Week in Review 8/4/2013

Ok.  I am sure you noticed that I haven't blogged all week.  

I don't even have a truly valid excuse, but I am here now and

ready to share everything that I failed 

to share in shorter posts over the course of the week.

On Monday, I took my two teenagers to a local thrift store.  They need 

various pieces for their cosplay costumes (we're going to Mechacon in August!)

While they were browsing through the clothes racks, I went to the back shelves.  

I've found some very nice vintage suitcases at this particular thrift store.  

On Monday, I was on the hunt for something completely different.

On the forums where I like to waste a little too much time, one of the members 

is organizing our second annual Monster Landscape swap.

We do a few swaps a year.  Each has a different theme.

We've done Christmas and Spring and Halloween and Thrift Store, 

but one of the best is the Monster Landscape.

You find an abandoned piece of art at your local thrift shop (google it 

to make sure it isn't secretly a misplaced Jackson Pollack 

or other unknown million dollar masterpiece.).

Then, you alter it by adding monsters and other things that go bump in the dark.

I found this painting of a magnolia flower for $3.99.  it's very big and I have 

no idea what to do with it, but I am hoping something suitably 

haunted and creepy will inspire me.

I also fond this charming ink drawing of a house.  I absolutely love this piece. 

 I googled the artist (Paul M Copeland) and can't find any 

other examples of his work.  Still, I think that for $1.99 

I made a very nice investment!

I spent the rest of the work week tinkering with my disassembled dolls.  

I managed to get most of the paint of them and I picked up 

some RIT Dye for a little experimentation.

I also played with some digital art, but I'll be posting those on my ProjectBunnyArt.com blog.

On Friday evening, I was excited to go to a pop up art gallery 

that apparently happens locally every month - Stabbed in the Art.

The interior is a little claustrophobic with all the art hung in a succession 

of very small rooms as well as in the main hallway.  The turn out (I went early at 7ish 

so it might even pick up later) was quite good.  The hallway was very crowded.

The radio station that hosts the pop art gallery provides wine and soda

 as well as nachos and creamy cheese spinach dip.  (I enjoyed a very cold 

coca-cola and a delicious bowl of nacho cheesiness.)

A lot of the artists are right there, in person by their hanging pieces to answer 

any questions you might have about their techniques or inspiration.

What impressed me, though, was the level of talent.  There was a lot of 

VERY good art.  My son was really smitten with some thick and

 luscious landscapes in fantasy colors   There were two very large, 

highly detailed ink pieces that particularly impressed me.

The variety was also impressive.  One artist had wire wrapped crystals as well as 

some really neat WORKING steampunk gadgets.  There were loads 

of beautiful watercolor and acrylic paintings.  One artist had some

 surreally complex digitally altered photographs 

with haunting religious  themes.  Another artist had some 

beautifully decoupaged vintage maps.

One piece in particular has stayed with me.  A woman in profile with streaming hair 

looking out into an abstract field of thick rainbow colors.  

Sadly, I didn't get the artist's name.

I am planning on setting up myself next month so maybe I will get lucky 

and that artist will be back.  I might have to invest in some art!  :)

I did spend a little time working on some new jewelry this week.  

Instead of making a few standalone sets, I started playing with some vintage style keys

 that I bought a few months back.

I've done necklace sets with a vintage key as the focal 

but I really wanted to do something different this time.

I spent some time wirewrapping the ends so that I can incorporate them 

more fully into the piece without a specific focal.  I didn't get any further 

than wirewrapping the keys and preparing some beaded pieces.

I have a sort of vague idea in my mind where I am going with these.  

I will post pictures when they are finished!