Sunday, November 8, 2009

Monster Swap Entry--phew!

Wow..time sure does fly by. It has been a while since my last post.

Last month was a horrible one for me and my family, my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had passed away in a a matter of a couple of weeks. I had committed to submitting an entry into the Monsters Swap before all the news hit us and wanted to finish my design..I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but it wasn't until we were back home that I was able to get my hands dirty.

When I first started working on him, I was only able to do bits and pieces at a time. So many memories of making things in the past and being so proud of them, I'd have to share them with Mom...but now that has changed and I was no longer able to call her up and share. So, I would end up sculpting the head and be really happy with it...then I would say to my self, "Well Mom..what do ya think?".. and I would repeat that a few times at different stages of completion. Sometimes I would just hear silence, sometimes a ladybug would appear on the window (mom loved lady bugs), and one time I swear I heard her laugh and say, "Oh Cin!" as if she knew how excited I was about it, but yet she really didn't see why.

Punkin Head was a good distraction project for me. At times I would get lost in the details of making him and would change my mood of sorrow and loss to one of excitement. I was SO thrilled with the idea of making actual pumpkin "guts" and couldn't wait to get started on that part.

I used a variety of materials in this guy. His head was at first sculpted from polymer clay over a core of tinfoil bound by floral tape. His teeth and tongue were formed from paper clay. Both were covered in a few coats of gesso and acrylic paints. Punkin's body and arms were formed out of paper mache and his legs were simple bamboo skewers. His feet needed to be heavier in weight to keep him balanced, so I again used polymer clay. More layers of paint were applied, and I decided to apply a few washes of paint to dull up some of the more vivid colors on him. His "guts" were formed from string, paper clay, acrylic paint, and acrylic glaze.

I felt like all the above work was just fine, however something was missing. After a day or two of staring at him..I decided upon two things. One, if one's cranial "guts" were pulled out and placed in a bowl, I would bet that person wouldn't be too concerned with hygiene and therefore would be more than likely drooling all over the place...~cue more acrylic glaze~ Two, how exactly did one's "guts" get into the bowl? ~enter rusty spoon~ (Yes, I am just that warped at times ...and this is where Mom would say again "Oh Cin!") The playful twist on the whole theme is that poor Punkin Head was in fact the one that was holding the spoon!

If you would like to see more entries for the Monsters in the Closet Swap please visit wildatheartart.blogspot.com and scroll down. It's truly amazing to see how all the different participants had interpreted the theme differently...and OMG the talent these lovely people have..amazing!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Artist Interview: Laurie McAdam



Just as I had promised I have found another wonderful amazing artist in the realms of Etsy. Laurie McAdam is a very gifted, but very busy woman. I had recently contacted her to see if she would be interested in an interview and she was thrilled with the idea.
Laurie generously offered the following:
“What do I do for fun? I have a store on Etsy where I create whimsical sculpey critters and trinket boxes. I have a full time job. I work for The Modesto Bee, a daily newspaper in Modesto, California and draw every day for our readers enjoyment. This is my job and Etsy is my playtime. I sell my work on Etsy not for profit but for sheer enjoyment. The money I get for my critters and boxes pay for my supplies but not my time. I get many emails from people asking how I can sell my work for such little money. The reason is, I do not charge for my time. I use the best supplies I can find or make or purchase and all the creative time I put into them is free of charge. I am motivated and inspired by so many artists on Etsy and am honored to belong to such a fine co-op. The artists on Etsy are so generous with their talent and are quick to answer questions and do custom work at the drop of a hat. When the art arrives, more likely than not, there is a tiny thank you gift enclosed and a personalized note. The great thing about Etsy is that the products are not found in retail stores and each purchase you make helps an artist and provides a gift from you to family or friends that is truly one of a kind. My studio is overflowing with art from fellow Etsy artists and sitting in my studio surrounded by this art and creating things of my own is what life is all about! “

Laurie had also added that outside of Etsy she had also designed a portrait of Clay Aiken and has seen it applied to “hundreds of T-shirts at American Idol concerts across the country.” She has also sketched the Scott Peterson murder trial and her drawings were broadcast on television stations across the world. Laurie also pointed out that she has published 4 children's books and currently is working on her 5th. Her most current book is on her Etsy site titled, “Aliens, All Mixed Up”.

She has offered the readers here that are interested in learning more about her American Idol experience to visit her website at http://www.mcadamstudios.com/

Lauries etsy site is http://www.phirefly.etsy.com/

Thursday, September 10, 2009






How appropriate for the fall season! Yup, I'm hooked into this from the very start and can't wait to get going on it...and I will definately post pictures to keep you updated on what I sent along and what I received.


I also encourage you all, if you are interested of course, to join in on the fun. But...you need to hurry if you would like to sign up..the deadline is fast approaching. Please visit Odd Imaginations Blog for more details.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

An awesome story, an awesome idea for a project...check it out..

Maureen Carlson Story Necklace

Back Into the Swing of Things!


Yup..I am back.
Time to get my hands dirty and start listing again.

I took a bit of a self imposed break from crafting for a while...and now I'm anxious to get the ball rolling again. I have lots of ideas of some new critters as well as some new ideas for working with different mediums.

I have recently been working on some collage work..and made some lovely paintings for my mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law..HOWEVER...I somehow forgot to take pictures : / Hopefully I can get them to snap a few and I'll post it up here.

I'm currently interested in encaustic collage...I have read a few books from Claudine Hellmuth and really love her style. So..last weekend I went to the Naperville Farmers Market and picked up a couple of pounds of beeswax. Needing something to melt it in seemed like a bit of a challenge. I would have loved to buy one of those neat Ranger/Utee Melting Pots..but didnt have the $30 to spend. So, I rambled on down to the local GoodWill store and actually found a mini crockpot for $3! BINGO. It works perfectly too.

Another idea I had was to change up my dragons a bit..so I started encorporating diff items into the sculpture that I wouldnt normally. The two I'm working on now have a wood "core" and will be painted. Normally I use a foil core and completely encase it in clay. I will snap some pictures as soon as I can find the "big" camera.

Well...I guess thats in a nut shell for now..looking forward to getting this blog up and rolling again as well.

All the best!

Cindy