What Do You Do With Dead Roses?

Well here is what I would do...
Make Potpourri and Dried Flowers
and maybe take some artsy photographs along the way.

 

Tutorials below...

Z4 Energy Systems

Z4 Energy was looking for a way to display a large amount of information in a aesthetically pleasing way.  I started with the chart I was given and tried to make it work.  I had designed sever graphs and charts but eventually just decided to abandon them all together for a completely typographical design. 

Finished project

 

Here is the chart I was given.

First attempt

Crazy version including conceptual typography

It was a little overboard, and I was well aware of that possibility but we ended up playing with it and it turned out perfectly.  Here are some photos that my client sent from the trade-shows they entered.  She also mentioned that the backdrop really stood out to the audiences they were targeting.

 Here are some photos from the trade show that a client of mine went to.

 Here are some matching postcards.

My friend Hannah McNamee designed the logo when she had the internship before me.

See final design before pint for this project.

More in-progress work

Here is where I started

Click here to see My Internship Blog.

13 Projects Inspired by My Non-Art Related Interests

As we all know, I love art and design.  However, woman can not live on art alone.  She must have more in her life.  Here are some aspects of my life that serve as both inspiration for my art as well as a break from my work.  See my post on my Non-Art Related Interests. I hop you enjoy.

My ANArexia video

The beauty in nature anything from
1) tiny flowers Photography to 2) gigantic mountains
3) Learning new things - CD Packaging
4) Philosophy and psychology - Miscellaneous Art Therapy Projects
5) Various religions and Jesus - Grace is a bit Queer
People
6) My husband - a gift for him created from a circuit board from his senior design project
7) Family - Upcycled Christmas Ornaments (gifts for family) any one can make these!
8) Homeless people - Native American Reservation Social Justice Posters
9) Troubled Youth - ANArexia animation
Being Healthy
10) Exercise – yoga and rock climbing and currently break dancing and bike riding - some of this photography (specifically the concentric half circles) were inspired by meditation and relaxation.
11) Eating yummy healthy food - Diabetes Poster  from Native American Reservation Social Justice Posters
12) The three Rs (Reduce – Reuse – Recycle) - My first good upcycled book and other upcycled projects
13) Relaxing baths - My mom's Christmas gift was homemade bath salts

What work of yours has been inspired by something completely unrelated?

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Kevin Scarpelli

Check out these sweet wine racks!  They were in the Works of Wyoming member show with my Laramie Project photographs. Kevin Scarpelli created these wooden racks from tumors in trees. They are absolutely gorgeous. I don’t think he has a website yet, but when he does it will be up on The Artists Corner page of the WOW website.  If you want to purchase some of his work I am sure that you can contact WOW.

I will be adding a link to the slide show as soon as it is finished. 

Circuits Inspired Art

To create art using this style you will need:

Gesso (or white paint from the scrap section of a hardware store)

Acrylic paints

Ink (black)

Pastel or Conte Crayon

Steel wool

Other miscellaneous supplies

Instructions and process below

ANArexia

This project was inspired by a client that I worked with. She was struggling with weight issues and had been throwing up after meals for about 6 months by the time staff found out about the disorder. The treatment facitily that I worked at was pretty strict about not going to the bathroom for 20 minutes after eating (longer for some) and other rules involving the safety and well-being of residents.

After talking to her about her bulimia, I decided to research it. I was working overnights so had plenty of time to study. I found a lot of disturbing information including thinsporation, or thinspo, and plenty of pro anorexia websites.  Thinsporation is inporation for young women to be incredibly thin at any cost.  The pro anorexia website includes credos like "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" and "I only feel beautiful when I am hungry."  The second one stuck with me because a lot of people feel gross when they eat to much, but this really shows how this mindset can transmorgrify into something extremely unhealthy.

Here is an example of thinspo on YouTube with tips and tricks for anorexics to maintain their disorder, keep it a secret, and become even more thin.  Some people referred to anorexia as Ana and Bulimia as Mia. Pro Ana/Mia attitudes are everywhere online.

For this project I took one of the Pro Ana quotes and illustrated/animated it to represent someone who will never feel good enough.  Some other quotes include "Nothing taste as good as thin feels" and "If it taste good it is trying to kill you."

Watch my ANArexia video on YouTube

If you know anyone who may have an eating disorder, get them help!  Click this link to learn more, call your local hospital, or the police (non-emergency number).

Here are some signs and symptons
HelpGuide.org - there are many more warning signs.

Body Image Awareness Week is February 21st - 25 (2011).

Make a Valentine for Mother Earth...

or What is UpCycling?

Lets start by defining recycling.  Recycling is taking something old and and turning it back into something of equal value.  For example taking plastic bottles and sending them somewhere, having them processed and then turned back into plastic.  Upcycling is arguably better.  Upcycling takes something old, like those same plastic bottles, and turns them into something that can be used and has greater value, like a vase or jewlery.

Quick Definition



Why I Love Upcycling

Well, I have always loved art and being creative.  I also hate wasting.  I am not perfect and don't think this about everything but I go through weeks when I feel guilty every time I throw something away or look at how much trash we have.  I have recently decided to combine these two interestes and they produced Upcycling.  It sure has been a great discovery and journey.

My Projects

Here are my Upcycled projects.  So far I have created paper beads, pot holders, and shopping bags from shopping bags.  I am in the process of creating some storage bins using old boxes and rolled magazine paper.

Here are some great posts/websites on the topic of Upcycling.

7 things to upcycle

Sexy Upcycling - I still like the record bowls.

EDOT (Every Day One Thing)

UpCycle (Giving junk a second chance)

Crafting a Green World

Terracycle - This site collects trash.

Recycle This

Are there any sites that you absolutely love?  Let me know.

Hot Chocolate

The last couple days have been pretty cold.  Yesterday was - 21 F and we still had school.  I guess last winter got over 10 degrees colder but still I don't like riding my bike or walking in the cold.

In response to the cold weather, I figured I would post about something warm.  That something is homemade hot chocolate that I made.  The recipe I have is a little too dark for me but it still tastes good.

The recipe (it is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book):




1 25.6 oz. package of nonfat dry milk powder
1 16 oz. jar powdered non dairy creamer
1 8 oz. container unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 c. powdered sugar

I altered the recipe by adding peppermint, maybe a cup.
You can also add marshmallows.   

If you want to make these into gifts you can get a set of (I think) 12 mason jars and put a couple cups in each.  If you have old spaghetti or jelly jars they will work well too.  Take a square of material and place it in-between the seal of the lid and the wring.  You can use ribbon that you have to tie a bow.  I bought mini wisks to add as well. 

This recipe is a ton it makes around 30 servings.

Enjoy!!!

More Photos from The Larmaie Project

Here are some of the images that I didn't put up in the Works of Wyoming Member Show (see the post about The Laramie Project and my work currently up in the gallery space).  I hope you enjoy.  These are also for sale.  Contact me for more information.

Here is a photo from the real art alley in Rapid City, SD.  

The Connor Hotel
Ashtray
American Dream
The Connor: Looking Out. I think I should have used this one instead of The Civic Center: Looking Out.
Crime Scene? This is in the laundry room in the basement. Its a bit creepy.
Pennzoil
The Meeters
The Light at The End
Texture. This one creeps me out. The texture is gross and strange, but for some reason, I love it.
Corner
Downtown Alleyway
Mini Art Alley


All the photos from The Laramie Project up on my Photo blog.

Circuit Board Gift Card/Photo Album

This is the perfect gift for the nerd in every young ladies life.  This project was fairly simple and fun.  I was going to make the circuit board into a a photo frame but the dremel bits I had were too week, so I used the circuit board as a cover and added a light up piece.

For those of you who want to make this you need a circuit board, Ulfa knife (like X-acto only better), dremel (my board had holes), electrical wire, newspaper, paint, and ink.

Turtorial and more images below...

Upcycled Curtain Bags



4 Pocket Bag in use



Over break, my grandma gave me an old sewing machine she picked up at a garage sale.   So far, I have created several bags.  My favorite upcycling project involving my grandma’s machine are these bags made out of old curtains that were thrown into the free pile in our apartment building.

There is still enough curtain material to make 3 or four more bags like this.

Here are some other bags I have created 

Upcycled Plastic Bags Bag

Knifty Knitter Bags

More Curtain Bag photos below...

Knifty knitter

For Christmas, I asked for a Knifty Knitter and I love it. I have really been enjoying creating projects and patters. So far, I have created two purses, a scarf, a hat, and an upcycled plastic shopping bag made from used shopping bags.

I don’t really like to use patterns but rather create my own and the edit them each time I make something. Here are images of my first few projects. If you want to purchase anything just comment.

More Photos Below...

Bring You Skeletons Out of the Closet, Keys That Is

Here is a great tutorial on how to create this beautiful wall art out of old skeleton keys.  I found several other projects including creating mixed media paintings and creating a Christmas ornament.

Another idea that I had is painting them bright colors and allowing kids to have a play set of keys.  I am sure that young kids could enjoy using them in art work too.

Upcycled Pot Holders

I was at my grandmothers house over Christmas and we made a bunch of potholders.  Here are a couple of the ones I kept.  I think that they might be one of the easiest sewing projects out there.

We took some old rags (clean ofcourse) and cut them up into rectangles (that fold in half to create two squares).  We then took some material that I liked and cut it to rectangles about a half an inch to an inch larger than the rag squares (again you could use two squares).

You fold everyhting in half, right sides in and rags on the outside, and sew around three sides (two if you used a folded rectangle).

Turn it right side out, add a hanger, and sew the last side shut (fold edges under).

Finally sew a x though the center of the pot holder and the edges to hold the rags in place.