Monday, September 29, 2008

Two great things - great together

Venture Brothers
+ Mexican popular culture
___________________________________________
a totally krissi-fied version of H.E.L.P.eR.'s Tijuana paintjob


H.E.L.P.eR. - layer1

Clicky on H.E.L.P.eR. for the beeg version so you can see a closeup of the Walt Prey inspired roses and the iridescent paint giving him that lowrider sparkle. I have a lot more planned for this baby - he is going to be barrio FABULOSO!
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Friday, September 26, 2008

You're in Charge (sorta)

In every single survey or profile that poses the question, 'what is your pet peeve?' I always answer without hesitation, unsolicited advice. This is very much true in life with a few exceptions, like when Yoli or Nik -as two of my closest friends- tell me I'm being a dick I know they're doing it for my own good and not to hurt my feelings or further some hidden agenda.

However, my distaste for unsolicited advice doesn't really hold so true with my art. Every once in a while, I like feedback - ESPECIALLY from other artists and/or collectors and/or potential collectors and/or "just fans." Today is one of those days. You're in control. So tell me: What do you like? What do you want to see? What do you want to see MORE of? What don't you care for? Pretend art were free, what piece would you want? If you wish to refresh your memory with photos of the creations over the past couple of years before committing to an answer (or list of 10), take a gander here and here.

You can post your comments here or e-mail them directly to me. As always, I'm reachable at art@krissisandvik.com. I am curious to hear what you have to say.

Have a good weekend!

Krissi

p.s. Just for fun, here's a photo I took in June. This is my idea of the good life:
Heaven (or "dorky, but low maintenance")
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Monday, September 22, 2008

Stamp Update!

A little cross-posting at Skelekitty's request!

StampaFe Art Stamps let me know today that they have the plates for the Skelekitty stamps in hand! They're working on a big wholesale order (sounds like their business is doing well!), so we're looking at about two weeks until y'all can order stamps! Of course, I will make an announcement right here as soon as they're available for order.

I'm all kitty-happy, 'cause StampaFe is really going all out by putting an ad in Rubber Stamp Madness magazine for the Nov/Dec/Jan issue:
Rubber Stamp Madness ad nov/dec/jan 08

as well as one in the Northern New Mexico Quilt Guild's "Quilt Fiesta" guide!
quiltguildnewsletter
The Quilt Fiesta is a biennial quilt show held in October on even numbered years in one of my (and Krissi's) favorite towns, Santa Fe, NM. This year's Quilt Fiesta theme is Tradition Transformed: The New Art of Quilting, which, if I do say so myself, fits in pretty well with what we have going on over here - given that the first time I showed up, I was on a quilt!

I think I'll go have myself a little catnip and relax in a sunbeam. Life is good.

Skele-rubs,

SK
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Saturday, September 20, 2008

New Painting In Progress and a Little Irritation

Here is another piece that I'm doing to practice the techniques I'm learning from the mixed media class by Suzi Blu I keep mentioning.  In honor of the upcoming celebration of Day of the Dead, I put in a few little skullies.

 It started out as this (wood burned sketch on birch with some pencil shading):
'les petites dolls' class: muertos step 1

and has evolved to this point so far:
In progress - muertos mixed-media (step 7)

I like to take photos along the way, and you can view the process for this painting here.  She is certainly at least another 2, maybe 3, layers away from completed and I'll be sure to post when she's all done.  I'm also working on another Venture-inspired piece for Nik which I will post when it's finished.

Oh, and on a totally unrelated subject: I got a jury summons in the mail today.  No big deal - I'm actually one of those people who is fascinated by the law and would actually enjoy serving on a jury.  To punish me for my positive outlook on public service, the summons date is set for 10/20 ... um, WHAT?  They've called ME in OCTOBER??  Come ON!  This can't be for real!  It's my absolute busiest month.  As a matter of fact, it's really my only busy month!  The last two times (in 6 years) I was called, it was on New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve respectively.  I didn't care about the holiday calls, but I never made it out of the waiting room either time.  Ron got into a pool last time he was called and was dismissed after his speech on jury nullification (stupidly requested by the prosecution 'cause I'm sure he gave the other potential jurors quite an education).  Anyway, he says I can ask for one postponement and I'm definitely doing it.   October!  Pshhhh!  Yeah, right!
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Thursday, September 18, 2008

"This is ME expressing MYself!"

I went to my hubby's office yesterday to hang his newly commissioned walking eye! painting (along with a Skelekitty quilt that he has on loan until October).
Walking EYE (final)

detail Play Time!

I have to tell you just how fun it was to walk past all the security cameras into a Fortune 500 company with my pink hair, covered in paint, wearing my overalls and carrying more weird art for his office (he's a Director, too!). How fun? Too fun.

