The Joys Of Dumpster Diving

Nothing makes me happier, or sparks my creativity more, than the discovery of discarded furniture on the side of the road. I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood where the residents can't be bothered going to the dump and everything they don't want ends up on the curb. Imagine my delight when I found this wheelchair by the garbage dumpster this morning!

It is definitely unusual, I have never seen a chair quite like it, it has a bit of a "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" vibe to it. It is quite narrow compared to modern wheelchairs and has a very high back, I can't wait to alter it, I think It will be my new work desk chair. The foot rest slides way out and as you can see it holds one cat perfectly.

The back of the chair has this interesting bar to make pushing it easy.

I think the most difficult part of working on this chair is going to be keeping this one off of it. She loves it and has already claimed it for herself.

Tsunami Art

When tsunami sirens start blaring at 6:00 in the morning and you find you have an unexpected day off from work what do you do? I really wanted to go back to bed but by the time I realized I was going to be in for the day I had finished off a pot of coffee making the possibility of sleep slim. I could either head to the roof with a case of beer, like many of my neighbors, or I could stay in and work on something. Since it was still what I consider early morning hours beer didn't seem like the appropriate choice so I stayed in and did this piece. The beer came later.......

Christmas In February

I am probably known for my lateness in gift giving. Despite my best efforts
I never seem to get the package in the mail on time. And as much as I love Christmas, I find I am usually not in the mood to celebrate it until mid January, when the frenzy of the season has subsided. I guess I have always followed a different calendar than everyone else. So when a friend says they are going to be late sending a gift it makes me giddy with anticipation, I just love extending a celebration! That being said I was beyond happy when Erin sent my Christmas present last week. I think this piece she made was well worth the wait! And not only did she make this for me she sent flying monkeys and plush scum! I have said it before and I will say it again, my friends are just the best.
Merry Christmas!

(This is made of wood and glass with fabric applique on the outside, it is amazing).

Does This Happen To You?

It started out simply enough. It always does right?

I decided to make a crown for my boss. It is his birthday this week and he seems very excited about it. He is an adorable 70 + year old man, with a fabulous sense of humor and a fascinating history behind him. He deserves a crown! I decided to keep it relatively simple with a few references to his passions (rebuilding tossed out chairs and biking). As I recalled I had the perfect adornment for one area of the crown, a small green bicyclist, I knew it would be perfect. And that is where the trouble began.

Try as I might I just can't seem to organize my art supplies. They are oozing out of every corner in my small apartment. I have them housed in clear boxes, cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, cigar boxes, large tins, large plastic jars, plastic bags, it goes on and on. And yet amid all of that stash I knew I had a small green bicyclist.

I was sure it was somewhere on my work desk, in a bag, or maybe it was in a box. I went through everything I could easily access, no luck. I went through the boxes on the shelves to the right of the desk, again no luck. I went through the massive drum size tins under my desk, dumping the contents and sifting through them. I found troll dolls, plastic squid, centipedes, rubber finger puppets, plastic babies, dog house charms, army soldiers, bowlers, and hula dancers, but no green bicyclist! By that point I had worked myself into a frenzy, I was obsessed, nothing else would work on that spot of the crown but that specific plastic green bicyclist!!! I moved more boxes and went through the broken jewelry, the containers of beads and feathers, still no luck. Maybe I had used it in something, or perhaps I tossed it out during one of my feeble attempts to clean up.

I don't take defeat easily but after almost 2 hours of searching I decided I was going to have to rethink that portion of the crown and find something else. If I still had the bicyclist I would probably find it 6 months from now while looking for something else. I had met defeat. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a shoebox I missed, it was wedged under another box. Was it worth pulling out and going through? Probably not, but why not. So I pulled the box out started going through the contents-Styrofoam balls, toothpicks, tubes of glitter, scarabs, monopoly money, and there in the corner I saw it, a lone green bicyclist!

So now I am sneezing like a fool from all the dust I stirred up but my work area is a bit cleaner and most importantly my boss has a small green bicyclist on his crown!

