My New Heart........♥♥♥

I hate admitting I cannot remember what day it was or what was going wrong when I decided to reward myself for not going completely nuclear with a bit of Etsy shopping. (on second thought, I think the day involved the throwing of the telephone.....let's stop THERE!)

Anyway, off I went to Marie Segal's Etsy store and what do I find but something that made my heart go completely pitter-patter; a Zippered Heart with a Sacred Heart inside!!!

I immediately heard the words "Take me home....." to which I replied, "Just let me get that wallet of mine!" and I ran as quick as I could.

Marie and I had e-mailed back and forth about ideas, finishes, projects we were working on, etc but I just had not made it over to her store. Boy, am I glad I did! Let me describe how this little gem came in the mail to me.

That black organza bag held a delightfully wrapped package, with a sacred heart sticker holding it shut. I opened it slowly (although every part of me wanted to rip it to pieces quickly!) and there inside was this amazing pendant. It is larger than what I expected, at approximately 2 1/2" long by 2" wide. But the detail in that little space! Please click the photo below......see what a gem this is.

I just sat, holding it and turning it over and over and then got on e-mail and demanded to know EVERYTHING about it! (poor Marie...having friends like me.....) It is just perfect.......perfect. So much care and skill and love in this!
For those of you who have not seen Marie's Blog, click HERE.
For her Etsy store, click HERE.
I can assure you, your time will not be wasted visiting one of the most talented clay artists I have had the pleasure of meeting!
Of course, it's also fun getting those lovely packages in the mail......  ;-)
As to my work, my leaf count for the large commission is up to 97 with the machine still running, if not groaning about it! And I went to order the canvas for the background and it is temporarily out of stock! HA! *Anne-Luck* strikes again! Oh well, I can start the other samples to see how they will work.......
And how has your day been???

Pax...

The Final Photos of the Hearts

Learning to use a new camera and trying to get good shots of finished artwork is not the wisest of combinations....

But, if you enlarge these, you'll be able to see the fine details and some of the aging process I used on them. I was STILL having issues with the different varnishes and finishes I was using---I am assuming it was nothing more than weather and not operator error! LOL!!!

While the exposure on the first is much lighter than the piece, I was hoping it might show some of the hint of glitter on the wings. I am beginning to think I need some remedial photo lessons.......hmmmmm.......

Now; banner fabric is on the tables and I am not sure what I will be posting until I can get these things well underway, so if it gets quiet or there is no art again, then I am in the throes of trying to wrestle this giant project with about one third the energy I usually have.

Also, I may not be blog hopping as much, and it is not because of the wish to ignore anyone---I just need to stick my nose to the grindstone and keep it there because I am not looking forward to these.

I just need them DONE.

And DONE WELL.

So if any art happens to sort of slither in during the sewing process, believe me, I will post it.

To everyone, have a wonderful creative day...try something new...and enjoy the journey!

Pax.

Hearts, Blogs, Music & Creativity

(click all photos for more detail)

Finally, after too long off, I was able to get back to some of the heart pieces and finish them up. It seems, of late, that once I get behind on one project, then it is a case of falling dominoes....everything goes and I get to try to figure out where to restart.

("Love among the roses")

These two 4"x4" pieces were not hard at all....they were those delightful types of work that seem to make themselves, where it is a joyous journey and the whole comes together without thinking much.

I have to admit, I like those. It seems I have more of the other type that I wrack my brain on and get nowhere fast.

A slight tilted view of one of these to show the depth and crackle from the heavily applied finish. The hearts on both are made of stamped and cut Paper Clay and painted with fluid acrylics. The edge is some acrylic color added to a gel medium, then dipped into a tray of Budgie Grit. It gives a nice earthy finish to something from a garden print paper!

Then I had two pieces similiar to what I have mocked up below:

I sat looking at these until I thought my head would pop. Somewhere between starting, being distracted, and coming back to them, the original idea had gone bye-bye. I liked the ones I had done in the smaller size (pictured here) but it did not translate into the 4"x8" canvas board.

