Pages

Sidney Fine Art Show Art Pieces

Well folks I did promise I would show you what pieces made it into the Sidney Fine Art Show.  As I have mentioned in other posts, these are bookshelf boxes!  What's that you ask?  Bookshelf boxes look like little room vignettes but are meant to sit in a bookshelf among your books... rather like a surprise when you discover them.

The boxes are filled with detail and the more you look at them, the more you discover. Like the fact that Albert has his fingers crossed (well he was hoping he was right about that theory of relativity) and that the "floor" in the Scholar & Gentleman box is a vintage copy of the Book of Knowledge Index that I have had for years and years.  It was just waiting for the right art piece to come along . They are whimsical for sure but also have a serious side to them when you stop and think about what is REALLY going on within this little space.  As those who know me can attest, I like little intrigues in my art...

This first box is "A Scholar and a Gentleman"... Dr. McPherson is a world traveler lecturer who loves to share his knowledge with others...and like most professors I have known, he is not entirely neat!




This box is "It's All Relative" with Albert Einstein and is artfully modeled after his office at Princeton University.  I am a big Einstein fan and this box was done to celebrate the centennial year of the publication of Einstein's theory on relativity (1915-2015).

Now anybody who has studied ANYTHING about him will know that he had a wicked sense of humour. He was also well known for his ability to explain complex "stuff" in simple but often humorous ways. Take his theory of relativity for instance:  He once told a group of his students that understanding relativity was quite easy:  "If you sit with a beautiful girl for 2 hours, it feels like a minute BUT if you sit on a hot stove for 2 minutes, it feels like an hour.  That's relativity."




Have a great weekend,

See you soon.  Keep on arting...

Sharon

The Bewitching Hour is Upon Us...

This past week I finished Maltilda the Classy Witch, a collector art doll who stands just 8" tall (well, excluding her fancy hat).  What fun she was to make... and she turned out just the way I saw her in my mind... a lovely, weathered face full of wrinkles and crevices and a hook nose that only a witch could love!  Her spell book has many pages filled with all sorts of witchy delights.  If you look closely at her chin, you will see a glittering "diamond" embeded in her chin "dimple".  Look at her hat...and you will see a bat that actually moves when you touch it... all that is missing is the spooky music... Halloween is just around the corner.




If you live in the Victoria area and are attending the Sidney Fine Art show this weekend, I will be doing an art doll sculpting demo on Saturday between 5 and 7.  Drop by and you will be able to see Maltilda in person along with two other collector art dolls, Jock, the Scots Curler and Monsieur Pierre, the French waiter.  People are surprised when they actually see these little people... first at the size they are (much smaller than they imagined) and the difference in depth perception seeing them "in person".  They are pretty darn sweet if I do say so myself...GRIN

Hope to see you there,

Sharon

My Little "Guys" Make it to the "Big Time"..

I had some wonderful, exciting news the other day ... two of the roomboxes (although I call my boxes, bookshelf boxes as they are meant to sit in a bookshelf among books... rather like a surprise when you discover them...) made it into one of the premier juried art shows, the Sidney Fine Arts Show, here on Vancouver Island in mid October.

Out of over 1000 pieces that were adjudicated for the show, they took 400... 2 of which are mine.  I have never seen any miniatures/small stuff that have made it into the show before (other than one other of mine that made it in last year but it wasn't a bookshelf box) so I am over the moon!

Once the show begins, I will post more photos (the show organizers don't like it when you spoil the surprises awaiting folks who come to the show).  I have to admit that the photos don't really do the boxes justice...they are a lot smaller than they look in a photo. 

The other day a friend who had dropped by for a visit began "studying" them.  She had seen some of the preliminary photos I took along the way and said, "Boy, you are right. You just don't notice all of the tiny details in a photo (the devil is in the details and it is the details that absolutely make the pieces come to life) and photos just can't show the size and depth of the 3D effect!".  I totally agree. However, I think you can certainly get an overall impression of them nonetheless.  That being said, here are a couple of photos to give you a sense of what I sculpted and created...and yes, it was a lot of work, took a lot of time but was so much fun watching it all come to life...

