Monday, January 24, 2011

Art With Warm Colors In The Frigid Winter

Okay, I am whining. 
It is miserably cold here (I am sure other areas have it worse and to them I send condolences), to the point I cannot even get out without being socked with a migraine. For once in my life, I am glad I have no idea what the temp is!
So the few minutes I could be upright over the weekend, I managed a little art time, and with VERY WARM COLORS. Yes, it helps. A little.
I had been working on texturing backgrounds for my online class and finally everything dried--rain and snow have kept the dehumidifier busy and honestly, there is only so much it can do. The rest requires patience......wait.....wait....wait.
 
substrate with several paint washes and my fat finger (I love the colors!!!)
When the work was totally dry, I decided to start with the smallest substrate I had made, and while waiting I was working with paper clay for one of the elements to adhere. Which I just HAD to pick up the next morning and the flames broke off....oh well. That turned out to be good over all; I could deal with them separately before attaching them.

heart in hand, and flames too!
a better look at the details....that hole was a PIP to make and not bust everything....
Then it was a matter of trying to get the heart reamed with the Dremel to accept the tiny cocktail swords that had been aged to look, well, old and crusty.
Note here: CLAY SHRINKS
So the holes I had made before drying the piece did not fit afterward and  I had a LOT of quality time with the Dremel and retouching with matching paint. (don't try and do detailed art when your head is pounding out a Conga beat...you really need those grey cells!)


The swords required a lot of trimming and touch up before it was over, but finally submitted to my will, went into the paperclay and behaved. I really liked the transformation on the heart. Sorry about the photo burn out--all the lights in the studio are working now and I have so much light I don't know what to do with it!


Above is the heart with daggers in and the flames basecoated and set in place....


....An overhead view showing everything after the pieces are reattached with part of a pin and E-6000; a bit of the *aging* on the flames for some depth....


And from the front showing the addition of red acrylic and tar gel; a few convincing drips.
This still has further to go. Everything is nice and bright, but a bit too *nice and bright*~~I want a little more earthy feeling, and that is for another post. I'll leave you at this point and hopefully get further down the road with this project.
As an aside, I have discovered that I am clueless as to where I stored a goodly amount of photos in my computer and am going to have to spend a day (or two) retrieving things. I do not know how my mental filing system works.....it doesn't leave me clues. I have a few images I need for the large background this will be attached to, and I have no idea where they are.......
Maybe I'll sketch while I think.....
Maybe I'll just sketch.
Or not!

Pax....

38 comments:

marianne said...

very nice! love it! it's gray & dreary here, if not so cold, so i dredeged up tropical photos for a post the other day- great minds :) happy monday- look forward to seeing where this goes-

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Marianne,

I'm all for tropical pics! I missed a bunch of posts over the weekend...have had a hard time keeping up with everyone starting blogging again! LOL!
I am *HOPING* this whole piece goes the direction I want, but you know that story. Sometimes they just do odd things, and I am worried about some of the gels in this cruddy weather.
Hmmmmmm......

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Cathy Bueti said...

Anne I love this piece!! The colors are fabulous! Love the heart! wow! I am excited to see where you take it from here! We are in a deep freeze here to and I hate being trapped inside! I draw the line at 0 degrees! LOL

:)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Cathy,

I'm with you~~I really need to run some errands but I don't think it is going to happen. My body just says...well, never mind!
I'm having a good time with the piece despite the little surprises along the way....now if I can just find the images I'm looking for....*sigh*
Too many photos, you know? LOL!!
Stay warm!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

yoborobo said...

OOooooh, Anne! This gives new meaning to the word 'heartache'. I love it! I can't wait to see it grunged, or aged, or whatever magic you will do to it next. How many cocktails did you have to drink to get the swords? Was it a Happy Hour? hahaha! I am painting weird little skellys, which seems to be what I do in all stressful situations. Can I borrow a sword? xox!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Pam,

I can send you a handful if you promise not to hurt yourself! LOL!!
Cocktails, yeah, I think a few might have been helpful..... ;-D
I think you'll enjoy thenext step--it's the step AFTER that scares me!
Anxious to see your little skellies~~they always have charm!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Janet Ghio said...

