Category: Behind the Scenes

Process notes, material experiments, and glimpses into how my artwork and products come to life.

Photo of Designers Guild Lampshade in the Making

Behind the Scenes

Excited that my photography skills are developing. It’s all that Instagraming I’ve been doing.

Anyway I thought I’d take a quick snap of the fabric. I’m using a Ralph Lauren that I got from the Designers’ Guild Autumn sale together with their natty gold and cotton trim.

I love the symbolic juxtaposition of the two fabric thread gold and hessian or Burlap as the Americans say.

I’m beginning to feel that the shades I make, create such a statement that they are infact ornamental in themselves and don’t need a base.

My passion for trimmings and tassels continue.

If you have any questions or comments about handmade lampshades with trimmings and tassels please drop me a line.

The frames are upcycled and stripped back and re bound.

Being proud to show the rough with the smooth with blusher brush: coral and pink abstract

Behind the Scenes

Does it look bashful to you? The fantasy flower in this painting appears to be slightly embarrassed.

I wonder why.

Perhaps it is because I used the big bold blusher brush to get all the emotion out to create those swirls.

There is no shame here. Be bold with your crimson connection. Personally I don’t see anything wrong with combining magentaish pink with understated and sultry coral.

Be proud we say!

Here is what the detail of it looks framed.

Shine on with your cool bold emblushered self.

Blue Planet Saver Idea: Using ESPA Optimal Skin Pro cleanser granules in teal, gold and black acrylic abstract painting

Behind the Scenes

So I experimented with recycling some old ESPA Optimal skin pro cleanser as a textured base to this painting. It makes it smell of bergamot or something citrus-y.  Wow this has a beautiful fragrance as well as a being a nice looking art work. It also has a touch of Very Berry lip gloss by Jane Iredale in the chocoholic’s range to lend a bit of pigment depth mid range of the painting.

After finishing I stood back and thought how ironic that the optimal skin exfoliate gel mixes interestingly with the acrylic paints helping to add to the painting’s watery feel.

When using it I first thought I was saving the planet (the seas and protecting the lovely marine life- inspired by Blue Planet TV Show) from the scrubs little microscopic balls. Then I remembered that the miniature balls in this skin exfoliation product actually dissolves when worked around and rubbed into skin, they break down because they are soy oil balls.

So the discovery of the virtues of the Espa Pro Cleansing medium means that this skin scrub will come off my up-cycling/ recycling shelf and go back into my bathroom.

However I’m keeping my eyes open for those other offending micro beaded face scrubs. Why? Well because I need them to add to the texture of my future paintings while I do my bit in saving our beautiful blue planet.

On a final note I like how the blue skye in the painting is close in tone to the deep blue of our planet that we all love so much.

Chili pepper lip-gloss pink helps create a black smokey river acrylic painting

Behind the Scenes

This abstract painting I created using a bit of old Jane Irridale lip-gloss as they have great pigments (not a lot of people know that). I love the colours in this one. I worked hard to get the right balance of textures, colours and a bit of gold bling.

The tools I used include pallet knife and surprisingly found that a lip brush as well as eye shadow fan brush was great for blending lines in. How intriguing that the Jane Iridale Chocoholics pack Chilli pepper pinky pigment lip gloss actualy adds some striking depth to the painting and helps to make this dark foreboding river  scene look a bit more appealing.

My new tools are very fitting for the new paint mediums I’m using.  I’m so glad I’ve found a way to upcycle old cosmetics as well as find a new use for the tools of my old very distant trade.