64 Arts

Tulip Bride (in progress)

64 Arts

It’s coming along. There’s still a lot of embellishing left to do but it’s a more complete picture than when it began.

I did add the facial features but I’m still not sold on them. In the final rendition I may photoshop those marks out and go back to the plain face. Unfortunately those blasted taxes took more time than anticipated (but at least they are almost done) and it’s time to move on to the next Art. I’ll be sure to post when this piece is finished and post some more of the behind-the-process pictures as well.

Paper Craft

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So, I have this project…

Yes, in addition to the 2 webcomics, the 3 blogs, and the cookbook project I have a graphic novel that I’ve been working on for several years. Well, okay, that’s not true. I have a graphic novel that is 1/3 scripted, 2/3 plotted and absolutely undrawn as yet. I have a graphic novel that hasn’t been touched in so long I’m not even going to link to it’s progress blog because it’s so very sad with neglect. But it does exist in it’s way, and I think about it every time I see my reference materials or script drafts sitting there gathering dusts.

At any rate! It’s a wedding story, very chick lit, set in New Orleans, with an undercurrent of occult–a thread throughout the book involves a tarot deck, cards of which pop up in unexpected places. Only problem is, when I started writing the story, the deck I needed didn’t exist yet.

Being the DIY diva I am, no problem, I’ll spend a few years researching it and make my own! And, being an artist, that means putting my spin on things, themed to the max, and (perhaps) a bit more complicated than it might have needed to be. I’m collaging each card’s image. (That’s 78 collages for the unfamiliar.)

So really it’s two projects–the story and the deck–and both are languishing.

Being wedding themed, I finally hit upon the idea (after much back and forth as to what to do with the court cards in the Minor Arcana) to have one of each suit represent a season and the remaining each represent a month, and all would be brides.

I’m sure you can see where this is going, then, as Miss Tulip Cotillion was perfect for a fantastical spring bride. So, this little paper project is now going to be the first completed art for the deck. I love progress.

Tulip Bride (in Progress)

Here she is after one evening’s work. The bones of the image are there (tulip-girl is not yet mounted to the shimmery lavender backing nor is the tree in it’s final spot) but there’s a lot of details–a lot of embellishment–left to go. This’ll be my main project for the weekend (that and, ugh, taxes). Which means that there will probably be further updates this weekend as I get to various points in the process.

I don’t know exactly which card she’ll be for. It has a lot to do with symbolism, both of the tulips–yellow ones mean hopelessness, according to their old meanings, perfect for the reverse of the card, while the current meaning is sunshine and cheerful thoughts–and the card that it is meant to take the place of. So far, though, flipping through my original notes, the Queen of Rods is actually looking like a good fit so far. But we’ll see.

So far I’ve used a few scherenschnitte techniques as well as paper tole (the spacing of some of the layers to add a shadow-like appearance; the link will take you to another one of my eHow articles). Before it’s through this will be a true mixed media piece as wire, beads and a bit of fabric are all in my plan.

The biggest debate I’m having, though, is whether or not to detail her face. On the one hand, a stylized shape lends more of a modern-art, everywoman feel to it; on the other hand it may just look unfinished. I’ll probably save that bit for last, anyway. Maybe cut a spare head and do a test run to see how I like it. Decisions, decisions.

A few disclaimers for those who’ve read this far or might be curious: Yes, I know not everyone is down with the woo-woo aspects of the Tarot–it’s okay. Along with astrology, which I’ve also researched over the years, I consider it more a tool for contemplation and meditation than divination. The future is what we make of it, but being more aware of potential influences never hurts, now does it? Yes, I also know the importance some place on these cards. This is why I’ve spent quite a bit of time studying the histories and meanings of the cards. I am, by no means, an expert, but I do respect what the cards represent to practitioners and I approach this project both from the artistic and spiritual sides. This will be a functional deck when completed.

Any questions? I’ll be happy to answer them. You can comment here or send me an email at randomactscomics[at]gmail[dot]com

Paper Chase

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So, um, the post I intended for today sorta hinged on a particular picture which has, apparently, sprouted legs and is playing a merry game of hide and seek. Bother.

Instead, I’m going to tease tomorrow’s post a bit.

