Abby's Art

Glitter Among the Grit

2011-04-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Drawing with fine point Sharpie and watercolor. Different from anything I have ever done. I saw an image in a magazine of an old woman and decided to use the light box to trace it.

Weaving and Eleanor Roosevelt

2011-04-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

These are both pieces that I did a while back. The top piece is a weaving project that our teacher assigned. I added spray adhesive in hopes of sealing the project but it went terribly wrong and the pieces ended up all tangled and tattered. It took me over 2 weeks to weave all of the tiny strips of paper together, and it was ruined! Oh well, the other piece is an incremental gradient portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt. Again, it took me a pretty long time to do. I am not crazy about either of these pieces, but I figured that I would upload them anyway.

'Ma' Inspired by Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

2011-03-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

I really like the results of my first use of resin on top of my mixed media piece. I was using vintage laces as well as threads and even an old brooch and I really wanted to capture and compliment the texture of these objects and materials. I wanted to try an alternative to encaustic and I really like the results. I have to say, this is probably one of my favorites so far. I will use this as a concentration piece. I also chose to use resin rather than encaustic because the encaustic technique tends to cover up a lot of the texture in lace and fabrics. Rather than cover it up, I wanted to accentuate the fabrics, as they represented Ma, the inspiration for this piece.

Grenouille

2011-02-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

This piece was inspired by a novel I was reading entitle Perfume. I used lots and lots of layers of found papers, thread, and encaustic wax. I think this will be one of my concentration pieces. I felt like it was missing something but I was unsure of how to improve it. Any suggestions?

2011-02-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

This piece is done on a small canvas with acrylic paint. I wanted to do something abstract that was still 'my style'. I intend to use this piece for breadth in my portfolio. I really like the colors and I'm glad that Mr. Brandt pushed me to create variety by adding found objects. It definitely adds to the piece and gives it more depth. The found objects I used included gauze and strips of paper.

Quill Me Now

2011-01-02T14:11:00.001-08:00

This is my first quilling piece. It took me so long that I'm not sure if there will be another quilling piece. Let me put it into perspective: The quilled square is about 4 inches by 4 inches. There are approximately 40 quills per square inch. Each quill takes roughly two minutes to make. So, do the math- thats a LONG time. Quilling is a technique that I have been researching for a while and I finally decided to try it. Basically, using a quilling tool, you wrap a thin piece of paper around the quilling tool to make a coil. After this step, you can choose to release the coil as much or as little as you choose. I didn't release the coils at all, so they are very tightly wound. Once you have reached the end of the paper strip, just seal the coil with adhesive (I used Elmers). To get a perfect square shape, I made a square matboard template and placed and glued the coils inside. After I was finished, I removed the template. I really like the finished product. But, as you can see by its title, 'Quill Me Now', it was really tedious and I'm not sure that I would duplicate this willingly.

Altered Book

2010-12-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Another altered book entry with the usual materials. It is not done because I still need to add some found images and a focal point.

"Glory" Altered Book

2010-10-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

I used the same technique that I have been using with creating a background out of paint and outlining the organic shapes. After that, I practiced the weaving technique with different found papers and threads. I also painted a simple bird and used a button to create an eye. Its not my favorite, but I think that it was good practice with the weaving technique.

"Blinded" Altered Book

2010-10-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yet another unfinished piece... I started creating a background with assorted paint and stamps. Then I couldn't decide if it was TOO busy and was hesitant to continue. I outlined several of the shapes with a Sharpie marker. I also used the Sharpie to write in different layers of the paint. Will post more pictures at a later date.

"Reflections" Altered Book

2010-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

As you may be able to tell, this entry is not yet finished. I still haven't found the perfect image to feature. Thus far, I used paint, wax, wax paper, thread, found papers, lace, and a Sharpie marker. I used the same technique that I have used in previous altered book entries. Because the prompt was "Reflections" I painted both pages and then closed the book pressing the pages together. Then, I reopened it and the paint had created a mirror image of each page. After this, I continued doctoring the piece and making the paint look how I wanted to. I had trouble with getting the intensity of the colors to match what I visualized them to be. As I finish this, I will post more pictures.

"Redemption" Altered Book

2010-10-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

This altered book entry is one of my favorite so far. I really REALLY like it. I was inspired by the Johnny Cash album "Unearthed" because one of the tracks is "Redemption." The actual album is picture above. I wanted to create a reel of photos and a simple title underneath them, like the format of his album cover. After deciding my layout, I focused on color scheme and embellishing the piece. I used paint, wax, wax paper, thread, corrugated cardboard, found papers and found objects. I think that this is a good entry because of how detailed it is and how many layers there are. Because I created it, I recognize each layer individually. I also traced over the natural shapes within the paint and image, creating a contour line with a deep red Sharpie marker. I think that this piece was a success.