Oh. What to do.

I pushed them aside as I sewed, cleaned, designed, went to the doctor. It wasn't until I was shoveling out the table the other day that I took a good look and thought, "You have to do something", so I immediately ignored the voice in my head and checked the Blogger Dashboard for any new blog updates to comment on! I happened to be at yoborobo's, drooling over some of Pam's new work when I decided to check out some of her links on the side of other blogs she reads. (this is called *serious avoidance* folks....)

Well, I happened to click onto, yes I'm right--just checked, Bone Head Studios, and this haunting and chilling and delicious song begins to play! WHO IS THIS???? It is seductive, eerie, beautiful.....reminds me of the evenings walking the streets of the French Quarter, just as the cool of twilight descends and purple shadows fall long across the narrow streets. It was a complete sensory overload...sufficient to send me romping to Amazon to buy two Jill Tracy CD's, as that was the chanteuse this amazing voice belonged to!

After the impulse purchase, I was flooded with vision on what I wanted these two stubborn pieces to be.....I certainly did not make them, the music made them.....

I wanted that feel of decay in the background, the rust of aging metal, the crackle of paint, paper that has seen brighter and and more pristine days.....and then the hearts and wings. (though it does not show, the wings on both have a light coat of the interference paint, making them glow when held *just so* under the lights)

The edges are finished in the fine German glass glitter in black, the crackle glaze did odd things on here; I don't know why, but it is fine for the pieces!

I still have to coat the hearts and wings with a final varnish, but here is the point that all these words are leading to:

Without the blog music, I would not have come to finish these in a manner I love and am most happy with.

There is much to-do about music and blogs. If your blog is strictly commercial, well, then you have a decision to make. But if you have a blog that is an expression of you,  just think what that music adds to it! And for heaven's sake, if you don't care for music on blogs, just turn the volumn down on your speakers before blog-hopping. Don't chastise the blog writers; those who have worked so hard for real expression.......maybe, just possibly, you might be inspired.

And find something that you can't live without.

And that makes your work sing too.

Can it get much better???

I think not.

Pax.

Wringing The Grey Cells Out.....

.....for some decent blog-fodder for today!
Yesterday was, and I hate to admit this, a NO-ART-DONE-DAY. It was a clean up, do exercises, run (okay, limp or waddle---pick one!) about the house like the madwoman I am, trying to get some semblance of minor order back to the pit. I hate days like that..hate 'em. Yes I do!
I was in the studio for such a short time that it only annoyed me grossly. It's all or nothing baby! (can you guess that I consider yesterday nothing???) The above piece is in progress, and one of those oddities that someone will love or hate. I always enjoyed playing with the little chalky valentine candies that had sayings on them, though they left much to be desired in taste and usually were discovered months later semi-melted and covered with a layer of well stuck dust. But, they are such a tradition, I thought I would give this a whirl.
Not my colors, not my style, not not not.....still, a little shading, a little varnish, a bit of sparkle. Maybe. I don't know.

These were the backgrounds I worked on, with papers cut, then coats of medium atop the backgrounds so that they would accept paint or whatever I decide to throw at them and not disintigrate. They are a single ply of a napkin, so the paper has to be handled very gently. No poking my fingers into these to see if they are dry---I wait.

And for your amusement....

Why, pray tell, would I be excited over this gem? Other than the fact that I am really odd?

When I received my pre-op instructions, I was told I would have to do daily injections, which I had never done, but I've sewn through my fingers a lot and I figured that counted towards *self shots*. I received this in the mail, with instructions (DVD) of precisely how to do the injections and of course I was supposed to RETURN this cannister with the used sharps enclosed. (ooops. forgot.)

Oh, no waaaaaaay! This is far to good a paint brush or pencil holder! When else in my life am I going to get my paws on a BIOHAZARD container???? A real for sure medical grade BIOHAZARD container!!! I yanked the top off---after considerable bad languange and effort, and it is my prize of this whole bizarre adventure I have had of late.

