More Body Art!

It has been a while since I blogged anything! In my absence, I have been working, running more, visiting family, Halloween came and went, and I had more body art done!  The last tattoo I had was a bright pink peony cover-up done in late August.  As I was finalizing my payment and tip after my peony was finished, I made another appointment with my artist, Liaa Walter!

http://www.cirquedurouge.com

I have been getting tattooed by Liaa (who is super sweet and amazingly talented) for just over a year.  I love her work and getting tattooed by her feels more like two friends chatting and hanging out rather than sitting in a chair and getting poked with needles.

On the late morning of Halloween, I ventured from the suburbs of Northern Virginia into Northeast Washington, DC.  Despite the fact I left my house super early, I ended up arriving to the shop 15 minutes late.  The DC Metro was seemingly running slower than normal. (It is always running slow but this day it was especially lagging behind schedule). 

As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by Meredith (shop maven, front desk authority, and all around great gal) who directed me up the third floor where Liaa was preparing her work station.  At this point, I was feeling a bit nervous and stressing a bit about the pain.  The back is not an easy spot to get tattooed.  The spine and nerve endings can make things a bit tough. However, I came prepared!  I had Vitamin Water Zero and my beloved Kashi granola bars to keep me hydrated and glucose levels up during the procedure. 

Before Liaa began the actual tattoo, she drew a freehand cherry tree branch and blossoms to join a celtic design I have in the middle of my upper back.  In addition, Liaa connected the new branch segment to an existing cherry tree branch on my left arm/shoulder I had done in 2007. 

Here is a little background: In 2000, I had a Celtic triskele dragon design created.  It was my second tattoo.  I was 25.  I recall the actual tattoo process was not pleasant.  Instead of breathing slowly in and out, I held my breath and as a result, I almost passed out.  Moreover, I remember not eating beforehand.  Let tell you, eating a proper, balanced meal 1-2 hours before a tattoo session is VITAL.  If you go dehydrated and hungry, you WILL be miserable. 

Nevertheless, 13 years after my dragons were done, I noticed the design looked like a faded mess and a bit like "peel and stick."  "Peel and stick" means the tattoo looked like a floating sticker.  It appeared to be disconnected from my other tattoos.  

After Liaa finished drawing out my new design, I took a quick look in the mirror, loved it, and then we began the session.  The pain was not as intense as I anticipated.  However, the previous session on my lower back (my peony), that was rough. Wow.  The total work took about an hour and a half and this is what it looks like now:

 I am so happy with my updated and refreshed art!  In January, Liaa is going to add a couple of snowflakes to the piece.  I cannot wait! 

 

A Little Bit of "Mad Men" in My House

(The above artwork is by New York-based artist, Dyna Moe)

Here is her website: http://www.nobodyssweetheart.com/

When "Mad Men" first debuted on AMC in 2007, I didn't watch it. There was a part of me that felt the depiction of the early 60s was "too modern." Moreover, the notion of following the tales of a married, cocksure ad man with a scotch and girl addiction was depressing. However, after my TiVo recorded a few episodes in my "TiVo Suggestions" file, I found myself not only watching them, I was entranced! The interior design, the clothing, and the complex nature of the characters made me love this show! In a sense, I became a "Mad Men" junkie!

Speaking of interior design, I was recently watching a "Season 2" episode of "Mad Men" and I saw this:

This is a screen-shot of Pete and Trudy Campbell's Manhattan apartment. I ADORE the art on the wall! The three canvases look like a bas-relief or woodcuts.

Inspired by these pieces (along with the artwork by Ms. Moe), I decided to create my own depiction using three separate 12x24" canvases coated with acrylic paint.

Before I began my paint/color scheme, I made two stencils with sketch paper and scotch tape. Stencils are a good way to ensure uniformity and accuracy:

Then, I painted the canvases with pale pink and a faux fishnet design using a darker, mid-tone pink. When the paint was dry, I traced the outline of the stencil(s) onto each canvas with lead pencil. I outlined the shapes with a Sharpie Paint Pen in Black and filled them out with black gloss acrylic paint. To finish, I accented the three shapes with white acrylic.

Here is the final look:

And here's the overall creation in my foyer hallway:

Latest Artwork and Vintage-Inspired Home Updates (Picture Heavy)

In an effort to get back to normal life, I have been working hard at the office and at home to stay busy. I find that during times of stress, if I keep myself occupied with job tasks and creative activities, I feel better. I would love to get back to the gym again but I know that I have to pace myself. I cannot have too much on my plate so I will just take things as they go.

