Art Studio Progress

So far, this is what the room looks like. I decided the artist would be working on a seascape featuring dolphins. The wooden oval on the floor is a placeholder for the table that I started building last week.

Now that I have this picture, the lighting is off. Drat. No time to go take another though. The dolphin "model" is made from a rubber toy that came in a sea creature variety pack. I carved the wooden base and drilled holes to insert a section from a straight pin. The poppy flowers and pictures are "left over" from another painting in the studio.

Originally I wanted to use bamboo chop sticks for my table legs but they didn't work so well. I switched over to a wooden dowel and decided that the legs needed carving to be better looking. Again, drat the lighting in the photo. I still need to carve 4 more of these because the table has a lower shelf.

That's where the project stands as of this moment. I'll be back at it tomorrow! See you next week!

Art Studio in Miniature... Work In Progress

Last week I started working in earnest on some ideas I'd been playing around with in my head. The first was a mock up of an easel. I couldn't find a tutorial on one I liked anywhere, so I winged it. This one is done in balsa wood. 

It's been stained, had paint smeared on it, and been aged with a black wash now. I'm missing the current picture of it. I'm putting it into one of the Attic lamps after it's varnished. Waste not want not.

The second easel is done in basswood, It's slightly different, as the sizes of wood strips I had on hand were different than the balsa. I made a hinge for the back leg out of fabric that's stained to (sort of) match the wood. There is a length of chain from an old necklace keeping the leg from flipping too far out.

I've stained it with cherry. The top "thingy" that holds the canvases in place will be added once I get a canvas on there. I need to start a painting on a canvas so it's a work in progress.

Speaking of the canvases I made a few of them and a handful of brushes as well. There's a palette that still needs one side varnished too.

A while back, True 2 Scale Minis did a tutorial on a plein air watercolor painting set up. That got played with too.

Yesterday I made some labels for spray cans and tubs of gesso. Hoping to get those worked on today and Monday. The palette needs finishing, including paints added to it. I'm thinking this easel needs some paint drips, but perhaps not as many as the prototype received. Also need to throw together a table and or stool for this scene. And then there's the paintings themselves... Hoping to get it all finished by Tuesday afternoon... Wednesday at the latest. 

Wish me luck!

Shamless Filler

It's raining and Daylight Savings Time has robbed me of a much needed hour in which to get things done. I've been fighting with a computer program that I'm determined to master and the last week has seen me out of the house more than in it.

So, today I'm going to show off a couple of paintings FH and I did last month. Our niece's school was doing a fundraiser for a trip to Puerto Rico and the four of us (her mother included) were actually able to paint together. Much fun was had by and and many cookies met their demise. 10/10 would happily do that again.

I love the way FH's sky looks like a burning sunset with churning clouds. The shading on his sand is most excellent as well. It's definitely about to rain here... the clouds in the foreground are building upwards and the sea is turning green. I can almost feel the wind picking up speed when I look at his painting.

I did a less stormy sky and created more of a cove. The little palm trees were just aching to happen while I worked. It took me forever to be happy with the water. I also went back and added shading on the sand after I saw FH's idea. It's calmer in my little cove.... night time is descending and wrapping the world in a blanket of shadows.

The highlight last week was meeting this little lady in person.

Her name is Kaya and she belongs to one of my favorite glass artists, E-Jipt. They were rolling through the midwest on their cross country move and I was lucky enough to be able to drive down to meet up with them. She loves to play tug of war and when E-Jipt is live streaming from his stupid, she sometimes gets into his lap and has screen time. Kaya has quite the following in the Twitch.tv community. Many regular viewers have suggested that he add another camera under his workbench so he can change the view to feature her when she is nearby.

So that's all for this week. I'm hoping to figure out the software I'm working with and get back into my studio tomorrow. We'll see if technology and I can reach detente.

New Digs and Old Stash

The desk area in my studio is finally together and usable! Artie somewhat approves... maybe.

Our local club finally had our N.A.M.E. Day from last year. The cutter we ordered kits from had several issues, thus preventing us from playing last October. Finishing this piece will be one of the first projects in my renovated space.

I wasn't certain what I would put in this vignette until I spied the box labeled "Victorian Ladies' Shop." Most of the content have been in my stash for 10-15 years. It's about time they were put on display.

I'm off and running now! See you next week!