Rare Gray Whale
2008-03-06 11:57:28
Last night, I began to work on my fourth beaded whale. If you're a new reader, these four whales will accompany my beaded Beatles Yellow Submarine in an underwater adventure. Measuring 6" wide, this particular whale is the largest of the family, and he will be 100% gray when I am finished. So far, I've used size 11 pastel gray and matte charcoal seed beads for the fins, and I plan to use size 15's in a variety of grays for his body.So what makes this whale so rare? He has a dorsal fin, which is the fin at the top of his body. Most other Gray Whale
s in the sea do not have this fin. Perhaps we have just discovered a new species! Have a look and decide for yourself... ;)
Slow Propeller
2008-03-14 02:48:12
The bead embroidery on my Yellow Submarine is going slower than I expected!I did finish beading the belly of the submarine, but it took a very long time because I had to work around the propeller. Here's a closer look:Next, I'm going to bead the edge of the top of the submarine. I don't want and felt to be visible when the piece is finally stitched to a stretched canvas. This shouldn't take quite as long because this part is not nearly as thick as the bottom edge. I'm hoping I can get it done in a day...Have patience, Blue Meanies... :D(18" x 12" x 1")
Yellowbelly
2008-03-13 07:55:13
I wanted to start painting today, but the fact is, I still had quite a bit of preparation to do on my beaded Beatles Yellow Submarine. Yes, this is the boring part, but remember- it's the details that will make or break the piece. First, I prepared my Blue Meanie images by adhering them to canvas paper and painting over them with acrylics and clear gloss. Then, I stitched them to the bottom layer of the submarine. I also stitched the two felt filler-layers into place, as well as the top beaded layer. This took about 4 hours. Stitching the beaded layer to the rest of the piece took awhile because my thread kept getting caught on the seed beads or other parts of the piece. And, I had to trim excess felt as I went along. You can see the back of the stitched-together piece in the photo below.
80,000 Leagues
2008-03-17 02:33:57
(24" x 36")One thing I am learning is that painting takes a long time! I think I painted off and on all day long, and it doesn't even look like I got very far. I still have a long way to go! And, the above photo really doesn't do the colours justice, but it's gonna have to do for now. Anyways, I don't know if I ever fully explained my idea for my beaded Yellow Sub, so think back to the Blue Meanies' invasion on Pepperland. They hated music and tried to eliminate it, so they turned the land into a miserable gray, oppressed place. (If you haven't seen the original film, you can see a clip of the opening scenes HERE.) Of course the Beatles' music saved the day by the end of the story. But, imagine if it hadn't. Imagine if the Meanies somehow managed to take over the land by launching an anti-
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No title
2008-03-16 02:36:04
Today, I started working on the painted background for my beaded Yellow Submarine. I placed all of my pieces on the canvas, and traced around them. I added a Beatles image in the upper left-hand corner. Then, I sketched in a couple of ideas I had before I tried to paint. I say 'try' because clearly, painting is not my forté. I usually get nervous with a blank canvas in front of me. I hold the paintbrush like a child not knowing where to start. Then, when I do start, I usually just drag the brush over the canvas several times until it looks right. (24" x 36")And, it doesn't look right, yet. I don't know if I like the sketch now that I have painted and I also don't think I like the gray and blue colours. But, at least it's a start. I'll have a look at it with fresh eyes tommorrow...
Main Attraction
2008-03-15 02:34:56
I just finished beading my Beatles Yellow Submarine, and cleaned up my seed beads at almost 2:30am! Ah well... what else is new... How about another art exhibit?? :DI have been given the opportunity to participate in Side Show Studios' upcoming textile art show- Taking Textiles Seriously. This show features local artists from Sacramento, CA and includes all kinds of textile art, including quilts, handmade clothing, costumes, and hats. I know my bead embroidery isn't really textile art, but hey, there should be something that stands out from the crowd, right? I'll be showing 3 of my original bead-paintings - Flamingo Moon, Great Blue Heron, and The Messenger. All pieces will be available for sale.Side Show Studios is a custom tattoo studio & fine art gallery located at 5635 Freeport Blv
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The Edge of Pepperland
2008-03-19 02:08:25
"Now, where is that beaded Yellow Submarine? It was parked here just a minute ago. How will we ever save Pepperland now?"Check out the new Wordless Wednesday HQ!!View More Wordless Wednesday Participants.
