The Finished Pieces

I want to share the good “official” photos of the big pieces I built this spring for the “Odd Birds” show.   This piece is affectionately called

Junk in her Trunk

 

Junk was created from an underwear mannequin that I bought at a junk sale in a dark funky barn along side the road.  I probably paid too much for it $15 but I just knew it had good potential.  The doll came from the Goodwill Outlet bins which deserve a post all to themselves. Her horns are made from a broken candelabra accessorized with fabric, wire, and pieces of a shattered chair.  Her hat was the top of our porch light that blew off in a wind storm 5yrs ago. Her junk is just that all kinds of small bits and pieces that have been collected over the years. I wanted to create a tapestry of sorts for her lower body.  A tapestry of toys, game pieces, junk, and precious jewels. A cloth constructed of things to symbolize the objects and experiences that we carry with us in life, both the precious and the painful. All of those things make her beautiful and interesting just like our scars, wrinkles, and stories make us beautiful.  She is held together and unified as one with lots of paint, plaster, and magic.

  

Her humble beginnings   aka “Before”

     

To her regal “After”

This piece is still available for purchase just contact me at clarissacallesen@gmail.com

Art Doll Quarterly

 

Somewhere in the craziness of the last month of traveling to VA and setting up a gallery show and window, I received this is the mail.

One of my Steampunk Dolls was featured in the bride challenge of ADQ May/June/July 2013.

What a pleasant surprise!  Here are some clearer shots of Chloe.   Chloe is currently on exhibit at Tasty gallery with lots of my other babies. If you interested in purchasing here contact Sheri at Tasty 206-706-3020.

Beauty and Creativity in Virginia Beach

It was such a pleasure to teach at Art and Soul in Virginia Beach, and now that I have slowed down and caught my breathe I want to share some of the fun and beauty.

Lets start with the fact that this was the view from my hotel room. Which I had the pleasure of sharing with my dear friends Marcia and Ty Schultz.  Who make and teach the most unique and fun classes.  One day I am going to have enough time to take one of there classes.

It was so nice to get a chance to visit with and hang out with my dear friends.  Over all I really enjoyed meeting new people and getting to know others better. I can tend to be a bit of an introvert, even though it does not show from the outside.  So meeting and connecting with people can be a bit of a challenge for me.  I felt so comfortable and at home I surprised myself.  
I taught 4 classes back to back in two days and it was a whirlwind. Unfortunately that whirlwind  did not leave me with many pictures from classes. So any students out there that have pictures to share from my classes I would love to see them?  Email me clarissacallesen@gmail.com 
       
                  
Student pieces in progress from Happy Harpies


We had so much fun in Steampunk Sally.  The dolls were so creative and fun. There is always so much information I want to share with my students and so many things to do in creating a unique art doll that most students leave with a doll on its way to being finished but not completed.
I love when I get follow up pictures of the finished finished pieces like these ones from Victoria

                   

On my day off from teaching I spent as much time as possible at the beach, taking pictures, collecting shells, and coming up with new class ideas for next year.  What do you think about a mermaid class?
            
There was the coolest textures in the sand. I am hoping to be able to use some as Photoshop textures.

Then of course I had to play with the photos on my iPhone.  I multi process the photos by editing them in Snapster and then Instagram.  Not sure how much they represent the original subject but I love the way they look

So who is joining me for Art and Soul VA Beach next year?

Artistic Fabric Dying

 

So I have been working on some artistic fabric dying to make packets for the upcoming Art and Soul in Virginia Beach. 

I really like the muted tones mixed with coffee stain to create an antiqued look.

I cover my work station with old book pages and get the bonus of beautiful dyed paper as well. 

Happy Harpies at Art and Soul

I will be teaching HAPPY HARPIES in just a few weeks at Art and Soul in Virginia Beach and there is still spots left in the class!!  Come play and make your own Harpy or maybe we should start calling them BIRD GODDESSES.

I seem to be kind of obsessed with the image of a woman’s face on a bird body or a harpy.  But Mythologically speaking or  in modern slag the Harpy’s reputation is not a pretty one.
HARPY
–noun, plural -pies.
1.Classical Mythology . a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.
2.( lowercase ) a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman;shrew.
3.( lowercase ) a greedy, predatory person.

However in earlier Greek mythology, Harpies were described as beautiful, winged  maidens.   So what happened?   I have some feminist theories about what happen, but alas this blog is actually about art.   I have been making lots of Harpies lately and it has been an image that has been in my sketch books for years.

 Mixed Media painting done a few years ago

Assemblage Harpy made with a porcelain doll head

on a fake crow body made this spring for Artfest

Class sample from Happy Harpies at Artfest 2011 

made of a vintage compostite doll head with eyes

that blink on a tacky Christmas bird decoration.

My circus Harpy painting

Collage and Acrylics on Canvas 2009

A bit scarier Harpy made of a  composite Virgin Mary head with wings made out of gut stretched over wire

 

Geisha Harpy made this spring from a doll head I had in my childhood