Mystery Project

Remember our tulip cotillion dress from the doodle-a-day exercise and I said I had an idea for how to use it? Well, it involves the whole paper cutting idea so I’ve pulled out the sketch and some papers with high potential, gathered them up and I’ll start work on that project shortly.

What will it be? Come back to see…

How Ap-Peel-ing

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So the mind wanders with these sorts of things (creativity is all about the wandering) and a part of the original description had gotten stuck in my brain. Specifically, the “peel” part. Peel leads to citrus and I started to wonder what I could do with the lemons hanging out on the bar.

a Little Lemon Bowl

To make the lemon bowl, start by trimming each end of the lemon so you have a flat surface for the bowl to sit on.

You can buy a fancy garnishing tool (I do have them) but it may not always fit your project’s size. I just used a sharp pairing knife and cut a zig-zag all the way around. If I were doing more than just messing around, I’d probably measure and mark off equal increments–instead I just winged it. Inside each little point I cut a little window to dress up the lemon bowl.

The lemon should easily come apart at that point, but I did have to go back over a few places where I hadn’t completely cut through. Next you want to scoop out the lemon pulp and sections as best you can. A grapefruit spoon can be useful for this but the paring knife did really well, too. Make sure all the little windows are clear of pulp, rinse it and pat it dry.

I’ve fridge-tested my samples and they’ve done well in the refrigerator for several days. I even popped one in the freezer for a night just to see how it held up. It did great! They will dry out if they’re in there too long, but 3 or 4 days shouldn’t hurt. The little points did curve in a bit but that seems to be making the overall structure that much stronger.

Now, what to do with it?

Sorbet comes immediately to mind. Fancy dinners sometimes include a palate-cleansing course but you don’t need to go to that trouble. Some Italian ice, granita or even a minty ice cream would look great and taste even better when served in these fun lemon cups.

Still too cold for an icy dessert? Candies or nuts would be fun in them or, with Easter right around the corner, how about displaying your eggs in their own little basket?

Lemon Egg Cup

When I was a little girl and we lived with my grandmother, we would do the customary egg-dying the day before and make sure every family member had an egg with their name on it. We’d leave the eggs in their cartons out on the counter when we went to bed and, in the morning, I’d wake up to them all arranged on a huge silver platter with that cellophane grass all around. It’s still one of my fondest childhood memories.

How cute would it be, then, to have personalized eggs at each place setting for the big family dinner? Placed in little lemon or lime cups that are so much more fun than those paper stands the dying kits come with and definitely eco-friendly. Plus, the pulp doesn’t have to go to waste if you turn it into fresh lemonade to serve with dinner!

Link Love: Paper Cuts

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That’s the good, intentional, artistic type of paper cuts. Not the accidental owie type.

As promised, I wanted to share a few resources for paper cutting/scherenschnitte for those who might want to explore the technique a little more or just like the very pretty things to look at.

Rob Ryan
rob-ryan.blogspot.com and misterrob.co.uk

Rob Ryan does these intricate, funky, organic, word-filled papercuts that just blow my mind. His style is very distinctive and it’s really something to check out if you like the more freeform types of art as opposed to some of the more stylized examples you might see elsewhere.

allaboutPapercutting
elsita.typepad.com/allaboutpapercutting/ by Elsa Mora

Elsita’s paper cuts are absolutely exquisite and I get a little thrill when she posts a new piece. Her papers are just so detailed I could look at them for hours and even a quick glance will teach you something about the craft. I especially like the way she’s able to add textures so effectively. Take a close look at her pieces and see the fantastic details she adds in every corner. Exquisite! (wait, I already said that, but it’s true enough to say twice!)

“Scherenschnitte”
papercutting.blogspot.com by Cindy

She does amazing work and is totally generous, too. Check out her archives for the Template Tuesday posts where she has a printable image you can use to make your own paper-cut art. I especially love the beginner templates she posted as Papercuts for Kids. Don’t be fooled by the name–those medium templates include some adorable creatures and a wee monster!

Okay, those are my top 3 paper-cutting posts. I hope you check them out and become inspired to do something creative, whether it involves paper cutting or not 🙂 What will you create today?