Sunday, March 8, 2009

Why doesn't this LOOK like the amount of work that is involved???

Sometimes, you spend copious amounts of time on something and when the pieces are laid out, it looks simple. I mean, as in, should NOT have taken the time that it did. That was how I felt when I got the letters for the Easter banners painted today---it doesn't look like the amount of hours I put in. They just look pretty and easy.

DANG.

For instance, on the close up, you can see the texture. Let me walk you through this:

Gesso, then gesso again because of brush marks.

Trace letters on.

Mix heavy gel medium with paint and carefully go around every letter, filling the background without getting into the letter area.

Paint letters gold.

Mix glaze for background, paint like mad before glaze dries. Then redo part of the letters because the glaze didn't go on even.

Repaint gold letter because the paint sunk into the gesso.

Take light gold glaze and scrub into background of every piece with a rag, to damp down the color, bring back up some of the white paint/medium mix and leave a very slight residual bit of gold.

Hit self in head with hammer.

These are all on pieces of linen canvas about 18" square (more or less) and then will be hand stitched to the banner fabric because you can't cram them through the machine. Yes, it is heavy enough to handle it but the paint will crack and trying to deal with a 3 1/2 yard long silk quilted *worm* to freemotion....oh no way. I may have bad mental days but overall, they're not THAT bad.

So this is what has kept me busy between cooking, laundry, groceries, knitting, blogging, meetings, no real art............oy. Double oy. Because, this is just the beginning of these!

And I forgot to mention the Circus banners start Monday........

9 comments:

Tristan Robin said...

Well, I don't have a clue what the f you're ranting about - LOL - these are drop dead gorgeous. Only a twit would think they were "easy" to produce.

Circus banner? Circus?! CIRCUS?!?

What is that about? I love circus stuff!

(and get a grip - that easter banner is going to be uber lovely)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Our local amateur (youth) circus had the building next to them burn last year. It was a devastating fire; three fire depts. and that was just to keep the circus building and the Subway next door from catching fire. But the wall of the circus building that butted up against the other had damage, and they lost 5 of the old painted banners. So Co-Op got the opportunity to redo these, and I have to take the serger and industrial machine in Monday to prep the canvas. They are 8 1/2' x 11' and Circus performances start in July. We want them done and looking GOOD by then so that things can be back to *normal*.
Actually, these kids have performed in Monte Carlo and other venues---they are quite good.
Peru is known as the Circus City due to the circuses that were once here, one being the Hagenbeck-Wallace, which used to let their elephants graze on my ancestors property. I have photos of when the circus came back to Peru and great-great grandmothers house and the elephants. The International Circus Hall of Fame is here on the old Wallace winter-quarters.
So now am I allowed a freak-out since I'll be going in multiple directions and hopefully won't get the wrong thing sewn on the wrong banner!!!!! LOL!!!

Jan said...

Yeah, it wouldn't do to put clown faces on the church banners!

What Tristan said is totally right on. These could never be considered easy, even to a novice. It is obvious the time and effort that has gone into them. Maybe the steps are relatively simple but the care that must be taken to stay in the lines and make everything even, that is some serious effort.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

See, that's it. It's staying in the lines that I have always had problems with!!!! LOL!!!!

bernadette ostrozovich said...

these are drool worthy. just gorgeous. why does it not surprise me that circus elephants grazed on your ancestral lands??? i think i want to be you!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

If you want to be me, come on up!!!!! :)

Leslie said...

Anne, thanks for the tutorial and the pix as Tristan says They are drop dead gorgeous. Wow. I cannot wait to see the finished project.

Leslie said...

BTW: I don't think you could function on a normal level, you accomplish so much with all your goals. DON'T be so hard on yourself. Somehow you make it happen.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh no, NORMAL never enters into the equation! LOL!!!! I guess the point I was trying to make is how sometimes things look so simple when they are done, and only people who do creative work know what is behind the "easy outcom".
And I am going through Knitter's Withdrawal after one evening without the needles in my hands, so I suppose I'll print a pattern out today and then scrounge through the yarn basket....... :)
I need to post a pic of my leftovers socks....

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