Category Archives: Fine Art

Painting, metal work, and other media I seldom use, but admire.

Tasty Tidbits

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I am totally sick of the Big Blank Wall in my kitchen/stairway. This thingy at Hobby Lobby (lots of thingies there) inspired me. I have plans now. Interesting how one solitary thingy can get the creative ball rolling, isn’t it? I’ll post pics when I’m done. Might be awhile. This idea is BIG.

You Say “Creepy” Like It’s A Bad Thing

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I really like creepy artwork. I don’t know why, but I always have. I grew up in a kind, loving home with very soft things around me; why do I like art with a dark twist? I was never part of the “goth” crowd, I don’t like the current vampire trend, but a well-inked drawing with twisty lines will turn my head every time.

Being October, I have popcorn balls, orange/red/yellow leaves, and Halloween on the brain. So in honor of a month where this kind of artwork is unusually acceptable (and delightfully ubiquitous), here are some bits that I find deliciously creepy.

  1. I tweeted a couple weeks ago about an Israeli artist I found on Etsy, Baba Yagada. Her work is nothing short of outstanding. She has several things in her Etsy shop, and her website is full of more creepy awesomeness. “The Hut” is my favorite piece:Baba Yagada
  2. Another artist I am loving right now is Jeannie Paske of Portland, OR. Her Etsy shop, Obsolete World, is full of gorgeous, colorful artwork. I can’t get enough of it. I had a hard time picking a favorite, but I’m going to go with Away From the Order of Days.

    I could stare at this for hours. I love her use of color, and I can feel a story emerging when I look at this. Love, love, love.
  3. As for artists known through the ages, the first that comes readily to mind is Edward Gorey. Where did he come up with this stuff?
  4. Tim Burton ANYTHING. His website is a trip! Check it out! I love his characters, but more than that, I love the settings he puts them in. The music is always perfectly intriguing, and no matter how creepy the artwork, the stories always have an endearing quality. His movies are the ones that I will pause and rewind and watch over and over again.

    5. The gate in Alice in Wonderland below is a prime example of the way he adds creepy detail to a setting.

  5. Coraline, by Henry Selick. I found myself watching the intro over and over again. Delicious artwork.

  6. Last, but not least, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. What most captivated me was the ending credits. Gorgeous, gorgeous work.

Enjoy those twisty lines! Grab a black marker and doodle! Fall is a wonderful time to explore the beautiful, dark side of illustration. Have a happy, creepy October.

Crafty Wallpaper Contest: The Results!

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The wallpaper craft is finished! Yipee! And I have the pictures to walk you through the steps.

(*NOTE: I am not a photographer. I apologize for this in advance.)

Cool Picture Framed Art

1. Buy nine – 1 foot square frames and spray paint them black.
I modified this step. I bought 32′ of 1×2 and mitered the ends to create 8 1′ frames, and spray painted the sides black. The reasons were cost and functionality. Frames can be expensive, and finding eight with flat faces was going to be costly and difficult. When you can’t find what you want, make it yourself, I say!

2. Carefully cut out a bunch of 1-foot x 1-foot squares of wallpaper – it’s ideal because you don’t need to trim or break the pattern.
I modified this step as well. It made more sense to me to paint the design on the front of the paper and then cut the squares. Thank you, thank you to Design Hole and Alluminare for the wallpaper! The paper is really strong and durable – believe me, I’m clumsy and I didn’t even nick it! – and the surface texture is great for painting.

3. Tack the squares to the front of the frames (and only the fronts, no wrap-around).
I used Tacky Glue. I love it! It is super strong and dries clear. I just like the stuff – no kickback for me if you buy it because of this site. :)

4. Arrange the frames into a 3-foot × 3-foot grid and secure them together (temporarily, carefully). Find a simple, graphic design and paint it in white across all the pieces.
Modified: see above.
5. Separate the pieces, affix to the wall in the same grid order, but about 1 to 2 inches apart on all sides.
(This is where my sucky photog skills really show off.)

 

And wah-lah! Wallart.

What’s that you say? Where’s the rest of the wallpaper? I’m glad you asked!

Design Center

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Wednesday, the lovely Martha of Design Trade Magazine graciously spent the afternoon showing me around the Denver Design Center. It was pure heaven for this aspiring fabric designer. She showed me some of the most beautiful fabrics being made today, and told me how they’re made, what they’re called (crewel, anyone?), and what different artists are known for. We perused, felt, and Oooo-ed over fabrics by Pierre Frey, Nobilis, Clarence House, and many, many others. I do believe my two favorites are Christopher Hyland and Pollack. All kinds of mouth-watering, patterny, fabricy goodness. [Libby passes out.]