling off...

these photos aren't even the worst of it. 

I finished my 5 x 5 Faerie! Looks pretty damn good too! I added swirl-ies, flowers and some grass to the painting. Gave the wings and some of the swirls a coat of high gloss to make them 'pop'. I am really happy with the way it finished! I have to take another set of photos before I can put it on Etsy though. My secondary light was blown out and I'm not getting any usable shots. Hopefully I will get it posted to

Etsy this week.

terrible cell phone pic

top and side - i'm sure you get the idea...

AND.....

I started and finished "White Chapel...the story of Jack Jaqlene"

I am really thrilled with how this finished up! If you recall, I started doing acrylic transfers on the Faerie. Well, the Faerie was done with 'direct' transfer. Meaning, the image was directly applied to the surface with acrylic gel. White Chapel was done with a 'true' transfer. Meaning that I applied the acrylic gel to the image and then remove the paper backing. I also hand painted some of the images on the reverse side to bring color into the piece. :) I think I really like doing transfers. Maybe I'll do a few more. I managed to get more process photos of White Chapel than I did with the Faerie. Wanna see?.... And yes, in case you missed it at the beginning...It's Jaqlene the ripper in this version. I used a familiar face for the character. If you know me (or have been reading my blog for any time) you'll recognize one of my favorite actress'.   :)

the prepped canvas and the first transfer..

a copy of one of Jack's letters. The gel is not completely

dried here...that's why it looks 'hazy'

prepping and placing the letter

this is my final image of the 'killer'. it's a combination

of photo and drawing. both of which were

entered into the computer and tweaked,

then output as a black and white line drawing.

the knife was added afterwards. the sheen you

see in the picture is the first gel coats. i think i did 

a total of 6

continued to work on the canvas while the

gel dried. added the beginnings of the chapel clock tower

this was the following day after the gel was completely dry.

here, I am removing the paper backing. the acrylic gel

'locks' the printer ink into it

Jaqlene and the clock face - transfers drying - before 

any color was added

the backside of Jaqlene - the colors (hair, knife)

were added and then a couple coats of white to

bring out the colors and the coat she wears

i decided that there should be a full moon...

i mean what lunatic would be caught dead without one...right?

so i created another transfer

the moon and clock face laid in place with

more acrylic gel. the moon has several 

colors through out it (hard to see here)

Jaqlene placed and ready to begin her

murderous streak! 

'the letter' with the corrected name  :)

On the 27th I began my new batch of Mead! YAY!! 

I began with 4 gallons of spring water and a gallon of wildflower honey. The water was heated and then let cool to about 140 degrees to which the honey was added. Stir, stir, stir until it was all mixed. While it was cooling I began cutting the fruit. I used 2 mangoes, 2 oranges, 3 plums and 3 red pears. I cut them up and put them in my new strainer bag. I learned what a mess fruit makes when it ferments (not to mention the mess it makes on the ceiling when it explodes). So now I have a nice neat bag to place the sliced up fruit. Then I got the yeast ready. I used a liquid yeast from Wyeast, it's called 'sweet mead'. After everything was cooled I placed it in my new container and took my first reading. Which was 1.085. Right where it should be. :) I then put in the fruit bag and the yeast. Sealed it up and watched for the bubbles. I cleaned up everything and put things away while I waited. No bubbles. Eleven o'clock...no bubbles. So I forced myself to go to bed. Checked it in the morning before work...no bubbles. :(

The 27th was Thursday, by Monday I still wasn't seeing bubbles. So I looked things up and the suggestion was to add more yeast. I had a packet (dry yeast) from my first batch which was still good so I prepped it and 'pitched' it into my 'must' (honey, water, fruit). It was at this point that I decided that I didn't like the airlock that came with the container so I removed it and put my 's' airlock on. In the process of all of this I realized that there were tiny bubbles in the airlock and that the 'inside lid', which floats, was not sitting flat. It was at an angle, which probably means that it was fermenting just fine. So I did more research and there does not seem to be an issue with adding extra yeast. Whhhheeewww! That's a relief. I did notice that the water in the 's' airlock is pushed all the way to one side. Probably a lot of built up pressure in that container...hhhhmmmmm. :)  In 30 days or so it will be time to rack the liquid into another container and continue with the process. I think at that point I will start my other batch. I have orange blossom honey for that batch. Mmmmmmm, yummy! I'll keep you posted on the progress!

