I have been spending weeks and weeks visiting with paper dress girls and art dolls of all sorts. The studio is like a one elf (that would me be) Santa's workshop of madness. Me, making too many things at once it seems, but loving that sort of busyness.
I am beginning to finish pieces of art work (sharing 2 today), loving those last moments, when the sparkles get added, hair gets adorned and the dance comes to life...
My mixed media pieces start out with me sketching on cardstock, in pencil. As I draw, I can begin to see their colors, and the whole piece comes together in my mind's eye...
I am feeling very candy colored lately, as I shared a couple posts ago - mixed with stars, Marie Antoinette and dreams...
This piece is 16" x 20" (1.5" deep)
It is titled...
Marie Antoinette Dances at Le Théâtre De Petit Gâteau
Nothing like a cupcake theater I'd say ;)
(petit gateau is French for, little/small cake, essentially meaning cupcake)
There is nothing more difficult than photographing art (well, there are more difficult things, but you know what I mean), there is never justice done to the colors and textures and details of the original. But, I think that goes without saying, right?
I really enjoyed creating this piece, it feels so light and free, and blissful and happy to me...
Dancing her heart away...
The next piece I want to share for today was beyond challenging to photograph.
The color is a light buttery beige golden in person. Such a dreamy soothing tone...
Dancing on tiptoes through dreamwaves...
Little gold beads of paint adorn her hair, as she delicately finds her way...
This piece is also 16" x 20" (1.5" deep)
It is titled -
The Star Girl Follows her Dreams.
I think there is a star girl in every one of us gals. A part of us that wants to soar into the most beautiful places our mind's eye holds for us, and make it reality...
All of my paper dresses to date, are made out of vintage dictionary pages. I have found that, the older the pages, the more I love working with the texture...
Billowing through clouds and stars...
The bottom of the painting has a paper lace ribbon that I painted matte gold, and adhered to the canvas. Over the ribbon I adhered a layer of mica flakes, and then a thin layer of iridescent fairy sparkles...
Depending on what angle you look at, you can either see paper lace details, or extra glimmering sparklies...
Some stars have metallic pink fairy sparkles on them, others (the silver ones) are coated in silver german glass glitter. Which over time, gets a gorgeous bronze patina.
Both of these pieces are now in my online shop.
Elves are firing and I wait impatiently for goodies from UPS (I am his last stop of the day). All the while, a turkey defrosts and pumpkins bake. We are staying here for Thanksgiving, so I'll be around, catching up on painting, guitars, friends.
Yumm!
See you beyond soon!
(can't wait to share what UPS is bringing)
Love, Vanessa
ps: I fell out of a hamock today (the old tree straps fell apart like cotton after 10 years), hit my head, bounced on my bum, bit my tongue. Point is, extra tooshie padding is good, so make sure you eat lots of yummy stuff. You want to bounce in case you fall out of a hammock, don't you? Main reason to fill up on goodies right away, so important! Tee hee ;)
