Kosmo Silhouette

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profile photo

Recently I decided to throw my hat into the silhouette rage. But I added a little personal touch in the end. The subject, Kosmo, my 9-year-old, bouncing bundle of Shiba Inu energy. Here’s how I did it:

Step One: Take a Profile Photo.

It’s more difficult than you think to get your dog to look away from you in the right direction without anyone to help. Take plenty of photo’s, a dozen even, with flash or without, whatever looks good to you.

Step Two: Erase the Background.

After I chose the best image for a profile, I used Photoshop to erase the background. I should have had more of Kosmo in the photo. See all that negative space in front of him? But this was the best photo I had and I wasn’t willing to repeat this step. So my creative wheels were turning.

Step Three: Turn Your Subject Black

In Photoshop, again, this is a quick and easy step. Color your subject black and it’s pretty fast and fulfilling to see it almost done.

Step Four: Print on Cardstock
Step Five: Cut Your Subject Out

Some may print and stop right there. Even though you can use fade resistant ink in your printer, I just feel better having this on black paper. That’s also how it was done years and years ago, before the invention of digital. Print on a nice heavy cardstock as this will be used for tracing. After you cut the image, you’ll notice the edges of the paper are very noticeably white. The white edges won’t look quite right, so…

Step Six: Trace on Lightfast Black Quality Paper

Lightfast means it’s not prone to discolor when exposed to light. Available at any art supply store, ask a retail associate if you can’t identify if the paper is lightfast. Many well known paper manufacturers make both, so it’s important to know what you’re purchasing. Once purchased, I suggest labeling the paper in some way so you know, for future projects, which paper is lightfast. I believe I used Strathmore paper, but I can’t say for sure.

Step Seven: Cut

Use scissors, an X-acto knife, a scalpel, or try The Slice Precision Cutter. Have you seen these cool things? I think you either like it or you don’t, depending on what you use it for. I’m not sure I would use it for real heavy cardstock, but it worked for me. I also keep one in my utility/junk drawer to cut coupons and stuff from magazines. Don’t forget to use a self-healing mat to protect your surface! The Slice is less likely to cut you, but it will still cut your table or counter-top.

Step Seven: Mount to Background

I mounted the image to white acid-free cardstock using one of my favorite tools above. You can use matboard too. The 3M ATG Adhesive System is kind of big and clunky, but it really works great and the tape is super strong. Make sure you know where you want to place things before you tape, because there’s no turning back once adhered.

Step Eight: Frame

You see what I mean about negative space? It’s just missing something, don’t you think?

There, a little calligraphy and it magically fixes the problem! With a little Maria Thomas, one of my favorite calligraphers, flare too.

And now it looks perfect for wrapping and giving. What do you think? It’s not the traditional way to see it done, but I think the calligraphy gives it a special, personal touch. Tell me what you think in the comments. Would you buy something like this unframed? If so, how much would you pay? Just curious.

Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall by Coldplay

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chris martin, coldplay

Music inspires me. I always have music on when I’m working, getting ready in the morning and throughout the weekend. The type varies, but lately this song by Coldplay has been inspiring me. My favorite lyrics in this song:

“I’d rather be a ‘,’ than a ‘.’” (I’d rather be a comma than a full-stop) & “Maybe I’m in the gap between the two trapeze”.

At the end if it, it just makes me want to through my arms out and spin around. Then I saw this video below and noticed Chris Martin kinda does that too. The video & song inspire me and makes me feel happy. So colorful, just like their current stage sets and instruments. Definitely brings back the 80′s of neon, but done so much better!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Coldplay.

Creative Courage & Thank You

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levy, stephanie

Welcome to 2012! I hope it’s been a good start for you. I’m trying to focus on some good, uplifting goals (not resolutions) for myself in the months ahead of me.

To start, I’d like to share an e-course that has been VERY therapeutic and uplifting for me. The second Creative Courage e-course began today. Last year I took the e-course and it was one of the best classes I’ve taken online or in person. For anyone who has a passion or is trying to find their passion, whether it be art, writing, cooking, photography, it really helps one grow and also get past some of your fears that hold you back from growing and spreading your wings. It’s a course that truly makes me feel good inside.

Stephanie Levy teaches the course in a blog format with the help of a number of expert guest artists that are different with each course. Stephanie’s an American living with her husband and family in Germany. Stephanie is a very talented artist and she’s extremely nice.

I’m sure she’ll be teaching again if you can’t immediately join this e-course, so keep this in mind, bookmark it and consider making it a goal for your 2012. I promise, you will not regret it.

If you have a creative way of expressing yourself or even if you’re needing to find a way to do that, this is an opportunity for you. And please don’t limit that way to just art or painting. It’s really in any creative way, just as long as we find it and pursue it. Singing, writing, drawing, painting, cooking, dancing, photography, gardening, anything! If you have no idea or think you have no creative bone in your body, this e-course will help and surprise you too.

So this is one of the ways I’m choosing to begin my 2012. The course lasts 7 weeks, but I hope I can carry its teachings with me throughout the year.

