So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Amado
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So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Amado » Mon Dec 18, 2017 2:10 pm

Spin off from “Where is everybody” and “The Making of a painting”

The whole keeping the horses at home and taking care of the farmette has been a little overwhelming. I love it, but I don’t feel like I have a lot of time for other stuff, like art. Here is a little of what I’ve managed since we moved to Maine (hope I haven’t shared them already, I honestly can’t remember!) I was hoping to start keeping an art journal the beginning of this year, But I probably managed 5 entries, haha. Here are a couple of them:

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I took a landscape painting class in the fall of 2016 from a pastel artist - I hadn’t used my pastels in years, and when I did, it was for portraits. I found the ability to scribble with them in quick and loose landscape sketches absolutely refreshing. Most of these are small - 5 x 7 to 8x 10.

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The scribbling stuff got me really energized to loosen up the portraits a little, I did a small dog commission with mixed medial last Christmas - it was fun to drag out all sorts of supplies that don’t normally go together, this was done with pastels, markers and gouache.


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Then this summer, walking along the low waters of the St. John River, I started picking up pottery and weathered glass pieces and rusty metal bits - people have been throwing their china and bottles and stuff into the river for 100’s of years, and there was something really appealing about taking these bits of trash and making something (hopefully) beautiful out of them. I’m sure the townspeople thought I was crazy, down there wading around with my plastic bags hauling junk out of the river. I’ve only managed to finish one, but have “sketched” several out. I’m using leftover stuff from our construction as backing, and all sorts of old glues and paint and nails and screws to hold stuff together. For once, not worrying about “archival”, but recycling things that would normally be (or already have been) thrown out - how cool is that. I call it my “River Shards” series.

and example of what I’ve found:

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One of the “sketches” (yes, those are either deer or cow or moose teeth)

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A finished piece:

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Detail - I just love the crazing on the old pottery bits:

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So, what are the rest of you working on?

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Sunshine2Me
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Sunshine2Me » Mon Dec 18, 2017 2:40 pm

Whoa! You are super talented! I love all your work, and the variety of mediums! I hope you find it relaxing!

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StraightForward
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby StraightForward » Mon Dec 18, 2017 2:48 pm

Wow, I love those, Amado!
Keep calm and canter on.

Moutaineer
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Moutaineer » Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:13 pm

Really interesting stuff, Amado! I love the things you've found. Such interesting textures and surfaces to work with. The dragon is going to be spectacular.

You draw really well, too.

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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby kande50 » Mon Dec 18, 2017 8:14 pm

Nice! So much talent and creativity and great ideas. I love the pastels with all the colors!

I too, love to wade down the river and collect rocks and stuff and then try to think up ways to use them. I got into painting mandela stones for awhile, and blown out egg shells, and then a few ceramic mandela stones, but have a pottery project I need to work on so that's all on hold for now.

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Amado
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Amado » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:08 am

Oh wow, those stones are so pretty, Kande! There is a really cool app (free) for the ipad called Amaziograph. It hs different configurations, and it’s a super easy and fun way to make repeating patterns and Mandalas. People sometimes use it to design wall paper and fabric. A couple I did:

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Moutaineer
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Moutaineer » Tue Dec 19, 2017 4:17 am

Pretty, Kande!

And Amado, when I was a kid there was a toy called a Spirograph, which allowed you to draw these kind of things. I remember getting it for Christmas when I was about 8 and being so excited! My brother and I got through a lot of paper that winter :)

Amado
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Amado » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:59 pm

I loved my Spirograph! I spend hours using it, was always so frustrating when you were almost to the end of the pattern and you pushed your pen a little too hard and the gear it was in slipped out of the teeth and screeched across the paper! I found a small spirograph stocking stuffer a few years ago, I got them for my kids. They were unimpressed! :lol: I think I played with it more than they did!

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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Angfreda » Tue Dec 19, 2017 4:38 pm

Wow you guys are awesome!

The only art I am working at lately is the art of procrastination.

Amado
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby Amado » Tue Dec 19, 2017 5:33 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol:

kande50
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Re: So what are you artsy craftsy types working on?

Postby kande50 » Tue Dec 19, 2017 5:44 pm

Angfreda wrote:Wow you guys are awesome!

The only art I am working at lately is the art of procrastination.


I'm working on that right now too, but am also working on getting motivated again while I do it. :-)

Thanks for the tip on the amaziograph app, Amado. I'm going to go see if I can find it right now.


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