In the meantime, here are the initial photos...

my honey...ain't she sweet?  LOL

i had to split up the spring water...you can see the water

level in the pan, that's two gallons and some room for

the honey. my new container, the spigot hasn't been put in yet

chopped up fruit in my new mesh bag

the 'sweet mead' yeast

blurry pictures are what happens

when you take your glasses off

first night...

after i realized there were no bubbles!

see the different airlock? see the water

level? all the water is sitting on the right 

side now. i'm praying i don't have another

ceiling coating explosion again!

Well, I do believe that is all for now....

Oh, wait! My daughter's baby is doing well. I only have one photo and I haven't scanned it yet. We should be seeing more shortly. Hopefully my daughter will email or text it to me so I have it to post! She has also started a new job and seems to be very happy were she is. I'm still having issue wrapping my head around the fact that my baby is having a baby. I can't possibly be that old...can I?  :)

til next time...

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy

TTFN

p.s. did you guess who the actress was?

Cracked Baby Extensions

Good Day All!
Hope our time away has been good to you.
I swear time is moving faster and faster. It's been two weeks again and I'm not sure how.
Been busy on this end. This past week was a blur.

Let's see if we can bring it into focus....
I've been working on the deck extension and must say it's looking good. Got the frame done and the decking up. I think we may move the steps away from the side of the house and bring them down onto the new deck. We are contemplating covering the upper deck. Sally would like it closed in, like a sun room. The stones around the fire pit have been put on hold until after the extension is complete. So I can access how much money I don't have. LOL.  Once the deck is finished it will be a nice addition to the yard.

decking in place waiting to be trimmed.

the longer boards are left overs from the front porch.

'the dance floor' as my wife calls it.

it's 8 x 12

from the side looking into the yard

Found out last week that my baby is having a baby girl. Still doesn't seem real. My wife has been out buying clothes and cribs and such. My daughter has picked out a name already....it's Kennedy Lane. Her 'mommy' drive has kicked in. Full throttle too! I have no pictures yet. I think she goes in on Monday for another ultrasound. Maybe I'll have one for the next post!

I was going to work on my witch this past weekend....well, not now. She has cracked. Horribly! The dangers of using WED clay. I'm going to have to start from scratch. I need about a three day period to work on her uninterrupted. I will have to sculpt and mold her all together to prevent the cracking again. As the WED clay dries, it shrinks. Since I put this over a wig form it shrank around it and cracked. The best way to use WED clay is to not use an armature of any kind. I know this and still I did it anyway. Dumb, dumb, dumb!!! I guess I'm going to have to lock myself in my studio to complete her. Here is a pic of the disaster that occurred.....

she's even worse now...

more cracks and her ears are about to 

come off completely

My mead is about reading to be opened. YAY! Some time around the first of next month. Just a couple of weeks. I can hardly wait to try it. I'm also about to start a new batch. I ordered a new fermenting container for the new batch. It's a 9 gallon Tuff Tank. I will probably be making a 5 gallon batch. It has it's own airlock and a drain spout. Should make things much easier this time around. Also with the extra room, I hopefully will not have an explosion like I did the last time. Squished fruit on the ceiling is not a good thing! :) The 'vessel' is from E. C. Kraus home brewing. You can see more of what they have to offer here. Can't wait to get started!

my new fermenter...

I've been working on my 5x5 faerie as well. It's coming along nicely. Would like to be further along with it but haven't had much time to work on it. I've given the wings a coat of shimmering lemon yellow to add a little sparkle. Wait faerie doesn't need a little sparkle? :) I hope to have it done by the end of this coming week. **Fingers crossed!**

not a lot of 'inbetween' shots...

my hands were full of paint

maybe some flowers? or swirly things?

I ordered some ointment for my dogs this past week as well. We are having a hell of a time trying to get them to stop itching. Pixie and Roxxy both have themselves chewed raw. I'm not convinced at this point that it's poison ivy. The shots and medication that the vet gives them lasts for about two or three days and then it comes back worse than before. Pixie is red. I'm hoping that this ointment and soap will help them. It's supposed to soothe the skin and stop them from licking and chewing. **again, fingers crossed** Wish me luck! Open to suggestions at this point. :)

Well, I guess that' all for now....

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by for a visit - even when I didn't post anything new!

You all are great!!!

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN

Acrylic, Stones and Clay!

