More Decals!

Landscapes are momentarily on the back burner and I have been working on some cuteness!

These are some recent hand painted vinyl wall decals. I was originally offering them as tiny commissioned originals, but I found a way to reproduce them and make these original designs much more affordable. News to come on that venture, which will probably incarnate as an Etsy store.

 

This litter of bunnies is going to be my pilot run for the reproduction decals. If I'm happy with the quality, I'll go on to make many more . Send me your suggestions on what animals to make! The possibilities are endless...mythical, insects, underwater, glow-in-the-dark? I'm very curious to see how it all goes and I"m hoping to get the individual pricing very low.

STUDIO SALE!

I am having my first ever...

STUDIO SALE!!!

  Ever try action painting in a small labyrinth? I do it several times a week and it's driving me insane.

  I really need to clear some space in my home studio and I am also working to fund some technology for my next new project. I don't usually post prices online because it's not classy but, in celebration of my messy workspace and new endeavors, I am doing the unclassy.

  I am only running this sale for a week or so before I jump into some projects on the sideline. If you like a piece that sells out or if it clashes with your throw pillows and you wish it was purple, or whatever the case may be, I will honor the posted sale price for a commission of the same dimensions.

  I am experienced with packing and shipping (in fact, that's been my day job for many years) and am offering shipping services on items of any size. Inquire with the destination address for shipping costs.

 To make a purchase, contact me with the title of the work that you are interested in or a brief description of your commission concept. I use PayPal for credit cards/electronic payment.

  In other news, (if you didn't see my last blog post) I have entered the world of CUTE ANIMAL DECALS!! I'll be opening an Etsy store to offer a little collection of these, but you can get in on the cuteness early if you want. As part of this sale, request a custom decal of any animal for $15. Little guys only for this price. For example, the chipmunk to the right is about 3''. Your decal will come cut out and ready to go. They are self-adhesive and work well on smooth surfaces so think walls, switch plates, painted furniture...I put the chipmunks on a somewhat lumpy baseboard and that worked with a clear coat over the decals. I can mail these in a little envelope, so don't worry about shipping cost.

Red Bark. Oil on Canvas. 24''x32''.

$250

 

Shagbark Hickory and Friends. Watercolor on Paper. 10.5''x14''.

$45

 

 Water Collagraph. Ink on Rice Paper. 14''x22''.

$45

  I have two slightly unique renditions of this available. One is printed with a straight black ink and the other with a subtle red tone. Collagraphs are amazingly fun. If you haven't heard the term, it's a printmaking technique that uses a textured surface which is glued onto a firm backing. This one was just made with crumpled paper on cardboard. It's different than woodblock or linoleum printing in that the image is reproducible but degrades a bit with each edition. I printed this one to death--until it was squished and saturated with ink. The many prints I made were a chronicle of the creation and destruction of an image. So interesting! And so here is what remains. They are one of many, but also one-of-a-kind.

 Home. Dripped Enamel Paint on Canvas. 24''x36''.

$200

Knifed Landscape Study. Acrylic on Canvas. 14''x22''.

$125

 This piece is framed as shown to the left. It was a study for a larger painting. It is done entirely with a palette knife and very highly textured...I only used a brush to sign it.

Off-Shore Wind Turbine. Oil on Unprimed Canvas. 60''x48''.

$1,800

DIY Wall Decals!! CHIPMUNKS!!!

I did a fun experiment this week that turned out really great. It would be an easy thing to reproduce if you want to make your own wall decals...

I was working on one of my little animal murals in a tough spot along some baseboard the other day when I decided I needed a new technique. It was really difficult to get my hand in this spot and my legs kept falling asleep, so my chipmunk was looking pretty dumb.
I went home to sketch other chipmunk poses that might better suit the spot, and while I was rifling through my supplies I had a brainstorm!!!
My grandfather had a company that did graphic design (pre-computer days), and when he passed away I inherited a lot of curious supplies that I have been whittling away at over the years. One of the things I had yet to find a useful is this self-adhesive Pantone paper. It comes in large sheets with a sturdy paper backing and the adhesive works great. Here's a little snip of it that was left over:

If you can't find a product like this, just use an opaque contact paper. You are basically just making a vinyl sticker.
So, I sketched my chipmunks with a fine point Sharpie on my Pantone paper. I chose a Sharpie because a pencil would have made grooves in the vinyl that might be visible in the end product and a regular marker would smudge.

 

Chipmunks look evil without eyes. Don't worry about how they look at this stage, none of it will show in the end (although you would see this sketch on the back side of your decal if you end up mounting it on a window).

Next, paint the subject of your decal to completion with a good quality acrylic. Paint quality probably will matter here as runny paints will bead and make it difficult to get coverage. If you aren't a practiced painter, it would be just as cute to do silhouettes on an opaque solid color or on a patterned contact paper. If you are using contact paper, make your life easier and do your sketch on the paper back side (remember that your image will then be reversed).

Here's how one of my guys developed:

I installed my decals in a high-traffic area, so I wanted to add a protective top coat over my paint. I had fixative on hand and that worked great, but any sprayable (apparently that's not a word) clear coat should do the trick. I found a really sunny spot for this step to cut down on the drying time and quickly get in several coats.

After they were completely dry, I VERY carefully cut out the decals. I forgot to take a picture of this step, but use either sharp scissors or a craft knife on a cutting mat. Don't use a knife on a surface that is not completely smooth or you may get snagged and ruin all your hard work.
Now you have adorable little hand-made decals. Play around to get the placement just the way you like it, then peel off your backing and adhere it onto the wall. Smooth it from one end to another so it lays nice and flat with no bubbles. And since I was working in a high-traffic area, I actually brushed on another clear coat once my guys were on the wall so that they were securely attached and could be safely cleaned over.

Voila: