Amy.

three stupid dreams

2012-03-08T10:16:00.001-06:00

i made an etsy store.

you're welcome, world.

my etsy store has exactly 2 things in it.

so i'm not sure that's much of a store.

i don't care.

anyway!

i carved another stamp a few days ago.

pretty cute.

except that her lips are a bit fucked up.

but shut up about that. i'm sure some of you guys have ugly lips and i don't go around blogging about that.

(oh i just did)

someone else had wanted a canada card, but not a print.

so i made her one.

but now you see,

i'm not making anymore because if you want to know the real truth,

i don't love canada.

i'm canada neutral.

some random shit i dream about:

1. charles. you know, the guy from high school? i've told you about him before. keep up. it's the one where i'm naked and we are married and he leaves me.

now when we were in high school, i was definitely more attractive than charles.

i'm not sure about now.

i'd ask our friends to vote on it, but i don't have any friends and he's much more popular than i am so no one would vote for me.

how about we have the vote on my blog?

then charles might not win.

hang on . i have an idea.

okay i'm waiting to hear back from him.

i'll let you know if you get to vote after he tells me if i can put his picture here.

wouldn't it be so exciting?

(shut up)

anyway.

that used to be the standard nightmare i'd have in times of stress.

like when i went to interview for the doctoral program and i DIDN'T GET ACCEPTED.

that was stressful.

oh yeah, the dream. sorry.

i'm always naked, he always leaves.

bastard!

(i feel a bit like i should throw his clothes out in the street and make a terrible scene in front of the neighbors)

2. that my husband is dressed really Really badly and that is his new personal style.

sometimes he has a mullet and little cropped pants.

to understand how nightmarish this is, you'd have to know manslave.

he's the epitome of manlyman.

he has no personal style.

so if he suddenly was very flamboyant, i'd probably have to find a new place to live and start making my own food.

3. either one of my spawn or chibi is in peril.

in these dreams, my mary is always herself, but sometimes my son is interchangeable with chibi.

random list

2012-03-07T13:52:00.001-06:00

i think this is my favorite painting i've ever done.

i think.

sometimes it's hard to decide for sure

but i Really like this one a lot.

i fucken love it!

looking at the picture of it is putting me in such good spirits that i think i'm going to post a random and unnecessary list.

1. oh before i forget, i'm hosting at butterfly effect this week and i'm giving away one of my teabag paintings. you have until either natasa or i get our act together on saturday morning and do the drawing.

2. my dreads have grown together again. i have one big hair. with Lots of loose ones flying about making me look like a homeless maniac.

3. not all homeless people are maniacs.

4. i seem to interact with a higher than usual number of people who have to leave projects because they were committed.

5. committed. that to me is way more serious than checking yourself in. when i hear that i imagine someone doing the 'side of the mouth' murmur, "oh god, call now".

6. did i ever tell you about the time we had that 5 foot water moccasin in our kitchen?

7. sure did. last summer i was headed out the door and my daughter leaned on a rack on the kitchen to chat with me as i passed by. she made that noise people make when people cannot make words, but they also cannot yell. it reminds me of the noise you'd make if you dropped a baby.

so she made that noise, right?

well, no one gets hysterical and paralyzingly afraid in my presence without me joining in. i made the noise and did that run that you do when your knees come up really high off of the ground.

she finally regained the power of speech and told me there was a snake in the kitchen.

and by god there was.

it was wrapped around the kitchen rack where we keep the food processor, blender, vitamins.. shit like that.

and it was all snakey.

and it was fast.

did i mention that water moccasins are poisonous?

they are.

anyway, this story is longer than i'd intended and that was the interesting part anyway.

my husband had to come home, he killed it, the end.

8. i think i have pictures on my external hard drive. i'll show them to you at christmas if you are good.

9. i'm reading peter straub's 'magic terror' right now. it's overdue.

here's a cute girl i painted over the weekend.

i thought you might like to look at it.

what an insanely conceited thing for me to write.

god.

i'm sorry.

but look at it anyway.

i didn't think you'd like to look at it.

i thought i looked good and wanted you to think i was brilliant and talented.

stickylove

2012-03-06T21:33:00.000-06:00

these are ridiculous.

they are so ridiculous that i decided the world could not possibly go on any longer without these ridiculous designs being available on crap over at stickylove.

really.

that is shit you need to buy.

topless (again)

2012-03-05T10:16:00.000-06:00

i forgot to tell you that i've been carving stamps.

not that you are terribly concerned about it.

but i have made quite a few now. it only takes a second to carve them.

okay. like..

ten minutes.

then i stamp them and color them in with my markers.

which i love doing.

i love coloring.

i want to be a stamping queen.

and own tons of copic markers.

i will live in my stamp palace and stamp shit all day long.

then i'll color all of the shit that i stamped. i guess i'll do the coloring all night long.

i don't really collect atcs, but who gives a shit?

i just love coloring them.

anyway.

manslave spent his weekend at home (omigod. he came home) doing yardwork.

our backyard is so nice and tidy now that i just want to sit out there.

the front yard is very tidy too, but there are no cozy sitting spots and it's not very private.

like, you couldn't take your top off or anything.

read this shit before asking more questions

2012-03-04T12:08:00.000-06:00

apropos of nothing, i've decided to rightnow, answer all random unsolicited questions that i've gotten over the past 2 weeks.

i'll number them. but that doesn't mean anything and they are not in any order that they were asked.

1. chibi is a dog. a miniature poodle.

2. he pees in the bed sometimes because i sleep too late.

3. yes, jesus. i take him the fuck outside. what the fuck?

4. i have spent a very long time organizing this blog and the links and buttons on it. if you have a question about what a specific project is, you could click the link before sending me 3 emails asking me to explain it.

5. whether i want them or not, mail chimp and blip send me updates regarding the open and click rate of the newsletter and the views on my videos. that puts you and i in an awkward situation when it's clear that you have never once clicked a link to a video from steves artfire, let alone watched it - yet you send me numerous emails asking me to please send you more.

6. because i didn't want to be in any facebook groups or any art cliques, that's why.

7. flutterbye.ning, which is my pride and joy, will remain up and running indefinitely. it is my gift to you and i have no intentions of taking it back - idle gossip from flapping mouths does not make it true.

8. yes, i pay for flutterbye, blip and vimeo. they aren't free. if you ask, i assume you want to chip in and help pay for it.

9. i am married. what a stupid question. do you seriously think i could get away with being this dirty and lazy if i were single? god.

10. because the mail art swap was draining. i found myself in a situation where i had to produce art to get it out to people. that is the last way for me to be able to make something really inspired.

11. what will i do with my dreadlocks? that's so weird. please don't ask me scary shit. and besides, i'm not cutting them off.

12. i might stink, i'm not sure. i'm pretty enough that i don't really give a shit if i stink. what makes people think that's okay to ask?

13. i will send out steve's artfire as i feel inspired and able. i cannot do things on demand, i have to go where art takes me. perhaps you will get a jillion videos from steve's artfire in a week and then you won't get one for 2 years. you don't want forced shitty art, and i don't want to make forced shitty art.

14. i will livestream again as time allows. i teach a lot, but at some point i have to make art just for me as well.

15. it wasn't personal, i just think the popularity contest on facebook is silly. don't be hurt, really - the whole 'friends' thing on facebook is ridiculous. i'm sure if i met you in real life that i would want to be your friend. but i don't know you in real life.

16. i'm american. i'm not proud or unproud. but really. louisiana. where did you think that was? greenland?

