Friday, January 31, 2014

Paper sculpture, toilet paper roll faces, cowboys from the old west.





Cowboy faces made of toilet paper rolls.  These cowboys have built in strings for hanging.  You can hang them from your Christmas tree at Christmas time, or you can hang them up around your house.  You can also take them to the car and hang them around the rear view mirror.  They're quite fun!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

36 cowboys in production! Paper sculpture using toilet paper rolls.

 This cowboy was created to hang from a pickup mirror.  You can take him everywhere you go!  I love his bushy mustache and the fierce look in his eyes!  He's a true rider of the range.
And here are 36 more cowboys in various stages of construction.  Each one has his own special character and personality.  It's kind of fascinating to see Western Art created from recycled toilet paper rolls. :)  Each toilet paper roll face comes with different wrinkles, different expressions, maybe a different colored hair or eyes.  Some of them are old timers, still smoking cigarettes, some of them just have big mustaches.  Some of them are old codgers with grey hair and wrinkled faces.

No doubt about it, you gotta have one!  I'll be posting them in my etsy shop, Stormy Ridge Studio, as soon as each one is completed.  Give me a few days to finish a few and get them posted!  This is your sneak preview of what's to come. :)

Monday, January 20, 2014

Using a reference photo, how to get a bargain!




 
Each of these paintings, were created from one reference photo!
 
Here's the deal with a reference photo: reference!  You use it for reference, you don't have to copy it exactly like it is.
 
1. Use it for a detailed painting.
 
2. Add a different background to it each time you use it.
 
3. Add different colors or styles to the subject.
 
4. Create the painting in different mediums.
 
5. Use one photo and see just how many paintings can appear!
 
And that's an artistic challenge for you to try for 2014. :)
 
 
 

Free reference photo, for you to use! Big Horn Ram.

 
 
 
Here's the deal!
Download this photo, and create a work of art from what you see.  Use the photo after this to create all the works you can.  It's free for you to use.
 
1.Send me a jpg of your painting/artwork, no larger than 600 dpi on the longest side.  Be sure you watermark your image, with your copyright notice if that is important to you. 
 
2.Send a link to your facebook page, or your blog or website, and I'll add the link with your work.
 
3.Send the jpg to artistreferencephotos@gmail.com.  Please use "reference photo entry" in the subject line.  You can also add a little blurb about yourself, which I'll copy and paste into this post.
 
It's that easy!
 
I'll upload your photo here, in this post, and place a link for you to advertise your work.
 
I have one entry all ready!  Which you'll see below, please check out her photos, they're wonderful!
 
 
Thank you for entering my contest!
 
 
 

Thursday, January 02, 2014

A Blue Horse painted with Alcohol Inks

Do you suppose it's midnight?  Is this why he's blue?  Maybe there's another reason?  Maybe I ran out of paint and only had blue and green left?

Honestly, I don't know why he's blue, I think it's because he wanted to be blue!  And you have to admit, he looks good that way.

This is a 4X6 inch painting done with alcohol inks.  They're what I call a "fleeting" medium.  You can be painting away and have just what you want, when suddenly one tiny drop wrong, and your entire painting is ruined!  No matter how long you worked to get it perfect. :)

And today was no exception.  I had this finished, and because I have no patience, I didn't wait a day or two to spray it with varnish.  And to my horror, the painting dissolved in front of my eyes and went running off the Yupo paper!

What fun!  I sucked it up, roughed up the paper, and switched over to acrylic paints...and finished the painting.  So this is what you call mixed media, and that is the reason why.  I call that desperation painting, Lol!

Anyway, he's for sale in my Etsy shop, Stormy Ridge Studio.

Birthday party for a one year old.

One of our great grandsons had his first birthday party on Saturday. He's such a good little guy, and he's full of action, so it was...