Hey, when the BIOHAZARD container is the highlight of your day......think about this.......

I'm back to the *custodial care* issue from a post a few days ago. I am beginning to wonder. So what you have read here, is brain dribble of the worst sort. Disjointed, grumpy, complaining.

But it has a cool brush holder!

If you can top this, please comment! Or tell me to shut up and go away until I am mentally in better condition to post.

Otherwise, from my warped little heart, I bid you.....

Pax.

P.S. The "Java Love" is now available on a lovely coffee mug, in two sizes, from my little Zazzle store. I did the image as a half fold card, and a poster. It is a kicking coffee mug!
Visit easily by clicking HERE!

Fruits Of My Labor....."With Love"

 

(Paris, copyright AMH-Lockard 2010)                       (Love Entwined, copyright AMH-Lockard 2010)

Well, finally!!! Some finished work to share....  :-)  It is with great pleasure that I write this post because I have been so happy with the pieces and also anxious for feedback on the different ones.  I am hoping, as you are reading this, that I am again ready for a day at the table, but that could still be up in the air. We'll see.....

(Damask Hearts series, copyright AMH-Lockard 2010)

These two presented opportunities I had not thought about when I covered the panels with the thin paper. I knew I would go for shading and the addition of some color, but then there was this particular *blah* with the patterened background. I wanted to preserve it, it was elegant in design, but it needed something--in the words of Emeril--to *kick it up a notch*. I sat them aside and worked on the other pieces. "Paris" was pretty easy....it made itself; I just applied the right colors and mediums.  "Love Entwined" was a bit more demanding in that I used some gel medium with color added on the bottom and had to wait and wait for it to be thoroughly dry before adding shading. The background though needed something else, and a bit of glitter paint seemed to add the magical aura necessary for this cheery and almost child-like heart piece.

And then I was back to the "Damask Hearts".

Hmmmmm.........

Somewhere in the back of my addled brain, I remembered buying a bottle of a crackle agent I had never tried, and after finding it, took a deep breath and painted it heavily onto the B&W backgrounds. And again, I waited.

These are products that cannot have the drying time forced. They won't crackle if they are hit with a hairdryer or heat gun...though I have singed a few pieces in trying this! And lost all crackle in the process. (it says on the containers....don't try and speed the process...I read that every time....)

I was very, very happy with the results. Enlarge the above photo and see what a lovely effect it gave! I felt it was similiar to a piece of old, crazed china or printed ironstone ware.

Then the outer edges were coated with very fine German glass glitter in black, the finishing touch to these elegant little numbers!

 

The final application to all the hearts is a heavy coating of high gloss varnish and sometimes a touch of glitter. That makes them pop from the backgrounds, which I occasionally vary by using a satin varnish, thus adding more depth and visual seperation.

And now, I want to get back to work......enough resting.....I want to paint and cover myself in gel and glue and generally make another creative mess!

We'll see. The health is first.

Hope you've enjoyed this description of how these progressed. It really is hit and miss, isn't it???  ;-)

Have a great creative day, a good Monday and for the whole week.....

Pax.

Playing Photographically--or-- How I Get Sidetracked On Work....

I was in the process of getting the completed hearts ready for shooting when I looked at the table and decided the mess was delicious camera fodder. I want to add, this is all just as it was on the table; nothing was moved for better photos.....it is my mess.

This close crop was exceptionally pleasing; I liked the flow of reds with the touches of white.  It is one I could easily see having lettering over it and being used as a blog header or for an Etsy store.....maybe it's the size, the colors, I don't know. I am sure the shape has a lot to do with it.

All the photos should enlarge, so give them a click and see more of the detail. That is the fun part!

And now we pull back a bit. This was what the previous sliver was cropped aggressively from, though I like the clutter and lack of organization in this too. The cutting mat on the table, with the grid, adds an odd sense of attempted order in a completely unordered conglomeration of supplies!