Good Day Everyone!
Once again two weeks have gotten by me...
Sorry about the lack of post last weekend. I was sick (again or still...not sure it ever went away).
I spent almost all of Saturday in bed. I'm feeling much better now. I do believe my "flu" gave way to my allergies. Runny nose, sinus headaches and an over developed sense of smell. Aahhh, the joys of springtime in the south. Makes for a miserable combination, but alas, I will prevail! LOL!!

Let's see if I can catch you up...

Very little progress on my witch. Just a bit but that is better than none. She's coming along nicely. I've made a few additions, one of which I have to change or correct or adjust. I'm just not happy with it. And that is simply because it's not what I have in my head. I know what I need to do, just have to do it now. She has a scar and "stitches" now. And her ears - which seem absolutely gigantic! But that I think is due to the fact that her neck has to be fleshed out some. It's too skinny. I haven't got the silicone yet. I was going to order it, however, I realized there is a shop in Atlanta that carries it. That will save me on the shipping costs! YAY! Now I just have to find the time to make the trip. Not a huge rush as she's not done or molded.

scar over her left eye...

the 'stitches' that i'm not too very happy with...

i will 'flesh' them out - give them a little more depth

and her 'dumbo' ears

i think after adding to her neck (twice the size)

it will take away from her ears and give me 

what i want **at least that's the plan**  :)

I have two new pieces as well this week. They are destined for my Etsy shop. They are 5 x 5 canvas'. I have wanted to do an acrylic transfer.....so I have! There are two ways to do a transfer. The 'direct' route, which is what I've done first. You coat your image - a laser print, in this case - and apply it, while wet, to your substrate. I have done three transfers on the first painting. An abstract design, which is a close up of dragonfly wings and two sets of dragonfly wings. This will eventually be a faerie in flight. The first transfer went off without a hitch. I was thrilled! The second one...not so much. It didn't completely adhere. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. But it works and that's the point. I did exactly the same process on the second one. So I couldn't figure out what I had done incorrectly. It even removed some of the base paint that I applied to the canvas. Too much acrylic? Too little? Not enough dry time? After looking at it, repeatedly, I decided I would just do an overlay of the wings. It was another set of wings, different than the first but well within what I wanted. After applying the third transfer and removing the paper...it again didn't adhere completely. Oddly enough in the same spots as the other one. I have come to the conclusion that the 'error' must be the canvas or the paint. Being somewhat of a perfectionist (who me? never) I still have issues with the "artists don't make mistakes, only happy accidents" theory that I've been led to believe that all artist should have. Yeah, ok, sure. I don't know about you but 'happy accidents' only infuriate me. I have a very simple philosophy that astounds most of the people I know. I heard it in a song many years ago and it stuck. Simply because it's the way I view things. Wanna hear it?

"I don't try anything. I just do it......wanna try me?" 

I've never shy away from new things (especially artistic things). I do my research - sometimes too much research - and then I simply do it. Like the acrylic transfers or the silicone that I will be trying doing. :)  Ok, now that you know how my brain works...here are the photos from the transfers...

prep time....gathering all the ingredients

the two canvas' with acrylic 'base' painting done

the one on the left is the one i am currently working on

the one on the right...well...you'll just have to wait and see

a couple of the images i decided to use

the red wings were not used

they didn't quite fit in with what i have floating

through my head...

the first transfer applied and drying

beginning to remove the paper backing

paper removed and drying

all the little rubbings...

the second transfer

you can see where it didn't adhere and where

it removed some of the acrylic paint

this is after the third transfer (no photos in between)

happy with the turn out

the wings actually wrap around the sides

this is gallery wrapped so the sides are deep

We have also begun our 'outside' projects as well. I had planned on doing the stones around the fire pit first and then the deck extension. However, I took my wife with me to Home Depot and the deck suddenly became project one and the stones project two. After gathering the wood and supplies that were needed and heading to the checkout, she decided she wanted it enclosed...back to the lumber department. The clerk at Home Depot was very helpful. I got the impression that he must have thought I was helpless...he loaded most of the wood on my cart for me. Which really made me giggle, since he was much older than I am. We got it all loaded in my truck and it was dark when I got home. So I unloaded everything in the morning and got to work on setting the posts. That's where I am now. Waiting for them to set. Tomorrow will be another day in the yard. With a little luck the frame will be done tomorrow and then another trip to the lumber store to get the decking. 

starting point

extending from the existing deck

posts leveled and drying...

That's all for now.

Till next time...

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN