Experiment: Oil Painting

I haven't posted a lot of my actual thesis work. That's because I've been mostly focusing on oil painting, and since I've technically only taken one class on the subject, much of what I've done this year I'm calling "learning experiences". I would rather not show these learning experiences to the public. For example, last quarter, I made a painting that was 4ft x 1.5ft. I decided to try my hand at stretching my own canvas. So I looked up instructions online (you can really find just about everything online!), bought a roll of unprimed canvas, gesso, and some pre-made wooden stretchers (the bars that make up the "frame" of the canvas).

4ft was about the tallest stretchers the store sold, and they only had two, so I had to buy both of  them. One of them was severely warped. But I made do; I tried to unwarp it with wet paper towels and heavy books. This seemed to be working, but it drifted back into place after I had assembled the canvas and had begun painting. So I was stuck with a warped painting that simply would not lat flat on the wall. I had to hang it in a thesis gallery show, and it was embarrassing. I did not take any photos of it.

Fortunately, I got instructions on how to build my canvases completely from scratch, stretchers and all. This quarter, I decided to go for broke and make four all at once.

The stretchers, made from 1x3s and quarter-round molding:

 Triangle corner pieces:

Here's where those triangles go:

Ready to nail together:

 The final product:
 

Only three of the four frames ended up useable; one of my long stretches ended up at least half an inch too short somehow, and though I tried to wrangle things into place, it was just a sad mess. I will get more supplies and make a new fourth frame sometime soon.

Experiment: Latch hook

As an artist, I often look at things I find it stores and say, "I could make that." Or I might say, "Oh that's so cool!" Or I might say, "That is sooo expensive!" You'd be surprised how often I say all three at once. So it goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that I find myself drawn to crafts.

I found this awesome tutorial for a latch hook rug last month and decided to give it a try. I've been working on acquiring supplies and cutting fabric ever since. For my rug, I decided to use fabric scraps I already owned, rather than going out and buying mass t-shirts. I have lots of fabric I've been saving for no particular project and decided I might as well use it. I did a small latch hook project when I was younger, made of yarn, so I'm somewhat familiar with the process. It's one of those repetitive tasks that I enjoy for some reason.

The rug will be 37"x30" (the canvas is cut that size, at least; I will probably have to cutoff excess at the end). I am using whatever color fabric I have. So far, that's been a lot of red/pinks and green, with a bit of black and blue.

I went ahead and started the actual hooking process, even though I doubt I've cut enough fabric yet. It's slow going, but as I said, I enjoy it. I will continue to cut and latch and post my progress.

Lab Exercise: Making a Notebook (Part II)

In Part I of Making a Notebook, I showed you how to make a hardcover notebook, much like a printed book. Today, you will see a Japanese style of book binding. Try them both out and see which you like better. The Japanese style has less components and is potentially much quicker and easier, provided that you don't mess up during the sewing (as I did. Often.)

A reminder again: this is how I do things. You might have a better idea for certain steps. By all means. This just works for me and is not the be-all-end-all. If something works better for you, do it.

Required ngredients: insides pages (halved computer paper again, this time cut instead of folded), two pieces of cardboard for covers (I'm using a thinned cardboard this time from a cereal box), two thin stiff objects, clips for the stiff objects, need, some kind of thread, awl, ruler (not pictured because I forgot)

Optional: glue, bone folder

Lab Exercise: Making a Notebook

I hope I'm not generalizing, but every artist I know, including myself, is obsessed with sketchbooks and notebooks. We love to buy them and fill them up with our ideas, thoughts, and inspirations. But I am often poor and cannot justify spending $20 or more on yet another notebook (especially since I am notoriously bad for never finishing them), no matter how pretty it is. So why not make your own? It's much cheaper, and very satisfying to use. I've made several, and I get many compliments on them, or at the very least a surprised, "Where did you get that?" There are many ways of putting your own notebook together. Today I will show you a hardcover notebook. Also, I maintain that my way may not be the very best way of doing things, so if you have a better idea for a step, feel free to try it. This is just what works for me.

Your essential ingredients list: decorative cover paper, cardboard, plain paper (I use regular computer paper), scissors or Exacto knife, ruler, glue, something to spread glue with, some fabric, two full soup cans (bear with me), a pencil, two thin stiff items, clips to hold the stiff items together

Optional ingredients: decorative inside paper, bone folder