I also hung an "ElderBot" (complete with glow-in-the-dark paint) painting by C!nder that Ron's had for a while:
Painting from C!nder

This is the piece by Nicolas Caesar that started it all:
Nik Caesar painting

Oddly enough, immediately following Ron's acquisition of this remarkable painting, a memo went out that all art hung in offices needed to be "professional." Our answer: we ARE professionals. Lucky for him (and me too, since his income buys the kitty (and Krissi) kibble), we have different last names, so I don't get him into too much trouble just by being me.
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

This time last year (#2)

I've actually been blogging since late 2006 (postings on blogspot only go back to this March), so every now and then, I'll copy and paste an old blog entry. This one is from September of last year (the 14th to be exact).

September 14, 2007

Yes, yes, yes. I asked for it by using “krissi sandvik fiber arts” as my shop title, but honestly, I know how to do a lot of other stuff! I know I confused you, but I just ask that you not pigeon hole me just yet! Here’s some of what I’ve been doing this week. My hubby has been working at home since Tuesday, so I haven’t had access the computer (aka The Great Time Suck). At the request of the illustrious Suzi Boneshaker, I am making some painted plaques upon which I will mount some of my painted polymer ’sugar skulls’ (calaveras de azucar). Guess which ones she inspired…..


Here are some of the polymer sugar skulls:

more of these babies are in the development stages.

With Dia de los Muertos fast approaching, I am also trying to come up with some new ideas since I get bored making the same art quilt over and over. Initially this was just going to be another “bobbin work” calavera de azucar — just in black this time. However, before I knew what I was doing, I had pulled out my fabric paints and brushes and gotten to work. I’m awaiting inspiration or a deadline, whichever comes first, to finish it. I do love my pal Nicolas Caesar’s idea of making this into a pillow, though.

I’m also paying off a debt (happily, I might add), which I incurred this weekend at the Scary Art Collective show at Body Tribe. Specifically, I went home with a new toilet seat painted by C!nder and am making four patches of the rocketship in return. Of course, these images are copyright protected by C!nder, so don’t be a dick and steal ‘em.

The original toilet seat by C!nder

“CRAP! WE’RE BEING PULLED INTO A WORMHOLE”
“FIGURES! WE WOULD GET STUCK IN THE GALAXY’S TOILET!”


Here we are with the tracing of the original and the fabric “colorforms” with fabric ink markings.


And this is step 2 - some of the stitching is done (the edge and the lines in the middle) and it is still attached to a dissolvable heavy stabilizer.

I’ve also been doing a lot of work with wire wrapping and hammering - no photos, but the back of my fused art quilt clock has some of my wire handiwork on it. As soon as my torch gets here, I’ll be soldering too! Like I said, I did it to myself with the word ”fiber” in the title….

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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Skelekitty goodies ARE available on the web!

Skelly wanted me to remind y'all about some of the swag & merch out there with her cute little face on it:

First, in my Etsy shop, lots of handmade goodness:
Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
krissi.etsy.com


And also on Zazzle, coffee mugs, mousepads and more coming soon!

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

And on a non-skelekitty bit of news, look for a blog on Scary CRAFT tomorrow about the upcoming Night of the Crafters (with a very special guest!).
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"Walking EYE!"

October is coming up quickly and, thought I've enjoyed drawing the pretty girls in the Mixed-Media with Suzi Blu "Les Petites Dolls" online class lately, I wanted to take those techniques and do something just a little more "me."

On Friday night, after an evening of geeking out to yet another DVD marathon of The Venture Bros., Ron asked, "can you do a Walking EYE" painting? Oh yeah. You KNOW I got up early on Saturday and immediately sat down to create one ... giggling my butt off while I did it.

So here it is, probably "mostly finished" 'cause I still think that there might need to be a quote or something else over The Monarch butterflies. Which quotation, I know not.

UPDATE: Quote is, "When word of this gets out, business will pick right up!" 

HERE IT IS... THE FINISHED PAINTING.
Walking EYE (final)
Text was added via gel transfer technique using Golden regular gel medium (gloss).
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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Owowowowowowow OW!

Pencils are pretty, but tough on the ol' paws!

Something's Fishy Here
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I never know where these things are going....

While I'm happy with the way that my last project on canvasboard -eww- turned out in the end, it is nowhere near what I was going for (I mean, 'that for which I was going'...?). Anyway, here's the progression:

Sketch on canvasboard - girl with cat

a little color - girl with cat (bad lighting)

collaged dress & more shading - girl with cat

some layering - girl with cat

detailing - girl with cat

girl with cat - final

BTW, today is my 10th as-a-couple anniversary with Ron. Our 5th wedding anniversary is one month from today.