17. they are called STABILOs. i use the 'marks all' and the 'woody'. i buy them locally. search on amazon or google.

18. no, he didn't put his tongue in my butt, however he has in the past.

19. there are always new classes and tutorials at flutterbye.ning i haven't stopped making classes or art and neither have the flutterbyes that help me out with admin junk. but you know what? it would have taken you 5 seconds to click and look at flutterbye for yourself, rather than the week and a half it took me to answer your question. clicking and letting pages load answers many questions.

20. no i don't prime surfaces before i paint on them. unless it is flimsy, like a book page, it simply isn't necessary.

21. butterfly effect is a linky blog that i do with my friend natasa. you can visit that blog by clicking here. there is a button in my sidebar. which i put there nearly a year ago. it links to the butterfly effect. where i take turns posting with natasa and once a month a special guest.

22. steves artfire. really? click the steves artfire page at the top of this post. i'm not even going to answer that.

23. i'm not sure of the exact number of tattoos that i have and really that's a question that i can't answer because it makes me have to decide if i count them all as one if they have been integrated into one another (such as a sleeve or heavy leg piece) or if i count the components individually. so, we'll go with a lot. i have a lot. and i don't know if i'll get more. i might. i might not.

24. i have had my dreads for 17 months.

25. i share it on facebook first. then twitter and tumblr. then i list it at beware of dog. it usually goes on facebook if it goes at all. i don't have etsy or any of those other shops.

so i think we have a clean question slate now.

if i didn't get you in email or in any of your numerous facebook messages, then i got it here.

now let's start all over.

ask me anything

pee

2012-03-01T10:52:00.000-06:00

i just found out that chibi has been peeing in the bed

in all likelihood this has been going on for quite some time.

i am so glad that i sleep with a tam covering my hair.

laugh if you will,

but you'll never be calling me 'pee dreads'

wednesday

2012-02-29T09:14:00.000-06:00

sometimes i wake up laughing

i won't even know what i'm laughing at

something in my dream.

the same goes for the mornings i wake up crying.

i'm crestfallen

but it's beyond me what loss i am lamenting.

late tuesday morning

2012-02-28T10:40:00.001-06:00

i used to have lots of ideas

about who i was and what things were all about.

there is duality in everything.

anyway.

today might be my favorite day.

it's a little cold, and a little damp.

the birds are singing

and the dogs are quiet.

10:38 sunday morning

2012-02-26T10:39:00.000-06:00

sometimes i'll consider how to phrase something so that it has the most desired effect

but it's all just air

and it seems full enough already of useless plots and notions.

anyway.

when i feel low i like to have my hands touching thick paper.

i've found it cures many ailments.

2012-02-25T10:46:00.001-06:00

i think about my dreams more than anything else

except for when i'm thinking about my thoughts

i spend my time with myself and my thoughts

and my paint

and my pencils

trying to puzzle out the universe.

these are all listed at beware of dog.

i listed them all this morning.

now i'm going to see a friend.

i hope you enjoy your weekend.

2012-02-22T11:02:00.003-06:00

sometimes i have these dreams

where somehow i've climbed up very high

i cannot get back down

because i am so afraid of heights that i can't bear the thought of descending.

it's like i feel safer standing at the pinnacle of my terror

i have started painting on delicate teabags

they are fragile and luminously beautiful in my eyes

charlotte sometimes

charolotte is the one i have left and is listed at Beware Of Dog.

2012-02-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

sometimes i run away from you.

punch me in the pisser!

2012-02-20T11:42:00.003-06:00

yesterday i totally felt like i'd been punched in the pisser.

today is much better.

this painting is listed at beware of dog.

2012-02-19T07:48:00.001-06:00

2012-02-18T11:04:00.001-06:00

if you really loved me, you'd put your tongue in my butt

2012-02-17T10:00:00.002-06:00

sometimes i cover my ears

and i find that i can see so much better

in the lack of sound.

i don't know if it works the other way.

i am hosting at the favorite butterfly effect this week. my theme is doodles.

2012-02-16T12:19:00.002-06:00

early this morning i had a dream that i took a bath with a corpse

2012-02-15T10:33:00.000-06:00

if i didn't speak a word all day long it could go unnoticed

but if i didn't paint he'd think i was sick.

new shoes

2012-02-14T13:15:00.001-06:00

i don't normally wear shoes at all unless i am at the gym.

naked feet are frowned upon at the fitness center.

my sneakers had been bothering me for awhile and i'd complained about it plenty.

manslave bought a new pair and left them on my desk for me to find.

yesterday i wore them on the treadmill at the gym.

i only go because there is a television attached to the machines.

i usually watch some kind of reality t.v. show.

which reminds me a lot of social networking.

yesterday i watched 'teen mom 2' while i was wearing my new sneakers.

today i found out that it is valentine's day.

i didn't think to buy you a gift.

sanctuary

2012-02-10T13:51:00.000-06:00

i find sanctuary in drawing

i have a favorite spot where i like to sit on the floor.

i pull the space heater up close and chibi curls up next to me

and i draw.

for hours.

2012-02-08T12:49:00.001-06:00

laurels

2012-02-04T16:06:00.001-06:00

guess who's home alone again tonight?

me, bitches!

guess who is cranky from binding books?

me, bitches!

Hurry the hell up and sign up for STEve's ARTFIRe before i send out the next batch of videos.

That way i can rest on my imaginary laurels for a few weeks.

excitement abounds

2012-02-02T16:31:00.000-06:00

do you know Russty Brazil ?

yeah.

you know those characters that she makes?

yeah.

did you know that she has a free class at flutterbye where she is showing how to make her weird and wonky characters?

trufax.

there are so many exciting things happening right now - so many free classes and opportunities

truly, excitement abounds

I just realized one of STEve's ARTFIRe videos from last week was embedded improperly.

I've resent the video to everyone who subscribed.

If you subscribed but didn't get a confirmation email, please email me and i can get you set up.

guess what?

There is a new round of art videos coming to you from STEve's ARTFIRe this weekend.

i'm so excited.

i'm just so excited!

rats

2012-02-01T12:53:00.001-06:00

for a darkside round robin

second spread for the darkside gig

If you signed up for STEve's ARTFIRe, you've gotten the video for this in your inbox

i got a dead rat in the mail today. it was a gift.

i didn't know it was coming today so i nearly shit my pants when i reached into the box and pulled out a dried out rat skeleton.

A day without chibi..

he's home now

*burp* thanks for the sausage muffins momma, now take me home.

♥ ♥♥

home alone

2012-01-28T18:51:00.001-06:00

this is a double page spread i did in my friend jan's ginormous book.

So.

it's saturday night.

Manslave is out of town.

I've spent the evening texting him pictures of my boobs and editing art videos.

What are you doing?

artfires

2012-01-25T17:36:00.002-06:00

From tuesday's class:

a mix of high and low art in my STEve book

I've been mixing fine art paintings with lowbrow duct tape and silly embellishments.

Opposites appeal to me.

Juxtaposition is good.

the tag that hides in the corner pocket

the favorite butterfly effect has a theme of opposites. i'm sharing my juxtaposed STEve book there.

ARTFIRe

I have created a mixed media artjournaling workshop.

It will be presented in a newsletter format. Each newsletter will have a write up tutorial with explanatory photos and links to a video download.

I'll send out the newsletter every fortnight or so. It will be full of all of The Good Stuff.