Happy Birthday David.

At Last....

Now that I have successfully remembered my password I can re-engage myself on here! I hope the holidays were full of good times for everyone and 2010 proves to be the year we all want it to be.

Here is a bit of what I have been up to (I apologize for the goofy layout, I can't seem to master the posting of photos on here)..........

This is an encaustic piece I made as a house warming for Erin. Another apology, I photographed it at night and the flash bounced off the mirrors and wax no matter what I did, hence the bad glare. That is pretty much true of all these photos, sorry.

Close up detail......

These are Christmas gifts I made for some of my favorite people.

I made this for Erin, my creative muse.

(back view)

This one was for Miss Kim, who definitely lives life la vida loca!

This was for Marek'a, Mistress of the cosmic universe.

Sirens Of The Sea

Father's Day was a festival of mermaids at my friends gallery. It was the first annual Mermaid Fest and it featured The Mermaids of Hawaii, a synchronized swimming group, artist demos and an array of work celebrating the sea and it's mythical creatures. Here are a few of the encaustic pieces I did.

The wax really enhanced the underwater feel of the pieces, adding a murky layer to some pieces and giving the effect of encrusted buried treasure
to others.

I must admit mermaids are not a theme I would consider doing but it turned out to be fun, and I got to use up a lot of the shells I had laying around the house. And the fact that the pieces sold, well, that was like discovering the pearl inside of the oyster, something you hope for and yet you are surprised and delighted by when it happens........

Hawaiiana Calls...

I have a friend who owns an art gallery in Waikiki. It is full of what I refer to as "tourist art", photos, paintings, and prints of palm trees, sunsets and waves. She only sells work made here in Hawaii and it must be reflective of the islands. I sell lava and kukui nut jewelry there and do quite well with it but it isn't a direction I would normally go in. I am more inclined to make dramatic costume inspired neck pieces or leis of recycled items I picked up off the street. But the kukui nut bracelets help pay the rent and sadly that is what it is all about these days.

Anyway, she has been after me from day one to do some art work for her, paintings or the collage boxes I am known for. The problem is, what I am known for and what she offers in her gallery are not the same thing and I have not been able to generate any enthusiasm for making "tourist art". But times are tough and I could use the money so... I thought about melting some wax....

I decided I could stay true to myself and do some tongue in cheek Hawaiiana works that would not be offensive to me or her clientele. And adding wax to the images definitely makes them stand out from all the other offerings out there in the tourist market. Hopefully I have made them interesting enough for anyone to consider.

1 Fetus + 1 Tile = Infantile

Once again I wonder where time has gone and why I haven't been on here more. OK, well I know why I haven't been on here more but time does slip by at a fast rate these days. I got hit with that nasty flu bug that was going around, it knocked me off my feet much longer than it should have. Then there was the death of someone who was very special to me, that has left me numb and blue and not feeling up to much of anything. I have finally rallied a bit and felt some art therapy was in order!

If you have been following my ramblings on here you know my friend Erin sent me a blank metal tile which was calling for some makeover magic. Also, a very long time ago she sent out a plastic fetus, not only to me but to many of her artist friends (you have to love a gal who has a bag full of plastic fetuses). I think everyone has used them in some creative way but I still had not done anything with the two I received and I was beginning to feel guilty about that. I still have a project in mind for one of them but I decided to take the other one and combine it with the tile to make an infant-tile :)

The finished piece is called Infantile de Infanta,

the infant child of Portuguese royalty.

I am feeling better already..........

Hand Made

Nothing makes a bad day better than coming home to a box of goodies from an artist friend! I am incredibly lucky to have such talented and giving friends, but my friend Erin out did herself this time and I just have to share with you what she sent me.

First of the goodies is the fun metal tile she altered, I think it is going to look perfect in my kitchen. She also sent me a blank tile so I am going to make her something fun in return. I know exactly what I am going to do with it so stay tuned for an update on that.