What a great use for those cocktail swords!! I love this Anne--anything with this sacred heart/milagro type imagery.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Janet,

Me too! But I have to say my sculpting skills are nominal....it took a long time to get that heart shaped right and then sand all my fingerprints out of it! LOL!!!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Pam @ Frippery said...

Very nice!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks Pam!

Hope it still looks good in the next post...LOL!!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Silke Powers said...

This is just beautiful, Anne!! I love how you make your art so three dimensional! And how much care goes into every detail! That background is amazing!!! What colors did you use?!? Love, Silke

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh Silke,

I knew someone was going to ask about the background colors...YIKES!
I think, from top to bottom:
Carbon black
Quin Nickel Azo Gold
Quin Crimson and Red
touch of Pyrrol Red
wash of Micaceous Iron Oxide

I could be wrong--I did not keep track but I'm pretty sure I did not use anything else. I just sort of kept working the BG until it was where I wanted it.
It's pretty much the basic deMeng colors with a few Anne-additions....
No help at all, eh?

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Elena said...

Oh it is GORGEOUS! And with a headache! Simply beautiful. And thank you so much for your blog comment this morning. Your heart looks like what my brain feels like. :)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Elena,

Okay, I'm laughing! Not *at you* but *with you* as my head still feels like there is a ten round fight going on. (it has to stop today--I am way too far behind!)
Those washes of color, once you get a bit of a grip on what they do are really fun!
I hope you enjoy doing them too!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Anonymous said...

I got a migraine too on Sat morning. Execedrin Migraine works for me because I only get them from barometric pressure changes, but is you get them all the time, it might not. I run a mac, but you might just search for jpeg in your computer and see what comes up in a general search, or gif or whatever....
you will have to sort through alot, but they may show up....

Fabulous piece, the background substrate picked up the colors wonderfully in the nooks and crannies. No I am not talking English Muffins, ha ha...be interesting to see how you mute is at bit as you describe.

Be well. xox Corrine

Karen S said...

This weekend I was going to change my facebook status to "I am bitterly cold" -- but it has magically warmed up! To 22º! Which feels just balmy after a week of below zero.

Love these colors. Nice and fiery. And I love the way you used the swords. I have been removing them from the hands of my boys for so long (en garde!) that I forgot to think about the artistic possibilities!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Corrine,

I had not even thought of doing a search for JPEGS....my gosh! That would be too easy! (I am a complete Luddite when it comes to really knowing computer tidbits....pitiful)
Oh yeah, all those nooks and crannies are super for catching the washes of colors! I think you'll be surprised at the final piece......
Suspense!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Karen,

OMGosh...what does it say when we're wishing for a whole whopping 22 degrees??? :-D Same here; it was wicked. It was a flat out assault on the body type cold. E--NUFF!
Yes, some molding paste, then acrylics on those little swords and they are quite handy! As long as they don't end up in the mouth or an ear.....

XXOO~~♥
Anne

audrey said...

Anne, this looks GREAT!! It's beautiful! I love the way Michael uses colors. I've learned a thing or two from him and I'm eager to make some things with what I've learned. His videos are such fun!!
I still have company and am not able to devote the needed time to make something. Still playing around with colors.
I would love to take a workshop with him! We'll do that when we all get together sometime in the future ~ what a gathering that will be!!!! (:
(First, I have to win the lottery. Then I will make all the arrangements for all of us). If you dream hard enough, it will come true. ???
♥ audrey

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Audrey,

It sounds GREAT to me!!! Of course if I played the lottery, I might win..HA! NOT....
Yes, I have not done much paint wise but I do love what happens with the different paint colors.
Of course, my problem is I have to make a panel I can *use*---I can't just do something to keep as a reference material, heaven forbid!
There is so much to learn in the class and the videos are a hoot!
It is FUN!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Marie S said...

