The Finished Pieces: Eostre

I want to share the good “official” photos of the big pieces I built this spring for the “Odd Birds” show.   I usually refer to this piece as “The Giant Bunny”.  However a lot of people at the latest art festival I attended called her the scary bunny or the creepy rabbit.   Her official name is “Eostre is Watching” after the pagan goddess with her hare companions thought to be associated with the origins of the word Easter.

Eostre aka Giant Bunny started her life as just that a dirty white giant stuffed bunny sitting in the corner at a small thrift store. I actually paid her no mind, looking right past her former self. But my partner was totally taken with her and KNEW I needed to take home that ratty 3ft stuffed bunny for something.   Well my partner was right!  Giant Bunny was one of the most enjoyable large pieces I made this spring.  She became a giant Wild Thing using basically the same techniques I use on my small Wild Things.

Eostre’s face started out as a hair dressing mannequin a friend found in a free pile. She wears amulets or talismans on her shoulders  that include shotgun casings, rusty washers, springs, locknuts, chains, and bones.

One of the on going themes of my artwork is the juxtaposition of different religious icons.  So adding the classic catholic sacred heart to the pagan bunny seemed like a perfect compliment to each other. I also enjoy playing with the dichotomy of sweet and soft and dark or gruesome.  I would love to hear what other readers see in Eostre.  My goal as an artist is not to tell the whole story but to set the scene for the viewer to create their own story.    

Details on the paws were stitched out of vintage sari material. The all seeing hand was a dollar store find that was originally painted with blue and white classic Dutch designs. The vintage moving eyeball was actually removed from “Junk in Her Trunk” and is one of my favorite details.

 

A couple pictures of Eostre in the progress.

Bricologe Preview

 

This is a brand new class this year and it’s debut will be at Art Unraveled

Bricologe : construction (as of a sculpture or a structure of ideas) achieved by using whatever comes to hand.

What do mixed media artists have at hand usually in excess on or around our work tables?

Fabulous scraps and bits of amazing stuff!

 

 

 

Some of the potential yummy materials for your Bricologe  

We will be exploring all kind of fun techniques to create texture, Texture,TEXTURE! 

        

I will cover many different ways to create a distressed or aged finish on new materials.

 

My style of making art and teaching is to HAVE FUN and embrace the GRUNGE.

          

Cherish those beautiful little scraps that need special recognition!

   

Explore composition in a very hands on immediate way and leave class with a work of art and a sampler of new techniques.

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?