Oh, and here's the newest challenge. She's been a challenge from the beginning, I had two other ideas for what this was going to be before the mermaid just sort of appeared....
sirena - woodburning complete, some more shading

I'm totally in love with that fish, though.
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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Free Cupcake-o-Guadalupe pattern on PimpStitch!

At long last (well, a week, but it feels longer the way I blog), I can unveil the FREE embroidery pattern I designed for PimpStitch
Free PimpStitch pattern (ltd. ed.)
The lucky recipient of the original in the photo is Artsy Gringa, Michele ('cause she was my partner in the "...of Guadalupe" swap on swap-bot).

For those of you who haven't yet discovered PimpStitch, it is the indie embroidery brainchild of well-known artisans, Tamie Snow (Roxycraft) and Missy Balance (Mohair Circus), with the added talent of designers Amy Cluck (Peptogirl Industries) and Lauren Brandy (Goody-Goody).  PimpStitch has been featured quite a bit lately on CRAFT's blog and why not?  They regularly offer tips, tutorials and free patterns along with the awesome and VERY affordable unique (and did I mention downloadable for your instant gratification?) designs they create.

To celebrate the obscene number of hits I've been getting from being their guest designer, I'm going to extend the time to get a  FREE SKELEKITTY POSTCARD until I run out or until the end of the week!  Just click over and follow the directions!
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Monday, September 8, 2008

Mouse with her "Mommy Kitty" pillow

Too cute NOT to blog!  Our kitty, Mouse, was hand-raised by a person and her doggie, and has recently (at almost 5 years old) adopted this pillow as her mommy - she kneads it and purrs like crazy, then falls asleep hugging it!
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Two new items on Etsy!

Both available at Krissi's Stitchery on Etsy for only $65 each, but make me an offer for both pieces and we'll talk. (Sorry, these pieces are not available for trading.)

First, a naughty phrase to make you laugh:

Star F**ker
"Star F**ker"  11x16" mixed media on canvas text
Unfortunately, most of us know at least one of these.  Text (color on color) reads, 
"I do nothing ORIGINAL"
"but i know people who do."
&
"who I know defines my worth"
newspaper clippings, sharpie markers, glitter, milagros, golden liquid acrylics, crystal medium and ... ummm... paper towels (Bounty, if you MUST know).
 
details from "Star Fucker"


Also available,
The Catalyst (mixed media on canvas)
"The Catalyst" 16x11 mixed media on canvas
Cohort or alter ego to the Star F**ker, The Catalyst enjoys creating volatile situations with her "friends" and sitting back to enjoy the explosions. Since she is not, by her very nature, consumed by the process, she is able to create many such reactions over and over again.
Golden liquid acrylics, granular gel
(Golden), digital transfers with gel medium
details of "the Catalyst"
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Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Problem with Swap-Bot

. . . is that I never want to give away what I make. Of course, if not for the swaps, I'd never even bother to make this stuff in the first place.

I got SOOOOO behind when I was sick for the month of July, and my gym schedule, administering Scary CRAFT and being in Suzi Blu's mixed-media class ain't helping with the ol' time management. I really AM catching up on my backlog of swaps though (and if you're owed one from me, feel free to nag, contact, whine and/or plead). This one here got shoved to the front of the line 'cause it doubles as a homework assignment and as my "Frida-licious Mixed-Media Canvasboard" for a private group swap on the Bot. As soon as partners are assigned, it's GAWN (I wonder who the lucky recipient will be).

I also finished one last week for my "...of Guadalupe" themed swap (create a work entitled [whatever] of Guadalupe), but have been holding back with the photos 'cause it's going to be featured as a free pattern on a popular crafting blog/shop on Tuesday. I don't want to ruin the surprise for that one, but I think Artsy Gringa Michele will be happy when she sees it and finds out she's the recipient of this particular Guadalupe silliness (and may even forgive my tardiness).

iPhone of Guadalupe
Speaking of Guadalupe, check out this awesome "iPhone of Guadalupe" that I received from Selena, my rockin' swap partner (kylieNhavannahsMom)! I need to keep an eye on it whenever Kathy's in town, of course! Between the PBRs (please will someone tell me where to find these cheaply??) and the iPhone, Crystal Case may come a knockin' as well.
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Saturday, September 6, 2008

First Assignment Finished

Here's the finished product!  Thanks to Suzi Blu for getting me to do this, and to finish it before I went on to the next project!

View slideshow
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Friday, September 5, 2008

"Simple Shrine Tutorial" by Artsy Gringa!

Michele, a fellow crafty gringa, just started her super-awesome blog-o-tutorials this (well last) month. She may be new to blogging, but she's a pro at the mixed-media folk arts!

Be sure to check out her "Simple Shrine Frame Tutorial" in plenty of time for you to take advantage of the techniques before Dia de los Muertos! She shows you how to make the perfect little nicho for your own Day of the Dead creations!
Just add a muertito (Of course, I don't have to tell you that mine will have a certain kitty in it).

