Building a Portfolio

I've been working on the idea of visiting local galleries to present my work for consideration.  One idea that I'm leaning toward is putting my digital portfolio on a thumb drive to drop off with gallery owners.  It's an intimidating thing, putting yourself out there.

Are there dos and don'ts for approaching gallery folks? 

And, I generally use materials that I can get my hands on quickly and cheaply - Are there specific materials to avoid when searching out a professional venue?

I'd love to hear your feedback and ideas!

I Did Not Start My Day This Way! Interactive Art

Some days you feel this way.  Life turns you all around and you can't predict how you will end up each day.  This whimsical skeleton is a reminder that, no matter where you go - there you are, and no matter what - you are who you are.

The frame back is fitted with crossed hanging wires so that it can be turned any direction.  The skelly's head is pinned beneath the glass, but as the frame is turned, the body flops this way and that. 

Here's the link to him on Etsy

My Inner Misbehaver is Out

“My Inner Misbehaver is Out”  is a polymer clay articulated skeleton sprawled on top of a 4" x 4" wood frame.  Her bones are "tattooed" in purple ink.  The frame is worn and decked out with fabulous paper.  A handmade ceramic moon charm is suspended from the inside top.  There's no back to the frame so your wall will show through.  Total height is about 6".  Thickness is 2".
Click here to see the Etsy listing

Mum and Skull Fascinator

New on The Bone Tree - A purple silk chrysanthemum with swirly copper wire and handmade ceramic skull, secured to an alligator hair clip.  This skullfriend is looking for hair with body =0)
Click here to view this on my Etsy shop - DeliciousMischief

Bone Tree Jewelry

Etsy recommends having interesting photos of your product and I thought long and hard about it.  This is what I came up with.  It's The Bone Tree.  It's visually exciting to me!  I knew there was a reason I saved those vine wrapped branches all those years!  Soooo I'll be posting what's new on The Bone Tree occasionally, just because I like the sound of it! =0)

2011: A Year In Preview

I posted this piece in the beginning of 2011.  It was a statement about what I wanted to see and do that year. It was really fun to make!  If you made a chocolate box to represent what you want from 2013, what would be in it?

 Click here to see details and explanations of my symbols.


I'm in love with making chocolate box art.  I started this in December and have added on steadily.  It's all about this year.  What do I want to invite into my life this year?  Oh, romance, travel, adventure, prosperity, the usual.  It's going to be a delicious year!  What does your year look like?

Polymer Clay Candy Corn Bracelet

I love October.  The colors and smells of autumn bring my senses to life.  I love to bury my nose in the first bag of candy corn I buy in October.   I open it with relish and pour it into a clear glass candy jar.  That's when it's fall to me!
Three years ago I went to Italy with three friends to take polymer clay jewelry classes with Louise Fisher Cozzi and Donna Kato.  We had so much fun!  
Louise taught us how to achieve an amazing technique to give polymer clay layers of color.  She uses translucent polymer clay and colors it with oil paint.  After it's cured, she adds more oil paint on top of that.  After that's dry, she uses color pencils to give the piece another layer of fabulous color.

Here I've started conditioning translucent polymer clay.  After the clay is fairly soft you can add a tiny bit of oil paint.  An inexpensive oil paint is fine.

Continue to condition until the clay is a uniform color.  It helps to have a piece of the candy corn to look at while you're tinting the clay.  Be sure to add only a dab of paint each time, and do the yellow before the orange.  It's okay to get yellow paint on your orange clay, but not okay to get orange paint on your yellow clay.

                                                                 

The orange roll will be the largest, the yellow is half as large as the orange and the white roll is half as large as the yellow.  Lay the rolls side by side and slice evenly.  Begin by rolling the white piece into a cone, the orange piece an egg shape and the yellow piece into a slightly flattened oval.

Gently roll the pieces until the all edges touch and it looks like a continuous cone shape. 

Flatten the cone shape slightly.  It's a good idea to have that candy corn to look at for dimension.

For the bracelet beads, bend a wire or paper clip to mark where the holes will be.  I made mine to mark both holes just inside the orange part.  For earring beads, you might want to make a vertical hole through the candy corn.  Remember to hold the clay very gently as you pierce it, so you don't squish it.

Bake the clay as directed on the package.

When making a bracelet, I line my beads up against a ruler to make it seven inches long.  The length you use depends on who the bracelet is for.  I wanted this bracelet to look full, so I used three strings in each bead hole and strung smallish beads.  Larger beads would make it look chunky, if that's your preference.

Have fun making your beads and bracelet, and send me a photo! 



The October Tease

Tonight on Cool2Craft Pajama Party Live with host Lisa Fulmer, I will announce the Cool2Craft Creative Play theme for October.  Here's a teaser:

Ooh!  It's so scary!