Outstanding Anne, I adore the background it is warm and inviting.
But the sacred heart with swords... is fantastic.
I can hardly wait to see the rest of it.
Sigh
I love sacred hearts.
Well done Anne.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thank you oh She Who Is Queen Of The Sacred Heart Making!!!
Let me tell you, it had it's *moments*....
The next post (probably Wednesday at the rate I'm moving today) will show the final touches on it, and explain how I got there.
Having a ball making stuff look like other stuff! LOL!!!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Timaree said...

Oh I love your piece. Such a good idea for the use of tar gel! Definitely some warm colors here and I agree the middle of winter is a really good time for them.

Sorry you are having such headaches. Mine never get that bad but still seem bad so I really feel for those of you with such bad migraines.

I tend to lose pictures too. I have lots of different misc. folders now with pics in them. I really need to empty them plus the 1/2 dozen temp folders, lol.

Winter is 1/2 over! Soon you'll be saying "when is winter coming" again. Hang in there.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

LOL!!!
Yes, in the depths of Summer when I am *whiiiiining* about the heat I'll be wishing for snow. You know--it's a girl-thing! ;-)
Sometimes I have good luck with the tar gel (like here) and sometimes it just seems obnoxious. I think it requires regular use to get proficient. I did use a blow dryer to *set* the shape of the droplets, then let it dry by itself.
Here is to at least slightly warmer weather!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Robbie said...

Warm! This is down right HOT!!!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Robbie!

I would welcome a hot flash at the moment...hahaha!!!!
Thanks! ;-)

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Ces Adorio said...

I hate the cold and grey. I think it was 60 here today. I want summer. Wow look at the blood!

Bella Sinclair said...

Whoa, hot mama! This is so COOL! The flames are awesome. The swords are awesome. The blood? Well, that's just aaaawwweeesome! What a fabulous piece. GREAT background, too. Definitely worth every second of waiting!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Ces and Bella,

I am being most lazy and combing an answer!
I think the intense color came from day after day of grey and cold out. I could turn my back and paint with bright colors and perk things up.
And I worked *hard* on that blood! LOL! (surprised it did not end up with some of my own blood in it....with the power tools...hahaha!)

TSUP & XXOO~~♥
Anne

Deborah said...

Oh your bleeding heart!!! You really are an amazing artist, Anne. My heart is getting a bit heavy this week. Leaving Thursday for Fort Hood. **sigh** Deb

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I know Deb.....my heart is heavy for you too.
Many hugs my friend....

XXOO~~♥
ANne

studio lolo said...

aaaah, this is wonderful!! All of your work is so multi-layered and rich! Wow...waiting to see it fini ;)

~♥Lolo♥~

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Me too Lolo! Trust me!
Today is a thinking day on the colors for the big background....I am not sure I will get beyond thinking.
I have one shot to get it right.
No pressure...hahaahha!!!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

illustration poetry said...

GOSH THIS IS AWESOME, BLOODY AWESOME!!!!

illustration poetry said...

BLOOD, BLOOD, I NEED MORE BLOOD :D

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hahaha!!! I could use an extra shot too while we're at it....some that is WARM!!! :-D
Yeah, I am happy with this but the week has become hectic---I have to get back to it today.
I need more TIME!!!

XXOO~~♥
Q.P.A.

Unknown said...

oh wow!!! how ever did I miss this post!!! the bleeding heart is amazing Anne!!! wow....you are such an attention to detail kind of girl!!! love this piece!!!!

Have a wonderful and creative day!!!

Hugs
Diana

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

LOL!!!
Probably because I am such an irregular blogger!
I am tinkering with the piece I had *planned* to attach it to, but after a lot of deliberation, I am not sure it is going on something else.
I have another post to put up about aging it a bit....this has been a crazy week; it should have been up yesterday or today.
HA.

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Post a Comment

Talk to me Dahling!
I'm waiting, breathless...... ;-D