Daily Obsessions

#3

Meet my new best friend......Ten weeks and counting.  I am shutting down any activities that dont include moving, packing, and having a baby.  If you need to contact me please email. 

Triesteprusso@hotmail.com

Thanks

how to compose an alphabet part 2

Sorry about the blog break, we had a fun 3 days at Disneyland.  I will tell you about our trip later...But for now here is the continuation of the alphabet saga.

After I pick all my palette of colors I measure out the squares on a canvas.  There are 26 letters and 26 pictures and one space for the kids name.  I usually use a 22x26 canvas size for my alphabets and I put a 2" color boarder.  So the squares (really rectangles) end up being around 2.5"x3" approx(6 across and 9 down)!  It will depend on you and your measurements.  I like to draw these squares out with chalk because I can paint over it and it will disappear.

I always paint first so I can make the edges clean by gluing the paper over it.  Notice that I space out my colors so they are not next to each other.  Some times it works sometimes it doesn't.  Also notice the name square on the bottom and the boarder is the same color.  I know it may be temping to keep working, but let all the colors dry before moving on!

How to compose an alphabet

I realized that I haven't been very helpful tell people how to make the mixed media that I seem to produce every once in a while. So, while I was making the last alphabet, I took pictures and hopefully I can tell you some of my tips in making ART!

1st matter of business is a canvas.  There are 3 grades of canvases.  Cheap, medium and museum quality.  The cheap ones have staples on the side and I think they call them "Studio"  The mediums have a little bit wider width and the staples are hidden.  I almost always buy these. They are a good deal and the look great.  I buy the museum quality frames when I get really big canvases.  I know they will hold together. 

Next is a pallet.  I like to have a theme of colors in my head before I start working. I don't always stick to it, but it is nice to have it in the back of my head.  I try to look for color pallets everywhere.  Clothes, paper stores, store design and set up, everything. So keep your eyes open and I am sure you will start to notice them.  Here is the swatch I picked out for our example.

I will take that pallet and pick out the paper that I am going to use.  Note this is only for the paper that goes behind  the letters.  If you don't know what I am talking about, take a look at my art pics to the left.  You will notice that the squares alternate between paper and paint.  I do this because, I love using paper, but I think it would be to busy if I put it behind the little pictures.  So I use paper behind the white plain letters and use paint for the pictures. Note that I added a bright blue to my pallet to liven it up a little bit. Trust me it works. 

Coming next post, how to sketch out and measure your canvas for an alphabet!

D.O. #30308

I claim to be a type of trend spotter(when you have stopped laughing resume reading)......here. Somtimes I come up with ideas that hit catalogs about 6 months after.  Here are some of my trend spotted items.

Banana clips

Arrested Development (yes I do count tv shows)

Shia Lebouf (yes I do count actors)

and other various styles of mostly furniture and home furnishings.  I have a couple good ones knocking around in my head, so stay tuned this week and we will have the week of TREND SPOTTING! 

D.O. #30108

Here is a new painting I have been working on.  It is for a family in our church who lost a son a while back.  His birthday is on Monday and my sister in law asked me to make her something for the occasion.  The night before I had the idea for this painting.  Coincidence or not, it worked pretty well.   Jeremy helped me come up with the banner, It says Dulcis Domus which means "sweet home". The birds and banner are cut paper and the rest is paper

Daily Obsessions #22608

My Daily obsessions today are:

1. Making lists

2.Trying to make myself a morning person (its not working very well)

3.  Dreaming about going to Disneyland in two weeks!

4 Starting to pack up.  FYI for those of you who don't know....Big J and I are packing up and moving from our beautiful home in Livermore and heading to Happy Valley Utah.  AKA Provo.  J is going back to school and finish his degree.  My parents have been gracious enough to empty and child proof half their house for us, and we are very grateful to them.  It is a huge life change and we are excited, worried, nervous and nervous.  (most of these emotions are mine, due to J's extremely balanced emotional state.)  I am really going to miss Livermore, it is one of the only places that have felt like home, but this will be the  topic of another lengthy post.  For now, we are organizing, pre packing getting rid of, and general moving motions.   I saw these cute moving cards at papersource....

daily #21908

This is how random I am:

My daily addiction are...

• Flat screen TV's.  Our 7 year old TV is starting to bite the dust, so I have been researching flat screen TV's.  I have my eye on a 40" SONY(I know its huge, but they are pretty cool)
• Learning how to upholster...I really want to make furniture.  I found some on line tutorials on how to upholster and I am all set to buy an air stapler.  I have already designed a few pieces of furniture including a leather headboard, lounge seat, and the perfect ottoman.  I just need to make them now!

dozen donuts=dozen roses

Jeremy got me a dozen donuts instead of flowers.  I can only eat one before I get sick, but it was really nice of him.  PS I LOVE DONUTS

Here is a V-day quote from a movie I just watched:

There is a moment in life when you realize, even if this person bugs you 60% of the time, you still cant live with out him.  and even if he wakes you up everyday sneezing right in your face, you love his sneezes more than anyone else's kisses

Daily #21108

So I am almost 30.  I don't really know how I feel about it.  I think it really hit me that I was turning 30 when I turned 28.  On my 28th I just thought 30 was inevitable and I couldn't turn around and go back.  I am excited for my birthday.   I am not a big party girl, I don't like all the attention on me.  It is to hard to entertain people....I am a total introvert when it comes to parties.  BUT I do like luncheons, dinners etc.  Anything to do with food.  Last year we had 20 of our closest friends dine at "our" restaurant Sammy Sushi.  Sammy's is this little tiny sushi restaurant in the horrible strip mall. We love going there, it is just one more thing that has made Livermore feel like home.  Anyway #30 should be fun, Jeremy and I are going skiing at Dodge Ridge.  When I am skiing I feel like am a 20 year old again, I just hope my back doesn't go out!

Daily #20208

When I was a young, I did not think that there were very many LDS artists.  I thought that all LDS adults were professors or business-people.    So I learned to supress my artistic nature as not to "rock the boat".  So when I discovered that there were LDS artists,  people that I could identify with .... I was floored.  The other chapter to my birth as an artist happened in Spring City, Utah  were I met with Joe the Potter.  He is a LDS artist who just happens to be some what of a hippie. He farms and owns a little studio in the middle of no-where Utah.   I just happened on his open studio one day.  I was just planning to buy a small pot for my mom and instead I met and talked to Joe the Potter on being LDS and an artist.  So cheers to Joe the Potter and all the other artist that are amazing examples of being true to yourself and what your talents are.  Here are a couple of others that I love.

Brain Kershisnik

Joe the Potter

Who are your favorites?  What inspires you?