Michael Demeng Anatomical Man Class

So Sunday March 2nd I headed out for a long awaited Michael Demeng Class in Berkeley.
It was an odd start for me. Missing my bus, missing my transfer train & then another bus. Arrived 15min. in, and took me a while to wake up & jump in the game.
(my creative time is normally around 11pm till daybreak)... so attempting to create at 10 in the morning was interesting. It wasn't until after lunch that I felt alive & really settled into creating... of course at that time the class was nearly over & ready for the overview.

Michael was friendly, funny & had some good advice for techniques in collaging my plastic Anatomy figure into a work of art.


My Horned Ancient Guardian of the key was unfinished... and though Mike had said the piece looked finished as it was. I continued to create after I got home. Then went out and had a fabulous Mexican meal with the hus (who had bought the class for me as a Valentines gift ).
Then back for Sweet Honey Mead wine & final creation.

I realized in adding extra chains & wired caging around the open chest area... it really changed the overall feel of the piece. Maybe even less emphasis on the Large Onyx horns. But in the end... it was what I wanted to do. So I stepped away from the work & let it be what it is.

(michael & I after class)

Technique/concepts & flow:

-Plastic Anatomical Figure... innards taken out. Face sliced down with dremel. NouVeau Stamp attached.
-hands drilled & chest ridge drilled for future wiring & chain attachments
-Wired feet down to base (base found object Heavy Brass almost like a gauge)
- Gold glass rays button with color wash over.
- Gold plastic bead trim frame body of the piece (drawing eye inward says 'michael' :)
-Horns: Carved Black Onyx wired into place
-Key & Skull attached to innard well
-coated in white dap kwik caulk for texture
-Painted over in varying effects: Carbon Black, Paynes Gray, Dioxane Purple blend/wash
-More colors included Permenant Bronze, Ant. Silver

Midnight at home design continuation included:
-painting accents of Bronze & wash over face & details of mask.
- more wash & darkened details on body, & accent glow hues inside chest well.
- Wired Darkened Brass with black glass teardrops around chest.
- Chain sweeps & tiny black glass heart with tiny accent Bronze painted heart hanging chest center.
- Long Chain sweeps & Waterfall of asymetrical chain drops & tears from hands.
- left over wire around base used to accent sweep for one side of drops. Drops sit inside coil.
- repaint over brass base with Bronze & dark wash accents.

*DONE*

any comments welcome. Sorry I did not get the name of the other students in class, so I do not have names next to pieces by others.
Luckily I got a ride home from 2 of my table/classmates Deborah & Daniel. I took a few pics of everyones pieces...Will post pics of others work.

~X~



All together now...


My horned Guardian before Final Wired cage & drops.
Love the pic with Mike in the background... Almost like mike is a giant next to all the collaged creatures.

~

1st Art Show Dark Art Fest Sept. 2007

Before I drift off into the ether... I thought I'd round up some of my favorite paintings I did for my first Dark Arts showing at the DNA Lounge 'meat' club at the end of September 2007. It was only for one night. I had framed a bunch of my 8.5x11 pieces as well as some larger paintings (& actually sold 3 framed pieces that night, my first)... as well as showcasing my new Altered Art Jewelry to go along with the framed prints. (which I sold a bunch of, yea!)



The first is a Self Portrait 'Twig Mask in Pink' done in Acrylic. Also shown with detail.

The 2nd is one of my FAVES is the 'Serpent Twins', and yes, it is a bit naughty. The idea was bore out of another self portrait photo I took of myself in the mirror & then later turned into this Acrylic piece on paper. I love the shadows on this piece & had created this piece at the local Sketch Tuesday (most 3rd tuesdays of the month) at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco.



The third 'Red Skull' was a print of my digital art prints on one of my favorite types of printing paper 'canvas cloth'... luv it! Then I did all the intense dark design work with Acrylic Paint... and the Red I did in a Dark Burgandy Cherry Red CRIMSON acrylic. Though actually, this piece is so Dark in real life that a lot of the detail is more subtle.

I will post pics of the actual nights event once I clean them up.
~X~

ATC party collage #1 & #2

'Flaming horned Icon of the Sacred Heart'
(1st image is the 2nd piece I created for myself, the 2nd image is the 1st version that my friend Stephen now owns).

This Altered Art Collage took forever to get started. I had my first Altered Art mini party & invited a select few over for fun & frolic (too much frolic within green tea & mini pumpkin cake bites & Berries oh my)... but by the end this horned icon piece was finally finished.

'Horned Icon'
Tools & Techniques:

StampBord, Custom Rubber stamp, Black Stazon, Lilac Distress reinker, collage design paper bits, Acrylic, Vintage Burgandy Leaf Glass, Copper sheet, Pearl Ex 'pearl' & Red Russet, Diamond Glaze for sealing.

The main black ink design of the Horned icon is actually a Custom Rubber stamp I had made from one of my paintings.
I loved the final outcome so much that I created a Second one for myself. She turned out slightly varied, & I am sure with my stamping of her, that she will not be the last.

Everyones work is posted below as well. Noting that at the end of the day, we threw our names in a box & drew someones to receive one of the ACEO pieces to take home. I received my friend Stephen Powers piece called 'Secret Forces'.

Basically, I asked that everyone try to utelize new & different materials than what they were used to & also asked them to bring not only their favorite art tools of the trade, but also some random ephemera that others might be able to bring new life to.

So I cleared out the kitchen, opened up the table & set out most all my art supplies for everyone. I had so much to dive into it was almost overwhelming. Everyone had such a great time that I forgot to take pictures of everyone while they were creating (next time).

~X~