Happy School
2008-03-18 23:14:35
All that talk about Bob Ross caused me to paint 'happy little' fish near my beaded Yellow Submarine! Check 'em out! :D(click to enlarge)Ya know, 2 days ago, I was really starting to second guess myself. I thought "I can't paint - why am I trying to do this??" Then, I remembered that there is an uncertain stage at every one of my pieces. So, I just kept on paintin', and today, I feel much more certain. And, I'm even starting to enjoy painting! (Don't worry Meanies, I'll get back to beading one of these days... )
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, School
Do Not Adjust Your Set
2008-03-20 10:05:06
This is only a test. I wanted to see what my underwater painting looked like in the light, so I took the following photo with a flash. :) (24 x 36")I think every painting has its key element, and in this one it is a particular paint colour. Golden Acrylic Interference Green. When you look at this paint from difference perspectives, interference colors flip between a bright opalescent color and its complement. That means it looks cool in different types of light! This green is a very fine iridescent-like green which is almost metallic. When you squeeze some out of the tube, it almost looks white, until you apply it to the canvas. I love it, and it's exactly what I needed! Now, it will look like my beaded Beatles Yellow Submarine is passing from the Sea of Nothing to a shimmery S
Blue Meanies Attack!
2008-03-23 09:30:11
The infamous beaded Yellow Submarine hijack of 1968 is the most logical explanation for all of this anti-music...Revolution 9 Reversed(click images to enlarge)The Hijack24" x 36"(beaded submarine - 17.5" x 11")glass seed beads, acrylics
Just Say MOO
2008-03-25 08:14:21
Remember that Beading To-Do List I showed you awhile ago?? I think I've got it under control. Here's a list of what I've accomplished: *Finished my Yellow Submarine.*Printed out business cards.*Filled out paperwork. *Sent History Repeated to gallery in NC. *Entered Fire Mountain Gems Beading Contest. *Entered Bead Dreams competition. *Sent bead-paintings to gallery in CA.*Updated all my web pages with new photos.*Reorganized photos on my website gallery.*Ordered some items from CafePress. Oh, remember when I designed new business cards not too long ago? Well, I decided that printing them out is too much of a bother. My printer doesn't seem to like heavyweight paper anymore. Plus, it uses up way too much ink. I was trying to figure out what to do about that, then I remembered something Cynt
Ship It
2008-03-24 00:58:39
Thanks so much for all of your comments regarding my beaded Yellow Submarine! Would you believe that took me 10 weeks to complete?? When it was finished, it felt like quite an accomplishment, so I took some well-deserved time to myself over the holiday weekend:)I am also quite proud to see my new bead-painting hanging on my wall, but it is hanging where History Repeated was... Last week, I shipped that piece off to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to be exhibited in Dimensions 2008. I have shipped some of my smaller beaded pieces before, but this was the first time I had to ship a 24" x 30" painting. Since it's impossible to find a suitable box for fine art of this size, I took my painting to my local UPS store. They double-box the artwork to protect the canvas, which they surround in pac
Electronic Trolley Parts
2008-03-28 00:09:25
Today, I took the Buick for a spin and found myself at You-Do-It Electronic
s in Needham, MA. I needed to get some parts for my beaded Boston trolley car. I showed an employee and the manager my sketch, and told them what I was looking for- some green printed circuit board. Most of the circuit board they have (that I wanted) came in kits with other electronic parts. But, then I noticed some mixed bags of LED digital displays. So, I got a bag of those as well as an LED lightbulb, and battery pack. (I don't know how the lightbulb ended up in the mix, but there it is... LOL.) When I got home, I took some of the digital displays apart, because beneath them was more circuit board. And, as far as the other digital number displays go, well, maybe they'll come in handy when I bead that DeLorean Tim
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The Enquirer
2008-03-27 11:20:25
Wow! Yesterday, I had quite a few visitors to this blog. Special thanks to Adam for mentioning me over at Universal Hub. Also, thanks to Nick who posted the MTA song for me. And last but not least, thanks to Christine & Faz who nominated me for the Totally Hip Blogger Award. Now I am blushing!! :DIf you're a new reader, welcome to my world of extreme bead embroidery. Here you'll find a lot of planning, sketching, cutting, stitching, beading & construction of dimensional artwork happening on a daily basis. Below, you see an image of a Boston trolley car. I enlarged yesterday's drawing so that it printed out over 4 sheets of paper. Then, I cut it out, and taped the pieces together. The drawing now measures 19" x 7" tall, which is only an inch wider than my beaded yellow submarine...N
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America's First Subway
2008-03-26 00:20:27
(click to enlarge)Sketch of what will be my next piece - a beaded replica of a 1946 Pullman Standard 'post-war all electric' trolley car. Here in Boston, we just call it the T. Wanna go for a ride? :)Check out the new Wordless Wednesday HQ!!View More Wordless Wednesday Participants.