The content itself will be in the newsletter, and any questions or discussions (or just general nonsense) can be addressed in the ARTFIRe facebook group

if you have an interest in doing so, you can subscribe by putting your email into that little box thing.

At the live class tomorrow, we'll make stuff. It will be so fun.
See my sidebar? It says the time and has links. I'm stoked. I love the thursday class.

also p.s.
please subscribe.

midgets

2012-01-23T18:19:00.001-06:00

Here's some stuff you haven't seen.

I'll ease the boredom of looking by sharing something you don't know about me as the caption for each one.

thrills, i bet.

i used to be an exotic dancer.

i drink cod liver oil every day.

i had toenail fungus for a whole year once.

i automatically have a crush on all gay men.

on the rare occasions that i do wear shoes, i wear sandals that are made primarily out of duct tape

i am terrified of midgets.

i got to be graduate assistant to the dean for 2 years. he hated me, i think.

sometimes i think my boobs smell like onions. that worries me.

dog farts are disgusting, but i think mine smell okay.

there's a live class tomorrow.

all of the good and useful information is in my sidebar.

mouth spiders

2012-01-20T15:07:00.002-06:00

great news.

i'm going to show you nearly every single painting that i put in my little book this week.

then.

as an extra bonus, i'll share the flip through video of it.

i know you are excited.

control yourself.

Now before i do that i think i should mention that the favorite butterfly effect has a theme of poem or quote. Also, natasa has posted a video tutorial for painting her cuters girls on a book page over there so you might want to grab that.

I couldn't really choose a favorite poem. I really love poetry.

If you don't love poetry, maybe you've only read shitty stuffy poetry and thus i cannot encourage you enough to check out hugo williams Or billy collins' poetry 180 project

typically i haven't planned a post, so i'll make up a poem right now as i go through the pictures.

seeing as i'll be writing it very fast while holding my breath,

that is how it should be read.

she accidentally smushed the dog in the pantry door

and was cut off in traffic

but she accepted the darkness in life

and the dog got better after some slices of ham

then she had an orgasm

but closed her mouth real quick when she remembered that spiders like to crawl in peoples mouths

the dog walked all over her

and it pissed her off when he shit on the floor

especially if she was in a rush to get to the post office

she also sometimes tried to lighten her hair

but ended up leaving the blue parts and worrying about those mouth spiders

music sometimes stresses her out and lavender incense gives her a headache

that fucking spider again, she closes her mouth

and goes to the movies.

The end.

So anyway.

Here is the painting from thursday's live class.

Guys.

I have really big news

and you are going to like it.

Flutterbye is boring with just one crazy person running that shit.

It has turned into a crazy person carnival.

i am not able to bring it to it's full potential of awesomeness alone. but then, the awesome suppliers stepped right up. I mean. For Real.

There will be new classes for you to take and tutorials (the tutorials are probably up now)

I'm not going to be all name droppy...you just go over there and wait to see.

It will Always be free. It will ALways be ad free and spam free and bullshit free. There are no donations.

It's just about sharing and teaching and learning.

omigod. i can't wait. you are going to shit when you see the new classes.

hey. wanna see the flip through vid?

enjoy your weekend.

immune to poop

2012-01-19T22:01:00.000-06:00

hey guys.

wazzup!

are you not so glad it is friday?

god.

thank god for day drinking and overeating.

Anyway. before i forget -

i got a message asking about my book with the layered newspaper substrate. I found my original post for the newspaper thing here

but that post doesn't seem terribly helpful.

So i'll tell you again. wait. i'll wait while you go look at that one and see the newspaper book i'm talking about in case you aren't the asker person.

okay.

so here is what i did.

i used modpodge to layer about 6 sheets of newspaper.

it takes a hell of a long time to dry and because modpodge is a very wet adhesive, this will have crinkles and lumps.

if you are anti lump, i recommend using YES paste for this.

i have used the newspaper substrate many times and find it sturdy.

i like it as much as i do heavy watercolor paper.

if there are more questions on it, i'll make a video or tutorial

let me know.

anyway

i have stuff to show you

black and white and redallover

this is a detail from a larger painting that i'll show you later.

like when it's finished.

this one too :)

hi jan. this is for you :)

you guys made me laugh so hard during the live class today that i maybe peed a little bit.

shit you are funny.

Vegemite. The inferior spread.

2012-01-17T20:12:00.002-06:00

i didn't EXPect to like smash books.

okay?

but i do.

SO.

We made our own today in a live class. It's not a smashbook.

It's a STEve book

(gotta avoid that tricky copyright issue...)

this scrapbooky type thing is a Great way to sort of...visually capture a week.

I Love putting prints of art (mine and my friends' - Don't worry! i don't make prints of your art unless you specifically tell me i can!) in there along with little notes and scraps of good stuff.

and

you are lying -

lying!

if you tell me that you don't take more pictures than you know what to do with.

I've started printing some of mine and putting them in my STEve book.

along with other PErtinent stuff...

recognize anything lisa? and Yes, vegemite is Inferior. but i was curious and i didn't want to waste it.

So here is the one we made live.

Manslave came home at lunch and did the coil binding.

he said that the bind it all was easy to use and really the most difficult thing about the zutter was getting me to try it.

i rather like the wire binding encased in a hardback cover. that's so cool.

some of the pages that were prepared live

i can't wait to fill these pages with cool stuff

like pictures of my cuttle bug in the garbage can...

After he went back to work feeling smugly superior over the whole thing, i decided to bind my own.

it really was easy

he's not so smug Now that i can use my own bind it all...

I painted this to unwind.

It's rectangular.

That's my favorite shape.

cuters.

So look.

I'm tired and i've rented season 1 of The Tudors.

I watched the first 2 episodes last night.

racy stuff.

I hope to watch a few more tonight. It's due back at the library at the end of the week.

so.

There's a live class on thursday.

Perhaps we'll discuss how attractive the Tudors were.

you know i like it sloppy

2012-01-14T17:31:00.000-06:00

the little books?

you know, the ones i bind and then work through fairly quickly and intuitively?

there were questions, so i'll answer them righthere

i bind whatever is floating my boat at the moment.

i like to keep it smallish.

i have some very inexpensive watercolor paper that i use for these

sometimes i use canson mixed media paper (in my opinion, that crap is Only useful for sketching and glueing things on to. It's junk. That's right. JUNK)

sometimes i use plain old copy paper

i don't usually make a special cover because no matter what sort of paper i use, i'm going to add so many elements, that the first page will ultimately serve as a cover.

HOWever.

this past week i was jealous (jealous i tell you!) of all of the handbound books with loose canvas covers.

So i made a few for myself and intended to fill them during the week.

the paper was 140lb watercolor

but not a fancy brand.

el cheapo.

anyway, i felt So totally out of sync with these books. I worked in them, but i found myself stalling...

when i work intuitively and quickly, i work with materials and substrates that feel like an extension of myself.

i feel that when i work with things i am in tune with, the finished book is a reflection of me.

so i've set this entire book aside for now...

I knew what size and sort of paper i really jived with earlier in the week, but i really didn't know where i would find another like that.

and really, i cannot possibly buy 2 or 3 moleskines a week, but that was the paper i liked.

I couldn't Paint on it, but what i've been doing is glueing heavy watercolor paper to the pages i want to paint on.

you know i like it sloppy like that.

so look what i found. these are quite small and the paper is wonderful - sugar cane paper.

frankly i don't know what the hell that is.

but it feels like slightly thicker, smoother moleskine paper.

