Work Table

New pieces of art in the process. Count down to Artfest. Also trying out blogging from my new phone. So if this looks crazy. It didn't go so well.

Steampunk Art Doll Class

All the way back in Jan… Dang I don’t know where the time goes… I shared my studio with 8 amazing women and shared with them my techniques for “Steampunk Sally”

The original Steampunk Sally by Clarissa Callesen

We started with cloth and porcelain dolls from 2nd hand stores and through painting, torching, sewing, and lots of embellishing these fabulous dolls were created.

Student work by Aritas

Student work by Kim

Student work by Jennifer

Student work by Dani

Student work by Lynne

Student work by Nancy

Student work by Jenn

The dolls were well on there way to being done but many of them still had finishing touches to be added.

(would love finished photos if any of you have them)

I will be teaching this class again at

Class full

Spaces available

Spaces available

I will be teaching and vending at Art Unraveled

in Phoenix, AZ

July 30 - August 7
Embassy Suites, Phoenix-Scottsdale location

And Sally’s sister class

Doll Transformed

Portland, OR Oct 1-7 Red Lion on the River

Happy Harpies!!!

Happy Harpy assemblage class at the home studio of Clarissa Callesen, creator of Strange and Wonderful Things.

On a fabulous Sunday in Jan, Ben, Kelly, Shannon, Kim, and Jennifer joined me for a day of laughter and of fabulous creations. Everyone had a great sense of humor and made some really amazing works of art.

In Progress

Kelly’s Harpy in the process of getting mummified with beautiful ribbons and fibers.

Jennifer’s tail feathers almost done. She used wired ribbon to add spiral texture to her tail along with all the other plumage.

Mostly Finished

alot people add finishing touches when home

(would love final pictures if any of you have them, please)

Shannon’s Harpy

check out her blog about her art work

Kim’s fancy girl Harpy

Dang I am not sure who belongs to this

dark and mysterious lady bird. Kim? Jennifer?

and the answer is Kim, she made a sweet harpy and a dark harpy.

Jennifer’s fabulous display of plumage and color

Kelly’s sweet girl dressed in ribbons and beads

Benn Mann’s dark and beautiful pair of Harpies

Benn is a local artist (check his work out if your not familiar)who is know for his very bright and cheerful work. So it was extra fun to get to watch him explore some darker work.

Benn and I have joked about doing a collaborative show called “Perpetually Perky meets Dark and Twisty”.

So that wraps up Happy Harpies. I will be teaching this class again later in the year. Let me know if your interested?

ArT DoLL QuArTerLy

Look what came in the mail!!

Steampunk Sally gets some publicity…

PlAyiNg with Surface texture

So in between what has been a pretty darn busy January, I did get a chance to do some playing with fabric surface techniques. I did these experiments leading up to my Steampunk Sally class in my home studio. It was a lot of fun to try some new things and then I got to play around with Photoshop on top of the pictures.

YAY! a little time for playing!

I have been wanting to play with rusting fabric for quite sometime now. I just hadn’t got around to it. This isn’t the best results ever, I didn’t take much time in preparing the doll, but good color and good potential…

How did I do it:

Wrapped the fabric of the doll body in steel wire that was already starting to rust and thin pieces of steel wool.

Then I sponged on generous amounts of Sophisticated Finishes Rusting Solution and then went to bed.

Next morning rusty headless doll… Ok she was headless before I started but it sounds more dramatic…

Mummy Doll… I love the look of fabric wrapped and bound layer upon layer. Easy Peasy…

Tear strips of white cotton fabric, I used an old sheet.

Wrap and tie … rinse and repeat till your happy.

Secure ends with a little gel medium. Let dry

Then apply washes of Walnut ink.

Fake Batik… or Spots and Stripes…

I painted melted beeswax on to the fabric body in you guessed it stripes and spots.

Then painted Walnut Ink washes over the wax and fabric

Used a heat gun to melt the wax and blot off excess…

Then washed the doll “lightly” to tone down Walnut Ink.

Unknown bonus from unknown causes…. cool red and blue stains from the stuffing in the doll..

Check out the yummy fabric scraps I have been

playing with also..

Lots of instant coffee and rit dye …

rinse repeat.. don’t rinse repeat…