This first photo is Dr. McPherson, the English Professor who is a visiting Oxford Don... he has traveled the world and now loves to just sit around and share his vast knowledge of literature and the world with his students... in the bookshelf box, he is surrounded by over 60 miniature books and of course his suitcase and satchel...



You recognize this guy below, don't you?  Who could miss him with his wild hair?  I am an Einstein fan... if you ever want an Einstein quote, let me know, I have hundreds of them. This bookbox was made to commemorate the Centennial of the publication of Einstein's theory on relativity (1915-2015).  The bookbox is an artfully rendered version of Einsteins office at Princeton.  Einstein had a delightful sense of humour and some of his quotes are quite insightful... especially the one about the constant state of mess on his desk:  "If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what then is an empty desk a sign?"  Yes, indeed!  I will leave my desk in a mess from here on in...GRIN




The Sidney Fine Arts show runs from Oct. 16-18 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney, B.C. (Elizabeth May country...*) so if you are in the area, drop by to take a look at some wonderful art from Vancouver Island artisans.

Stay tuned... photos will be forthcoming...

Cheers,
Sharon

* P.S.  Who is Elizabeth May you ask?  Well she is one effervescent, fiery, and very smart female politician who is the leader of her party (the Greens) currently running for office in her district, Sidney/Gulf Islands, in our on-going, long drawn out, (and for me) totally boring Canadian election.  She lives in Sidney and is one cool lady!!

In a Jam...

My yearly produce "gift" arrived from the Okanagan in the interior of B.C. on Vancouver Island this past weekend... beautiful, round, juicy, mouth watering yellow-orange peaches!

The aroma of sweet peaches filled the air in the kitchen with its intoxicating perfume... ah jam making season was upon me once again!

Out came the bottles, the jam making "tools"... the water canner, the hot bottle gripper, the metal tin top catcher, the ladle, et cetera, et cetera and I got to work!!  It took most of the day and needless to say... after a whole day of standing in the kitchen... peeling, cutting, filling and processing,  I was done like dinner!  But the fruits of my labour (pun absolutely intended) and my inventory is now all labeled and piled up on display for all to see...including you!!

8 bottles of red pepper jelly (okay, not quite peaches, but "might as well" while I was at it)
18 bottles of peach-ginger marmalade
6 quart bottles of peach-ginger chutney (oh a winter of tasty Indian curry dishes coming up)
12 bottles of Seville Orange marmalade

PLUS one happy, grinning husband who loves peaches, ginger, marmalade and chutney.

As I ladled the last of the jam into a bottle, popped on the lid and gave the ring a twist, appreciative husband came up behind me, gave me a big hug and kiss, told me to go sit down and have a glass of wine while he cleaned up the chaos in the kitchen after the day long marathon! Hey,what a guy...



So... I took him up on his offer... AND after a glass of tasty Okanagan wine and a dish of fresh peaches with cream... went for a nice long "peach" of a snooze!

And when I awoke,  my kitchen was as neat and clean as a pin...and..YEP... what a guy...

See you again soon

Sharon

Seattle Miniature Show 2015



For all my mini friends across the web... enjoy... 

Have a great week and keep on arting, Sharon


Say hi to my Buddy!

Well it's been a rather rough couple of weeks... you know that cold bug that's going around... it got me...good!  In the middle of all of this misery that seemed to go on forever, the only bright spot was deciding to go with hubby on our planned trip to Seattle in spite of feeling so rotten.

It was worth it... as it usually is... I love Seattle!!  A couple of side trips down to the Pike Street Market and Pirosky, Pirosky for some Russian braid and smoked salmon turnovers while we were there definitely improved my waistline if not my health...but oh my was it tasty.  It was a nice little getaway and the weather was fantastic... for Seattle!

Now to today's blog entry...

A number of years ago, I had a real yen to make a "little corner buddy" but never did get around to it. What's a little corner buddy?  Well it's a little guy or girl "doll" that is dressed in   three year old clothes and stands in the corner with its face to the wall looking cute!

