Beginning of next Tile Table -- Rostam tapestry

Taking a tapestry of a Persian fable Rostam who defeats some mythical not good doers. I am removing some knives and such because that is a bit too much for me to depict in tile. The horns are antlers on some of the creatures and on hats of others (and think as camouflage)  -- good and bad.   

Anyhow...this is quite different from my other hand made ceramic tile table in that the pieces are bigger, and that there is a background. I decided not to cut the background at the same time because of shrinkage.  The pieces have a many deep narrow cuts...and shrinkage will be going on in various directions....I feel if I cut the background now, I would have a mess on my hands.  I still may have a mess, but it will be apparent more slowly!  29" x38" should be finished dimensions -- is just part of the tapestry imagery. 

I may use some smaller "mosaic" tiles to fill in spots.  We shall see. 

Shine on cotton -- Sequins --

Still playing with sequins. Like the shine on matte. Used solvy to keep sequins somewhat contained until I could get the sewing machine needle over them.  I used brown thread to make tracks to keep them in some "order" then moved to cream thread to allow them to "dance" a bit on the background.  Using the sewing machine was a lot faster than doing it by hand.  This is a sampler for me to think about..how to use the concept in another project. The combination of color and light, with "nature."  Shine and matte....frivolity with  down to earth. 

Plexiglass Cutting -- Invisible Man

Cut with fine tooth saw blade by hand.  Plexi glass. Lots of control with the blade because it is so fine --able to get detail.  The image is from a photograph of a doll I had from a kid....image I have used in a few things...simple with some detail.

Will see what I do with the this technique....I like being able to cut plexiglass by hand....also am drilling holes in it....so technically (pun intended) invisible man can hang or hold with a aperture in most suited place.

Glass Shard Bluebird on Canvas

CanvasBack? Oh, no, just a blue bird. Used glass shards/chips on canvas, stitched post that bird is perching  upon.  I think I just used up my canvasback duck joke allotment. 

Felt Crown

Made a felt crown with little icons that represent the bounties of the man who should be wearing the crown.  The round thing is a cookie, the mound thing a candy, and the person is him.....and, no I don't expect him to wear it. He is a mighty fine baker and confectioner (and certainly shouldn't be looking at my painting skills on my bench...unless that hat covers both eyes).

Solvy Lace Picture

UPDATE: Finished....see post of 5.20.2012.

Using a picture my friend took of Doyle Drive "tear down" in San Francisco, stitching the picture onto Solvy.  The yellow elements in foreground are the bulldozers/wrecking stuff. 

If this all works as I hope, the picture will be done in stitches, with all the Solvy, etc dissolved. So far, enlarged the picture, outlined key elements on Solvy, and have stitched the row of trees in the far ground.

Have had fun with solvy in making camisole, as well stitch of image technique on silk (post somewhere on this blog!), so hopefully the combined processes will give me a new tool to work with on my ideas ahead.

stitched map of musee rodin (on silk treated with rabbit skin glue)

Solvy lace...pre and post soak (water soluble)

Funny Bunnies Photograph

Moving a canvas around, and the sun and window drawing put up for the kids had fun with each other.  Yes, yes, the technique is used by some for painting real pics, and those "light things" do the reflection thing too...but this was a fun surprise..

Cut Out Saying Cards

Room for improvement, but borrowing idea to translate for card.  Would work better with bright pop of color underneath, and perhaps a free hand technique (as i saw in original) for the script. The saying on the first card came from conversation with "help desk" for new laptop.  I made a rather funny, though unintentional, choice of words in reading my serial number to the help desk person.  After fits of laughter, he related that he has heard plenty goofy references...."3 as in 3," and the one I really cracked up about "G as in Jesus."

Acyrlic Paint Skin Treatment

Not necessarily recommended, but it did leave a dandy pedicure effect.  A side project in the making of a backpack. Complete with "stick out " piece that would give wearer indication of getting too close to "something."

Knit Hat

Simple, but first without noticeable flaws.  Shows growth in patience I think!  Before I laud myself too much, please note that I had  previosly been given two hand knitted black hats from Naomi.  One was washed in the machine (wool, so shrunk), the other I lost (I knew one hour after I lost it, but that is still lost). Hopefully this black wool knitted hat will remain tangibly with me for some time.

Birthday Cake Love Felt

Snow Writing

Ok, time to admit that I am trying for at least 57 posts to meet LY and since I like 8s, I will be at least at 58. My Sept was rather un-post-tive (but busy!), and I likely lagged some other times too. Sculpture processes taking more time to produce, and some other time consuming arenas nibbling here and there. All good, but is going to make Nov and Dec jamming for posts. I will try to be true to "by my hand" posts, but may be stretching it a bit occasionally.







What did I learn from this in terms of art?! Well beside internal musings, I learned it is difficult to write in the snow and keep your feet out of the pic. A ladder on a hill, in the dark (the fullish moon was hiding behind clouds this night), in the snow is not a scenario I had going, so I couldn't get aerial view here...didn't work for what I was after.

Below shows how a candle can look more like the moon than the moon can -- and made me think of time exposures/proper camera set ups that capture light and make the moon look like the moon when you see it .



Candle:

Moon:

Mobile Temporarily Psuedo Immobile

Started with clay, moved to (whisper whisper) sculpey because I didn't want to get into kiln process. Playing with kinetics, so not trying to make heirlooms. Need to find longer wire for the outer ring, or shorten the inner ones, but plan on orbital rotation of at least two of them.

Mobile

Playing with bending steel. Very rudimentary mig weld (first foray) to keep the sets together.

Needs to be placed higher in the tree, but still have one small element to add. Plus, the first time I put it up, it fell down (not strong enough filament) ...so somewhat precautionary, as I don't really want to paint out the dings again.

Silly Cookies

Ok, not an original idea, but made the kids smile. Pinterest gets the credit. Note maple leaves, not oak, but it was dark and the most accessable oak was a pin-oak.

Acorns, Green (and yellow) eggs and ham.

Clay and Rod

Wanted the rods close, but not welded together. Used clay as experiement, may move to stone.

Rock Rocked

My first, and perhaps my last rock sculpture. Soft as it may have been comparatively, it still took a fair amount of chiseling. I was attempting to make the hole I had 75% through complete when it split. Hence the pink supports. Made it more interesting to me. Will polish so the black green of the rock is apparent, as it would be if wet.

Jersey Tabs

Rescued this from being tossed, after pouring the bearers their due. Not sure what I shall do with them next, but will most likely include stitching. Perhaps a lamp, perhaps something else.
Coated paper.

(Picasa seems incapable of letting me flip the photo, and this blog thing isn't allowing it either..agghghg...I am seeing the second photo flipped so the writing is easily readable...not that it is key for it to be read, but flows better to my eye).

Pom Poms

So easy, and a lot of fun....even for adults. Great you-tube showed flower style, as well as cut tissue version. Made a few more with multi crepe paper...makes a great noise when swinging through air back and forth...kind of like a hummingbird wing.

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear Turn Around "Stop Action"

Rough to be sure! First attempt to map out bear movements with song. My version had Bear shining his shoes, song sung that I liked had him touching his nose. Plan to develop backgrounds, improve movements, etc...but for now...Teddy Bear performs here.