Needle Felted Wool - Creating Custom Pet Portraits/Sculpture - New Website, www.feltartistic.com

Nimbus (aka Silver Cloud), English Angora Rabbit

My latest work has been creating custom pet portraits in needle felt but before I discuss the felt work, let me introduce the newest member of our household. Meet Nimbus (at left), an English Angora rabbit.  Only pet I've ever owned that I can write off as a business expense.  With each daily brushing, I gather about a cotton ball's worth of angora wool.  The fiber is unbelievably soft and since it is combined with merino wool, goes a long way.  I find that angora works great in my latest endeavor, the dog sculptures.

Toby, Havanese dog

 "Toby" is the second Havanese dog I have done.  I love this particular breed and with the longer fur, it allowed me a chance to incorporate the angora fiber into the piece. I left the angora in its undyed state. The pure white of the wool seems to add a glowing quality.  Can't wait to try dying it although it does felt (during the dye process) easier than Merino...might be tricky to dye. Will attempt the method as in my last post with gradual temperature shifts in the dye bath/rinse.

"Sable", a Mastiff, was done as a memorial sculpture.  About 3" H x 3.5" W, Sable was built on a wire armature. Core wool then added and then as the form neared the desired size, dyed Merino wool was felted. No beads or polymer clay accents used...just fiber felted over wire. I love his pose with extended leg. Think he is my favorite felted animal to date.

Next on my felted projects list...a grumpy cat of sorts. Hope to have him done in a few days and will post the finished piece on this blog.

If you would like to order a custom pet portrait/sculpture, please visit my new site, www.feltartistic.com .  I have full body sculptures (palm sized) or you may have a wearable pin/brooch made of your pet's head or shallow relief full body.

Dying Merino Wool using Jacquard Procion MX and Acid Dyes

Abominable Snow Bunny

I have been doing quite of bit of needle felting lately (see my most recent figure, the Abominable Snow Bunny, at right) and have found that I need more color variations than what I can currently find pre-dyed roving.  As I have plenty of Procion MX and Acid dye on hand for use on silk, I decided to try it on wool roving since it is also a natural fiber.

My next felt project is going to be a frog but I found I did not have the greens on hand that I wish to use.  I took small jars and put them in a pot with water.  I mixed small quantities of dye in each year with vinegar and water.  The next step was to wet the wool with room temperature water and then submerge in the jar.  Once the wool/dyes are in place in the pot, I see the stove burner temperature to "3" which is just below a low simmer.  Once the water is hot to the touch, I set the timer for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, the burner is turned off and allowed to cool to room temperature.  When cool (usually 4-5 hours), rinse in room temperature water, and allow to dry.

Here are a few things I discovered through experimentation:

• I found I had more consistent coverage with dye when the roving was wet with plain water rather than tossed into the dye dry.
• Braiding the roving before submerging in dyes also helps with preventing felting of wool.
• When removing the roving before it is allowed to cool to room temperature in the pot, it tends to felt (see image below.  Roving to the left of the red line was removed from pot while still hot and rinsed in warm water.  Roving to the right of the line was allowed to cool to room temperature).

Color Exploration in Digital Media: Using Adobe Illustrator in Creating Color Harmonies (Color Grid)

A few weeks ago, I made a 5x5 square grid comprised of 4 colors in each corner and the resulting blends in the sections between (see post here). This week, I have created the digital version of a color grid using Adobe Illustrator.

Like with the pencil exercise, I again selected four colors to serve as the corners.

I recommend keeping track of the RGB (Red Green Blue) data, it makes it easier to recreate the color at a later time. Using the Gradient menu, change the first point color to one of the four colors and then the last point of the gradient to the color located at the opposite end of the grid.  Create a shape away from the grid area (this will be deleted later) and fill with the gradient. With a color identification tool, determine the RGB values of the midpoint value of the row. With midpoint rectangle in the row selected, fill with shape with the color generated by entering the RGB numbers. Repeat with the 2nd rectangle (before midpoint) and 4th rectangle (after midpoint).  Repeat for all sides (i.e., finding the blends of all four colors before determining the blends toward the center.

Final grid should look something like this:

Here are a few simple compositions using colors generated from the grid above:

More digital color grids to come soon in "Digital Color Harmonies: RGB/CMYK Color Grid Palettes (Nature Vol.1)" (working title) by Christine Musser. Available Fall 2013 in print, Kindle Fire, and pdf versions.

 

Stuck in a Color Rut? Try Using a Color Grid.

Whenever I find myself  repeatedly (and often unknowingly) reusing the same color palette and find I am in need of a change, this exercise often helps me break out of my color rut.  I think of it as an artist's equivalent to an opera singer/musician practicing scales.

This can be done with a variety of media (my next post will feature a digital color grid using Adobe Illustrator) - I have chosen to use Prismacolor pencils for three reasons. 1.  You can choose a specific color that will be consistent over time and record it for future reference (I use the three digit number listed at the end of the pencil), 2. For their color mixing properties/ability to manipulate blends by layering, and 3. Can transport a wide range of colors and not worry about paint spills.