Nevertheless, I have made a few houseware purchases at my local Home Goods store, converted a plain table lamp and a simple bud vase into mid-century inspired pieces, and have completed an array of atomic-inspired paintings for the house.

So, let's start with the housewares! Here is a tall, orange ceramic vase I found at Home Goods for $19.99 USD. It stands about two feet (24 inches) tall:

I also found another amazing starburst mirror at Home Goods! I found my first one there in February. This one is slightly bigger in diameter and boasts silver-toned facets. It retailed for $49.99 USD:

Now, here is an orange ceramic bud vase I found at my local Michaels Craft store. It was plain orange and it cost about $4.99 USD. I decorated it with DecoColor Paint pens in aqua blue and gold.

This lamp used to stand on a side table in my guest bedroom.

The base was white and the shade was an off-white cream shade. I think I bought it about 5 years ago. I painted the shade with a blend of clear mixing medium and antique white acrylic paint. When the shade was dry, I applied gold acrylic paint using a damp sponge. I then applied another coat of the paint mix and when it was dry, I applied another round of gold paint. Using a gold DecoColor paint pen, I drew on simulated string on the top and bottom of the shade.

As for the base,  I painted two coats of orange acrylic paint. I let it dry and then applied a clear varnish mixed with 1960s vintage, square gold glitter. 

Now, here are the new paintings! This large canvas is located in my foyer. I wanted bright, primary colors:

Here are two 8x10 atomic cat paintings I did using acrylic paint and paint pens. I found inspiration in a 1950s carved wood set of cats that were listed on Esty:

This is one of two matching 4x5 canvases. Again, I used a blend of acrylic and paint pen:

Here is how the above 4x5 set looks paired with the atomic cats. The paintings are in my den/living room area:

This next painting was inspired by a 1950s, atomic-era tablecloth I saw listed on Etsy. I added orange to make the muted colors pop. Again, I used both acrylic paint and DecoColor paint pens:

Back in February, I purchased a set of plain wood shadow boxes. Until a week ago, they were sitting unfinished in my basement. I was not sure what to do with them or what colors to use and then an idea came to me, go pink! I have pink tones in my upstairs foyer/hallway. I also have a pink diamond and black starburst table runner I made using vintage fabric.

I painted the shadow boxes with two tones of pink acrylic paint and I also used gold paint along with black and gold paint pens.  I painted two pink diamonds with starbursts on two matching 8x10 canvases. Here is the result:

Inside the shadow boxes, I placed vintage blown glass figurines. One is a whale and the other is a mouse, both from Norway.

So, there you have it! The latest updates to my slowly transforming vintage abode. The process is taking time (going from modern to vintage that is) but it is worth it!

What home decor updates have you gals done recently! I would love to know!

Fun with Black and White

As an artist, I enjoy experimenting with various mediums of art, especially photography. With today's technology, the possibilities are endless! We can take color photos and make them black and white, manipulate light sources, increase contrast, and even create canvas effects.

Here are a few photos made into black and whites. I increased the contrast and even use a canvas feature on one of them.

What do you all think? What art forms interest you?

New Running Shoes and Two Atomic Paintings!

I am sorry I have not posted anything in over a week! I have been feeling a bit lazy for some reason. I think it is the weather. It has been cool one day and then somewhat warm the next. Within a two week time frame, there has been rain, wind, sunshine, and even a bit of snow! I, for one, want a major snow event but I think it's not going to happen. March start tomorrow and before we know it, spring will be here.

Nevertheless, I have lots of new ideas for blog topics. I am going to post about vintage repro shapewear and how to do a proper 40s lip. I am also going to talk about my latest sewing adventures. Let me tell you, what a saga that has been!

So, without further ado, I have been painting again. I went to art school and studied Spanish. From makeup, painting to pottery, I love all things art. In the process of decorating my home, I have also been creating a couple of Atomic-era pieces.

Here is one acrylic painting, based on the pattern on the 50s atomic barkcloth runner on my dining room table:

Here is a view of the original print:

One of my favorite blogs is Straight Talking Mama! Fiona is a doll and I LOVE her style! A while back she posted about Retro Renovation. I saw her post and was so inspired:

http://straighttalkingmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-want-it-all.html

In honor of this fabulous wallpaper, I created this painting using complimentary colors of blue and orange:

Along with being affected by the weather and painting, I have been running way more! During the dregs of winter, I found myself making excuses not to run/workout. I recently decided 'enough was enough' and now I am back to my 5 days a week/5 miles per run.