The inside paper is thin - not at all suitable for painting, but remember, i'll thin the books and glue bits of watercolor and other papers in there on some pages - those i will paint on.

i like it.

i bought quite a few of these on clearance.

because this is what i jive with.

i know. a disappointing answer :)

because it sometimes seems that we can't be artists unless we have the fancy stuff or use rare paper made out of woven cat whiskers.

but this is what i need right now.

i got these at Books-A-Million. The company that makes them is called Too Little Trees. I don't know if they sell these online. Please let me know if you find an online seller.

i like to work fast and intuitive and see what comes out. i can't do that if i feel some sort of disharmony with the material i'm using.

end of story.

♥♥♥

smash books?

oh don't you start with me.

i'm allowed to change my mind about shit just like you do.

the thing is that i got curious.

and then i went ahead and looked at one

and then i sort of liked the idea.

So i decided that we needed a class on how to make our own.

Except we will call them STEve books.

Here's the thing.

You need a binding machine

and i didn't have one.

and lots of you guys who wanted to make the books also didn't have one.

So i ordered a refurbished one on the cheap.

And i quite like it.

actually i have NO idea how to use it,

but manslave is home tonight so i've asked him to make it work before he blows town again.

So if you want to make a STEve book and you don't have a bind-it-all, then you make it and send it to me - i can bind it for you, but please send your own bindy wire after i run out (i have 6, but i'll use one tonight and one on the book we make together on tuesday) and put the postage on your return envelope so that all i have to do is bind it and mail it back to you

You'll love it. I know. I didn't want to love it either but i do.

So that's what's going down at the class on TUesday.

see the sidebar? that's where the PERtinent Information is located.

♥♥♥

Last order of beeswax...

did you take part in the NEverending Story?

Well, it's ending.

Someone has to write the last chapter - has to create a conclusion.

i'll see you guys on the flipside of the weekend.

you are quite delicious

2012-01-10T20:29:00.001-06:00

lately i've been doing lots of art in books.

i bind a little book and i give myself a time frame in which i hope to finish it.

the work is not linear or planned.

it's very spontaneous.

I make a book and i work it in a few days.

It's not a chore, i enjoy it.

in fact, i enjoy it so much that i forget about my worries and fears

my insecurites fall away and i work back and forth

one page

then another

then back to the first one again

adding things,

covering things

it's become so spontaneous that i am surprising myself

I remember how to do all sorts of things that i learned here and there

things i thought i forgot or would not be able to replicate.

all of the classes and youtube videos and art books and little hints in yahoo groups and everywhere -

all of that information

i thought it was forgotten,

but it seems this spontaneous art just feeds on it without effort.

I work quickly and learn that things i thought i did not know, did not remember

They aren't forgotten.

they are things that i brought into my own sphere of creation.

the favorite butterfly effect has a theme of things forgotten.

it's my theme so don't knock it :)

it's always a pleasure to host the theme, and this week i'm also hosting a giveaway - so if you are a beautiful talented hottie (and you are) you can link over there and you might win my painting.

on THursday i am hosting a live class on hot wax.

wax.

we will be doing mad scientist type things

okay i will be.

i'll show you how to make your own encaustic medium with beeswax and damar resin

and i'll show you how to mix up some colored encaustic paints

and we'll cover some Very IMPOrtant encaustic safety concerns

(speaking of things i had recently forgotten...)

and,

if you are just a little curious and don't want to do mad scientist stuff,

that's all good too because we're going to do a bit of work with just plain beeswax - sealing your artwork and making collages and stuff like that.

No Wine allowed at this class. It's dangerous and i don't want to get sympathy drunk and then get hurt.

If you are delicious, you are invited.

my name is STEve now

2012-01-08T13:43:00.000-06:00

wazzup.

my name is STEve from now on.

STEve.

are you guys doing the postcard challenge with darcy?

i will explain it all wrong, so if you are interested, it's best that you click on her name there and read what she says about it.

This week was austria.

Marie Antoinette was austrian.

trufax.

so, here is the front. obviously.

On the back, is just one scrawled sentence.

who the hell knows what the reply will be. when i make the next card, you'll find out.

Other exciting news. At the favorite Butterfly Effect, i'm hosting the theme and giveaway this week.

THis is the painting i'm giving away.

(you've seen this before)

i think i made this live with you guys?

moving on...

Here is what i made this weekend.

It took all of friday and saturday.

I waxed it this morning,

so the wax may make it difficult to see on account of a glare.

wait. Whoa. watch my video punk. That book took 2 full days.

love,

STEve

i am here

2012-01-05T20:53:00.001-06:00

I want to say hi.

It's the new year and everything is big and new, but i'm sort of just hanging steady for now

so what's up?

1. my dreadlocks.

i don't love all dreadlocks equally - i love mine though. I've had them for over a year... a year and a half? i love them. They are making themselves. Some are red. Some are blue. Some are pink.

i don't wash them.

except that i did last week. but normally i don't wash them for months.

2. red wine.

never white. yuck.

3. night terrors and sleep paralysis. you guys know what i'm saying... that takes over your waking hours when it goes on for too long.

4. abercrombie anything. i am fickle.

5. chibi. he is my dog. My dog. i love him. he loves me.

we're good.

6. ylang ylang III (go buy this right now. you'll smell like heaven. i'll eat you right up)

7. marmite, stuffed grape leaves and hummus - happiness!

8. french whatever.

9. encaustic anything, india ink and gel transfers

10. red wine. again. (needed a refill)

11. all of those books by francine pascal - you maybe read them when you were in 5th grade... i have All of the sets. i read them when the going gets tough.

I want to be lila, and god - isn't kimberly such a little bitch?

12. russian films

13. yayoi kusama

14. onions. just onions, raw and sliced.

15. bakers chocolate 100% cacao. no sugar. very bitter.

yum. happiness.

16. stabilo pencils

I do not have another way to tell you who i am coming into this new year.

I don't have any resolutions except to not bring in any more cats.

I don't have any major undertakings this year.

I'm just chillin like a villain, hanging out with you guys - shooting the shit and seeing what comes this way.

I made this video tonight.

Rather than photograph all of the artwork i did this week, i thought it might be funner to make a video.

I started this journal new years eve, and i finished it today. I haven't waxed it yet, but that's for the best because encaustics look like shit on my videos.

So, here i am.

What are you guys doing this weekend?

doing gymnastics in the woods

2012-01-04T11:40:00.001-06:00

i do love me some cameron.

and she is the guest poster at the favorite butterfly effect this week.

Her theme is in the woods.

i mean

In The Woods.

in retrospect, i see that my piece is not nearly as woodsy as it seemed to my wine soaked mind last night.

assuredly, it contains my most favorite origami fabric paper which seriously has some nature type trees on it.

also i stamped.

and used embossing powder.

i think that is very crafty of me and shows how much i love cameron to have went the extra crafty mile for her theme.

since you are dying to see the other extension of this painting

(in my mind)

i'll show you.

oh, now look at that glare. dangit.

I've been painting nothing but these inky girls all week

so hopefully i'll have it all out of my system soon.

we'll see.

Tomorrow's live shindig is on livestream

all pertinent info is in the sidebar ------>

If you join in you'll need your craft paints, legwarmers and a leotard.

cats are optional.

beauteous tyvek

2012-01-01T18:52:00.000-06:00

tutorial for...

Most Beauteous Junk Journal Ever

This most beauteous Junk Journal Ever is not my original idea. Not at all.

My talented and wonderful and mysterious friend Dianna made one and mailed it to me.