"Down the Drain" Altered Book

2010-10-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

As my second altered book entry, I continued to experiment with style and technique as well as materials. The prompt was "Down the Drain" for which I wrote a limerick... "Up in smoke, down the drain, the cookie crumbles all the same." From this, I had inspiration for my piece. I used a light blue color scheme to represent water (from the drain) and added water to the paint so that it would drip and spread more fluidly. I also drew a very wavy, fluid pattern that represented water. Next, I represented smoke by the picture of the two old women smoking. I also continued drawing the pattern coming out of their cigarettes. I also had an image of the eiffel tower and I drew smoke coming out of it as if it was a chimney. I also outlined quite a few of the natural shapes that the paint made with a sharpie. I love highlighting this organic element of the composition. I think this was yet another success.

"Making Time" Altered Book

2010-10-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

The green page is the contents page of my altered book that I used acrylic paint to create. The next several images of the green/orange pages are my first altered book entry. The prompt was "Making Time." As a mixed media piece, I explored my style, taking a risk. I really love how this turned out. I used paint, wax, thread, chipboard, sharpie, wax paper and other found materials. The images that I drew with the sharpie represent constallations that are believed to tell time. I was really proud of how this piece turned out and I think that I will definitely be creating several more formal pieces within this style.

Image Transfer with Texture

2010-10-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Create a background using texture paste that I mixed with acrylic paint. The three colors I used were a light yellow, light blue, and salmon. I really liked the texture in the background. It reminded me of weathered furniture or chipping paint on wood. I really like that look and it reminds me of one of my favorite interior design styles. Step 2: Take a picture using a Nikon camera and a model. Print image with laser jet printer and carefully create image transfer on textured surface. Step 3: Continue adding the tinted texture paste on top of and around the image transfer. Step 4: Embellish the piece with thread, pins, buttons, corrugated cardboard, found papers and found objects. I think this piece was my biggest success thus far. However, I really don't like it because I wanted to make the image transfer become a fluid part of the piece and I feel like I failed at that. Comments?

India Ink

2010-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

The assignment for this piece was to create a background using found papers, lightly gesso that background and then use india ink to draw a 'quick, sketchy' image on the background. I really despise the whole 'quick,sketchy' thing. I think that it makes the pieces look sloppy and I am not very good at 'letting loose.' It involved taking a risk and I was uncomfortable with the medium and the technique, which made the risk all the harder to take. I like the background in which I used newspaper and assorted colors of tissue paper. I do not like the image that is on top... It is supposed to be a canister full of dirty paintbrushes of all different sizes. I used parafin wax to seal the entire thing. In my opinion, not a success.

Erasure Drawing

2010-10-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

The erasure technique consists of drawing a composition, erasing it, and then re-drawing the image in a slightly different position so that it looks as if the image is moving... I wasn't a huge fan of this technique when it was introduced. I thought that it would just look like poor craftsmanship to have erased lines all over the paper. I used different drawing pencils to shade and decided that the model hand would be the "moving object." I used the sign language hand gesture for 'I love you.' This gesture has a special meaning to me and I like that it was incorporated in my piece. However, I wish that I would have spent more time making the erasure technique more evident. It is rather subtle. This piece is decent, but I don't prefer drawing and I think that I am better at design.

2010-08-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

2010-08-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

2010-08-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

2010-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

AP Summer Art Project #5: NOT DONE.

2010-08-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, I was instructed to take a risk... I just started drawing. I know it isn't one of the prompts, but I took a risk. As stated in the title, this is no where near finished. The picture is pretty bad quality. It was taken with a cell phone, so sorry. But, I wasn't sure that it was worth finishing.

