Handmade Paper journals to trade

Okay, so I'm bored with posting only about my stuff. I'd like to post what art YOU are making. So I've got a trade. You get a handmade journal from my handmade paper if you send me a jpg of a new piece of art that you make that describes you or something about you, real or wishful thinking. Also, some short introduction of yourself and a general (or detailed if you feel like it!) description of how you made it.

Each journal has 5 or so pages of my handmade paper. The black one has vintage red plastic buttons. The gold one has metallic foil bits in the paper. The big turquoise-ish one uses handdyed silk ribbon (bought). Making paper is very fun, and I will be offering classes at the Fernery (coming 2010).

I will be adding and subtracting journals as folks pick which one they want. I hope you will play!

Barb V.

Spring has begun?

Dear Reader, here in South Florida we are having a lovely early spring. It's been in the 70s and a few nights even lower. We are getting some much needed rain (we are on rationing here). So far my friends in the midwest have been safe, but it is going to take some time for them to clean up. Hope you are where the weather is lovely.

Since I last wrote, I went to see the Calder Jewelry exhibit at the Norton in Palm Beach. Calder made at least 1800 pieces of jewelry in his lifetime, mostly as gifts to his beloved wife and friends. I knew about his mobiles and stabiles, but hadn't really seen any of his jewelry and it was stunning! He used wire and found objects to make the most amazing pieces. Phenomenal. Please go see it or get the book on the exhibit. You will be blown away by what he could do with a piece of wire and a hammer.




Here's an altered tin for the spring altered tin swap from Unshelved Words. Trish told me about it and I couldn't resist. I cut out the front leaving a pretty frame and added a watercolor flower and a couple pressed flowers (under mica).




The inside is lined with some hand painted fabric and vintage lace. The poem is actually a haiku although space didn't allow the correct formating. Doesn't spring always make you think about starting again? What will you start this spring?

Beeswax collage with Claudine Hellmuth

Two weeks ago the Art League of Bonita Springs sponsored Claudine Hellmuth in a three day intensive on Beeswax Collage. The Art League has a beautiful facility. It was a terrific class and Claudine is a fantastic teacher. Even with a very large class, 24 students, she was able to spend time with each student each day, working on design issues and whatever. She is a bundle of energy and creative ideas. Many of the students were repeats and she is slated to return again next year.

I had a lot of problems to begin with. Doing collage with beeswax is very different than gluing. It took a couple of days to figure out that you really have to have different expectations as well as using different types of paper. Some papers will be too thick. Anything cardstock weight is too thick. What happens is that you get this build up of wax around the edge. So anything that has any height to it, compared to the prior layer, is going to have this filling in around the edges. Also, some pictures from magazines won't stand up to the heat. This can be used to effect, but you have to be expecting it...

Tissue papers work really nicely. And here's something way cool, use your Pitt pens to draw on white tissue. The white tissue disappears, and the drawing looks like it is on the previous layer. See the cat tails and leaves on the first Heron Collage here.

Lately I've been drawing herons. I want to do a mosaic medallion for the entry of our new home. I'll be using ceramic tile, indirect method. Wish me luck!

So these are several layers of tissue paper on canvas with beeswax. I drew on white tissue with Pitt pens. The herons are on computer paper. I drew the originals on watercolor paper, scanned them into photoshop and resized them. Then printed the pencil drawing. Colored with Pitt pens on the computer paper and cut out with Xacto.

You can polish the wax with a paper towel.