MuDots #12

Pictures of Childhood

antique sheet music, pen, misc. paper dots, paint
approx. 11 x 14 inches

The Baby (from a greeting card) over the "childhood" was a total accident.
I didn't notice until I took this detail shot.

MuDots #11

Only a Chain of Daisies

antique sheet music, colored pencil, misc. paper dots, paint
approx. 11 x 14 inches

Mixed Media Number Sixteen

How To Catch a Thing
antique sheet music, book/magazine/greeting card cutouts,
fabric paper, vinyl
approx. 11 x 14 inches

I have so many pages of antique sheet music gifted from a family friend, I don't know if I'll ever get through it, and that's okay!  I can try.

Made It: More Experiments

I've been on a tear playing with new materials and throwing caution to the wind!

Let's start with the skeletons (all sizes are 5 x 7 inches unless otherwise noted):

matboard, tea-stained old book page, acrylic paint, vinyl

matboard, found sheet music, acrylic paint, vinyl

I painted over the vinyl and tried to scrape it off...works better on the thick black vinyl.

matboard, painted found sheet music, vinyl

squiggle time

matboard, painted found book page, vinyl

matboard, found seed catalog page, paint, vinyl

8 x 10--salvaged wood, acrylic paint, vinyl
I actually have a tentative title for this one:
"Fill My Hollow Bones"

9 x 11.5--salvaged wood, acrylic paint, fabric paper, vinyl, gel medium

Gotta finish those edges!

Hearts!

matboard, found book page, vinyl, acrylic paint

matboard, painted found book page, vinyl, acrylic paint

 I painted over the top of this and then scraped it off, sgraffito style

matboard, layers of found, painted, and/or made papers, vinyl, paint

 throwback:

matboard, found painted hymnal page, vinyl

matboard, found and painted collaged paper, vinyl, acrylic paint

domestic goddesses:
matboard, music pages, paint, vinyl

 I have so many ideas, and I'm just not going to settle for one image style.  I love the weird, macabre skeleton and heart images, because everyone brings something different to those, depending on their history and feelings about health, guts, death, life, color, whathaveyou.  And the retro images just make me happy.  More of a Pop Art feel comes from those, and having some levity in a line of work isn't a bad thing.

I have a one day show this weekend in Lee's Summit, MO, during a bike race--Tour of Kansas City-- so I'm pumping out lots of stickers and other fun cycling-related paraphernalia.  Plus, it's the first day of summer, and I love spending the solstice outside all day.

Here's to the makers out there.  Keep plugging away!

Made It: Experimentals & Flower Clocks

I've been tinkering around with many different materials the last couple weeks.  First, let's see some new desk clocks:

California Poppy

Field Daisy

Partridge-Peas

Thistle

Mayflower

I found a 1964 field guide to North America's wild flowers, and the images are just the perfect size to fit my mini table top clocks.  They're listed on Etsy.  I want to make a gazillion more, but I also want to make a different line of work that is categorized as "non-clock" and I'm really trying to actually plan this stuff out.  So I've been having fun playing around.

Here's some of the prototypes:

Large painted nails and string from the barn, leftover wood for the frame,
and salvaged painted wood as the backer.

8 x 10 matboard, early 1900s booklet pages, paint, vinyl.

5 x 7 matboard, painted hymnal page, vinyl.

5 x 7 matboard, 1970s seed catalog page, paint, vinyl.

I don't know quite where I'm going yet with the nail things, but I'm ruminating...I really like the TV and the skeletons, which will fit in with my small anatomical hearts...

But here's a biggie!
10 x 12 including frame; found wood, paint, "fabric paper," vinyl

I have many more painted papers to play with, so watch out!

I'm getting ready for a yard sale this weekend--my first ever!  There are two or three bins of old art I'm going to try to unload and maybe some clocks that just never sold but are fine otherwise.  If you're in KC, check out the Hyde Park Neighborhood Yard Sale on Saturday, June 14th (my half-birthday, BTW, in case you want to drop by some cupcakes or half of a whole cake).  Hopefully it won't be sweltering and/or raining...?

Made It: Sheet Music

My newest product line, table top clocks, have been doing pretty well.  They're small, easy to ship, affordable, and of course, ADORBZ.  But I had no idea that using sheet music was going to be the key.  Over  half of the sold clocks have been decorated with antique sheet music from either a hymnal or kids' music book.  And as it turns out, people love gifting these to their kids' piano teachers (at least three have sold for that purpose).  Way to love your teachers, people!

Here's some behind the scenes footage!

Reminds me of this.

After the clocks I moved on to experiment with how I can incorporate the material into wall art.

Rubber cement on back, then I ripped the pages into strips and...

laid it down on matte board.

Added vinyl flowers and sprayed it with clear lacquer.

Shiny!

I love the old books' natural state, but I wanted to try color, so I watered down some acrylic paint and sprayed it in a thin layer on the paper.

And then I had to try it with non-clocks, too.

Put a cat on it!

I'll matte this up and see what  happens.

Here's a new set of clocks that I have for sale at this weekend's open studio.

Line 'em up!

Find them on Etsy, too!

I can't wait for this weekend's sale...I've been making and baking and hanging.  It's a party with some art involved!