Tag: Materials

Finding funky fringing for updating standard lamp

Creative Workspaces

I wanted to do justice to this standard lamp as its trimming update was long overdue.

It’s one of the pieces that I realise now was over designed. And recently I’d

been wanting to strip down the details always remembering the less is more rule. I continued to be Inspired by smart office dress and my mood board contained images from Pinterest.

Lampshade Before

Selecting matching pink fringing

Trying trimming on for size style and mood

Then the finished piece is is what I’m much happier with. Just need to get a new lamp stand. Thinking dark burnt oak or ebony wood.

After

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.