2012/365 - Day 220

my ATCs for trading with the group

Today will be a errand-filled very busy hope-I-make-it-home-in-time day and then (YAY!) Juana is coming over to meet Tull and play Magic: the Gathering...so I am blogging nice and early.

Yay -- I completed my "dream" themed artist trading cards last night. 

I talked about making the background design/colors and mirror image bear(s) HERE.  For the back of the card I took a photo of the framed artist proof print of "This Bear Dreams" knowing it would show reflections because of the glass.  I was hoping that would add to the dream feeling of the image and because the image is out of perspective and not squared up, I think it kinda does look a teensy bit dreamy.  So I titled the ATC "This Bear Dreams, Too".  I am quite pleased with them -- I hope the people who get them in trade like them.

 

 I  decided to keep this ATC for myself instead of the first one I made.  This will help remind me of what I did to make the background(s), should I ever want to do it again.

These are all of the artist trading cards I made for the "dream" theme.

I am really pretty amazed/amused by the color changes during the process of wetting the photocopies for the backgrounds.  I like them a lot.

2012/365 - Day 90

back to the plaster cloth!

I want to do something in plaster cloth for the new goal I am working towards. I am not going to say what it is -- just in case I don't finish in time (and that is a very real possibility -- I only have about a month's worth of building/drying time).



I have several in-progress guys to choose from, but I have been wanting to work on this guy for a long, long time.

This bear with a twirly sprinkler crown started out back in June of last year. You can see the post here.

I don't know exactly what I want to do with him.

I started by cutting him off of the tomato cage. It was pretty wobbly because it was one of the thinner gauge ones. His head is also a bit off balance (from being new at construction back then).







I set the head over a decorative base that I got at a resale shop. I think this might be a base for a gaze ball or maybe the other way up it would be an umbrella or cane stand. All that mattered to me was that perhaps the flat part of the box could sit on the top of it and be more stable than the wobbly tomato cage.


The more I looked at it, the more I decided this was not the right project for that stand.





The dimensions allowed in the guidelines for this show are head-swimmingly generous and I really want to make BIG things. A heavier gauge tomato cage makes this guy six and a half feet tall! That really made me happy. And at this height, you can look the bear straight in the eyes (if you are my height.)

However...even though I would need to work on the head separately (which I probably will do anyway) and then add it to the base, you wouldn't be able to turn the twirly part of the crown if it was that tall. Plus, I'd have to weight the piece at the bottom and then it would really be hard to transport -- tall and heavy. AND -- I probably wouldn't be able to get that tall of a piece done in time.






I sat with the head some more and started cutting off more of the tomato cage. I didn't feel like adding all of the photos of the in between stages, but here is what I ended up with.

I cut the head all the way off of the tomato cage bits that were left (I would have done that earlier on if I had realized the twirly part wasn't dependent on the part that was anchored to the last part of the tomato cage) and I found a couple of Twizzler containers (leftover from my front table derby days) and stacked together they are strong enough to support the head and are deep enough for the bottom part of the sprinkler.








I looked around the studio and came across this lightweight unfinished wooden cabinet (craft project grade). I think this will maybe be a swell base to build the bear around. Very stable, indeed.













Okay...prep work time.

This guy's nose is really wonky-looking to me...it looks like he was in a major fight and someone broke his nose and jaw and put them out of alignment. It was a good first try but now I need to fix it.

I grabbed a scrap of chicken wire and tried to shape a better beginning for his face. I am still not that great with sculpture and doing the foundation, but I think I can fix it with the wet plaster cloth when it gets to that stage.








I decided to pack the interior portions that need to be filled up (any areas with gaps between the old structure and the chicken wire/new plaster cloth) with plastic wrappers and bags...better inside of a plaster cloth sculpture than in a landfill I guess.














I covered everything up with masking tape to hold it together and so that I could actually see the shape better.









The bear was kind of cute before with the open mouth and broken jaw look, but I think I will like him much more now...it was too distracting for me before. He won't look exactly like a real bear anyway, but he will be a little closer.

I think this is a good place to stop to put on a layer of plaster cloth and see how it looks.

365 Day 359

possible image for January's ATCs

Yesterday while I was sorting things (again) in the studio, I found two tablets of tracing paper. They had been in the very bottom of an old Rubbermaid bin that was full of paper stuff that I have been saving for years and years. I didn't think much of it at the time...just "cool -- more tracing paper." Last night when I needed a piece of tracing paper I grabbed one of the tablets and this full size page fell out. I don't remember exactly where the image came from but it looks to me like I traced a "real" bear for a simple outline to carve, leaving one plain/smooth and doing one fuzzy. I thought "ooh -- neat -- I will do something with these guys sometime."


This morning they were really bugging me.

I have been a bit stumped for an idea for the ATC exchange for January. The theme is Weather.

When I was looking at these two guys together I thought it looked like the smooth bear was dry and the fuzzy one was wet. That gave me an idea.




