Totally Chuffed!

Glancing through my Facebook news feed today, I was excited to find this:

Dharma Trading featured one of my tutorials!  Being Halloween and all, it's kind of nice when my PAST comes back to haunt me!

The Penultimate Stage

I love that word: "Penultimate".
Like waking up on December 23rd, when you know the Big Day is close:  it's the light at the end of a rather long tunnel.
Funny thing is, though, the first metallic assembly is where the biggest changes happen.
It's where the work starts to become what it wants, not exactly what I thought it would be.

Harry Potter finale: who's next?

I finally steeled myself to go to the last Harry Potter movie tonight.  I was concerned it was going to be too dark, like the previous ones.  But the main reason I hesitated was: this last film in the series marks the end of an era.  I'll probably be in my 80's before the next Epic Hero arises.

New Website!!

I finally figured out that many people who want my silly "doodlebug" designs are generally not the same folks who want my original art works.  So I've split my sites.
The original silly site is listed to the right of this blog, in "and there's more!".

Click Here for my new Originals site.
and
Click Here to see prints and cards of the originals.
Pass it on, Thanks!

Hero for a Friday

I'm looking forward to some pure escapism this weekend!

I just caught the matinee of "Thor".  I think i'ts the best "comic book" genre movie so far.  It has everything: 
*Gorgeous scenery + great special effects
*Heroes, Gods, + Monsters, 
*True Love, Humor, Treachery, Valiance, Friendship, Self-sacrifice, *and it ends with Hope.
AND
Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Odin!


what more do you want?


 

CharlesChaplin, Chocolate Chips, Quiche + Kells

The opening scene from "Benny and Joon"  is a picture of what living the creative life is like.

Masks! from Mistakes to Miracles

Carnevale-Mardis Gras-Faschings:  It's that time of year!  My friend Jennifer and I set up a couple of  "work days" in my home studio to do these, and 5 others. We used a spray-dye technique,  with a Preval Portable Spray Gun, and Procion dyes and Masks from Dharma Trading.
          There are 4 blogs below, with Step-by-Step Photos, Tips and Screw-Ups,
for an Ombre Mask, a Malachite Cat,  and an Iridescent Lizard.    The Granny Zanni Mask used spray acrylic and lace overlay.  All of them passed the "Torchlight Test".**

How To Photos: The Malachite Cat

The way I'd intended to decorate this mask didn't happen.  The outcome was a complete surprise! See below for my partner's Very Clever Way to cut air holes in them,  because they fit so closely to your face.

How To Photos: Jennifer's Clever Cat-Mask-Nose-Trick!

My Partner-in-Crime, Jennifer, came up with this procedure.  Now we can all breathe easier in our cat masks!  Just click on the image to enlarge.

How To Photos: Granny Zanni Nose Mask

We had this pair of  Commedia dell'Arte Zanni masks.  My partner created the rich, traditional brown and gold one for a man.  I frankly can't stand the things, so tried to come up with the most bizarre companion mask I could think of: Roses, Ribbons, and Embroidered netting.  A granny Zanni.

How To Photos: Irridescent Lizard Mask

My partner created a Pink Feathered mask on her Cat Mask base.  I wanted a coordinating mask, that a man might feel comfortable wearing; so I chose to use a lizard scale pattern.
Studying everything from geckos to gila monsters, I was surprised at how uneven the scales were. (thankfully! Much easier to draw!)  You use an overlap technique.  The top scales meet in the middle of the underlying scale.

How To Photos: The Ombre Mask

 I wanted the graded colors of Ombre Dying in this project, going from Yellow, to Orange, then Red.  There are tips at the end of this article. (Translation: how I'll probably do it differently next time. ;^) )

Senior Gift of Sustainability

What do these 3 images have in common?
Air Compressors.
One of the best gifts any Senior Class could give to their school, is a greener way to do things.
Airbrushing is the Way Forward.

so ...what're you listening to this weekend?

I've been researching medieval music. Love this group!

The Blogs That Didn't Make It.

It's time to give up all those great ideas from last year, to make room for the great ideas next year.  Here is a rundown on the blogs that never happened.
May you have a Very Happy New Year, full of great ideas!

Halleluiah Chorus Christmas Food Court Flash Mob

Thanks to my First Evil Twin, artist Dawn Supina for posting this Outstandingly Cool Flash Mob.

Wrapped in Silks (and cotton)

Dharma Trading has some great tutorials on making and using Furoshiki for your gifts this season. Furoshiki are fabric scarves used as gift wrap.

Night Blooming Cereus: 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Mrs Piggle Wiggle, Willy Wonka, and Me

It is a "Playroom Day" today.
Meaning I have to clean my house like I used to clean the playroom, and I don't want to, much.

I think if Saint Paul had read "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Won't Put Up The Toys Cure", 1 Corinthians 13 might not have been written.  He would have rephrased that whole bit about "put away childish things".   Actually, if we took her cures to heart, we'd probably  be totally free from all kinds of besetting sins.

Which brings me to the matter of living like Willy Wonka in his very wonderful chocolate factory.

" Wake up! Darlin' Corey!"

It's one of those "Life Imitates Art" phases.  I just happened to finish several books from the Ballad series by  Sharyn McCrumb.  
McCrumb uses old American Folk Music titles, hinting at the story's plot, past and present.  Her book "The Song Catcher" put me in mind of "Darling Corey";  especially since it's tax time.

 (this photo is courtesy of Mr. Dave Tabler:    http://appalachianhistory.blogspot.com)

"Wake up, Wake up! Darlin' Corey!

What makes you sleep so sound?

The revenuers are comin',

For to lay your still house down!"

Pretty much how I feel, when I'm trying to do year-end inventory.