Doll Project - Faces oh my!

Progress photos are fun, not just from artist that I admire, but taking them too! So here is my adventure so far:

Started with Magic Sculpt (it's the darker of the two sections) this weekend, MS is pretty neat! The draw back is that you have to have to wait about 12 hours for it cure completely. Worked out a skeletal form in the beginning (had to go back twice! Oi...the wait was cruel). Once I started with Prosculpt (using the Beige - Caucasian), time fleeeeew. Bulking out the form in the 2nd pic. Hope this sculpture turns out well when I bake...

To my left is the face of fail, ha. After the 4th attempt of starting a face I decided to let my frustration out by making myself laugh with an alien face.

I remember someone asking me how I went about creating a ceramic bust. The guy sounded really frustrated so my advice was this: Don't be angry!! Keep calm and make sure that you are enjoying what you are doing. Walk away, drink something delicious, treat yourself to a cookie. Check out a few artist and find out techniques that they use. Youtube is fun! So many artist like to share their love (artsy-lets-create-more-fun stuff love).


So, finally getting the groove on. Working with clay, I went about making faces using different ways (depending on my mood). Here is one way:

 

  

Need to ask someone how the whole premade eye thing goes about. Seen them inserted just not sure about how to pick one.  Well, here is where I am at currently. Just ordered some more prosculpt, now to wait anxiously to continue another day.

Oh, and her boobs looked smooshed. I plan on placing a corset on her so I am trying to achieve the boob/cleavage/corset shape. woooo!!!

First Doll Project - Step 1

No kiln! What to do!? Researching over the internet I came across many wonderful doll sculpture artist (many of which are favored by this blog) that inspire my imagination. From a blog created by Natasha Red October (Morezmore), I learned of a product called Magic Sculpt and Pro Sculpt. My mind reeled with the possibilities (bouncing with excitement here). My fingers literally ITCH to sculpt that I am afraid of starting a tic in my fingers (ha!). 

Funny thing is, about a year ago I randomly picked up a magazine I'd usually pass over. In it they featured Virginie Ropars, a beautiful doll sculpture artist that instantly caught my attention. She mentioned that she enjoyed doing so many creative things - sculpt, fashion, sewing, etc - and that this helped bring them all together. I thought, "Wish I could do something like that! I wouldn't even know where to begin" and thus an example of me getting in the way of..well, me. Ha.

And so, a year later I am attempting something I once thought impossible. Poppy King was right when she said that doubting takes up time that is better spent learning.

My art desk is a bit messy now because of my enthusiasm of starting. Borrowed my Dad's power drill to start creating a base to work off of. Probably going to make tons of mistakes but I guess that is part of taking on something new (and exciting - eeeee). Got as far as making a skeleton structure as I await for my magical Magic Sculpt. 

Here is my doll idea: 
Includes lots of keys and a cage like dress (I can do it! >.<)

Inspiration: "I realized that I was the construct of my own cage"

Mooshiners - I'm Comin' Home

Let me start by saying that this band is talented and full of such wonderful people! If you haven't heard of the The New Orleans Moonshiners you should check their page on myspace. When they asked me to do their 2nd album of course said YES! haha.

I had such a wonderful time doing their first: Check it!

So here is the process of the 2nd album piece. I started sketching in my sketchbook while listening to their Pre-Released version. 

My process changes for each piece that I start. For this one, I started outlining the sketch in Photoshop. 

The coloring was brought into Painter X. Laying out the colors. "oil pastel" tool used plus custom brush was created for this.

Ze end! After painting the piece in Painter X, I took it back to Photoshop to edit the layout and text. Photoshop is recomended for editing the "Levels" and colors found within. 

Tuesday Tea

"Tuesday Tea" is something I enjoy being silly about with my friends. Every Tuesday, I had decided, was a holiday to celebrate how wonderful tea is. It felt appropriate to blog about it as it happens to be today!

To partake in this glorious affair a few tea essentials are necessary:



• Tea kettle (microwaves devalue the whole tea experience)
• A cute tea cup (a feeling of specialness is important)
• Loose leaf tea (NO Tea bags, "full capacity specialness" isn't reached)
• (optional) Tea enhancing items (No need to be a "purist" )

Vs.

Just being silly when I said "no tea bags". It really is just a matter of personal choice (very useful when your are in a rush out the door!). There are even little disposable pouches for your loose leaf enjoyment. That being said, a choice in your tea strainer is very important. I found that the tea ball infusers, circular or heart shaped (seen in the Right photo), tend to not hold very well. At least the one's that I had purchased in the past have never lasted too long and were not fun to clean out.

For comfort, an open strainer has had great tea enjoyment success. Easy to clean, never have to worry about loose tea leaf falling out, and it sits on your cup in a very cute way (+bonus styling points). Make sure to check if it is stainless steel (longevity saves you).

Today, I enjoyed a lovely tea by Hina's called White Pearl of Fujian. It's fun to support your local shops and this is a wonderful place to stop in (Thank you Susan for finding it!). They have an entire wall just lined with assortment of loose leaf teas for you to choose from. You can smell all the different teas that they have found and are packaged well.

The advantage to loose leaf tea is that you can control how much you use allowing you to choose how strong your tea will be and (+bonus) controlling how long your tea last.

I have a few different selections from Hina's and it has lasted me more then 6 months making tea an afforadable and money effecient investment.



Today's mixture:
White Pearl of Fujian + Spoonful of raw honey + Milk
= Hmmm Yummy!

2nd Cup of Tea...

I am very excited to finally have my website completed. Well, enough so to put it up. Perfectionist me keeps saying "there is still much to do and improve upon!" but that is quickly hushed up by excitement.

First of all, happy 2010! A new year to make good on new beginnings and seeing new possibilities. It's true, when you set up smaller goals and you can achieve them it does much for your moral. With so much going on, it's easy to get caught up with a list that keeps growing.

Someone close to me said "Just give yourself an hour to focus on one thing you really want to do. And do that everyday." Simple, eh?

Here is my new growing list:
• Sketch everyday
• Go play with Prosculpt
• Continue my Magdalen story

Fresh cup of tea...

Make everything something special, something great. Even the little things and you may be amazed at how you feel about the world around you and yourself. I am lucky to have a wonderful father who always showed me the up side to a rainy day, spilled milk, and anything that inspires the "meh".

For 2010, my first steps have been to create a new blog and a new website. I am very close to completing the latter but for now I will enjoy what has finally been completed. Ze blog! Admire the banner, it took me 2 days to figure out what should go up there. Simplistic as it is, may I offend you with overly cute things in the future.

I am a freelance artist and this place will be my little corner to share artwork, inspiration, mistakes and hopefully how you can avoid them! Also, being a bit obsessed with tea there may be many a post dedicated to the subject matter.