Read more: America
, First
, Subway
Art of the Day
2008-03-30 12:54:55
I don't usually write 2 posts in one day, but I just noticed that one of my pieces was selected to be EBSQ's Art of the Day today! This week's theme is called 'Strung Together', and it's all about seed beads! My beaded face pin, Savita, is featured on EBSQ's home page. It has also been sent to 7986 Art of the Day subscribers!! Please stop by and take a peek. If you'd like to subscribe to Art of the Day, all you have to do register as a patron, or click the RSS button to add it to your Google Reader. Enjoy, and have a wonderful Sunday! :D
Slight Delay
2008-03-30 09:56:14
(click to enlarge)Well folks, my Green Line trolley is running a bit behind schedule at the moment. There has been a slight delay because my size 15 beading needle broke while I was trying to stitch those green circuit boards to the felt. I'm not upset, though. I have used that needle for the last 3 pieces I created. It had a nice bend to it, so I wasn't surprised when it snapped in half. And, that should teach me not to attempt doing beadwork after midnight. I'm going to go to sleep now, and when I get up, I'm going to grab a new needle and continue where I left off. :D
Read more: Slight
, Delay
Felt Train Car
2008-03-29 12:08:20
The other day, Jay posted a photo of his dining room table, so I thought I'd show you the current state of mine:In the above photo, you'll see all the materials required to make the felt foundation for a beaded Boston trolley car. There is lots of felt, Pellon interfacing, clear vinyl, scissors, a beading needle, nylon thread, a fabric pen, a tape measure, glue, my enlarged sketch, and a couple of circuit boards. After quite awhile, a few felt shapes emerged from that mess. They will be stitched to the underside of felt body of the train car. I'm trying to build up the body just a bit so that it appears dimensional. There are 5 felt layers so far, but I may add a few more eventually. The bottom layer will be the shadow beneath the train. I have also left room for the wheels, but I'm not s
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Let The Trolley Roll
2008-04-01 23:53:40
(click to enlarge)These days, taking the T is cheaper than driving a car.The Cars - Let the Good Times RollCheck out the new Wordless Wednesday HQ!!View More Wordless Wednesday Participants.
Train Yard
2008-04-01 10:28:43
Yay! I finally started doing some beadwork on my Boston trolley car! In the following three photos, you'll see that I've stitched some size 11 Czech glass seed beads which outline the body of the car and circuit boards.So far, I'm using 4 different greens, and a white. The greens are fading from one to another slowly across the train. I started this way so I can get an overall feel for how I'd like it to look.And, it also appears that we have a driver waiting for passengers! That's my longtime blogger friend Aaron the Truck Driver. Yea, I know. He's a truck driver, not a trolley driver. But, he's been drivin' tractor trailers over on the west coast for a very long time, and I'll bet he can drive just about anything with wheels. Of course, it would help if we had wheels. It looks like we ar
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So Far Away
2008-04-04 01:31:52
(click to enlarge)The MBTA's Green Line is a very long line. I don't think it's the longest in distance, but it has the most stops, which makes for an extremely long ride. Each stop is only a couple of blocks apart. Towards the end of the line, usually only a few people get on the train at each stop. Today, a former Bostonian got on my semi- beaded trolley - Kay Hanley. (Yes, that's her standing in the doorway:) She must be in town visiting friends:)Kay used to front Boston rock band Letters to Cleo, but since the band has split, she has gone off to L.A. to continue her solo career. (Some of you might know her as the voice of Josie & the Pussycats.) I've been one of Kay's fans for quite a long time. I've seen her perform at the Berklee Performance Center, Paradise Rock Club, Avalon,
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Childhood Artwork
2008-04-03 07:15:56
Most of you already know this, but I am a member of EBSQ - a self-representing artists group. Every once in awhile, I enter one of their online shows just to keep my name in the hat, and just a few days ago, I noticed the Childhood
mixed media exhibit. The basic prospectus is that artists' pieces must be inspired by something they remember from childhood. So, I thought it perfect to enter 'Reading to Tawny'. This piece is a beaded portrait of my little sister reading a Shel Silverstein poem to our Airedale Terrier. Click the screen shot below to learn more about my entry:Please take some time to view the other entries and vote for your favourite piece. Voting is open through April 8th. Also, if you enjoy the show, please consider chipping in a few bucks. Simply by using the widget below (o
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My Six Word Memoir
2008-04-06 20:33:21
Someone with a mohawk, paint-stained jeans, sunglasses and an earring tagged me with the easiest meme I ever had to do! LOL. Now, I'm tagging 5 readers who I hope have not yet been tagged ;)JafabritLorenzoPabloJayFazHere are the rules:1) Write your own six word memoir.2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.4) Tag at least five more blogs with links.5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.6) Have fun!!Now, I've got some beading to do... :D(P.S. Don't forget to check out My Official Facebook Group. Lata!)