AP Summer Project #4: Architectural Structure

2010-07-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Once again, a little more non-conventional. I tried a new technique, combining encaustic and Liquitex. I cute out 24 small squares, 24 medium squares, and 24 large squares. The smallest squares are composed of a marketplace scene in New Mexico on a postcard from the fifties or sixties. If you imagine that the smallest squares are pushed together as one unit, you can see the image as a whole. To help you identify this, look at the first column, second row. You will notice that in this square, the lower half is a darker/royal blue. Bring your attention to the square to the right of this square (column two, row two) and you will notice that the royal blue from the last square is continued in this square. This blue comes together to create a mountain in the background. In the foreground, people are gathered around a marketplace watching a parade of sorts. The medium and large squares are made of papers that showcase other New Mexican locations. After I encausted the three layers of squares together, I embellished them with thread, pins, wire, lace, ribbon, buttons, snaps, and even a brooch/ pendant (as the focal point). To create the background I placed a large piece of lace onto paper and used colored wax to create a rust orange, attaching the lace to the paper. After the wax had dried, I peeled the lace off of the large sheet of paper. The lace now had the same rust orange color as the background. I used Liquitex to attach it to a fresh white piece of paper. After it dried I attached all of the smaller squares with another coat of Liquitex. After this step was complete, I had a nearly finished product. I used the rust orange colored paper that I had pulled the lace off of to create a mat for the piece as a whole. The rust orange colored piece has a relief of the lace, which was a subtle but nice effect. I really like the idea for this piece. I hope that the architectural design is still identifiable in the photo. So, four down, ONE (summer piece) to go! :)

AP Summer Project #3: Inside of a Closet

2010-07-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Summer Piece #3: The Inside of the Closet. Like my second summer piece, this is not an obvious "closet." Instead, I thought of the inside of a closet. Things like clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.(fashion) came to mind. Instead of focusing on the closet itself, I focused on it's contents. I used wax, pins, found papers, embroidery thread, thread, lace, and an antique button to create this. The lady in the center image is admiring her own shoes. I thought that she looked very "Flapper-esque", in turn she appeared to be very stylish. I also used the antique embellishment in the bottom-left corner. I thought that the colors in the button brought out the colors in the found papers. I experimented with a new technique (I couldn't really capture this with the camera) in which I ironed a piece of lace onto the center and peeled it off after it had dried. It created a texture that was more or less a relief of the lace. It turned out pretty neat. I have recently noticed that I enjoy playing with horizontal and vertical lines in my pieces. The lines are usually different lengths or widths, creating variety...This could possibly evolve into a minor concentration??? Apart from that, I couldn't decide if I liked the silver wax matting behind the image or not. I tried photographing it with and without the mat. Opinions? I think that I like it, but I am not completely convinced. I thought that it would be interesting to experiment with using the metallic mat to enhance the metallic details in the piece itself. Overall, I would say that I am slightly disappointed in this. It isn't horrible, I just had a completely different image in my head. I think that I really like the prompt, but I wish that I could have done a better job carrying out my plan. I definitely think that I will come back to this prompt at a later date.

AP Summer Project #2: Inside of a Cabinet

2010-06-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

So, this is my second AP summer project. The prompt was 'the inside of a cabinet.' Obviously, I took a different approach than a conventional cabinet. Looking inside of the kitchen cabinet, I was inspired by a Morton Salt can. From this inspiration, the wheels in my head started turning and I created yet another mixed media piece. I used encaustic wax, found papers, cardboard, pins, wire, thread, lace, and embroidery thread. The piece showcases the evolution of the Morton Salt girl. From 1914 to 1968 the character of the Morton Salt girl was depicted in six different aged girls. Throughout the years, the young girl appears to grow older. I also incorporated the Morton Salt slogan, 'When it rains it pours.' Using encaustic wax, I layered a clear parafin along with a yellow and blue wax. I chose yellow and blue because those are the colors used on the Morton can. Overall, I think that this piece was a success. I thought that it could still be identified as an "Abby piece".

First Summer Project: Inside a Dishwasher

2010-06-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

While this is a HORRIBLE picture and the piece is not yet mounted, this is my first AP summer project! The prompt was "The Inside of a Dishwasher." Of course, I put my own twist into the prompt. I used a variety of materials to create this encaustic piece. Instead of focusing only on the dishwasher, I decided to incorporate the idea of the Dishwasher Revolution. The burden of doing dishes was no longer a problem when the dishwasher was invented in the 1950's. Women were excited to have less work and this is demonstrated in this piece.

#2 in the Circles Series

2010-01-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

So, I used found papers, wire, metal sewing embellishments, thread, lace, ribbon, buttons, pins, etc... to create this one. I decided that it would be neat to do a horizontal row of circles. So, after I used encaustic wax, covering each circle, it was time for the background. I layered the transparent brown paper from a sewing pattern about six times. I covered that in parafin wax and a small amount of white and yellow beeswax. I Then, I placed all of my circles, horizontally, across the background. My teacher suggested that I give the circles some kind of order since they were horizontal. But, we decided that using "A,B,C" to letter the circles or "1,2,3" to number the circles would look silly. So, I came up with another idea. If you look closely, there is a silhouette of a small, black sparrow in a different stage of flight in each circle. The bird starts walking and eventually flies away (going towards the left). Not only did the bird give the final product interest, but it gave each circle a focal point. If you click on the photo, you can see it even bigger. Just like in the last piece, a pretty good deal of detail went in to each circle. I really like how this one turned out. It might even be my favorite project this semester. How does it look?

