VACATION MODE.....Mixed Media Pin

I am going to miss posting on my blog....I am off to PA until September 6th. Don't know if I will be able to post or not while I am there....and am leaving my computer here in Oregon. I believe my sister is still on dial up......very rural area....

Stay safe everyone and enjoy the next two weeks....I will be antiqueing and going to a few auctions along with visiting with my only sister, my step son and his family as well as old friends from the 60's. YIKES.....

The photo is a mixed media pin I designed awhile back .... the main piece is a vintage belt buckle and the rim of it was perfect for attaching some additional items via some fishing swivels....the photo is in an old Sasparilla bottle cap and resin to preserve.

"SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER".....................

Hugs to all,
Diana

Encaustic Necklace

When doing the encaustic dominoes I don't stop until I like the design....and then the second step for me is designing the dominoe into a necklace.

To me this dominoes design looks like trees, reflected trees and two stick baby deer looking upward (lower left hand corner) so I decided this one would be mine. I could hardly wait to begin working on it.

I used manzanita oblong wood beads that were created by my Son in Law, some ivory bakelite vintage beads and ivory colored wood beads I purchased several years ago at a bead show in Tuscon, handmade lampwork that had just the colors I wanted, an acorn lampwork bead made by my daughter that I was hording waiting for just the right piece, Tierra Cast spacer beads and bead caps, a dark brown skull bead and two different sizes of oblong silver chain. ( I am one of those who doesn't like both sides the same when creating a necklace). The clasp on this is a heavy duty magnet for easy on/off.

What a difference between just the bead and a necklace designed around the bead making it totally "one of a kind". I can hardly wait to wear it Saturday.

Encaustic Art

One of my "newest" art forms is working with Encaustic medium. In plain English it is melting beeswax and oil paint and applying it to a receptive surface.

I have been working with glossy paper as well as "playing dominoes". I purchase the cream colored regular game dominoes and then "carefully" drill holes in them to make necklaces or apply "pads" if I want the piece to be worn horizonally as holes cannot be drilled the long way of the dominoe successfully.

I was really surprised when our 12 year old Grandson showed an honest interest in the pieces I had done and wanted to try. As a result we were done in my studio for about 4 hours tonight playing and working together on some pieces. He was just amazed at how the medium "worked". The interest doesn't appear to be short lived as he began talking about getting some so he can continue when he goes back to Pennsylvania this coming Saturday...and by the sounds of things we will be back down here tomorrow night doing some more pieces. Tomorrow I will show him how to drill the holes in the dominoes using my DH's drill press.

So I hope you enjoy looking at the photos of what we did. My favorite dominoe is the Orange and Black one (Great for Halloween). Do you see the face in this dominoe? The photo of the purple one done on the glossy paper looks like Ocean Waves and is also a favorite. The art is kinda abstract and futuristic but it leaves a lot to the viewer which to me is one of the big plus's for this medium. My idea of art is leaving "room" for the viewer to become involved in/with the piece which is why my least favorite art is realism still life....there is nothing for the viewer to become involved in. Nothing is left to imagine....it is just "all there"....

When using this medium you have very little control of what "happens"....that is the fun. It is

definately addicting, and so relaxing. You have "no standards" to live up to.

Waynes Encaustic Dominoes

These are Waynes' dominoes. The black dominoe he is going to make into a necklace for his mother so I will post this tomorrow evening after it is done.

This is his first time working with encaustic mediums and I think he did a wonderful job.

Cheryl Bradshaw

I have many artists that I love, admire, and look up to. I thought I would start listing some of the artists, their websites and why I like them or show a photo of something I have painted by the artist. Each artist has a special technique that is worth learning. To "learn" you must study their technique and paint several of their designs...just one normally does not "do the trick".

Cherly Bradshaw and her lifelike Teddy Bears is one of these wonderful artists. Her books are wonderful, her technique sheets awesome, and her final designs are just gorgeous and worth every minute you spend "with her". Her techniques can be carried over from teddy bears to other areas where her techniques will come into play. ie: Other animals, feathers, baskets, flowers, etc.

This particular design was painted with another artist friend and we had a riot watching "grandma" come to life. We made changes here and there to suit us and just had a great time.

Most of our changes were in the brushes that we used. I am a firm believer that when we find a brush that works for us and gives us a " desired effect" there is no "need" to use the same brush/size/mfg that the artist uses. This is the first place that students can get off to a wrong/bad/discouraging start that ends in a very negative painting experience. The only time I recommend a brush change is when something is not working. I watch what the student is doing and then recommend a change in brush size, type, or mfgr. Most students are willing to try a change but occassionally you run across a fairly new student that thinks that she HAS to do it just like the artist or the teacher and will refuse to give something else a try. It is sad when this happens and I was guilty of this to a great extent when I was first learning. Sigh....

So enjoy the "Grandma" going out for an afternoon and give Cheryls' books and designs a try. Her Chezza fur brush is a great filbert comb and works wonderful for designs like the one that I did. I also took another brand of brush that had a filbert rake and cut the sides down so that I just had a few hairs for tight spots. (Great for Santa Beards also).

Cheryls site: http://www.chezzabearstudios.com/

Sand and Ocean

These beads were made by my daughter Michelle (Dragynsfyre) and the bracelet is for my younger (and only) sister. Michelle names all of her beads and as usual she was "right on" when she named these Sand and Ocean. I love how half of the bead is opaque and the other half transparent, just like Sand and Surf...