I loved it so much that I decided all of you guys needed one too.

You can stalk Dianna’s online presence by searching for designsbydllr on google (wait! look! I stalked heartily and found her photo stream WOW
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32920027@N07/ )

When you find her, thank her for this tutorial, not me. I would have never thought to have made a journal like this if she hadn’t sent it to me.

You’re going to be over the top about this journal because it’s not something you’ll worry about messing up.

You’ll see what I mean when you see it.

Now, sometimes my instructions seem clear as clear stuff to me, but are really very vague. If something seems confusing, just ask me to clear it up. I’m easy to stalk on the internet as well, and you are welcome to ask me any questions that come up.

xxa

**ah. now this was meant to be a PDF that you can download, but i cannot find a way to share a downloadable file on my blog. You can either grab the PDF from flutterbye on the art videos and tutorials page, or you can email me (amy@amymcdonald.net) and i will send you the PDF as an email attachment**

Supplies

2 large tyvek envelopes (go where your conscience leads you with this – personally I consider them a gift from the post office)

Inks/acrylic craft paints to decorate the envelopes

Polymer medium (but I bet you could use glazing medium if that’s what you already have)

Old newspapers (or new ones. it’s sort of stupid that I wrote old ones)

Masking tape

embroidery floss and wax or waxed floss or just some string to bind it with. whatever.

YES paste

optional but awesome:

sewing machine to crazy stitch the pages

buttons and embellishy shit

print out of your art work or thrift store prints (whateves)

Ready? go.

Here are the envelopes for the cover. They are made out of tyvek, which is this great mysterious stuff that is waterproofish. Plus, you can’t tear it. Well, maybe you can, but I can’t.

The post office in the united states provides these for free for all of your shipping and crafting needs. I will find out where you can get this stuff for free overseas and post it when I finally figure it out.

Cut the envelope open and just smoosh your alcohol inks all around on it. Let it dry for a million years.

Or you can use plain old acrylic craft paints. No biggie.

Here is a photo of the flip side of the envelope after decorating it with inks. Obviously, this side is ugly and won’t be visible.

Okay, so grab those newspapers and nest two fold outs together.

Use masking tape and tape up the edges and the center crease. You want to tape up the center crease because that’s where you’ll bind it. You don’t want your binding to rip, right?

Here I used my sewing machine to crazy stitch the pages. Remember I have 2 nested together and frankly crazy stitching is a hell of a lot easier than gluing and waiting.

So I made like 5 or 6 of these and set them aside.

Back to the tyvek now, because it’s dry I’m sure.
Put a coat of polymer medium on there. Like, don’t be stingy.
It makes the whole thing plastickyish so that you won’t feel anal about messing it up. Plasticky stuff wipes clean easily. Who the hell wants to work in a journal they are too afraid to make a mess in? not me.

Next grab both of your decorated tyvek sheets. Place the ugly not decorated sides of each together.

Choose one (the prettier one) to be the Outside cover.

use YES (super dry and awesome glue) to glue the wrong (ugly undecorated) sides of both envelopes together.

Fold the edges of the outside envelope down around the inside one and glue that down too. See why you need the YES stuff? It holds really fast so you aren’t standing there all day holding it down.

If you want artwork on the front cover you can grab a painting from a thrift store like this one below

Or you can print out some of your own artwork and cover it Very Generously with polymer medium.

Then just use some more paste to glue it to the front cover.

Let this dry for AGES before sewing it.
Your sewing machine will not be happy with only slightly dry tyvek journal covers.

Neither will your manslave when he helps your disassemble the metal plate and gears in your sewing machine to get all of that crap off of there.

Just wait a few hours.
Or overnight.

overnight is probably best.

But then! when your waiting is over – stitch around the edges and do a bit of crazy stitching on the cover art.

The inks and stuff were still coming off on my hands, so I put more polymer medium on there after sewing it. You might not need to. I just like polymer medium.

Next, nest your folded newspaper things (that you prepared with masking tape and crazy stitching) into your now totally waterproof and awesome cover.

wax your floss at this time if you need to. it pisses me off when mine breaks, but you might be more gentle with stuff like that than I am and not need wax.

Grab a big needle and run the floss through it.

I don’t know the names for book binding stitches, and I don’t know how to do any of them. I looked at the binding on dianna’s journal and just sort of tried to stitch mine like that.

I’m thinking it’s more of a visual thing, so I hope the pictures convey how I did the sewing.

if i have been vague, just ask me questions and i'll try to answer them.

if you'd like the PDF version, feel free to email me and i'll send it to you via an email attachment.

There's a live class scheduled for tuesday morning at 9am CST (see sidebar for timezones and a world clock and all of that..)

the class will be HERE

❤ ❤ ❤

direct from my vagina...

2011-12-29T18:40:00.000-06:00

during the live gig today...

fabric and paint and some mysterious gold stuff that appears to have a high toxicity

detail shot that i think is most beauteous

oil on stretched canvas

exciting detail shot

anyway.

many many years ago, i reproduced.

my mary:

this was her reference photo

Christmas break from school gets long and boring, so during the past few days she made a self portrait.

i don't give a shit if you don't want to see process shots.

i squeezed her out of my vagina many years ago, and i'm proud of her for surviving the trip.

look please and say something nice.

day1

day 2

day 3

et voila!

i *know*

puts mine to shame.

did i mention she's a kid?

i *know*

i want to pee, i'm so proud.

sex for fun and profit

2011-12-28T20:36:00.000-06:00

Sometimes i get emails asking about how waxing changes a painting.

I thought i'd show you here that it doesn't make much of a difference in a photo - it's really more of a real life touching type thing.

When i add damar resin to the beeswax and Really buff it - they are as shiny as a mirror.

Whomever gets this one in the mail will see what i'm saying.

before waxing

after waxing

exciting detail shot of face

This one is not waxed at all.

in fact, remember the sketchbook project?

yeah, of course you do - like, everyone is doing it.

well, this is on the cover of my puny ass sketchbook that they sent to me.

puny!

So look.

The calendar is switching over.

Everything is all new and fresh

debatable.

Do you guys have resolutions for the new year?

Well, over at the favorite butterfly effect we're talking about resolutions.

i am queen hypocrite because it's actually my theme and i don't have a resolution.

right now i feel like i've caught the canary, and i just want to sit back and enjoy stuff for a bit.

when i wrote the theme, i thought surely i'd have a list of resolutions and shit i felt needed changing (i'm not really one of those highly self aware kind of girls)

but i just want to see what's going on and check stuff out for now.

i'm in...

watching and enjoying mode.

hang out with me and ride along.

***

we made this on tuesday morning at the insanely early class

queen hypocrite, unwaxed

The tuesday morning class will be a regular gig.

But i'll still teach at a sane hour on other days so that those of you in other time zones can join in if you feel like it.

Tomorrow's class (tomorrow is thursday, nutball...) is at 1pm CST.

see my sidebar? there is a world clock there.

i hope to see you there tomorrow. if you're not there, i'll assume you are insane, drunk, sleeping or having sex (either for fun or profit)

lastly!

if no one else is signing up to write the neverending story, i'll end the story next week (what will the exciting conclusion be?)

so if there is shit you want to add - or you want to share an artist bio page, holler at me with quickitude.

get the red out

2011-12-26T15:37:00.000-06:00

I made this yesterday.

After i wax it, i'll send it out as mail art.

repurposed book cover, collage scraps, acrylic craft paint

I really dig her face.

i wouldn't mind having purple hair

Nor would i mind a crown.