My Inspiration for "The Circle Series"

2010-01-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, as you may know, I have recently started to create a small series (so far there are only two, but I'm working on that). I use different found papers and a variety of other materials to create perfect, geometric circles. But, believe it or not, the idea of layering circles was not all that original. Wassily Kandinsky ( 1896 - 1944) is the artist of the paintings above. When I first saw the painting (the one on the very top), I commented that it looked like a seven-year-old could do it. But, upon further investigation, I discovered that the painting was not famous because of Kandinsky's ability to paint a perfectly round circle (obviously). It became famous because of his brilliant use of complimentary colors. Notice that all of the colors in the painting play off of one another, creating harmony. He also combined different thickness of lines, and created contrast and variety by placing straight lines next to circles. Kandinsky had an ever-changing style. In his younger years his paintings were very realistic, resembling Monet(INSPIRATION). In later years, his focus seemed to be very architecturally based. Some of these works resembled the style of Van Gogh or George Seurat (pointillism)(& INSPIRATION). Some of the later work was based on really abstract architecture. It could be compared to the shapes that Dr.Suess uses (INSPIRATION). It also resembled the artist that came to our class and presented "The Traveling Man."(INSPIRATION) Finally, Kandinsky created several pieces that used symmetry and geometry.

And then there is me... Abby. I have taken Kandinsky's art and made it my very own. Just like Kandinsky's pieces resemble those of other famous artists and techniques, my pieces resemble his. I took the concept of layering circles and using complimentary colors and I decided to take my own spin on Kandinsky. So, there you have it folks, it's okay to be inspired. Kandinsky proved that to me. (:

The FIRST in My Series of Circles

2010-01-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

The task: 48 circles(there are 16 big circles,16 medium,16 small), each in different combinations of papers and embellishments, all coming together to create "my spin on Kandinsky." So, to complete this I needed a LOT of materials. A wide variety of found papers, buttons, pins, thread, wire, string, lace, ribbon, fabric and liquitex. This project is a 12x12in. and, believe me, it took what seemed like ages(about two weeks in class). I was very meticulous about cutting each circle with precision after I traced them. But, the bigger task was trying to come up with 16 different combinations of papers so that none of the circles looked alike. Another big challenge was laying the circles out so that some of the repeated papers were not close to one another. As I was in the process of creating this, I also decided that I wanted it to have a shiny finish, thus the liquitex. But, when I put the circles on the plain chocolate brown cardstock I encountered a minor problem... The mat looked WAYYY too simple compared to the very detailed circles. So I placed thread in the liquitex and I think that gave it a nice final touch. This is actually double-matted, which you cannot see from this photo. There is a light pink mat behind the brown one. I decided that pink would be an appropriate and flattering color. The pink mat complimented the pink in the circles. I really liked this project. One of my favorite so far. (:

2010-01-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

SO... This is my first independent piece as an artist. Without any prompt from my teacher, I created an assignment for myself. In this picture the color looks a little distorted. It isn't that dark. Obviously, this is mixed media. I used acrylic paint, liquitex, buttons, lace, found objects, found images, pins, thread, and matboard. I really like it. As I intendended, it turned out looking very vintage. I really love the way that aged things look, so I try to incorporate them into my artwork. I also cut a dress form out of thick cardstock paper and painted it (on the left side). The research workbook pages below were where I developed my ideas and techniques for this piece. There are also two seperate image transfers. The first is the damisk print bordering the top. The second is the print, which reads "Une Femme Elegante" (Elegant Woman). Comments, questions, concerns?

Coming to an end...

2010-01-07T14:23:00.001-08:00

Even though this semester is ending, I have something to look forward to. Ever since my art teacher has allowed the class to start our independent studies, I have really started to find myself as an artist. I have discovered that I really enjoy mixed media. More specifically, I love incorporating buttons, lace, ribbon, found papers, found images, vintage sewing accessories, pins, sewing needles, thread, acrylic paints, encaustic wax, Liquitex, and quite a few other mediums in my artwork. I am really eager to get to work on my summer pieces and become part of the AP art program. While I still have to work out a lot of kinks in my process, I am enjoying every minute of the adventure. In this semester I have made so many discoveries as an artist. I have really grown and developed a personal style. I have also grown to better understand and respect art of all different kinds. I am really glad that I was given the opportunity to take this class. I made so many improvements, not to mention some great friends and confidants. Everything I have taken away from this semester really makes it worth the while. Can't wait until next year. (:

2009-11-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

More planning for my mixed media project...