And the final shot, from whence the others came (actually the first shot) showing two more panels covered with the B&W damask paper, some clay tidbits, pencils, pens......there is so much colorwise that I think it would be fun to further crop small sections, providing almost abstract images. Odd how a simple photograph can get the creative eye going and produce numerous results.

And the completed hearts?

They shall have to wait till tomorrow or possibly the next day. I am not doing well with the leg (have overdone stuff---imagine that!) and cannot sit long enough to crop them and get them squared. I hope you'll forgive me......I was all excited about getting them on blog for today as they took me by the hand and showed me what they wanted to become! Quite seriously, things happened I had not planned, it was some unexpected joy-ride and the results were very nice!

All in all, I think you'll find them worth the wait.

Now back to the do-nothing, leg-elevated, squat-on-TV, have-knit-myself-blind, I-am-being-Miz-Cranky-Pants, rest time.

Pfffft!

I know; it is for my own good, and good is what I send to all of you. Good thoughts, good wishes, good health and definitely good humor!

And of course,

Pax.

P.S. Happy Birthday Dad! I know it is a good day where you are!!! ♥

"Java Love": An Artistic Splurge & Anne's Usual Humor.....

("Java Love" copyright 2008, Anne M. Huskey-Lockard,

acrylic, mixed media on canvas. All rights reserved.)

I have, for a very long time, wanted to have some professionally printed postcards made, to tuck in with gifts, to give to friends, or just to look at on a *bad-art-day*. You know those days; nothing is going right in the studio, you wonderous brain-child art project has, you discovered, sucked rocks....or worse yet, someone else has told you it sucks rocks.

We have aaaaaaaalllllll been there.

Probably once too often.

So anyway, I had done this painting as a gift a long time ago and love it and miss it and thought, "Oh, that would be a perfect postcard, due to the shape of the canvas and the intensity of the color, and frankly, almost everyone's LOVE for coffee!" I had received a promo from an on-line printing company I had used for some other items and thought, gee, that price isn't too bad (it wasn't too good either!) and I won't have to get out and see locally what I would get stabbed, errr, charged for 50 cards. Heavy stock, gloss--front and back--off I go, typing in all the details, loading the pic, filling the background, then with shipping, it's a little more than I planned, but this was a splurge....remember?

So I click the *order* button and then begin waiting impatiently, in my normal state.

Today, as I sit having an early lunch I notice UPS throws (yes, THROWS) something on the porch floor, where--quite honestly--had I not been sitting in full view of the sidelights, I would not have known the package was there. So I stagger out, trying to figure where to plant the cane, the GOOD foot and then stretch the bad leg out behind to pick up this little bugger.

I see what it is and am sooooo excited! My postcards! YES! ♥

I open them, the photo is lovely, I turn them over and yep....you guessed it. Miz Dyslexic (since that first general anesthetic!) has managed to misspell *Miracles*. The new spelling, for the Webster and Oxford English dictionaries is, ahem, *Miralces*

DAMN.

Okay, I got my name, the painting name, copyright, and especially blog addy RIGHT, and I went over and over and OVER checking for typos, because I'm not joking, since the first surgery, I transpose letters all the time! And I never found it.

It's Anne-Luck.

Well, the front is good and so what...right? (insert pleading, whiny tone here)  Right???

So there we are. 50 lovely, lovely fronts and a fouled up back. Now I think I will check the other store I ordered business cards from--which I had forgotten about due to my glassy-eyed wonder at the sale e-mail--and see what they charge and get them printed right.

I--GIVE--UP.

At any rate, the heart pieces are all proceeding fine and I hope to have some finished photos on here tomorrow and there is no spelling on them, so I'm safe!  SNARF!!! I've rolled Paperclay and stamped it so that it can be painted, cut hearts from it with cookie-cutters (no digits missing...hmmmm....let me count....yep, all fingers accounted for!) and hope the four current canvas panels will soon be done.
Now to think of backgrounds for the new pieces. And remind myself: "NO WORDS"
My last word to y'all, my gentle readers and supporters of this crazy woman is, truly....

Pax.