This afternoon I have been playing with the image in my photo program (I wish I really knew how to WORK that program) -- trying to resize it (the guys on the tracing paper are about the size of my hand), photocopying the image and changing the size that way, scanning the newly re-sized image, and then trying effects on it to see if I could make a negative (like I used to be able to do with my old photo program on my old PC). (It's not that the stuff on my Mac can't do what I want it to do -- it's that I don't know how to make it do it. Sometimes I accidentally stumble on a workaround but I never remember how I did it...LOL...and I just do not care enough about computers to take classes.)


So I finally got an image I could use and I transferred it (very messily) with a soft pastel to the carving block.












This is the cleaned up block after I went over the transferred lines with an oil colored pencil (that just happened to be in my desk drawer) -- I couldn't find a wet enough thin line Sharpie...LOL.













This is a group shot of the various stages of what I did today.

On the bottom left is the carved (so far) linocut block...I'm taking it slowly.

In the middle is the test print.

On the bottom right is a photo program doctored version of a scan of the test print...to see what I might be able to do with it.


It has been an enjoyable process (when I let go of the frustration with my lack of computer skills). I like the idea of the bear up to his shoulders in a nighttime snowstorm.

But then again...I might come up with something else now that I am partly on a roll with the Weather theme.

365 Day 310

butcher paper bear

I am feeling really good this morning -- daylight savings time is over! I feel like things are back to "normal" again.

In my old house I used to project images on the walls and enlarge them and draw over the projected image. I loved doing this. I was really stupid and did the lines in black Sharpie markers...you can imagine how difficult it was to cover over those things when I moved...man oh man. I think that there will always be ghost images there...LOL.

Anyway...




I was having my coffee and oatmeal this morning, as usual, and looking at the artwork in the room. This is all that is left of a poster-sized print of a magnificent (to me) bear that is formed from teensy tiny little marks. It's not like there was much else in the original size...maybe an inch more of the shoulders -- it was mostly blank paper all around and especially above the head of the bear. This print survived a fire in my old house. I loved it so much I couldn't stand to throw it out after the smoke-and-water damage so I just cut it down to this size and framed it. (You can still see a small amount of smoke damage at the very top of the picture.)






I have a lot of blank wall space in this room. I had the fireplace closed up and I want to do some sort of mural on that wall. I can draw something I suppose and use the projector again...the only problem is that I can't stand on a ladder anymore.

I had a brainstorm this morning. I have a roll of butcher paper that I use for everything -- I just love it. How about if I put some on the wall and draw/etc. on THAT??? I can keep changing the images whenever I want to and I don't have to commit to a permanent mark on the wall. The paper is pretty much the same shade of white as the walls, so you can't really notice it. Plus, most of the walls in that room are this icky painted over cheap paneling and this will help to cover it up. Yay!


I am not very confident with my drawing "skills" (as you may remember). I think doing this may help in that department. I can keep practicing and re-doing things.





Well...not too bad for a quick first try!

Twink was very interested in this project. I had to give him his own small sheet of butcher paper. He seems to enjoy it and is pretty occupied with it...for now. Another good part of this idea -- if it gets cat chewed or anything I can just do another drawing...or replace just the damaged part.












I think for this version I want the bear to be jumping up a little bit off the ground...mid-jump.















I am quite pleased with how this turned out (so far).

I can practice filling in the little marks a little at a time.

Cool.

365 Day 303

adding a layer



Hmmm...remember a few days ago when I glued a few block print test prints down to cigar box lids? I really liked the simplicity of this guy on the lid with the stark border and some of the images just barely showing through on the bear and down at the corner. Tonight I was looking at it and trying to figure out what else I could do to it to add some dimension but not totally busy it up.






The bear is printed on pale green mulberry paper. Tonight I tore a vaguely bear-shaped hole out of a piece of white mulberry paper. I like it a lot so far...it isn't totally dry yet so maybe it will change a little.


I like the way the inclusions in the white mulberry paper tone down the border on the lid. I like the way the two papers blend together. I like that you can see the green paper's inclusions under the ink in (and around) the bear and that the bear's outline is light green because I am used to seeing it only in white.







I like the green inclusions in the green paper and the white ones in the white paper at the bottom of the box lid.












What can I say -- I like this a lot so far!

365 Day 133

small steps...

Okay, I have done pretty much nothing all day...again. I found myself in my studio thinking of a Donovan song and all of a sudden I was aware that it was like 10:30 at night and I hadn't made anything yet for the 365 Project. Gah!














I dug the CD out of the music closet, put it in the computer and started it. I looked around the studio for something, something, SOMEthing...what? Dunno...I can't do anything in an hour. Plaster cloth is too involved and I am not feeling it right now. Collage? No...couldn't finish.

Then I spied that three ghosts "painting"/canvas I have been working on in stages.

