Guess where I sourced the wax foe these casts? My son’s cheese wheels. Yes, you heard right; I melted down the wax that Babybel cheese comes in!
Annnnd…that’s why artists should NEVER throw out possible resources! 
DIY
Surround yourself with beautiful things.
altered art, art, artist, DIY, mixed media, recycled products, studio, upcycle
There are particular products, mediums & tools that are an absolute necessity in the artist’s dance with creativity. They aren’t sexy, inspiring or even vaguely attractive (like that guy standing in the shadowed corner after you’ve consumed a full night’s worth of firewater).
I digress.. sooo, unsexy, BUT necessary art supplies; and I have to suffer their uninspiring presence every. damn. day.
Annnd so, I beautified them…because I couldn’t/can’t help myself!
I realise that there’s something wrong with me. It’s a compulsion, nay, an obsession; as I truly can’t help myself…mind you, as a pursuant of creativity, that’s not necessarily an erroneous pursuit.
[…] because there’s somrthing kind-of awesome about living & breathing the chaos and obsession of the everyday artist.
My envelope book…
altered art, art, artist, collage, DIY, mixed media, painting, recycled products, studio
I finally, finally, (seriously…sooooo much work went into these; layer upon layer upon layer!) FINALLY finished my handmade envelope book.
I wanted somewhere special to store my little sketches and artworks that weren’t on display…and so I undertook a massive endeavour. I didn’t just make one artwork/ envelope…oh no, a book has multiple pages; and my book included six envelope inserts. Annnd all six needed to be alike in both design and degree of finish. Boo.
However, that being said, I love the final product. I’m happy with myself for persevering and commitment to finishing! So, yay! Go me!
My envelope book…
altered art, art, artist, collage, DIY, mixed media, painting, recycled products, studio
I finally, finally, (seriously…sooooo much work went into these; layer upon layer upon layer!) FINALLY finished my handmade envelope book.
I wanted somewhere special to store my little sketches and artworks that weren’t on display…and so I undertook a massive endeavour. I didn’t just make one artwork/ envelope…oh no, a book has multiple pages; and my book included six envelope inserts. Annnd all six needed to be alike in both design and degree of finish. Boo.
However, that being said, I love the final product. I’m happy with myself for persevering and commitment to finishing! So, yay! Go me!
Altered journal
altered art, art, collage, DIY, mixed media, recycled products
I have a god-daughter turning 17 soon; 🎁 time. So, I decided to make her a journal and pair it with a beautiful fountain pen.
The considerations for functionality, were, to put it mildly, bloody annoying!
Have you every tried to write on a bumpy, uneven surface? Not one of the most pleasurable, or easy of tasks. I needed to keep the cover as flat as possible and not use any bulky embellishments in the cover’s construction.
And so…frustratingly, my usual creation and layering process had to be repressed.
Definitely not an easy business, for when I create, I completely lose myself in the ‘flow’. Hopelessly, I succumb to my artistic state and then I am lost to it and in it. However, this time, I had to resist and stand a little further back from the lure of the ‘flow’ and so, I had to ‘do’ less and ‘think’ more…oh, the horror.
(Back Cover)
(Inner front page)
The personality of an artist…
altered art, art, collage, DIY, installation, mixed media, painting, recycled products, recycled wood
When someone I hold dear, asks me for something of the arty persuasion, they truly know, not, what they do.
[…] because:
a) I have trouble saying that word…you know, that word, the one opposite to ‘no’.
AND
b) I don’t, ever, ever, ever, ever do things by halves. In fact, I may be known to go, well & truly, over-board. All of the times.
Every.Time.
Soooo, one of my teacher friends wanted a name plaque/artwork proclaiming the title of the room’s occupant.
I.did.not.disappoint.
However, maybe, just maybe, the required function of this object, may have (just a touch…) gotten way-laid; and when I say way-laid, I mean, gone beyond all hope.
*shrugs*
Oh, well.
Monarchs 🦋
art, collage, DIY
The owner of the commissioned piece I’m working on at the moment, loves butterflies 🦋. Particularly Monarchs. She wanted them included in the piece.
Annnd so, I made some Monarchs. I think they turned out quite well…
Your rubbish…my treasure;
DIY, recycled products
Roadside rubbish for the win!!! Found a frame for a cute little table (minus the tabletop…), on the side of the road.
So, being an artist, I got all arty and came up with this little idea; books all jigsawsed and butted up together; to create the flat table-top I measured the height (thickness) of the fattest book (6.4cm), whilst lying on its’ side…this will be the height of all the books, creating the flat surface required for a functional table…I then measured the height of all the other books; whether they’re laying flat, or standing on their side.
If the measurement was over 6.4 I subtracted 6.4 from the highest number; if the number was lower, I subtracted the measurement from 6.4. The corresponding answers were the directions for attaining the flat surface. Subtracting from a higher number = cutting the amount from the bottom of the book. Subtracting from a lower number = elevating the book, by the number attained, to the 6.4cm height. Some of the books required a substantial chunk removed, leaving a large enough piece, that it could be used as a subverted book piece.
Lovely. Nothing like being able to use all the parts, of the already recycled resource.
Once the enormous amount of trial and error, Nope…okay, I’ll be honest, the complete fuck-ups, cock-ups and bloody insurmountable amount of blunders…were conquered, or at least hidden well; I now have to seal everything, twice, or the porous books will absorb the resin. This will not only stain and warp the books, but it will require a lot more resin to complete the project! I will seal it with MODGE PODGE…wish me luck! I’ll post the finished piece.
Uncomfortable? Good…
art, DIY, installation, recycled productsRecently, I was asked if I could make an over-sized clock, but in the guise of my art.
Right. How do I…what?! I don’t even…ahhhhh…Bloody.Hell.
Okaaaay….it took me two full days, of continuous ‘what.the.actual.fuck’s’ to wrap my art – brain around this new challenge; but when I did…it felt pretty awesome.
I am currently creating something that would never have even entered my realm of ideas and possibilities…and yet, here I am! Even though I have a long way to go…it’s coming along, in a timely fashion…*see what I did there?* 😉 Lame, I know.
So, here I sit, working, the little train that could…choo, fucking choo!
***how the bloody hell do I install this…argh!!!***
DIY coloured pencil organiser
Uncategorized
So, I have too many pencils (first-world-problems), and I needed to store/organise them. I did a little research and I watched this video:
http://newclaynews.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/make-tool-caddy.html?m=1
So, I evolved this idea, taking into account: the well-used pencil lengths, drawing implements, & the need of smaller storage for one-offs, like the Blender pencil. Also, I found spreading a layer of glue (about 1.5 mm thick) across the whole base, was a more expedient process (it saved time yo!). Then I painted, decorated and filled it…One happy artist, right here!
Grae Hastings 