Friday, December 28, 2018

Had A Little Lamb


Had A Little Lamb


I began this project to have something to do at the October version of Make What Ya Brung at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI. Make What Ya Brung is a group of former students from Valley Ridge Art Studio who maintain their art friendships by gathering twice a year in the Lind Pavilion at Shake Rag to make any kind of art they feel like.


The supplies I gathered for this project included a valve with a glass dome, a frame from a decorative mirror and muskrat belly board stretcher. I hauled this with some other project materials to Mineral Point and then decided that two boards I had bought at the last sale at Hippie Tom's Serendipity Farm would actually work better.


The glass dome from the valve was always the central focus for me. I wanted to try out a paper transfer technique I learned from Keith Lo Bue which requires very old paper so that the paper becomes transparent.


I used a page from The Second Reader which had Mary Had A Little Lamb and thus...my theme.


I texturized the top wood so that it would paint up with ease (a technique I learned from Michael deMeng).  I added a dollie to the bottom wood to create more texture.


Now it became time to put the things together. I painted up the parts for the capture.



After I returned home from MWYB, it was time to assemble. I decided that I would add some collage to brighten up the piece (as taught to me by Andrea Matus deMeng).


I decided I needed to find a lamb, the one that Mary used to have, and that was accomplished by a trip to Michaels.




I had brought a brass angel (probably found at a flea market) and had it with me at MWYB when my friend Cris Smith made me pledge not to use it unless I made a cast first.



This sounded easy until you factor in the fact that I have never made a cast. I had a variety of options but went with a product I had picked up at the Artist and Craftsman Store in Madison, Smooth-On Body Double Silk, which is a two part mix that you pour over the object to create the cast.

The next step was to use the Smooth-Cast Smooth Cast 300 to create the new objects.



After some painting and a few more touches, the pieces was done.








Or, was it?

After looking at the initial photos of the finished project, I decided it needed something to crown the whole piece.

Amongst all the goodies in my basement I found a part of a baking oven to use as a further extension of the theme of "Had" a sheep.



A little bit of highlight painting went on as well.


And, finally, we have Had a Little Lamb.



Monday, November 26, 2018

2018 11 thanksgiving


Denice and I were able to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with my Mommy in Crivitz, hosted by my sister Barbara and my brother-in-law Bob.

We had a great series of meals that started with a New Orleans treat at the Pearl in Menominee, Michigan. The food here is great and the restaurant is located right on the shore of the lake so the view in summer will be great.  Try it if you are in the UP sometime.

On Thanksgiving Day we were joined by Denice's sister Marijeanne and my brother-in-law Donnie.  We all went to the River's Edge in Green Bay for a Thanksgiving buffet.




  My Mommy, in the restaurant and at home. working on one of her puzzles


On Saturday, the whole family roadtriped from Crivitz to the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh for their Nutcracker in the Castle exhibition.



 





 

 
 



 



 





It was a great Thanksgiving weekend with my crazy family--I would not have it any other way.