I was trying to put layer upon layer of color on the ghost in the middle and I wanted to try and scratch through the layers so you'd see different colors of fur/hair on the monster. I scratching it last week and was sorely disappointed. That works just fine with underglazes and clay...but apparently not with acrylic paint and canvas.


(Oh yeah -- at some point -- I'm not sure when -- it was revealed to me that the creature in the middle is not a ghost -- it's a monster...the other guys are ghosts.)

So then my mind started wandering again, but not wanting to let go of those monster fur ideas. Then I thought of the bear in the kitchen that I love so much. All those tiny little lines. Kinda Edward Gorey-ish in that it is only single lines that change direction and intensity, etc. I obviously do not have the technical words for the style(s). Whatever.
















































I decided to give it a go. Just start it. Put a layer of little lines on. And I can always paint over it if I really hate it.











































Of course, it looks nothing at all like the beloved bear or like Edward Gorey drawings...that is okay -- they are the *inspiration*, this is mine. I think I am beginning to like it.

KT Goodlove # 145

"Quit pushing all the buttons."

You have no idea how much I "agonized" over this one...geez. LOL

The silvery line on the original block looked like hills/mountains to me. Fine. But after I added the textured paper for the hilly/mountainy surface suddenly the wonderful silvery line that looked like snow kinda disappeared. Sheesh. I had already glued the paper on and I tried to add the cat girl but it just looked like a disconnected head and shoulders cuz you couldn't really see the snow-on-the-hills/mountains unless you tipped the block to catch the light.

When I put my parts "behind" Kettle's paint I have to make a tracing paper (or tissue paper) mask. I couldn't see the silver line through the tracing paper -- no matter what lighting I tried.

Listen, my drawing abilities are incredibly limited. This is where the agonizing part comes in. I had to draw that black line in with a micron pen.

Man, if I messed it up...if it smeared...if my hand slipped. Yeah, I could have "fixed" it by giving it a paper sky to go over the messed up line but it wouldn't have been what I was going for. Cripes...honestly, it took me most of the day to get up the courage to put that black line on there. Whew.

This is block #145 in the Kettle and Took collaboration series KTGoodlove for Art-o-mat®.

KT Goodlove # 126

Kettle and I made a number of KT Goodlove collages for the Art-o-mat® Minneapolis Regional Swap Meet (back in April).
A number of those were not sold or traded but were included in the last batch of KT Goodlove blocks that I shipped to Artists in Cellophane.

We had already started on our third edition of KT Goodlove (starting with block #101) and those were also in that last batch that was shipped to AIC earlier this month (or was it at the end of April I shipped them? I don't remember anymore.)

Which brings us to these blocks...

I now have these 25 blocks of Kettley goodness to work on ... and then I will send them to AIC, too. Normally editions/batches are sent in 50 at a time, but these 25 got out of sync because of the Swap Meet. So this set is technically the 2nd part of edition #3 of KT Goodlove (which will be 101-150).

You can find blocks 101-125 in older posts in this blog.

Whew.

And for anyone new to this blog, Kettle and I collaborate on this mixed media series for Art-o-mat® called "KT Goodlove". Kettle paints his characters on the blocks, then ships them back to me. I add my collage bits, wrap 'em in cellophane and ship them to Artists in Cellophane (Art-o-mat "HQ") for distribution to machines across the country.

KT Goodlove # 114

"I am a bear. Put your head in my mouth."

This is block #114 in the Kettle and Took collaboration series KTGoodlove for Art-o-mat®.

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Two (KTG #55)

I didn't mean to hurt you...But life loves life.

Hmmm. Lots of possibilities here.

This is block #55 in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

KT Goodlove for April 17

Wow -- Here is block #50 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

I shipped the completed "KT Goodlove" set to Artists in Cellophane last week and Carol is beginning to send them out to Art-o-mat® machines across the country! I ordered 10 for the Michigan machines, but I think I am going to hold onto them (once they arrive) for the Detroit Comics machine...you know... Buckety.


(Scroll down and you can see Buckety over on the right column of the front page of this blog...the teal colored machine.)

Detroit Comics is having their 2nd Anniversary Party on June 6. Kettle and I will make a couple of larger collaboration pieces to kickoff the series at the party. They will be available as prizes. Details later.

Day One Hundred One

Yay -- I actually got up and made a piece of arto-art like I wanted to!!!

Here is one of my bumble bears in his party hat.

This block is for my series called "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat®...tiny portraits made with colored pencils on MDF blocks with a handmade twisty wire hanger on the back.

KT Goodlove for April 7

A little 'tude goes a long long way, eh?

Here you have block #40 in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

Day Eighty-Two

You know how when you are out somewhere (usually by yourself) ... walking on the sidewalk ... in a store ... getting into your car in a parking lot ... and you see someone and you are not sure if you know them, and suddenly they start waving, then you think they are waving at you, and you wave back, then stop midway through the wave because you're not really sure if they are waving at you? I think that is what is going on in this collage ... not sure though. (ha)



This is block #25 in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.