Here is where you can find out more about Stephanie:

Blogs:
Artists Who Blog
Poppytalk Handmade Artists
Stephanie Levy : A Studio With A View
12 Countries in 12 Months

Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/stephanielevy?ref=em

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Levy-art-illustration/80928134462

Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanielevy/5684641646/in/set-72157616433748907/

I’d like to also say thank you (Mmmmm…can’t you just smell those paperwhite narcissus flowers? Thanks Mom!) for your patience during the holidays and thereafter. I didn’t expect to be so quiet on this blog, but I got a Happy New Year cold/flu. Then just as I was getting well from that, I took a nice and clumsy fall, but I’m kind of a klutz. So it’s been an interesting beginning to 2012. I’m on the mend, so no worries!

Love, Peace and Goodwill

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bishopville south carolina, pearl fryar, topiary garden

I’ve been making things I want to share with you, but I have to wait until after Christmas or I’ll give the surprises away as some are gifts. But I wanted to share some inspiration with you that I found this week.

Sunday, I watched a documentary, A Man Named Pearl. Pearl Fryar and his story filled me with hope and energy to create art. In the early 1980′s, Pearl must have been in his early 40′s, he began to teach himself the art of topiary gardening.

His property, in the small town of Bishopville, South Carolina, is around 3 acres. Into the wee hours of the night Pearl has worked hard on his topiary garden. At first the neighbors would ask themselves, “What is he DOING?!” He’d also get dying plants from the local nursery and nurse them back to life for his garden. Paying attention to the lines the spaces, not sketching a gosh darn thing. He never took a class or studied with a book on topiary. No travels to England to see such artwork in famous gardens either. I love self taught artists, don’t you?

To know that he came upon these talents later in his life is very encouraging to me. His pastor told Pearl one day that blessings will come. Some find their talents and the blessings that come from them when they are young and some happen to come later in life. But when it comes, it’s always the right time.

Pearl has created a little piece of beauty on this earth. Now tourists in buses come for tours. Bishopville is just a small pass through town along a stretch of highway, much like where I live in Duvall, Washington. Now the reconstruction of their Main Street lines with Pearls’ topiary’s in the medians. He is so inspiring, so giving and just listening to his wise words filled me up with a spirit of happiness and an excitement to create.

So I know this is a long post, but stick with me. I have one more thing to share with you. Do any of you watch Work of Art, The Next Great Artist? They just finished airing their 2nd season on Bravo.

It’s a fun show. They had all sorts of creative types with all kinds of personalities on the show. This year they had an artist named The Sucklord. Yes, that’s right, The Sucklord. He was really funny and although his art didn’t always speak to me, I know my nephew’s, M3 & M4, would like it (he uses a lot of action figures, e.g. Han Solo, Storm Troopers, and bootleg action figures in his art).

And then there’s one of the hosts, China Chow, and her dresses went above and beyond last season’s. Think Bjork style. With Simon de Pury, the mentor, this is her canvas dress above, which the contestants sprayed an unknown color of spray paint to find what team they would be on.

Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t watched it yet and are planning to, please skip this part of the post.

And the winner is, Kymia Nawabi! I was happy with the choice. This piece above was my favorite of Kymia’s. Her father, who died in a jet skiing accident, was her inspiration. She’s a fantastic drawer and she really can apply her talents using many different mediums. The same can be said about all 3 final artists.

One of the runner up artists was Young Sun Han. His theme was inspired by his father, above, who passed away from cancer three years prior. Although Young didn’t win, he still won in many other ways. His artwork seemed to help him with the final grieving process. He even commented that now he felt he could move on.

The other runner up was Sara Jimenez. I was drawn to her final pieces. All throughout the season I seemed to be drawn to her style. Sara created a suit she could wear with a mask, as seen above, a sort of magical creature. Along the busy streets of New York City she gave paper to passerby’s and invited them to write down what worries them, offer it to the creature to, in a sense, carry for them. What a response she got from strangers!

This was one of my favorite installations Sara created. I’m not sure if it was intended to mean this, but this is what it said to me. Worries can often be kept in a cage that we carry around with us and are trapped by them each day. Imagine being able to take those serious worries and concerns and release them. You could sore.

Applying what some strangers offered up to the magical creature, imagine not having to worry any longer about your drug addiction, or the needles you shared and the possible diseases you could be infected with. Imagine not being afraid to try out for the lead in The Nutcracker, or finally submit that book you wrote to various editors. Imagine what it would feel like not to be afraid of anything. It would be very freeing, wouldn’t it?

Well, there’s my two main inspirations this week. I hope you enjoyed what I shared with you today. This will likely be my last post before Christmas. So I want to wish you all the happiest of Christmas’. May you try to feel some peace on that day and love one another. In the words designed into Pearls garden, Love, Peace & Goodwill to you all.

A Gift For You

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christmas colors, circular labels

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’ve been busy getting ready for the holidays. Shopping, creating, working on my 2011 Christmas cards and wrapping.

Or at least I’m trying to wrap when Kosmo isn’t in need of some attention. Here he sat in my wrapping spot while I was trying to wrap my nieces, A’s, present. He’s so funny.

I’ve also been working on something for you! That’s right, just something extra to say thank you for taking the time to keep in touch with me here on my blog. My gift to you:

Here are some labels for your holiday gifts. I’ve got labels with Christmas colors and Hanukkah colors, as Hanukkah begins December 20th. You have three options.

For a full page of red & green labels click here.
For a full page of blue & green labels click here.
For a full page of navy & blue labels click here.

If you need to download the latest version of Adobe Reader click here.

Print these on some card stock, cut them out and enjoy!. If you use a circle punch, my 2&1/8″ punch works great for the circular labels. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Enjoy your weekend!