Mon Chat Noir

The week before last I broke out the charcoal sticks and we practiced our shading and tones. Everyone loved the Warhol cats so much, and it being the week before Halloween, we went back to the cat as model and muse.The subject was the black cat this time, and how it is not one tone or shade, but many. Light, dark, structure, fur, shape and expression all play a part in capturing this beautiful animal. 

(These are just a few of the cats. Some hissed and spit as I got close. A tad feral I guess.)

The Welcome Wagon

Today in the studio was the Day of the Dead Altar of Love workshop.

All artists created an amazing altar for Day of the Dead to welcome, celebrate and honor loved ones that are now in the spirit world.

Paul's altar (above) knocked a lot of socks off!

Megan's piece (above) was made to give as a gift. It honors a cherished Aunt and an Uncle.

Her colors, trim and paper choices all came together as a powerful finished piece.

 Lauren's (above) remembers her Grandmother and a beloved cat.

Laura's (below) has a lovely color story and I liked the way she framed special photos. Her detail and delicacy of pattern really stood out.

Mothers, Fathers, Grandma's and Grandpa's, Aunts, Uncles, Best Friends and beloved pets

were remembered. Juni (below) surprised everyone with her use of laces and thoughtfully chosen papers.

Lace, papers, flowers, feathers, fabrics and beads are just a few of the materials Brenda worked with (below).

Our Lady Guadalupe graces the top of Brenda's altar, and it was lined with special fabrics, Milagros, pearls and filled with love and tenderness toward her dearly departed, beloved Melissa. I think the spirits will be pleased!

Izzy (above) had no trouble utilizing every possible material to create this vibrant altar. The artist and her work has so much sparkle!

Ana's (above) had trinkets of her Great Grandmother's, and objects that symbolized other family members. What a natural!

Amelia's (above and below) had a secret door, flowers, butterflies, a finger monster and a beautiful color array.

It's hard to see the depth of layers that Nini used to create this celestial piece! So flowing and evocative!

Thank you everyone for sharing your memories, tears and talent in the studio for this special event!

Ta Da!

(WARNING: The following photo's don't even come close to showing the size, detail, wonderfulness and dedication of the final pieces...)

 My hope with this project was to get a fabulous photo of each magnificent insect. 

Did I? 

Sadly, no! 

Miss Monique, Miss Iesha and I were hopping around like grasshoppers every minute of every class each week, helping each artist achieve their insect goals! The following are a few that I managed to get on film.

(See Johnny's wasp above?)

Gemma with her butterfly, before her final embellishments.

Ivy's exciting long-legged beauty!

This Luna moth took every one's breath away!

Liris above, took it one step at a time and added all the details to make it incredibly realistic. Below, AiLi used rope, bead and a ton of patience to  show the Luna moth while it was still a caterpillar.

Again, this photo doesn't come close to capturing the amazing movement and detail she captured.

James, pictured below, right before the scorpion turned on him delivering an almost-fatal sting.

Sky's piece (below) is really beyond words! It is a Calico/Luna Moth hybrid. It stands literally on it's own four paws and I think it shows sculpture at it's very finest. Bravo Sky!

Miss Amelia (above) adding final touches to a very magical bee!

 Dear Rebecca added colors and detail to show off the lovely butterfly wings on her piece. So exciting!

Kassi looks perfectly normal in this photo, but moments later was bitten by this magical arachnid and was able to fly all the way home just by spinning a long silken thread from her lips! True.

I love the way Mia's ladybug turned out! She put in a lot of time on the shaping of body and legs!

Love the eye's!

Tristan's fire ant struggles to jump out of his arms!

Marco was able to design and paint both sides of his butterfly so he could suspend it from the ceiling.

Leah! I love the way her bold and colorful style shines through all her work!

Amity's color theme was really wonderful. You can't really see the iridescent green glitter on the wings in this photo. Trust me, it looks fantastic!

 This is the cutest little bug!! Laura decorated all sides and gave it a wonderful set of eyes and lashes!

Izzy's Banana Slug!

(Wouldn't Peter Max would be so proud?)

Both sides are different, and even though it looks like normal yellow in this picture, it's actually a custom "slug" greenish yellow that Izzy and I came up with. LOVE it!

Azia designed this HUGE scorpion! Didn't it turn out awesome? I think her decisions to paint it with the color and detail was super fun and bold.

Clara decided from the get go to do a very colorful beetle and look how it turned out!
She painted the entire body chocolate brown, then one-by-one added the colors to end up with this!
LOVE IT!!

Toly's bug took a long time to finish! Just look at the legs! He didn't feel well the last day of this project, so his brother and sister called him from the studio and he told them his vision for the final piece. He loved it!

(I've got a few insects that needed a little drying time tucked away in the garage. I'll try and photograph them before next weeks class.)