She even inspires us all with her finished creations:
Have fun my little craftitas!

Wouldn't you agree that she's DEFINITELY earned a Skelekitty Stamp of Approval for her blog?
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Thursday, September 4, 2008

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Ladies, you REALLY need to get one of these!

Questions, questions, all the time I get questions!

Here's one I hear a lot, "where do you get all of your ideas for Skelekitty?" Most of the time, I get 'em from this guy here:
Ron - 10/11/03
This is my hubby, for those of you who haven't yet met him. We met over 20 years ago in college (January 1986) and, after he teased me relentlessly for a few years, went our separate ways.  A mere 12 years later we were dating and five years after that we were married.  I know - we shouldn't have rushed it.

Ron swears he's not an artist, but he IS a creative thinker and comes up with some good ideas. He is responsible for the rubber stamps becoming a reality, and came up with quite a few of the image ideas including the concept for Skelekitty's new blog image (which I made a reality last night and this morning):
Skelekitty - blogging!

My point here is that you never know what creativity lurks within your own family.  If someone is willing to talk ideas out with you, take advantage of it.  You never know how it might change your life!

She'll be going up on my blog as the link to the official SK page soon -- hopefully today (if the birdies stop screaming their heads off and give me more than 2 minutes in a row).
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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

As with everything, this too, is a process

Not to long ago I told you about my fear of drawing (inability to) and that Yoli talked me into taking an online class, "Les Petites Dolls" by Suzi Blu, featuring her amazing mixed-media techniques for drawing, collaging, layering, texturing & encaustic (beeswax) work. By the end of week 2, Belén, Kathy and Cyndi had succummed - and, probably by tomorrow, Nicole will have joined up too! We've managed to get Kiff into the community - now we just need to get her to sign her cute self up. Tamie and Missy (of Pimp Stitch) have also been thinking about it (peer pressure!!).

My first assignment piece, which is what Suzi calls a "pretty girl on wood," has kept me busy for the last week and she's not quite done yet. However, I thought this would be a fun place for me to take you through the step-by-step changes as they've happened. I went back yesterday to look through my first few pics and it felt like archeology - uncovering layers and going backward in time - and I realized I'm pleased with the process and the progress.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because these are Suzi's techniques and she supports herself by teaching them, I'm not in a position to give any more details than I already am below. However, if you're already in the class, you can message me and I'll provide more info).

Wood Fairie - Mixed-Media with Suzi Blu "Les Petites Dolls"


Sketch on wood
Step 1 - sketch on birchwood
Using Suzi's techniques and a graphite pencil on birch plywood, we learned how to lay out a face, draw eyes & a mouth, and create body gestures. I thought about doing an angel, but she just sort of ended up being more fairie-like.

Wood burning!
Step 2 - woodburningI'd never wood burned before, but found it to be fun. Next time I'll be a little more aggressive - this first attempt is a bit light (I used a fine point tip).

Pencil shading, layer 1
Step 3 - first layer of pencil shadingWatercolor and artist pencils and Suzi's techniques.

Background, layer 1; glaze layer 1; pencil shading, layer 2
Step 5 - first layer for backgroundAcrylic paint (background) and glazes over wings, face and dress. More pencils over first layer of paint

Background layer 2, glazing layer 2 and collage layer 1
Paint layer 2; collage layer 1Acrylics (wet on wet for background), Crafty Chica "Mojito" decorative papers and "Frida's Fuschia" & "Sunset Pink" glitters, acrylic glazes (wet on dry for fairie), pencil shading on wings

More collage, layering, glazing and shading
Homework - collage layer 2Rub ons, stamps, copic markers (around flowers), Paper Glaze (over glitter), additional shading on face and eyes & highlight in eyes & lips. Oh, and cheesecloth for the wings!

Wing details
homework - collage layer 2The cheesecloth is something I came up with myself, so I would be happy to share this technique:
  • I painted inside the wing margins with light gel medium and carefully placed a single layer of cheesecloth over the top.
  • I folded the fabric in toward the middle a little, then used a tongue depressor to gently scrape off the excess medium.
  • AFTER the gel medium dried (30 min), I used the hotknife attachment on my woodburner to cut away the excess cheesecloth.
  • I brought out the texture with a black watercolor pencil, then glazed over the wings with Golden Artist Liquid "Interference Red (fine)" mixed with glazing medium.
Ooooh! Magic morphing-art slideshow! View slideshow

She's almost finished. The flowers and leaves need to be brought "down" a little with some matte glaze, I want to do some stenciling and stamping over the top, and the dress hasn't "spoken" to me just yet. It needs something, I am just waiting to discover what that is!
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