This painting is the front cover of a box i made around a book.

like.

i made it out of cardboard christmas lights packaging that i found in my recycle bin.

I made the box around a book. So the book is in there forever.

The box is really cool because all of the corners can be untied to lay flat so that while i'm altering the book, i won't have pesky box edges to deal with.

The whole thing is for a 'dark' art altered book project.

I wanted to embed the video on making the box for you on this page, but i'm having problems embedding new blip videos.

So if you want to, you can view it directly on blip Here

or you can download it to your computer by right clicking right Here

Tomorrow with be the first time i have ever taught a class super early in the morning. I will try to have some tea before we start so that i have my act together.

We'll be here in the supergreat new room that i love.

bright and early.

rotten vagina bone

2011-12-23T21:00:00.000-06:00

this is a hard post for me to write.

i feel like i maybe need to defend/explain myself

and that alone makes me feel sick.

you know how when you were a kid and you would get in trouble or someone would pick on you, and you would get that 'pit' in your stomach - and you just felt ... bad?

right.

so. do you know me?

i think you mostly do.

i don't really have an 'online image'

i'm just amy.

i love art and i love to share art, ergo, i teach it for free.

(this is Very awkward for me to write)

not just for free.

at my own expense.

And i don't mind.

Because it makes me happy to do.

Really happy

it's what i consider my calling.

sharing art.

Because i don't do this for money (maybe this isn't clear enough)

I do everything that i do for free -

because i do not ever ever make any money off of my classes, videos, or anything (i don't get a kickback for ads on livestream - i simply cannot control them) I feel that i can be completely free and completely myself.

I don't ever change who i am in order to teach or share.

This really should be a no brainer, but i'll explain it simply:

because sharing, no matter who is doing the sharing, is a gift.

a gift can either be accepted

or politely ignored.

Today after my live class i got a message from someone who had attended the entire free 3 hour live class giving me blatant and unwelcome criticism for the way i conduct myself, my language and my overall demeanor.

It was insinuated (rudely) that i will simply never make "it" if i don't clean up my act.

this makes me feel sick.

guys.

i gotta be me.

you gotta be you.

i say fuck, damn, shit, bitch, vagina, penis and bacon.

Sometimes, if i am lucky, i work all of those words into one coherent sentence.

It's okay that i do so because i am not really going for any sort of marketing.

No one is paying me, so i don't need to answer to that.

(do you see a paypal or donate button here? nooo. do you see a donate or paypal button on flutterbye? nooo. how about linqto? noooo - i'm free baby)

It feels weird and sad to explain this to you.

I have that 'pit'

but i need it to be clear that i will not be changing.

Hell no, i don't expect a book deal - simply won't happen.

And really.

Really.

Look.

What makes people so sure that just because they are out to market themselves and their 'designs' and their 'ideas' and 'secret techniques' and 'individual style' that everyone is trying to do that?

i'm not going to change.

i'm not twenty (*sigh*)

this is simply how i am.

but here is the good news -

i'm free

and mostly i'm fun

and i'm here just to fool around and make classes and videos and shoot the shit with you guys.

today in the live class we made this:

it's *still* not waxed. i'm a slowpoke today

chibi!

crap. i still need to trim up the edges.

remember her?

i liked her so much that i ripped her out of the book and trimmed her up.

I'll wax her and send her out with mail art.

so.

i added a new digital stamp today BUT i got really overzealous with the contrast.

I mostly smarted it up..

what can i say? color dark.

I made it because at the favorite butterfly effect we have a theme of paper dolls.

Yeah!

I made her today and some clothes too.

personally i like the tassled bra top the best

but i'm also partial to the striped leggings

So.

I'll see you on the flipside of the weekend.

okay, that's a lie.

i'll probably see you before then.

hey.

I have a live class here on Tuesday (the 27th) at 9am CST.

i have a world clock in my sidebar.

if i don't die from waking up so early on tuesday, i might make the tuesday at 9am thing a regular gig.

don't fret - i'll have other ones at other times...

and there's a rumor that another special guest teacher is going to have a class very soon.

just a rumor...

drunk friends

2011-12-22T19:58:00.000-06:00

are you not SO tired of my nonvariance in facial features?

right.

well, set your mind at ease - this was for the last lesson in my portraits class.

I'll load the videos for it on the class tomorrow night.

not tomorrow day.

i have stuff to do on tomorrow day.

possible decapitation

anyway.

i haven't waxed it yet.

i will later.

it's cold out so i save up a few before i wax...

on account of the ventilation.

i'll mail her out in the mail art swap

i added a new digital stamp yesterday.

she's pretty cute.

dig the lashes

so tomorrow i am redux-ing the board book class.

it's in the NEW room.

so i'm excited about that.

It's at an earlier time, so that my UK friends aren't dead exhausted (or drunk) by the time the show runs.

Mostly because i get really jealous when my UK friends are drinking while i'm still considering breakfast.

the rotten skank

2011-12-21T18:46:00.001-06:00

this is a book.

with pull out compartments.

three pull out compartments.

not one.

not two.

three.

i made a video of the process for my (free) altered book class.

i haven't edited it yet, but it will be up tomorrow and you can download it then if you want it.

i like this girl.

she is on the free digital stamps page if you want her.

copics and stickers and shit like that

i made and added a new stamp to that page today, but i don't much like it.

it's a 'lady'

she looks bitchy and reminds me of the lady at the post office here.

i really don't like the postal lady.

and i really don't like that stamp.

but you might.

(p.s. i've now deleted that stamp. and thrown out the original. she gets my goat that much, the rotten skank)

on Friday, i'll be redo-ing the class where i made this:

It's in the NEW room

I'm pretty excited.

all of the information with times and links and stuff is in my sidebar at the top right of this page.

come over and make stuff.

it will be superfun.

superfun

2011-12-19T20:02:00.001-06:00

a list of stuff i am excited about

1. having rediscovered embossing powder

2. the gym installing a television on the recumbent bike. yeah. On The Bike.

3. the jerry springer show (related: i don't have television at home. i pay a gym membership fee specifically to watch american trash television)

4. mail art.

5. mail art with heartfelt letters

6. photoshop. i will look hot from now on as long as photoshop is on my side.

mixed media, encaustics, utee

7. tomorrow jay is teaching a kick ass art extravaganza class right here.

he'll be live at 12pm PST

which is

2pm CST

which is

8pm UK time

i hope you show up

i'll be there

and it will be superfun.

know what else?

it would be mad sweet if you signed up to write this story.

obviously

2011-12-18T19:25:00.000-06:00

hi guys.

so there was the weekend.

anyway.

i made this postcard type thing.

I like this girl.

I made a few girls like this. If you are the sort who is interested in those things, i can make a page on my blog so that you can grab the uncolored images. They aren't as snazzy as some of the digital stamps that i see, but hey

i might get better.

or i might forget to make more.

either way, you can have the ones i have already made.

you know what? i'll just make a page for downloads of that sort and if you want them, they'll be there. Look for them later this week.

you guys know my priti friend lisa, right?

of course you do. but if you don't, you might want to visit her.

you will fall in love with her.

promise.

Lisa had a neat blog post where she used egg shells.

Well, she didn't lead me wrong with the wood burner (guys! did you know that it's just as fun to use it on paper as it is on wood? it is.)

so i thought i'd trust her on the eggshells too.

I reworked a portrait that was really getting my goat.

I think i showed the first version to you a few weeks ago.

