Involved and evolving
Where does the time go? I'm involved in a variety projects right now and I haven't had a chance to update very much. The MDF clocks are way, way on the back burner--so far, I can't even really see them any more.
What's taken their place? Here's the list: I've got a wholesale order to fill by the end of the month for 6 tri-mirrors, an order for a clock, and I'm teaching my last week of camp: Monet's Garden. I'm enjoying exposing four girls to Monet and the Impressionists, and giving them a chance to paint and create in the Impressionist mode. Later in the week, we'll be visiting the NC Museum of Art, to view actual Monet paintings (a definite highlight!), and on our last day, we'll be visiting the studios of two women artists who paint in the Impressionist style. It's great to be able to add these experiences to the camp. As one girl said on Monday: "This camp is going to be cool because all the other ones just talk about things. We're going to go and see them!" I couldn't agree more.
As if this isn't enough, I'm working on a chair, which will be auctioned off at a "Chair-ity" event for Habitat for Humanity, called "Going Green Just Got Elegant" here in Raleigh. Artists from around the area were asked to come up with designs for the chairs, making them either functional or not, with some connection to the green theme. The deadline is August 30th, and until two days ago, I only had the vaguest of ideas of what I'd do for it. The chair is an old library chair which was donated to our local Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. Not only does it look like the chairs in the Long Island, NY library I visited as a child, but it even has gum stuck on the bottom of the seat! I discovered this as I was painting the underside, and had a good laugh when I saw it. Stan says I have to keep it there, and that I shouldn't even paint over it...verisimilitude, and all that...I agree. He's doing a chair too, but his isn't as "authentic". No gum.
My initial idea had been a rainforest theme, using hand-tinted papers for the leaves and polymer clay for the flowers, birds and animals. I kicked that around, mostly in my head for about a month, and couldn't quite make it work there (and I know if I couldn't make it work there, it was highly doubtful it would work on the actual chair!). So, on Sunday, deadline looming, I just decided to wing it. I painted the whole chair metallic copp
er, which was a great start. Then, as I was looking for a sketch I'd done for another project (easily distracted, I know!), I came across some old templates for a frog and turtle I used years ago when I was still doing kids furniture. The pr
overbial little bell went off, and I was off and running. My new idea, which I'm working on now, involves making flat polymer clay figures, along with a tree, guinea fowl and fish all inspired by Korhogo fabric of the Ivory Coast. Here's the menagerie so far. They'll all be arranged around a painted river...still working that out...I'm going back to work...more photos as the project evolves.
What's taken their place? Here's the list: I've got a wholesale order to fill by the end of the month for 6 tri-mirrors, an order for a clock, and I'm teaching my last week of camp: Monet's Garden. I'm enjoying exposing four girls to Monet and the Impressionists, and giving them a chance to paint and create in the Impressionist mode. Later in the week, we'll be visiting the NC Museum of Art, to view actual Monet paintings (a definite highlight!), and on our last day, we'll be visiting the studios of two women artists who paint in the Impressionist style. It's great to be able to add these experiences to the camp. As one girl said on Monday: "This camp is going to be cool because all the other ones just talk about things. We're going to go and see them!" I couldn't agree more.
As if this isn't enough, I'm working on a chair, which will be auctioned off at a "Chair-ity" event for Habitat for Humanity, called "Going Green Just Got Elegant" here in Raleigh. Artists from around the area were asked to come up with designs for the chairs, making them either functional or not, with some connection to the green theme. The deadline is August 30th, and until two days ago, I only had the vaguest of ideas of what I'd do for it. The chair is an old library chair which was donated to our local Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. Not only does it look like the chairs in the Long Island, NY library I visited as a child, but it even has gum stuck on the bottom of the seat! I discovered this as I was painting the underside, and had a good laugh when I saw it. Stan says I have to keep it there, and that I shouldn't even paint over it...verisimilitude, and all that...I agree. He's doing a chair too, but his isn't as "authentic". No gum.
My initial idea had been a rainforest theme, using hand-tinted papers for the leaves and polymer clay for the flowers, birds and animals. I kicked that around, mostly in my head for about a month, and couldn't quite make it work there (and I know if I couldn't make it work there, it was highly doubtful it would work on the actual chair!). So, on Sunday, deadline looming, I just decided to wing it. I painted the whole chair metallic copp
er, which was a great start. Then, as I was looking for a sketch I'd done for another project (easily distracted, I know!), I came across some old templates for a frog and turtle I used years ago when I was still doing kids furniture. The pr
overbial little bell went off, and I was off and running. My new idea, which I'm working on now, involves making flat polymer clay figures, along with a tree, guinea fowl and fish all inspired by Korhogo fabric of the Ivory Coast. Here's the menagerie so far. They'll all be arranged around a painted river...still working that out...I'm going back to work...more photos as the project evolves.
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