If that wasn't enough, she also sent this amazing piece, I just love it! She got a sewing machine for Christmas and is experimenting with fiber. I think she did a great job and I am so excited to have a new edition to my ever growing hand collection.



And to round out the goodies she included this fun piece by her husband who makes lots of wonderful ceramic things. I think this guy has a heavy Hawaiian tiki vibe going on and he is a welcome addition to all of my little curios.

In these uncertain times knowing our friends are there to support and encourage us makes a huge difference. It's these gestures of friendship and sharing the creative spirit that will sustain me, that much I know for sure. So to Erin, and all of my kindred friends, thank you so much for sharing your talent with me, you inspire me and nurture me more than you know!

The Queen Of Pentacles

For quite some time now I have been wanting to create an altered book of spells and rituals. I have also wanted to do one on the properties of gemstones and herbs. And, I have been wanting to do a tarot deck for what seems like forever.

I have scraps of paper everywhere with notes and ideas, all just waiting for the perfect old book to come along to be altered. I love the idea of a large voluminous book holding secrets and possibilities. But I just have not been able to find the book that fits my vision so I have given up. Instead I have decided to do a journal of sorts combing all of the projects in one place. I think I am going to make it a loose leaf binder so I can add or subtract pages and "chapters" as the mood strikes me.

I started with a tarot page based on the Queen of Pentacles. With the economy being on every ones mind these days I guess starting with the Queen of Pentacles was only right. After all, money, success, and wealth in all things important are what we all hope for.

Beads, Beads, And More Beads............

I finally finished yet another long over due project. I started making this beaded cuff for a friend last year, and after a few delays I managed to complete it in time to give it to her for Christmas this year. This is another example of me thinking "how hard can it be to bead a little bracelet?". Well, it wasn't really all that difficult but I do have a hard time seeing those tiny little bead holes, then I misplaced all the semi precious bead chips I got to edge the bracelet with, then there were a few issues with the clasps on the back..... It was an ongoing adventure to be sure, but all in all I think it turned out ok.

Second Attempt.............

I decided to do another encaustic piece because I am totally addicted to this medium. As I mentioned before I find it very soothing to melt the wax and move it around, and soothing is something I was in heavy need of this week. Anyway, what I intended to do with the piece and what I ended up with are two entirely different things. This started out much different but the one thing I have learned along the way is, if my work takes off in a different direction I just follow it and let it become what it wants to be. I am not so sure in this case that was a good idea. I don't really like the layout of the piece, her head is too low but I was working on canvas so I couldn't cut the top off to make it right and it seems a bit bare and yet a bit too busy too. I really am not sure how I feel about the final outcome, hmmmm, what do you think?

This is a close up but even this doesn't really show the wax detail. I decided to add some color to the wax and found a gorgeous metallic gold to add, I just wasn't prepared for the richness of the color, it saturated the surface with a bit more color than I wanted. But still, I think it is ok, I think............

The Altered Trees Of Christmas

While all the other boys and girls were out playing this week I was at home making more altered Christmas trees. My fellow employees may not understand them but the Contemporary Museum wants to sell them in their shop, yay! ( It is so important to find ones niche :) ) Anyway, here are a few of the ones I made..........

A House Of Wax

I have been wanting to try encaustic painting for awhile now and thanks to Yoli and her shortcut tricks (who knew a quilting iron could be so versatile!) I decided to give it a try. There is something very soothing about melting wax and spreading it around. I am afraid my new found obsession may lead to me encasing everything in wax, I just love doing this!

Anyway...... here you have it, my first encaustic mixed medium piece. I wish the wax detail showed up better in this photo, (despite the fact I use to teach darkroom procedures I can not take a decent photo, even with a digital camera, or maybe I should say especially with a digital camera, at any rate...............).

I love the way the wax makes everything cloudy, adding layers of mystery, not to mention it is a great way to cover up ones mistakes :)

Thanks Yoli, you just may have created a wax melting monster!

