A Smile in the Making

I had this idea sometime ago to make a series of paintings from the periodic table of elements. Ending up changing my mind about the idea, but not before I had made up over 120 small square frames for gallery wrapped canvases.

I gave Kim Senior some of the extras. Here are some of her paintings.

Update on the gocco project.
I got my image ready in photoshop and was going to color in the black areas for the gocco screen using the gocco pen tonight. Well, I hadnt looked at it before and the point is small like a technical pen. I should be able to use a Sharpie pen, but will wait til daylight to use my glass topped table sort of like a light box so tracing will be easier.

Update on update.
The sharpie bled some as I traced the design, losing some of the white areas. Had to run errands today, so just stopped in at the new Staples in Kennett Square. I only needed two B&W copies. Because they were still having their grand opening sale, it cost me a whole 6 cents. Cant beat that.

Went through the instructions on printing this afternoon. So figure to try it out tomorrow.

First image is my planned printout. I will probably fill in the white areas with some of the surrounding colors should my registration be off.

Second image is the projected result making a gocco screen for the black areas.

UPDATE:

Obviously I have got to work on the registration. The demo dvd showed how to use their registration template, but I did not receive one in the kit. So I will have come up with one -- tho I do kind of like the offset look.

Got a request (via my Etsy shop) to consign some cupcake themed artwork at a shop in Florida. Because I only had one painting with a cupcake, I suggested replacing the martini on some of the retro chic paintings with a cupcake.

So I have been busy photoshopping the changes. I took a copy of the cupcake from my geisha painting and edited it into one of the retro chic paintings.

The shop wanted the artwork ready to hang. I decided to try mounting the prints on gatorboard as it is lighter than canvas on stretcher bars. Redbubble offers prints on gatorboard and I know I have seen products in the past using it, but always thought that it was foamboard. The difference is that gatorboard has a stronger covering.

My gatorboard order came last night. I am planning to use a spray glue for mounting the print. I ordered the black with black core, not thinking about the black "bleeding" through once the prints are varnished/sealed on top. So now I have to decide whether or not to use a heavier weight paper for the print, prime the gatorboard with white, or sandwich a piece of white paper in between. Always something it seems.

Sold one of the gocco prints this week. Yay! Well, at $6.50, I can now buy that cup of coffee I have always wanted. :-)

Linda Dubin Garfield's exhibit is on until January 23rd at the Old Jewish Art Center at 113 N.3rd Street in Philadelphia.

Have edited more retro chics with cupcakes. Still havent mounted any on the gatorboard yet. But supplier says spray glue is just fine. Have been meaning to try rolling on some matte medium on my test piece -- as a protective coat and some texture to just a flat smooth print.

Decided to participate in the Unforgettable Art fundraiser in Rockford, Illinois again this year. It is a good cause and they always treat the artists well. Besides, it is close enough to see the kids in Madison.

Have a meeting today with an art rep. Hoping that will go well.

I have told many people in this area, it is much easier to be a Packer fan when you dont live in Green Bay. I can enjoy the historical colors of yellow ochre and verdant green together now and not automatically think Packer. I can turn on the evening news and the first report doesnt begin with what Brett Favre is doing. I go to the mall and see a big G logo on ONLY ONE jacket and feel an immediate connection with that person.

So Sunday I will sit down and watch the Packers play the Giants and I will enjoy the game -- not cause it was forced on me, but because I chose to watch.

I answered an ad on Craigslist a few weeks ago.
Met with the Philadelphia director of nAscent Art Ny , Alison Greber, the other week. They are a young art rep company started in NY and are expanding into the Philadelphia area. I was impressed with the meeting and decided to sign up with them.

Friday night was a preview event for the upcoming auction. I am anxious to see how this concept will work in the Philadelphia area.

Meanwhile, I sold the remaining gocco prints I had listed in my Etsy shop. I am working on the same idea -- ie, gocco print over a digital background. This time tho with the alphabet.

BTW, the Packer/Giant game was kind of exciting last week. Sorry to see the Packers lose. I could feel the chill of 4 below even here in southeast PA.

Well, I have been posting on my other blog, A Planet Named Janet, about my gocco progress.

I did start the gocco alphabet the other day. I had the mock ups ready before this, but sometimes one needs to be motivated. For some reason, I also thought that Amy Winehouse would look good as a gocco print. I guess it is because of the distinctive hairstyle and makeup which is all dark. So instead of setting that idea aside for another time, I decided to go with it -- as I knew it might motivate me to get the others done.

These two are up in my Etsy shop as well as the letter M.

The patterning in the black area appears to be from the printing pad on the gocco machine. I think I will try putting a piece of cardstock on top of it before burning the next screen. The "texture" does add some to the handmade look. So not a loss. BTW, the black area is the gocco print. I did the colored backgrounds in photoshop and printed them first.