Creating a Color Grid:

Steps 2-3 complete. Beginning #4.

1. Lightly draw a 5 x 5 square grid with pencil (2b or H will do). 
2. Choose four colors to use as base colors. Place one color in each corner.
3. In the middle of each row, mix a color that is between the two end colors (the hue should be the middle point - not leaning toward one end more than the other). If using colored pencils, you may want to lightly dampen a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol or Turpenoid to remove some of the colored pencil buildup in between layering strokes.
4. Do the same all around the outside blocks of the grid, filling in the blank squares with the color mixture that is the midpoint between the adjacent hues.
5. Find the center color by gradually building up layers of the four colors and looking at the colors that need to meet in the middle (vertical, horizontal, diagonal).  Depending on the four colors selected, this may often be a chromatic gray.
6. Lastly, fill in the surrounding inner squares. **It often helps to squint at the colors - if one stands out too much, then the gap in hue shift is too great**

Step 4 complete.

"Flocking" - Great Fundraising Idea Using Plastic Lawn Flamingos: Temporary Yard Art Installation

On May 25, 2013, I woke up to find I had been "flocked." 

For those not familiar with "flocking", it is an excellent way of fundraising with no waste and relies solely on volunteer labor.  In our neighborhood, the flamingos are placed by a local Girl Scout Troop who arrive at a home after dark to arrange a prepaid number of pink birds on the front lawn of an local address designated on a form (see photo at bottom of page) filled out by a previous Flockee.  Included in the group of flamingos, is one large specimen with a plastic bag attached.  In the bag, is a letter (see photo) and form which will enable the recipient to surprise "flock" another person(s) of their choosing. The birds will stay until 7-10 pm that night and then the Girl Scout troop will pick them up and place them at the next destination.

Even though we do not get to keep the flamingos, I found this to be a creative way to raise money and a cheerful way to start the day.  I've seen various flock sightings in the neighborhood, some very creatively placed flamingos peeking out of bushes, interacting with each other,  and in my case, eating weeds (In my defense, there has been a LOT of rain the past few weeks. Okay, and yes, I tend to be remiss in certain landscaping duties. If only the rabbits that plague our yard would eat weeds instead of any plant that costs over $5!).

Lesson: Elementary Class Group Abstract Painting Based on Jackson Pollock

This was a great end of the school year Art Smart lesson for a 5th grade class. We looked at the paintings of Jackson Pollock and then had the students take turns in groups of 4-5 and spent 5 minutes each at the canvas.  Tools used were sticks, brushes and paint filled bottles. Paint: Tempera. Support: Gessoed stretched canvas (bought as stretched canvas but may be less expensive if you do it yourself).

Finished painting was donated to the school as a "farewell" present from the graduating 5th grade class but project could be done as a "thank you" to a teacher, parent, etc.

Recommendations:

 
• Give parents a day or two notice about this project so that kids can arrive wearing old clothes (and shoes). Tempera will stain (and if using acrylic, hardens quickly. Rinse immediately).
• We used tempera paint but if you have access to acrylic, I would use that instead.  Tempera has a tendency to crack if applied too heavily.
• Prepare a space in advance where the painting can lie flat and undisturbed for 1-2 days.
• Have at least 2 (3 is better) parents/docents on hand.  One to man the paint refill station. One to closely monitor the group at the painting.  We had one child while the docent's back was turned take a large brush and write his name in 18" high letters on the canvas (luckily we had enough time to paint over it before the class end). Also to watch for kids that tend to get carried away with gestural strokes  and need to make sure inadvertent paint fights aren't started.
• Also have drawing materials out for the kids not currently in the painting group so they have a way to occupy their time.
• Use 5 or fewer colors. Suggest one color per each student in each group.
• If I were to do this project over again, I suggest use the 3" brush only at the very beginning to cover the surface and then use the sticks/bottles. Otherwise, some of the detailed drips and spills may be painted over with the large brush later on.



Columbine Illustration using Adobe Illustrator and Real Colors (Kindle Fire app)

My last post discussed generating a limited color palette in Adobe Illustrator based off of 5 dominant hues in a photo imported into Real Colors (an application on Kindle Fire).

After opening Illustrator, I entered the RGB numbers from each color and saved all five swatches in a customized palette. Using the colors from RC (and their tints/shades), I created the illustration below.

All in all, I found it an interesting way to increase one's color knowledge - especially as an artist, there are times when certain hues reappear in our work (I know I often get in a color rut without realizing it).  This was a great way to force myself to a limited and new palette. 

Real Colors also works with the camera on the Kindle Fire device so I can take pictures on location - a nice, easy way to capture color information locally.

Columbine illustration (Adobe Illustrator). www.christinemusser.com