Tis The Season

I am always up for a challenge but I was a bit daunted when I was told I had to decorate a 12" Christmas tree for a contest at work. Not only do I work for a rather conservative company, I was limited to using supplies we actually sell in the store. Normally I would embrace such a challenge but I knew I needed to tow the line, so to speak, and my usually bawdy humor needed to take a back seat as well. Plus, I am not big on anything "traditional" so I knew striking a balance between acceptable for work vs. what I would really like to do was going to be tricky. At any rate, I sucked it all up (I did sneak in a few elements from my own personal stash of materials) and came up with my "Spirit of Christmas" tree. Fa, la, la...........

Frida's In The House

Like everyone else I know I am a huge fan of Frida Kahlo. I was taken in by her talent long before she became the current media darling she is today, and I have probably read every book and article ever written about her. When I heard more of her personal memorabilia was discovered and a traveling museum show was being put together I was ecstatic. Reality set in when I realized the show would never make it to this island and as much as I would love to fly to the mainland to see it I don't see that happening anytime soon. So, I did the next best thing and ordered a copy of "Self Portrait In A Velvet Dress...Frida's Wardrobe", an exquisite book showcasing Frida's wardrobe, complete with photographs of her I haven't seen before. How wonderful is this book? If you are fascinated by every aspect of this woman's life as I am you will think you have died and gone to heaven when you look at this book. An added bonus are photographs taken by Graciela Iturbide, one of my favorite photographers. Not that I needed to see Frida's bloody hospital gown or her prosthetic leg wearing one of her fabulous red boots, and yet the strength of the images surely captures the strength Frida must have had in her life. This book is definitely eye candy for fridaholics as well as anyone interested in textiles and fashion. Now if I could just find someone to replicate those red, wedge heeled boots for me....

I have jewelry to make for a gallery in town and samples to make for a new account, I have swap projects to finish, belated birthday gifts to make, a house to clean, family and pets to care for , and a day job. I have a lot to do with too few hours in the day to do it all, and with all of these projects and requirements facing me I have decided to make a quilt! I'm not sure, but this may be the first sign I am losing my mind.

I am in desperate need of new bedding and I can't find anything out there I like, let alone love enough to pay $300.00 or more for. So I have decided to make a quilt. How hard can it be?!? I love fabrics and textiles so I have amassed an interesting collection of colors, patterns and textures to make a quilt. Again, how hard can it be to sew squares together, at least that is my original thought. But I know how I am and I am sure sewn squares will become squares of collage and applique, ribbons and lace, hand painting and embroidery. I am not really a basic kind of gal so a simple square quilt probably won't satisfy me.

Did I mention I don't really sew and have limited quilt making experience? In college I decided to make a quilt for an art class. Each square had a stuffed applique on it and when assembled each puffy shape made a beautiful pattern. Because the quilt was king size and involved more puffy appliques than quilting the finished piece was too heavy to pick up, let alone sleep under! I truly think it weighed more that a futon bed when it was completed. I don't recall what I ended up doing with it but I suspect somewhere out there a homeless family is using it for a bed.

Anyway......so I don't really sew well, my tiny little sewing machine is more of a toy than a miracle making machine, and I have limited working space. With the tiny sewing machine and no work space I don't know how I will even be able to machine quilt a queen size quilt, there just isn't any room for all of that fabric. I think I may quilt finished blocks and then somehow sew them all together to make one large quilt, can you do that? I'm sure if any quilters are reading this they are shuddering at the thought. What can I say, sometimes you must be creative in unexpected ways and those are the times you come up with some really great discoveries. At least that is what I am hoping. I am determined to make a wonderfully funky, one of a kind quilt for my bed so stay tuned, this ought to be interesting......

Etsy

Whew, I finally got my Etsy site up and running! Why is it these things are never as easy as they should be? I guess all my years of inhaling paint and glue fumes have dulled my technical capabilities. At any rate, it is now up and running so please check it out if you have the time. And now I have to go make some more things.....

http://www.surebets.etsy.com/