Busy Projects and Schedule

It seems things just keep moving along here, has time sped up? Our shops (Ebay and Etsy) are keeping us busy!

The other day Vleeptron informed me of a cryptography challenge. I'm working on it! So much about eels.. I'm thinking...


Mark says Vleeptron must see this and fear.
It's a neat book!

A Spirit Bird 'compass.'
It will hang from a hook in one of our windows.

I had one of these 'spiritual compasses' sitting just inside the door at the Paris apartment, except it was made from an embroidery hoop with cloth sewn over it and painted. This one is made out of wire with a bit of cloth sewn over the middle of it. I enjoy working with the wire, even though it doesn't give 'perfect' results - it is an interesting material to manipulate in the hands and satisfying to see the shape form. The four colored dots at N, E, S and W are representative of the four cardinal directions by Navajo color symbolism. The bird and the rest of the symbols are my own design.

An extremely nice set of colored pencils purchased for a bargain off of Ebay.

These Derwent Studio pencils, imho, are the best type of colored pencil an artist can work with. They aren't as crumbly as Crayola or Prismacolor and yet are vibrant and create great details (because they keep their tips longer!) I can't wait to see what drawings they become!

Hopefully there will be wonderful news tomorrow.

Finished Bird Spirit Mask

The last time you saw the bird mask, it still had to have all the symbols painted on it, and the disks made and attached. It is now done.

I am selling it on Etsy, and starting another, of a different type of animal. The purpose of the project wasn't to keep the mask - it was to use technique and skill to achieve the form imagined. I wanted to see the reoccurring images of these animal masks come out of my artworks and into the 'real world' as pieces of art.






My Reading: The symbols I used on the outside of the mask read basically 'Protector of Life.' On the inside of the mask, they read 'Seeker of Lifepath.' This isn't of any specific religion or ethnic culture, but rather a mixture of symbolism, language and mythology from many cultures I have studied over the years. This is the kind of bird mask that shows up in my random-line drawings like in the samples seen below.

General Reading: I see this kind of bird spirit, and the use of the mask in the drawings, as both a messenger and a giver of knowledge. The image or form of the bird can also be a medium for seeking such knowledge, depending on how it appears in the drawing. Birds have superior vision, the capability to escape to other places and return quickly. Birds bring messages from the spirit world, or secret knowledge that otherwise would not be accessible to the person receiving it.



I hope you have enjoyed seeing the process of this mask designed and made.
Making of links: | Part I. | Part II. | Part III (you are here) |

Bird Mask continues...

I say I get a lot out of my dreams, and my art ... this bird mask is an extension of a project that takes elements from both.


First I finished the sewing of the fabric to the wireframe.


Then I sat down and planned out what the decorations and symbols should be.
I didn't intend for it to look like Spiderman... but while putting the background into the picture I realized it kind of does! *eep* Well, those are the colors this should be, so if it shares them with Spiderman it does hehe.

Interpreting the Art: This is meant to be a dream or spirit mask. It is covered in 'good' symbols from my artwork. A bird is a common symbol of a giver or deliverer of messages. The symbols inside and out on this mask 'talk' about seeing the path, and protecting life. The deep rust-red colour is a tie to the earth.


Put the first coats of red and gold paint on the mask and let it dry

I'll be continuing this project later - it will take some careful pencil drawing and painting to get it to look like the plan. I'm not sure what to put for the 'life' disks that are hanging like 'ears' either -- will have to think up what materials will work best for that.

Arts and Crafts - Bird Mask

Click picture to enlarge
Stage one of my latest strange arts and crafts project...
This is just the wireframe - next comes the fabric skin and a coat of paint...


Stage 2 - part of the fabric skin is sewn on, some more work to do.