First steps in the Art Truck "Belle Mariposa"

I've been working on creating an "Art Truck" in my mind for months! I love to visualize my creative ideas and, when they're solid in my mind, drawing them out on my sketch pad. So, I've been playing with this idea for quite a while. In earnest over the last few months but, in truth, I've loved the idea for years!

At first I started visualizing a car, then a vw bug. When I started bringing art to galleries and doing street fairs, I was led to the idea of an art truck. I'll have a shell to put over the bed so that I can put my art back there and not worry about it blowing around. I also want a tiny backseat for my dog, Gracie! She loves to come along wherever I go!

If you take a look at my art, you'll see that I love painting butterflies. My first one was at the suggestions of my son, David. We were doing a mural on the side of our shed and I found a picture of a purple cone flower that happened to have a lovely monarch visiting it. When we finished the flower, David reminded me that it was time to add the butterfly. I told him I didn't think I knew how to paint a butterfly, but I'd try. Well, it was pure magic. The giant image just flowed and I dearly love that first butterfly and see it almost daily when I look at the artistically painted shed in our yard.

Since I'm probably a ways away from being able to buy my truck :(, I thought I'd start practicing painting on cars with bits of car that I can get from wrecking yards. So far I've gotten a piece of bumper which I've hand painted a couple of butterflies on. I used acrylic paint and brushes to do these two. I'm going to try creating a stencil and using my airbrush to do the background and adding the details with brushes.

Finally, I have a friend who is an auto body guy. He'll clear coat the whole truck and protect the images as well as the original paint.

If you've created an art vehicle, I'd love to hear from you and learn what you found worked and what didn't. I'll continue to share my experience and, hopefully, will have a finished truck to show you!

Here's the piece of bumper I've been practicing on.

Open  view of monarch

side view of Monarch, no legs yet!

Upcoming Line of Pendants for ETSY

original painting titled "sunshine"

original artwork titled "mended heart"

daisy picture taken in Gilroy, CA

Shamrock

Sunflower picture taken in McCloud California

Hey, all! I've been slaving away working on new designs to place in pendants that I plan to list on ETSY. I thought it would be fun to post a few of the art pieces here to give a preview of the jewelry to come. I just love creating iconic images. These pieces lend themselves perfectly to darling little pendants worn simply or adorned with charms and beads. Gosh, the creative process is fun!This process starts with creating original artwork, taking pictures, and collecting vintage images. Then, I use my computer to make them the right size and print them out. For fun, I like to add some glitter and extra brush or ink strokes to the images. Finally, it's off to the glass studio to create the pendants. I hope you are having fun with your process, too.

Goldfinches




Here are my little finches in their nest.



I've been working hard on making the book perfect so I NEEDED to break to play. Here are the little cuties I made for my neighbor. I hope she likes them. But, if she doesn't I guess I'll just have to keep 'em! If you scroll down, you'll see them in their just sculpted form. Painting makes such a big difference.



Close up of the happy couple



The One

I call this painting "The One" I love the bright colors and movement.

My Angel series

I've done a few of thees angels and really enjoy them. It's so fun to see how they reveal themselves to me. The baby's guardian angel is set in a tin cealing tile. The painting is only three by four inches tall. She's so cute!!

Big Flower Painting

I was inspired to paint this flower by a bouquet of gerber daisies I picked up at the market. They were on my work table and I wanted to keep one forever! Now I can. :)

Some more of my art... just for fun. :)

I took my camera out back and took some pictures to share. When my sweetie built a shed last summer, he told me he wanted me to paint it and have fun.  hee hee... I did!!