Suzet's Studio Blog

I'm into Throwing Big Bowls

Lately, I have been on a bowl making kick. Not just cereal bowls, but larger. It started when I told my sister I'd make her another one because her dog jumped up on the counter and broke the one I had made for her years ago. Now, I am obsessed with making the perfect size, shape and thickness to match my mental image. I'm going to post the process as I get closer to the final one in the series. The image is the second one in the series. I am trimming the foot. Stay tuned for the evolution of the fruit bowls.

Who knows what I will go after next. 

Using Wallpaper Sample Pages

Sometimes as an art teacher you have to create lessons backward. By that I mean you have to look at a pile of something you have acquired and make it work to help teach the masses without breaking the budget. 

Well, wallpaper sample books are my focus right now. They are taking up half the garage and I have more on the way, so it is crunch time. Last year we painted portraits on them with acrylic paints. That worked well for high school, but in middle school we only have tempera paint. That is a "no go" for sticking on the surface of wallpaper that is made to repel the gunk of everyday life. So I decided to try out the process of paper weaving using complementary colors. We can study Bridget Riley and Victor Vaserely and use the principle of rhythm. So, I made this video of my late night adventures of making a project with my wallpaper sample pages. I hope it helps you out if you r garage is full of the discarded books as well.

 

Prayer Dolls from Sample Fabric Books

My Sunshine Dolls have found a new mission as Prayer Dolls. The concept of the Sunshine Dolls were a pay-it-forward thing. If someone was having a bad day and needed a little "Sunshine" the gift was a smile maker. I had another idea( message?)to make these little hand held dolls into comforting prayer aides. I started making them with the sample scrap fabrics from the discontinued books interior design stores throw away.I Added a firmly stitched on cross and some tactile hair for a get well gift for ill people in the hospital. As with all my art adventures, they continue to change as I make batch after batch. The next round will be going to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. I'm hoping to get a group of friends at church to help in my mission. I hope that any of my creative friends out there (that's you) will pick up the idea and make prayer dolls for people on your own.  I have attached a little card that says, "You're Not Alone", "Pray", "God is Listening". Some of the recipients of the Prayer Dolls have shared with me that they were easier to sleep with in their hospital bed than a rosary. It gives me joy that those little scraps of fabric have been transformed into little bundles of love. 

Pet Pal Art

Recently, I made a Sunshine Doll with crinkle stuffing inside for our friend "Buck". Our good friends Mike and Liz were very reluctant to give the handmade Sunshine Doll to him in fear that he might destroy her like he does many of his other toys. But, I assured them it was okay if he did. Well, they sent me these heart warming photos of "Buck" and his Sunshine girl getting along just fine. Next, I'm game for a Squeeky Sunshine Doll!

Photoshop Paper Doll Art

How do you make a senior citizen's day?

You make them into a paper doll with Photoshop and a photo.

Take a full length photo of your subject.

Make a layer above the photo and use your line tool to create all your lines.

Next use your posterize filter on a duplicate copy of the photo (just in case you totally mess up you can just trash the layer) and pop those colors.

Separate all your parts and pieces so that you can attach them with brads later and make your paper doll movable. Double the fun!

Fill in colors of flesh and lips.

Print it. Cut it out and assemble your gift paper doll. Present it to the recipient and enjoy the reaction. Art is about sharing perspective. I hope my art blog post tonight gives you inspiration to go make something to bring a little joy to someone's life. Handmade paper dolls work too.