I didn't throw it out, obviously.

I still hate the portrait, but the eggshells are so redemptive.

hi lisa!

so.

do you guys know darcy?

look.

i know that you do, but if you don't, i promise you will fall in love with her too!

really.

I was in love with darcy before i even really interacted with her. I stalked her blog and loved her, so now that she's my friend, i like

triple stalk her.

So anyway.

this past year darcy had a 52 pages challenge.

I didn't really exactly finish the challenge, but my heart was in the right spot.

Well.

THIS year coming up - in like Two weeks - darcy is doing a challenge SO COOL that i'm going to do it.

And i think you might like it too.

I don't think i'll explain it very well because i haven't slept in a long time (chibi's fault) and i have had quite a bit of wine,

but if you click the button, it will all become clear.

i *know*
it's a good one.

i generally poo poo challenges - i'm an apathetic challenge joiner... but i am really into this concept.

Now you Do NOT have to have a special book for this.

all you need is to actually make the postcards,

but darcy had learned how to make the easiest damn book ever, and it
just
so
happens

to have 52 pockets.

(geddit? geddit?)

In case you think that it's hard to make, i'll let you know that darcy helped me make this on skype. And i was really tired,

and grouchy,

and wasn't following directions as well as i should have

and it still turned out so cool!

maroooooon

i'm going to use it for the postcard challenge, and yes

yeps,

she has a link to crystal clear directions on how you can make it too.

there was no sewing involved.

there was only file folders,

a hunk of cardboard

and embroidery floss.

guess what?

no more than three minutes after we stopped the live chat to test out the new classroom, i split my pants.

trufax.

talking shit together

2011-12-16T19:07:00.000-06:00

It's been all week.

I rested.

Like. I didn't make any videos.

(except for the one at the end of the post. and it is not edited for shit)

so.

I made 3 postcards for my friend corinne's 'postcards on the edge book'.

in my attempt to be sweet, i tried to imitate her style so that her book would seem fluid.

they didn't come out in her style at all.

they just look strange.

i don't think she'll care

this one is the best one

this one is really shitty, but she might like it anyway

So.

I was in this secret santa swap right?

I was someone's santa and sent her some good stuff.

but

i was really curious what someone would send to me as a gift.

Plus i didn't know who my santa was.

Well.

Let me tell you.

When i got the box, i did NOT wait for christmas to open it (who does that??)

I ripped it open immediately.

I don't know what anyone else got, but if you didn't have my santa, you got JIPPED.

I was so excited that i emailed my santa (she's not terribly good at hiding her identity) halfway through my tearing the gifts open just to let her know that i would be kissing her ass forever.

a very short and unedited clip of the gift - taken on my little phone :

Okay, so my video taking in that one is a bit uninspiring. I said i was off duty this week :)

She also sent me this - but i forgot to put it in the video. I love it.

I love wine.

I made this today. I just wanted to fool around and i have a plethora of little manga-esque girls drawn in hopes that i'll improve with mindless repetition.

You know how i was like.

Totally foiled by linqto.

And.

You couldn't ever see what i was doing anyway?

Well we have a new classroom.

I think.

I want to try it out before i go 'whole hog' (omg. i just wrote 'whole hog') with it.

Are you guys up for joining me tomorrow to test out the camera and zoom and talk shit?

If it works and you feel like you can really see stuff and the connection is all good, I'll plan a class for early in the week.

Plus, then we can move over to linqto after we test livestream because you guys can jump in the queue on linqto and talk and stuff.

I love talking shit, so that's what i want us to do tomorrow after we break in our new classroom.

Here it is:

http://www.livestream.com/amymcdonald?t=900166

Let's do this around 2pm CST.

That's 8pm UK time.

a tiny rest

2011-12-11T21:20:00.001-06:00

i had technology problems today.

this is what i made that you straight up couldn't see.

so, i've like.

dealt with my technology issues.

and changed video platforms and cameras and

have achieved zoom feature during live

and

a larger screen for live classes (you will like the new platform. it is better for both you and i)

but.

now i'm sortof tired :)

so.

i'll see you in a week or so.

i'm going to take a breather.

so that i can feel... like...

fresh

and

invigorated

and

not tired and stale and stuff.

i'll take care of my class stuff - i'll still answer your portrait and book questions this week

and i'll have new videos for you next week.

and i'll feel super and rested and pretty when i come back and see you after a few days of rest.

hey.

i like you.

panties and bacon

2011-12-10T19:32:00.001-06:00

so.

here are some paintings i finished for the mail art swap.

I made 4 yesterday and 4 today.

These are all painted on fabric and sewn to paper.

some are embellished with flowers and metal stuff and shit.

they are all painted over with encaustic medium.

those are little mirrors. yep. mirrors.

look at her stupid lips. but she has gears....

mirrors! mirrors i tell you!

my little son was grounded today so he made a torte.

it was raspberry.

i said 'was'.

when you make shit from scratch around here, it doesn't last long.

he has a bit on his lip

i'll be grounding him more often

Tomorrow!

Sunday.

There is a marvy fun cool pretty free live art class.

ah. i see you are confused. Look at my sidebar. There are links.

We'll be altering children's board books.

come over.

you'll need a crappy secondhand board book.

acrylic craft paint.

glue.

collage junk (magazine pages and stickers and things like that)

while we wait for junk to dry i'll go through some of the questions that have come up in the portrait class.

so we'll make a cool storybook and answer a few puzzling questions.

it will be great.

bring wine.

You are invited.

It's short notice, so come over and we'll have some fun.

see you there.

Nooooooooo

2011-12-09T19:05:00.001-06:00

so.

last night manslave was helping me clear up hard drive space.

i didn't really want to move junk or duplicates to my external drive, so he did me the favor of tidying my hard drive.

and deleted all of my video clip source files that i'd added in the past 2 weeks.

Nooooooooo

no. really.

bye bye source clips.

bye bye portrait videos for lessons 7 and 8

bye bye awesomest butterfly effect tutorial that i've ever made

bye bye inside out portrait video

bye bye awesome niche (with a pull out drawer, no less!) for altered book class

Noooooooooooo

c'est moi, in graphite.

if you have interest in watching the process, you will learn how many times i erase and restart...

during the live class this week, i was nattering on about how stoked i was regarding next week's tutorial for butterfly effect. It's my turn to do the tutorial - right? Well, a painting giveaway is never an easy act to follow, so i knew my tutorial had to be good.

i practiced perfecting my underpainting technique so that i could knock your socks off when i shared a storyboard journal collage tutorial.

I made this (admittedly shitty) portrait as practice with the underpainting.

yuck.

Then i was all.. okay, i'm ready, right? And i made this masterpizza and wrote a story involving a metal plate in her head and ladders and lost things...

it was cool.

but then.

(Noooooooooo)

then

(argh)

i made the altered book class lesson for this week.

See that little red box?

it's a pull out drawer.

yep.

the possibilities

and you ask, 'amy, where is the video?'

Nooooooooooooooooo

But i have made a second video with three pull out drawers. I'm not showing the page here because there is no painting or art on it, it's a block in my book that currently has 3 niches - each with a pull out drawer.

I'll load the lesson onto the book class tonight.

So.

I started altering a board book.

you know. for butterfly effect next week.

figured i'd show it now.

you know.

just in case.

oh hey!

i'll show you all of my little paintings and beaded things i'm making for the mail art swap. I'll post that stuff next time.

