Sunday, March 30, 2008

Botanical Whimsy

Every month, my on-line art group holds a lottery. April's theme is BOTANICAL WHIMSY. Just what, I ask ya, could be more perfect for a girl trying to 'lively up herself'? This is my piece, done on a base of thin wood that was used as packing for a painting shipped from Italy -- so she's got a bit of Continental Glam underneath, too! Whimsy Girl is 10-1/2" x 12-1/2", too big for the scanner at work so I had to take her out into the sunshine and shoot some pictures. Miss Whimsy stands proud on a background of something like 7 layers, from gesso to paper flowers to stencils to textured gel medium to clear gesso with foam stampie imprints on/in it to lift the paint and reveal the colors underneath. The 'trellis' is actually pieces of a broken picture frame. I used rub-ons for the black flower 'bits' that show on it, then painted it with irridescent glaze. For the longest time, I've been using that picture frame border as a stencil, but it had seen better days, so I snapped it all apart for this piece.

My friend Beth (HERE) is the creator of these Big Head Journal Girls -- ever since I saw hers, I've been dying to make one. This seemed a perfect occasion. Her dress has real pressed flowers on the hem, set with Diamond Glaze (ditto the two purple flowers on her head). The flowered panels of her dress were white, but I painted over them with Citrine Yellow paint jewels.
Origami bird. Try number 611 to make a BUTTERFLY, not a bird at all. Zoe was in bliss, though; I was raining paper wads down on her!!
Spring is most definitely here, in Phoenix -- and since it lasts all of 12 minutes before we go to plus 100-degrees, I'm BASKING!!! And wearing flip flops every possible second.

6 comments:

T. Kaiser said...

Oh my gosh... how FUN! There must be a hundred different elements on this piece of work. How long did it take you to do it?

I have to get some Gesso. I don't know what it is, but all the cool kids seem to have it. Today I bought a clear gel medium - highly recommended in the collage book I read in the aisles of Mike's. I'll buy the book with the next coupon as I used this week's on the gel medium. I think the collager within is slowly coming without.... or something like that.

Carla said...

Toni, this is a spectacular piece of art. The depth is incredible-it's so mulit-faceted, I could look at it forever!

Jenn said...

Fabulous!!! This is such an extraordinary piece of work!!! All the layers are amazing!!! :D

Veronica said...

HA that is too cute. I really like what you did! How big is this piece? T you really did a great job with it. I am so glad you are loving AAWA. It is so much fun I will be glad when friday is over with so I will have time to play with you too. mwah

Carolina said...

Okay, all I can say is WOW. What an amazing piece...I keep going back and forth trying to figure out I like best. It must be so amazing IRL! TFS!

beth said...

NO WAY....I had totally missed this post !!!

{hmmm....myabe because you post more than anyone else I know of....wink wink}

anyhow....she is wonderful...aren't they crazy fun ???