In addition, I have been putting off buying new running shoes. The 'cardinal rule' of running shoes is to replace them every 500 miles or every 6 months! I have been so bad! I have not replaced my shoes since August! During my Friday morning run, my left knee began to felt irritated. I realized it was time to buy a new pair. I have found running bliss in Saucony's Pro Guide 2, which is now the 3:

I was so happy to find these shoes on Zappos.com on sale for $76.00USD! I am especially pleased to find these in pink! My previous pair only came in gray/white, green/white, and blue/white. I had the blue/white. I am a sucker for all things pink and I cannot wait for these to arrive!

Atomic Era Cat Painting Inspired by Straight Talking Mama's Broken Cat Vase

Recently, the lovely Fiona from Straight Talking Mama blog, did a post detailing the heartbreak she felt when her 60 year old cat vase (as pictured above) broke when a huge wind caused it to crash to the floor.

http://straighttalkingmama.blogspot.com/2011/02/dont-you-just-hate-it-when.html

When I read her story, I felt her loss. What a shame to lose such a precious mid-century piece!  I hope Fiona can find another cat vase just like the one she had.

Because I am a "crazy cat lady"  and an avid vintage enthusiast, I decided to tap into my creativity and do a painting inspired by Fiona's broken kitty vase. I used acrylic colors of espresso, white, and pink.

I also added two starbursts and applied a thin layer of pink glitter over the pink swirls:

 And, here is the painting hanging above my white bookshelf in my upstairs foyer hall:

 I like the way the painting turned out but I hope Fiona does not mind I basically did a copy of her cat! I guess since the cat is broken and not able to be fixed, I hope my finished piece can properly honor its memory!

How to Make Atomic Housewares Tutorial!

This white vase sits on my mantle. I decorated it myself using paint pens I bought from AC Moore! The design was inspired from my Salem North Star cup and saucer set like this one:

How did I do it? I used DecoColor paint markers. The colors I used were black, gold, and teal. Each marker retails between $2.99 and $3.10 USD. I also bought the white vase at AC Moore for $4.99. Before I decorated the vase, I practiced making starburst-like designs on paper with a pencil. When I was ready to begin, I needed to "activate" the marker.

Simply shake the marker back and forth. Remove the lid and gently press down on the marker tip itself using scratch paper, and let the paint flow towards the tip. When the paint has completely saturated the marker head, draw a faint line to ensure paint will not streak. Now you are ready to create!

Should you make a mistake or you do not like your design, use turpentine and a soft cloth to remove the marker. Once applied, the marker will not come off! It also dries quickly! I do not recommend using DecoColor for items that are intended to serve food or drink. The paint will fade and chip with repeated washing and I am sure the chemicals are not food safe. It is best to use DecoColors on decorative-only items!

DecoColor comes in many colors, finishes (creams, metallics, pearls, and glitters), and also comes in different size marker tips like extra fine, fine, broad, and bullet. I normally use fine and broad.

Here is a simple, blue glass vase I decorated using a gold marker:

So, if you want to give your vintage house a retro touch, you can do it yourself. Sure, finding atomic beauties on Etsy and at antique malls are what we prefer in most cases, but now we can also make our own Eames creations!

Body Art!

This post celebrates all the girls out there, vintage or not, who have tattoos, ie body art! Most of my art was done by the late, Kauri Tiyme, who was based out of Denver, Colorado. Sadly, Kauri was taken from this earth in October 2008, yet her energy and powerful lifeforce lives on in all of my tattoos. I am so blessed to have known Kauri as my artist and friend.

All of the following pictures show tattoos done my Kauri.

Sitting on my left hip, showing the right side showing some of Kauri's work:


Sitting on my right hip, showing the left side:


Here is only part of the detail from the cherry blossom and snowflake design on my left arm:


Here are two close-ups of the hibiscus, frangipani, and orchid design on my right shoulder and upper arm:




Here is an upclose look at the Colorado Columbine on my right ankle:


Here is the floral design Kauri repaired (sadly, the previous design I had was done terribly by another artist):


Like I said before, I am lucky to have Kauri Tiyme art on my skin. It reminds me that she is always going to be a part of me forever.