Evil Art Experiments

This is a picture of my new art project.

I'm experimenting with some new art techniques. I found some pretty creepy photos of old toys that my co-worker took and decided to make an equaly creepy art project out of them. First, I printing the pictures out on 4x6 photo paper. I then went to Home depot and cut some wood down to approximently 4x6 blocks. I got about 30 blocks for only 3 dollars! I then bought some wax to pour over the images. I should not have bought soy was however because the consistancy was really oily and melts at the touch. Anyway, my plan was to cover these images on the blocks of wood with the wax for a smokey look. Well, the wax was a little too opaque for my taste, so I scraped some off and made more of distressed look. It didn't come out too bad, but now I wanted to seal it in some kind of varnish to protect the wax from melting any more.

I varnished it.

It ate through the wax.

The colors ran.

Boo.

Well, all was not lost. It was an experiment after all. Actually it looks more distressed and creepier than I intended, but it still works. I definatly like the colors.

Dirty Bird

Some little Starling I rescued a couple of weeks ago. He was hand fed for a while. I loved his gaping maw! He looked like he had a clown mouth.

Lizards

Something random today. Green anole lizards are cute, especially when they bounce up and down and inflate their gross neck sacks. I can imagine the tiny sounds being made as "gyuu, gyuu" I guess that's sexy to a lizard.

Red Forrest

Something interesting today. Kinda zombified. I'm thinking of making bigger watercolor paintings like this.

Deer

Another landscape watercolor study

Painting by nature

I've recently been thinking more seriously about my exhibition at the end of this summer, but an exhibition needs a name, right? The theme is "nature", and of course all of my work will be inspired by the natural world. So I've come up with "Painting By Nature." It's catchy and kind of a play on words. I've also been thinking of donating some of the profits to The Nature Conservancy so they can protect what inspires me a great deal. More details to come when I've picked a date.

more painting ideas

These were going to be more about woods. I have no patience when it comes to details in acrylic or oil paintings. Watercolor paintings I can get detailed with, it's a little more calming to paint details with a tiny watercolor brush. Very zen. However, I like to be bold when painting bigger and in a thicker medium, like acrylic. I'll choose one medium over another depending on my mood I guess. I really need to paint larger to loosen me up.

Bird series

Some ideas combining watercolor and acrilic.

Recently I've been getting this idea to have an informal exhibition of my work at the end of the summer. So, I've been coming up with some ideas for a painting series. I'm trying to find a theme, like birds, or the woods, something to do with nature because it's so close to my heart. Since I grew up with my dad teaching everything he knew about wildlife, especially birds and of course walking in the woods, I want to recapture those feelings. Maybe I'm yearning for more nature in my life because I've been living in Chicago. There is nature here, but it's still tamed, fenced off or resticted. Some of my paintings will capture that feeling of watching nature from far way, like driving in a car and watching a grove of trees go by slowly in the distance. They will be landscapes, but a little different, more isolated I think.

Here are a couple of sample sketches of ideas for some of my paintings. I will have to get back into oils again.

Oh My God, Gordon Ramsay!

Me and Chef Gordon. He told me "Have a good day, Love. Kisses!"

While in line I sketched a few people that captured my interest in my awesome leather-bound journal.