greenbeanbaby art

small

here is a self-portrait of me working on my cut paper.... technically, my arms really aren't that skinny and my eyes aren't even green- they are this light brown...not to mention, my hair is close to black and that's why i look so pale... i don't even have a shirt that pattern & i like my black scissors better than my orange ones yet, it's still my self-portrait... the snowflake really IS small--- and i folded it and cut it just like we used to do in 1st grade... but since it was super teeny, i had to use an x-acto blade-- and the snowflake alone only took 45 minutes... but that's the joy of doing this sort of work-- it's something of a challenge that in the end, i still manage to have all my fingertips....

...and now back to illustration friday....

fairy follies

   
 

meet lazy elsa..... lazy elsa doesn't have a job.... nor any kids.... no house to clean, no rent to pay... lazy elsa loves watching people.... she watches a naked child loose in the yard... she watches a mom grab the naked child and tell the child "it's bath time".... lazy elsa watches a husband rake the leaves that have been on the lawn for weeks.... she watches the wife cook a meal... she smells the burnt meal.... lazy elsa likes being lazy... lazy elsa likes to watch the frenzy of a family go about their daily routine....  she smiles at their clumsiness and gracefulness.... lazy elsa falls asleep at the sound of a wailing kid refusing to go to sleep, and the sound of cats meowing for their bowl to be filled.... lazy elsa falls asleep before lights are off, and the entire family lays down to rest before another day begins....

meet charming farah.... charming farah has a big family.... her big brother can play the tuba... he can play her songs so she can dance... her big sister is pretty.... she is always in the mirror fixing her long hair... she can fix farah's hair too... they can look pretty together... farah's other big brother isn't that big but he loves to play with her too... sometimes he steals her toy and then she cries... sometimes he falls asleep next to her with their teddy bear between.... charming farah likes to kiss her mom... her mom likes to kiss her too.... her mom feeds her yummy cake too... farah's daddy works on the computer alot... sometimes he lets her bang on the computer keys... she loves to pretend she is working too! charming farah loves her family...

(note: the second pc is actually a greeting card... but wouldnt lil farah make a lovely character for a book?! of course, with more elaboration in both the story and the image.... but its a start)

   

happy boys

      

these are my first pcs of boys.... this is my more 3-d paper art... (its also called paper sculpture, but since i don't do alot of folding and bending i don't think my work is really considered that)... both are brighter in person however, scanning  a pc of art that is not only fragile, but about 4 inches thick is no walk in the park.... much light gets in on the scanning bed and the back part of the picture becomes muted.... for instance, in the background of the second one, there are embossed leaves and vines... anyhow, both are custom illustrations for people i know---- walter & jamir... i think jamir's was the hardest because i had to find the perfect skin color and use a purple that would not be girly and not blend in with the skin.... i redid this piece twice and was near giving up until  i glued everything down... the final was worth drama i gave myself... walter's pc wasn't quite so hard but then again, the pressure of knowing the person had me slightly nervous (i have harder times making pc's for people i know because i don't want to give them some cruddy work and then wonder why they don't call me anymore!) in the end, i am satisfied with the results as are the mommies! in the past summer, 7 different moms ordered custom illustrations for their li'l kiddo. 
 

pretty panties

i'm not exactly conservative... can any artist really call themselves that, anyhow?! my artwork is based on what i like- what makes a person look at it and smirk.... it doesn't require someone to have to look deep into it to find some hidden, dark meaning... as simple as my work is, is as simple as my subject matter... thus the pretty panties.... cute, fun, not the average on-your-wall sorta art.... definitely girly, a dash of sophistication glued between the pcs... my process overall can be rather tedious... it begins by finding the perfect paper... it must be the right pattern, texture, whatever.... then each cut must be flawless, and the gluing clean... i hate seeing glue coming out the edges- tacky, in my opinion... sometimes, a whole pc can be ruined in a matter of seconds from the glue job and it's necessary to start from square one... and finally, the framing... cleaning the glass, cutting a finger at the coarse edges, and making sure no lint gets caught between the art and the glass... (and that right there tends to take a good 20 minutes and many mumblings under the breath).... eventually, I'd like to do a series- sexy, granny, sporty....   

but for now, enjoy this one picture of a lady holding up a pair of pretty panties

lil ballerinas

            

these pcs began as greeting cards that i designed about 3yrs ago. before we closed on our house, our realtor came over so we could re-ammend something or another. i showed her some of my work in my sorely out-dated portfolio and she she loved it! during the closing, my child ran around the table, we signed a kazillion papers, and the realtor requested some custom illustrations. after about a month and a half i was able to start and complete these pcs in less than a week... (they look fabulous in the white matted frame).now, i just wait for her to pick them up.

my studio

       

we bought our first house in late september 2005. we fell in love with it for one main reason: the attic was decked out! two rooms with hardwood wood floors, great lighting, and one lethal finish on the wall (that stucco! if you slightly bump it, your bound to leave behind some skin and blood). both rooms were perfect for two artists in need of separate studios.

my husband received the big room and i got the little one (with not quite as stucco-ish walls). i spent two saturday nights organizing & cleaning & mopping & orgainzing some more. believe me, i have alot of paper and finding pretty and useful spots to store it is no minor task! but by the time my studio was done, it was perfect. even my two cats  loved it enough to covet the chair. and my husband enjoyed its quiet solitude too on more than one ocasion.

sometimes, i listen to music up there. right now, i am on the Lord of the Rings kick so i figure, for evey extended ediition i watch (well, it's technically listening) i should have a finished pc. what's even better is that my studio comes with a door so no cats can come and attack my glue gun cord. and heat! its warm enought that i can feel my nose and toes (unlike downstairs). and the walls are sound proof so i dont have to hear a disgruntled crying child who doesnt want to go to sleep. i work on art upstairs, my husband plays xbox® below.

indeed, my studio is the perfect haven.

free

i have a 3 1/2yr old niece we call nana (or sometimes nundie mundie girl). she loves coming over, i mean, she really LOVES it! her usual routine consists of taking off her coat, her shoes, and then.... the socks! that's the part that cracks me up. can she really be that free and comfortable to take off her socks and run loose?! of course, my floor can be rather slippery causing running children to take quite a spill that usually ends with a minor bruise and some shed tears. so i figure, the best way to illustrate the word "free" for illustration friday is my niece sock-free. after all, anyone comfortable enough to do that deserves to have a portrait!