I decided to make it a reality over the Christmas break... Yes, yes, I know I must be entering my second childhood... wanting to play with minis and dolls... but oh my it is so much fun!!  Hubby just shakes his head when I come up with these crazy ideas, smiles and says "oh go for it sweetie"

I decided we would opt for a "boy"... hubby just sat there with a crooked smile on his face and chuckled audibly!!  He didn't realize at the time that WE were going to go clothes and shoe shopping for this little tyke.

Well it didn't take long before Buddy was put together... I had had the pattern for so long it was yellow with age.  The pattern cut out, the sewing machine humming, the stuffing firmly in place and the last stitch sewn, he wobbled into the guest room and over to the window... bare butt and all!  Yes, this little guy definitely needed some clothes!!

Off to the mall we went.  Now at first, hubby wasn't going to come to the kid section with me (the computer section is more to his liking) but then decided he'd go along for the chuckle.  Well guess who got right into it? 

"Hey look at this shirt... would that fit?" asked the man of the house.
"Is it size 3?" I inquired.
"Yep, and it would look good with a navy blue t-shirt and some jeans!"  He was getting right into this!

Well it didn't take long before hubby had all his clothes and get this... argyle socks... picked out.  Poor thing needed shoes though!  So off to the shoe department to buy some Adidas running shoes and we were done. 

It has been a few years since we had bought kid's clothes, I gulped at the check out.  When did little kid's clothes get so expensive?  Well never mind, he only needed one outfit...thank heavens!!

So here is our Buddy, all decked out in his new clothes.  With his Mustang racing hat on that Mama got on one of their Nascar racing trips down south, he's getting into trouble already messing around with stuff on the blanket box. 

This little guy is as cute as a button and when anyone sees him, they nearly do a double take...(I didn't know you had a grandson, they say) He looks pretty darn real from the back don't you think??
 

So until the next artsy fartsy idea hits me, keep on arting...and see you soon.

Sharon


Happy Hearts Day...

If you have been wondering where I have been... well I have been having just too much fun playing ... a day hasn't gone by since the Christmas holidays without something happening in my art room.  Time just evaporates when I am creating... and I will have lots to show you in the coming months... just have to take the time out to take pictures and to blog!

So I am just dropping by today for a quick visit, to wish you all a Happy Hearts Day and share something rather sweet with you!!  I have been busy all week making valentine heart cupcakes with sprinkles and cinnamon hearts...

Alas, they are the non edible kind... which gives a new meaning to wearing your food! LOL





These little earrings are so darn cute...the photo doesn't even do them justice!  They swing and dangle beautifully!  I made some for a couple of friends and myself and ended up having to make more as a number of pairs were spoken for practically as they came out of the oven!  Maybe I should start up a cupcake earring factory and make my millions one set at a time... GRIN

These little earrings gave me the idea for my valentine surprise for the "little ladies" at our neighbourhood elementary school.  As some of you know, I volunteer as a crossing guard there in the morning on my way home from swimming.  Every "holiday", they get a surprise from me... be it "smarties", pencils, balloons, popcorn or something I have made.

A guessing game started this week with some of the girls when I told them to get ready for their valentine surprise... there are about six of them that I see each morning and they have been coming up with all sorts of guesses... it has been a fun little exchange each morning!

I decided to make them backpack dangles just like the earrings only this time with chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles and a little chocolate heart. I think they will just love them, don't you?


The boys won't be left out... they'll get packages of valentine smarties... I don't think they would appreciate cupcakes!  Ohhh, ugh, girl stuff!!  You get the picture I am sure.

I got my Valentine treat a few days early this year... Hubby took me for tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria yesterday ... What a lovely afternoon we had together drinking special teas, eating dainty sandwiches, strawberries, scones, devonshire cream and scrumptious dessert morsels.  The tearoom is so beautiful... it dates back to 1908 and the acoustics are marvelous.  The enchanting strains of classical music played by the pianist on the baby grand only adds to the room's charm and delight.  Nobody does the traditional "Victorian tea" like the Empress!  

Happy Hearts Day to you...I hope it is SWEET... till next time...


Sharon