I used the "Beachy Beads" from Tierra Cast once again as I REALLY like them as well as their clasp and bead caps. The crystals are Indian Sapphire Swarowskis, and the smaller spacer beads came with the set of beads I purchased.

I am in hopes that the bracelet will bring back memories of family vacations at Geneva on the Lake, Ohio for my sister.

Steampunk Necklace

I love designing and making steampunk pieces...most I sell but this particular one is mine. It can also be worn as a pin, taking the chain off. The watch is a large vintage mens watch workings which I just loved when I got it.

Green Silvered Ivory

I have been busy making jewelry to take back East with me for "vacation". These green silvered ivory focal beads and small spacer beads were made by my daughter Michelle. (Dragynsfyre). I love that she has made the focal beads a little different from one another..... The ivory ruffled beads were made by another lampworker who does a really nice job with size and they just seemed to go nicely with what I was doing. I also added several Peridot Swarowski crystals (6mm) to add a bit more bling to the piece as well as to the dangle at the clasp end.

By the Sea Bracelet

I love sea glass and wish I lived close to where I could go and walk the beach. These glass pieces were made by a lampworker in the state of Washington and they are all different shapes. I purchased the "beachy" charms, clasp, and beadcaps from my daughter (Dragynsfyre) who sells Tierra Cast and the bracelet went together nicely. Also in between each piece of seaglass there is a small, white crystal Swarowski butterfly bead.

Swarowski Crystal Anklet

This anklet was designed using 6mm Swaroski crystals in Montana and Lt Azore. I am not sure just where I purchased the silver connector but did so with anklets in mind. The clasp is a simple hook and eye type that makes putting on and taking off, quick and easy. This will be perfect with jeans....

Grist Mill

My husband loves "fixing things", transforming, etc. and this is one of his latetest finished pieces. He and our grandson went to a garage sale last Friday and this is what they came home with...but in a much "sadder" condition, to say the least. They worked on it for 4 days; staining, sealing, putting in a new floor, peeling off huge sheets of some type of thick, ugly varnish, and I am sure many other little fixes that I am not even aware of. They left early this AM to purchase a new pump and by early afternoon it was securely in place, which was a feat in itself, and were poud as punch when it was time to "flip the switch" and watch it work.....and that it does. It makes such a cute addition to my husbands' landscaping endeavors and I know we will get a lot of enjoyment from it. So it is not only me who likes Trash to Treasure items.....I wonder whom got it from whom?????

Dragynsfyre Beads

This is a bracelet and necklace that I made using my daughters' handmade lampwork beads. Silvered Ivory beads are my favorite with any color, and in this instance I had requested black. The spacers, bead caps, ginko biloba charms and clasp are items by Tierra Cast. I also used some vintage Czech crystals, black ebony beads and Swarovski Crystals. I have two more "sets" of her beads to design into some jewelry.

You can find her beads, jewelry and Tierra Cast items at:

http://www.dragynsfyre.etsy.com

Lily

Last, but not least is this awesome picture of Nancy's pink Lilly's.

Queen Annes Lace

Nancy and I share a love for Queen Annes Lace so last year she planted some seeds which came up this year. She was excited for me to see..... Someone referred to them as summers' snowflakes and indeed they are as each one is different. I was delighted with this closeup which really shows the beautiful lacey white blooms.

When I go to PA I am hoping to get photos of the fields of QAL that are on the property my sister has in the country for Nancy.

Shasta Daisy

Sometimes the best shots happen when you least expect them to.

My girlfriend and her hubby are advid gardeners, be it veggies or flowers and Nancy also makes wonderful soaps, lotions, and natural ingredient items for your skin. http://www.goodegear.etsy.com/

She invited me over to take some photos of her flower gardens which are magnificent and are in bloom from spring to fall with different types of flowers.

The photo is a type of shasta daisy which are just awesome and I love the way I got the mottled background.

So enjoy....daisy's don't tell you know.

Art Bag

It seems as if as my interest in other art mediums increases ; so does the size of the satchel/bag I need. This was a free "satchel" that I received with an order I placed and it was too small for a suitcase but just the right size to hold my different size sketch and painting pads, different types of pens and pencils, watercolor paper, ruler, magazines, tracing pad, etc. etc. etc.

When I received the satchel I knew exactly what it was going to be used for; but coming up with a working design was a different matter. This design says: "I am an artist, and this is what I have painted". When we wear our art and carry our art the more people we involve in conversation..... the more doors become "opened" to us.

I have painted a couple of brushes, an eraser, stylis, tube of paint, and some pretty roses the color of the satchel trim on a foliage-y background.

Doe and her twins

This is the photo my grandson took this morning....I am a late riser so missed the
event although the deer we call "Momma" is no stranger to us as we have been feeling her and her babies for nearly 5 years so she feels safe and always brings her
new baby or babies for us to see. This is her 2nd set of twins. We have watched her lay away from her fawns early in the AM giving them "space" and helping them to mature and yet she is close enough to help if the need should arrive.

Enjoy.

CAMPING

We just got back from a 3 day camping trip....I had forgotten how much work is involved, especially with an 11 year old.....WHEW. I didn't think I would ever get out of bed this morning. My camera was busy taking photos and this is one of my favorites. A storm was brewing, the clouds were bright white and a hot pink....a sight that was totally beautiful. I took photos of knot holes in the trees, crooked trees, and the usual landscape photos. I am ever so glad that the digital camera was invented....what a money saver for a fanatic like me. I can remember getting my very first camera (Brownie) when I was about 12 years old and a photo I took in our rural PA driveway that was cast in shadows from our pine trees....from that day onward I was HOOKED...

Enjoy.