ohhhh those huge canvasses are like. big. fat. huge. giant. and i love making them, but they are overwhelming me at the same time. that said, i LOVE making them. but i have to take a pause after the one that's on the table now. because ohhh my plans my plans! this afternoon i know more and i might be revealing something cute & fun soon after that. i just have to make sure the plans i have in my head, can't be worked out just like that, before i make you happy. yes. my plan is to make you happy. and me ofcourse. hey. i'm running the happy brigade.
so. now onto the making of this huge canvas which i made especially for Echtstudio in Alphen a/d Rijn. it's a gorgeous center piece in their store now, and you simply can't help yourself but walking towards it. it draws you in. he. love does that.
first i get real excited when i tow my cart everywhere in the house. well. actually. Arjan's towing it around for me. it's tooooo heavy :).
this is acutally the 'worst' part. putting the paper down on that huge canvas. i work with my canvas lying down, so that's hard for my little arms. my arms are too short. or the canvas is too big. anyway. i resolved that by walking around. and around. and around.
and they aren't only too short, i also have 1 hand too short. luckely i have teeth. and i have to work in my living room. the bugger is too big for my tiny studio upstairs. oohhh boohooo. i don't feel sorry for myself. i'm happy with my tiny studio. it's alllll mine. but for these huge buggers i need SPACE.
by the way: Sanne took this picture while standing up on the kitchen table. i didn't even notice it. ha.
getting more shape & figures with each paper glued down to the canvas.
getting my sprays ready to rock some color.
tea is needed constantly. keep dehydrated.
and as soon as i start with my favorite sprays, i see it come alive. ohhhh this is one of the best parts.
stuff i do in between. putting my brushes in my tea. the questions is: did i or did i not sip from that lovely dirty water... i leave that up to you...
ohhh getting bolder and bolder <3.
layer in between was stamping, but apparantly i didn't take any shots of that. so stamp stamp stamp with ink, paint and anything i can find useful. after that: started the huge tree.
it's like a very good mantra. cutting leaves. and another one. keep going.
and while i was working on that tree, thoughts & ideas keep popping in my head, and to prevent me to forget them as soon as they popped in, i lay stuff down. like those skeins of cotton. they are there for a reason. not to glue them down in total you crazy!
and now i'm just transforming the image in my head onto the canvas. playing like a kid. i was wrong before. THIS is the best part.
and even small details will make it onto the huge canvas. if you stand close to it, you have to have lots to look at!
meanwhile practising putting brush in waterpot, keeping tea clean.
setting up more and more ideas. glueing everything down.
ohhhh my everything <3.
cant' work without my birdies now can i.
more and more details are popping up, making their way onto the canvas. never getting tired of my flowers. never. nevereverever.
adding more and more paint & oil pastels to get my bold look.
this is also one of my favorite parts. geesh. looks like i kinda love it all huh? but working those colors with oil pastels. man that's playing for grownups big time!
getting more green on there.
and everytime i work on my canvas, there are popping up more and more details.
most important thing is just do NOT think too much. don't think if it suits well. don't think if the sizes are correct. don't think what everybody else will be thinking. let it all go and just create. it's non of your business by the way, what other people think of your art. it's just not.
and since this one was for a huge wool store (Echtstudio), i figured i needed lots and lots of crochet on there. combining it all. win win if you ask me.
ohhh and with that lovely spring-is-almost-here sun peeking through, i feel sooo happy creating!
yeah. messing things up. crocheting the sun parts and feeling mighty good.
combining my hobbies is what i love most about creating mixed media. just use everything you want. there are no rules sweetie. there simply arent'. you create whatever you feel like creating.
adding finishing touches here and there. keep adding till i feel 'satisfied' of how it looks. i'm not done yet!
and loving working with gel medium. you just can keep adding and adding stuff.
and if those muppets are keeping me company while creating, i feel even more mighty good :)
still not finished yet!
ohh my birdies. my birdies keep appearing on almost every canvas i make. but hey. that's okay. if i want to make a billion birdies, i can. remember that when creating. never let anybody tell you, you are creating 'the same' over and over again. who sais you cannot? KEEP doing what you love my birdie :)
ohh crocheted heart/flowers i adore you :)
yeah a basket full of skeins. that's what she needed.
working on her crocheted 'blanket' while Sanne is enjoying her Lego friends toys and Ruben his Lego Spongebob toys. does it get any better that this?
ohhh and there it is. very proud to be able to get orders like that but also to be able to create them.
i handpainted their logo.
isn't she adorable? i thought so!
so. did you make it to the end of this post? bravo! get yourself some dark chocolate and pour yourself some lovely wine. you are a champion.
on the agenda today: a very exciting meeting later this afternoon, and if all things are going as i planned, i've got some amazingly good news to share VERY SOON. i can't wait to tell you birdies. i can't wait. this could easily be one of my most fun weeks to start. (so much different than 1 year ago... almost a year ago Ruben had his accident. wow. almost 1 year ago, i will post about that on Wednesday)
life is good. create your own path.
rev