✦✦Mail Arrrrttt Swap✦✦

2011-12-06T15:30:00.001-06:00

Dear Everyone,

✦✦Mail Art Swap✦✦

Mail me a piece of art and i'll mail art back to you.

Amy McDonald

The Dirty South

P.O. Box 328

Princeton, LA

71067

United States

I'll try and make a page on my blog to show off all of your shit. But not right now.

Later.

Right now i have to make little paintings to mail to you.

fabric, paint, stuff...encaustics and beading to follow

i won't

2011-12-06T09:59:00.001-06:00

fabric, paper, paint, junk

I'll wax this later. So it might look different.

I'll tell you if it does.

no i won't.

why the hell would you care?

The favorite Butterfly Effect has a theme of book pages.

also.

there is a prize if you are the lucky wiener this week,

I want the prize.

So.

what are you guys up to?

old tiny panties

2011-12-04T15:28:00.001-06:00

lamely, i was so excited about reworking an oil painting that i'd set aside - that i wanted to show you a portion of it...

way before it is finished.

I tend to get impatient with how long it takes to dry... often i'll have weeks between layers...

i have a few going that i cycle with...

i hope to work this a bit more within the next fortnight. then perhaps i can show you the full monty

(no don't worry)

(or get excited?)

1. my show ended a few days ago - it ran through november

2. i'm glad it's finished

3. one of my dresser drawers wouldn't close completely - you know how like when a sock or something falls behind the drawer and then it won't close properly until you take the entire drawer out and set it back on it's track?

3. well so i did that. i pulled the drawer out.

here is what i found:

one metallicy plastic cheap faux (obviously) poinsettia flower

one wadded up piece of yarn (it was large - like, nearly ribbon size - and wadded up so that it was about as big as a golf ball)

one pair of cotton underpants that i wore when i was like eight or nine years old (in case you are confused that was quite a few decades ago - 'few' being a word i use for numbers that are greater than 2)

4. You need to believe me that it's a very sturdy dresser. I spend a lot of time defending my cheapness when it comes to furniture and shit like that. But really, it's a nice dresser. I have 2 of them actually - both from my childhood. And the night table. They were, clearly, a set.

5. But i don't have the matching waterbed anymore. I left that at my parents' home.

6. if you are curious, the panties were pastel striped. but not so much anymore.

i mean, i could still tell what panties they were.

7. when i brought them out, my daughter was like,

'oh mommy. wtf?'

then inexplicably, i washed them before throwing them away.

plastic warp

2011-12-02T19:22:00.001-06:00

For my altered book class i wanted to do a spread with a fold out window pocket.

It was really

(no really)

taking an excessively long time to dry.

So i used my embossing gun to heat it up.

forgetting of course what happens to little plastic windows when they heat up

fuck.

you have NO IDea how many times i have made that Exact Same Mistake

I haven't edited the video for it, so that won't be available on the book class until tomorrow.

Feeling a bit of rage and angst over the warped window, i did my portrait for inside out.

which only resembles me if you are blind.

in real life, i am a bit shorter, my neck is sadly normal length, but my hair is pretty accurately represented :)

Have you noticed that i dropped the ball with a live class this week?

I did.

I spaced it.

But who cares because my friend jay is going to do a live class on wednesday.

Now, if you are not properly excited about this, then you have never seen his work before.

the video is really very short, so it won't use up your megawatties or gigatrons or whatever - you might want to check it out, it's really something.

also, he's very attractive.

broken penises

2011-12-01T17:45:00.001-06:00

i made this girl today.

her outfit was a bitch to sew -

the red velvet pants like... killed me.

i felt very envious of them.

i think i felt bitter about letting her have them.

she seems very smug about it.

i'm sending this over to butterfly effect where lisa has honored us with a guest post.

while my doll is not made deliberately from broken pieces, she is salt dough...

so rest assured, there are quite a few broken pieces under her clothing.

the mighty rectangle

2011-11-28T16:26:00.001-06:00

mixed media on muslin

(okay and paper)

everything plus beeswax

i have a present for you - if it is the sort of present that you like.

watch the video.

it's very short.

This is my christmas gift to you.

You can have it on November 30.

That is this wednesday.

Please share this on facebook and twitter - i really want this to reach the people who just think they cannot draw portraits.

seeya.

craft like thing

2011-11-27T17:36:00.001-06:00

a little something different.

that is casein - the highlighting, i mean.

i love it.

i love smushing it.

i used a tiny smear of pan pastels over the white casein.

yum texture.

the rest is some gold rubby stuff that i am not supposed to touch and india ink.

mixed media, sealed with wax & resin

so.

my self portrait this week is a craft like thing.

but it's a rectangle, so i still like it.

i am going to use it in an art journal down the line, so i just popped it aside for now.

seeya.

umbilical cords. not one , TWO.

2011-11-25T21:28:00.001-06:00

fabric, paper, paint... junk journal collage

the video for it is really low quality.

let's chalk it up to a learning experience.

we made this delicious hussy during the live class today.

if you missed it have no fear... all 3 and a half hours of it were recorded.

But it's in 2 sessions because i stopped recording so that i could show you guys my locust shell collection and some umbilical cords.

and also because i had to get some water and pee.

the only thing that i did with this painting after the class was seal it with encaustic medium and buff it a little bit.

the links to the recordings are on my sidebar.

i think darcyfriend also puts them on the facebook group where everyone can sort of hang out.

okay.

i think i'm going to see the big lebowski now.

enjoy your weekend.

manface

2011-11-24T16:47:00.001-06:00

a long thin rectangle is my FAVORITE shape of substrate to work on.

no doubt.

i made both of these for my portrait class (which is free and opens on November 30). I think it will just be best to put together a whole class on portraits so that when we put them on stuff for other projects and classes, i can just send you to the free class for the templates and videos. It just makes life easier in the long run.

for me and you.

there are about akrekmfdkmvdszbillionjillion transfers on there.

i made like seventy hundred soft gel transfers of little tea cups and tea pots on these two paintings.

i really did.

i don't think you can even see One of them.

except on this pink haired girl below, the teacup above her brow is almost discernible.

i'm calling it good enough and linking to butterfly effect's tea theme with it.

guess what ppf? i'm coming over there too!

mixed media on paper + encaustic medium

did you guess that both of these are made with the same template? they are. trufax. we'll all be insanely bored with that template by the time the portrait class winds down.

i tried to learn how to draw little manga girls.

this is the shittiest one:

and i like this one

i like this one lots

purple hair would be so cool.

hey

the freeliveclass on friday (look at my sidebar) is portraits.

darcyfriend asked if we could draw/paint a man this time - while i've never drawn a manface, i thought it would be a fun change of pace.

So we'll do two portraits during that class.

The manface, and a girlface :)

I realise that the tilt and angle of the girlface head may look complicated, but it is totally do-able. I am going to help you draw it. Then we can paint and color it and do all of the fun stuff that i like to do to portraits.

I don't want to hear that you cannot draw at that angle until you at least give it one shot with me.

So, if you want, you can grab those now - i always like to have templates and stuff ahead of time.

If you are thinking that girlface is at an angle that you are not quite ready to tackle, then please visit the templates and notes page on my blog and grab a different template to draw during the class - just scroll down a bit for some different ones.

guys.

Have you checked out the neverending story lately?

Yes.

i know.

it's AMAZING.

so here is what i am asking.

for more joiners!

At some point, I'm going to send it to publish and then we'll start a new story, but for now i really think this one can go longer.

If you haven't checked into it before, here's how it works. <---- hint = click on the link.