2009-11-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

These are all Research Workbook pages I did to plan for and experiment with ideas for my mixed media project.

2009-11-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

MORE Research Workbook

2009-11-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

More Research Workbook... PostSecret style

2009-11-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Research Workbook (:

2009-11-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

I think that this project turned out alright. I used acrylic paint. I tried to create really exaggerated foreshortening and perspective. I think my favorite part is the background. It ties together the color scheme, just as I intended. I think its a very fun look. But, I wish I was a better painter... oh well, better luck next time.

Oil Pastel

2009-11-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is my oil pastel piece. I decided to do a positive/negative space kind of thing. I really like how the circles are replicated throughout. I think this was a pretty neat piece. But, I only spent a few days on it. It might look better if I developed it more.

2009-10-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

MORE from the research workbook using Sharpie and watercolor.

Research Workbook

2009-10-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

These are just more pictures from my research workbook. I used watercolor and sharpie on one. I used found papers and fabric on the other.

2009-10-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

One of these is done with Prismacolor and Sharpie. The other is just Crayola markers.

Research Workbook

2009-10-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

More fashion designs using watercolor, Prismacolor, and Sharpie...

Research Workbook

2009-10-22T15:58:00.001-07:00

These are fashion designs- one of my favorite things to do. I just used Prismacolor and Sharpie.

Encaustic Painting and Mixed Media

2009-10-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite project so far. I don't particularly like mine, but the idea was awesome. We melted wax onto our collages to create vibrant color and texture. It was really fun to make. Overall, I like it.

Synthetic Cubism

2009-10-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

This was my synthetic cubism project. I used a variety of found
papers, paint, and shoepolish to create this piece. I thought that it was okay. Again, not my favorite project. I tried to create a triangle using the blue ladies. I also added som smaller details that the photograph didn't capture.

Timed Gesture Drawings

2009-10-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

We had one minute to draw these figures. They are very sketchy and I just used a Prismacolor soft pastel. It was pretty difficult and I honestly don't like mine. Thank goodness it was only practice. .

Figure Value Studies

2009-10-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

For this project we were supposed to create a figure using value and it was optional to create foreshortening. I used different colors of charcoal to create this. I think that it turned out okay. But, I think that I should have colored in some more of the empty space.

2009-09-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

I did a study of the human eye in my research workbook. I think I should have made the contrast of the darks and lights a lot stronger. I tried to practice different ages, genders, and races.

2009-09-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

These are actually 2 seperate pages in my Research Workbook. The Marilyn page was based off of our paper cutting project. I was doing a study of Andy Warhol and practicing drawing portraits. I also tried to incorporate a cool color scheme and pattern to tie it in. The page on the right was my experimentation of "encaustic wax" at home. I melted crayons with matches (that I actually attached to the page) and brightened up the black and white images.

2009-09-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

I started off using acrylic paint to create a background. Then, I cut the word "design" and sectioned off the painted paper. I wanted to combine the paper cutting that we were using in class with paint. It was pretty fun to make. Unintentionally, the colors sort of remind me of sherbet. (: I wish I would have spent more time developing my color scheme though.

Research Workbook

2009-09-16T14:45:00.001-07:00

This was my interpretation of encaustic wax before we talked about it in class... I like the image itself. I tried to highlight the darker colors in the image by melting crayons with matches. It was pretty fun to do. But, I think that it would look better if the wax wasn't so splotchy-looking.

Encaustic Experiments

2009-09-16T14:41:00.001-07:00

This is another experiment. I actually ended up using a theme that is similar to this for my current art project. I liked incorporating the architecture. I think it needs some more color. I think I only used parafin wax for this one.

Research for Encaustic Project

2009-09-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

This experiment was my favorite. I like the colors and the use of three-dimensional objects. I think it looks very mixed media-esque, which I love. I think I could have used a little more color though.

Chinese Paper Cut Project

2009-09-16T14:33:00.001-07:00

So, this project turned out pretty cool. I like the patterns that I used. I also like something that my classmate - Elizabeth Easler - pointed out to me.... The girl in the portrait NEVER stops looking at you. The cutting was extrmely time consuming and it really hurt my hand. But, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I think that it gives a really cool twist to the study of positive and negative space. I created my background for this piece using acrylic paint and watercolor paint. Once it dried, I used Prismacolor pencils to highlight details in the paint.