I'll also be announcing giveaways that will be happening every Wednesday, on the Cool2Craft Pajama Party Live!  Tune in to find out how to win!

Cakeronauts from Cakeron 7 Have Landed

These Cakeronauts came all the way from Cakeron 7!  The team of Admiral Skrimpmonius Hershdessert and Dr. Osmo Poptartiarity entered a planet wide contest on their home world to make the best cupcakes.  The prize was exclusive rights to come to planet Earth and spread their cupcakes.

 

 Dr. Poptartiarity, a Doctor of Cupcakeology, had this to say

 "We come to you with our delicious cupcakes!  We are in no way attempting to take over your world with our delicious cupcakes!  Have some!  You really must!  Moohooaahahhaaaaahh!"

My New Role

I am about to take on the roll of Creative Play Muse for Cool2Craft!!! Tomorrow at noon, Eastern Standard Time, I will fill you in on all the details! Check out the Cool2Craft Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=342077966832&ref=ts#!/Cool2Craft?ref=ts and scroll down to the Cool2Craft Live button on the left to tune in!

I'll be presenting a monthly Creative Play theme for you to run with. You'll send in your entries which will be posted on the Cool2Craft web site at
http://cool2craft.com/
AND on the Hive at
http://creatingthehive.com/group/cool2craftcreativeplay
 Play on!

Meanwhile Over at Art Forty-Two

I joined this artist's site called Art Forty-Two.  Members host swaps and round robin art projects.  I checked out this one with Twinchies.  Ever heard of Twinchies?

They are 2" x 2" Artist Trading Cards!

The one above is my Grandmother and her friends.  Marie Moon was a photographer and painter.

She took some wonderful photos of her friends goofing off!

The next one is my Grandpa, Warren Simmons and his brother, John.

This one is my Dad on a transport ship.  He was in the Army Air Corps.  He's in the front row, all the way up on the right.

This is my mom when she was eighteen.  What a looker!

My dad went to college in Boulder, Colorado.  He made this smoking robot for some kind of engineer's event.  He went on to work on the space program and finally in robotics.

 

This was taken on my parent's honeymoon.

One of the cool things is that you can put a surprise decoration on the back that's only for the person who receives it to see.  So, the idea is that I send in these seven twinchies and I get back seven twinchies by other artists.  I can't wait to get them!  They even have Inchies!  Who knew!?

Frida Kahlo Inspired Self Portrait

Last week The Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano Murillo, challenged her blog readers to paint a Frida Kahlo inspired self portrait to honor the artist on her birthday.  I don't really paint, but I loved the idea.  So, I started with a box of chocolates, which I happily ate.  Then I sketched the portrait to go on the top of the box.  I cut it out, put it on, added colors, inks to age the box and attached some dangly earrings.

Note the uni brow and hint of moustache! Very Fridaesque.  I decided the piece would be about my inner artist, so the inside of the box would have to reflect the joy of creating art!  I love sculpting food!  Especially chocolate and coffee!  I used polymer clay to make the skeleton bits and chocolates.  Of course I had to add jewels and wire work.  Those things bring me joy, as well.

Then there's the Sacred Heart that my ribs can hardly contain.  That's all about my spiritual life.  You can't see it here, but I lined the inside of the box with a sparkly ribbon.  I do love to have sparkle and brilliant colors around me.  They feed my inner artist.

If you're not familiar with Frida's work, click here to see her work and read about her amazing life.

Daisy Makes the World a Prettier Place

Daisy is a fabulous subject. A lovely blank canvas When I read the Cloth Paper Scissors calendar challenge rules, Daisy sprang to mind with swirling, vivid colors around her. I thought about making her pretty, but it became about Daisy’s sense of presence and how that would interpret the theme.

I began by printing her on transfer paper and ironing the image onto an old white cotton pillow case. I took her to the fabric store and held her up to the brightest colors and amazing patterns. When we’d chosen our elements we went to work. I drew the scene on cardstock and cut it apart to use as a pattern. I fused the background fabrics to the work surface, added the throne and seated Daisy.
I gathered a selection of beads, wire, buttons, flowers and gems. I punched up Daisy’s image with colored pencils and gel pens, then burnished her with the back of a spoon to polish her coat a bit. The throne is topped with a ceramic button (I made a pile of them last year to make earrings; ceramic is my first love). The bones I made using polymer clay. Finally, I added the title by printing it on inkjet printable shrink plastic. Even with all the beading, wire wrapping and gem gluing, it’s Daisy that makes it pretty.

Fairies in My Garden

Caught these guys this morning.

They were all kinds of pesky!  Now I'm afraid to let them out!