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Pizza Pizza
2008-04-05 13:07:50
Last week, I did a little online shopping, so yesterday, I received a couple of packages in the mail. One from CafePress, and one from MOO in the UK:First, I opened the one from CafePress. I was happy to see everything I ordered - a Triumph of Death tank top and two t-shirts, a Rudy's Dream tote bag, and postcards to match! All of these items feature my own beaded images taken from past pieces I've created. For those of you who have never ordered from CafePress, I will say that they carry quality merchandise. The t-shirts are super soft, and the custom images that they print come out looking great! I ordered some of these items for family and friends overseas. I also got the postcards for myself. They are good to have to send to customers/art galleries as a thank you.If you like any of the
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The Bases are Loaded
2008-04-08 00:42:24
Today, I really do have to ride the Green Line. Unfortunately, I ran out of the matte green seed beads I was using to bead the rear door of my trolley. I remember I got that particular colour at Beadworks on Newbury St. So, I'm headed to Arlington Station, but that's a long ways away! We're only at Boston University! And, the train is packed! Full of Red Sox fans! Look at all of them!(click to enlarge)I forgot! Today is Opening Day at Fenway! Ah well... Soon, everyone will get off the train at Kenmore Sq. And, since I don't have a ticket, I'll have to watch the baseball game at the pub. But, first, I'm goin' bead shopping... :DGo Sox!! :D
Read more: Loaded
Nightrain
2008-04-09 01:42:58
Up late beading again... :DSemi-beaded Boston trolley: 19" x 7". Click to enlarge. Check out the new Wordless Wednesday HQ!!View More Wordless Wednesday Participants.
Behind Clear Doors
2008-04-11 02:18:27
One thing I've learned is that it's not easy to do bead embroidery on clear vinyl. Vinyl is kind of a flimsy material, so it's tough to stitch the seed beads in a straight line. Also, precise needlework is necessary to make sure you don't end up with a million tiny holes in the vinyl when you are finished. And, even though it is clear vinyl, you will still manage to stab yourself in the finger once or twice while beading. :o(click images to enlarge)It's a slow process but, it's all good. My beaded Boston trolley is finally starting to take shape. :D
Read more: Clear
, Doors
Dimensions 2008
2008-04-10 08:02:44
Today I am very excited to announce the opening of Dimensions
2008, a national juried fine art competition & exhibition. One of my largest bead-paintings, History Repeated, will be exhibited at this show. Dimensions 2008 is a national juried fine art competition & exhibition which is presented by the Associated Artists of Winston-Salem. This show was established in 1964 to 'showcase outstanding visual art in two- or three- dimensional media'. It takes place at the gallery starting tonight, April 10, and it runs through May 23, 2008. If you happen to be in the area during this time, please stop by! Thank you for your interest in my beadwork. :DView Larger MapDimensions 2008Associated Artists of Winston-Salem301 West Fourth Street, Winston-Salem, North CarolinaThursday, April 10, 20
Bead News & Review
2008-04-12 09:42:59
(photo snagged from Side Show Studios)It's a busy weekend for The Lone Beader!! And, I made the press!! Above is the photo of my beadwork which was recently printed by the Sacramento News & Review in an article which announces Side Show Studios' Taking Textiles Seriously art show!! (Krissi from Krissi's Stitchery was kind enough to send along the news! :) This Second Saturday Reception opens tonight at 6pm PST and it is free to attend. There will be all kinds of fun happening including a fashion show, music, and live demonstrations of sewing techniques. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will also be served. (Please check Evie Turner's blog for the complete run-down of events.) A limited number of my original bead-paintings will be available for sale, and artwork will be on display through M
Distant Highway
2008-04-14 01:19:58
Semi-beaded Boston trolley car: 19" x 7". Click to enlarge.Boston: Long TimeIn memory of Brad Delp. Nous sommes tous des ames solitaires...
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