"All that bugs me..." - Insects (AE June theme challenge)

This months theme challenge at Art Elements (AE) was given by Diana Ptaszynksi: Insects. What a perfect topic for me and actually one that came up quite often in my work. Bet it the use of beetle wings in my jewelery or paintings or handcarved stamps.

It is a long time ago since I carved my own stamps. But since I love monoprinting, mixed media and handmade books, I wanted some bigger motives to use. I also had some new rubber carving material to try out (the blue "stuff" and new being relative meaning unopened but lying around for a long time). I love carving rubber because I don't need a press to get good impressions. But in the past I used real rubbers (to hard or stable to really carve well) or a rubber carving material at my craft supply store (at that time the only available but it sadly crumbles a lot).

What shall I say? I love it! It is smooth and easy to carve and IT DOES NOT CRUMBLE! The "crumbling" problem was one of the reasons I stopped carving my own stamps - to frustrating and heartbreaking. The motives of course insects, in this case I started with a beetle. 

Here you see my reference image. I actually cut it out in the desired size and draw the silhouette on my stamp to have some guidelines. You could also use some copy paper but test it first with the rubber. The one I had didn't work at all on the rubber surface while it worked perfectly on paper.

And printed on a colorful background (MDF) with black archival ink. Since the background was quite dark I used some coloured pencils to draw around and play a little bit with it.

Just look at the background, love it!

In my carving process I stop in between and stamp the image just to get an overall impression and see where I still have to change something.

With a lot of background and the wings not finished...

Nearly finished but with some broken lines I didn't like. Take care to really stop in between. I know myself, after the first rough carving I need a break (or start another one) and leave the fine details for another day. Never ever worked out if I did it all in one go.

Of course I also had to test them with ceramic clay. They leave a nice impression. 

I only smoothed out the outer areas where you would see the carved background lines and a little bit in the middle. 

Both will be decorative tiles (I think).

They are still drying but I am so curious how they will turn out. I will add some black underglaze to highlight the details (not covering the whole stamped image) and am thinking about a transparent glaze on the insect and an opaque around. What also could be interesting is to add some graphic designs on the background. Mh... still thinking...

After I got my love for carving back I thought also to give linocuts another try. Our professional art supply store takes care to only provide fresh linoleum for carving since it gets hard and brittle after some time.

It is still in progress but I am surprised how easy and nice it was to carve (also way cheaper than the blue rubber "stuff"). There are differences but I just need some training to adjust. Oh, and better tools...  but that is a wish for nearly any technique, nai? *sighs*

Also I don't have a printing press and just with hand pressure it really doesn't print as well as the rubber ones. But I'll see if I can somehow adjust a little bit. All these prints are still test prints in between just to see how the carving comes along.

  

You know, I have a lot of my own stamps and I was thinking to show you my older insect stamps made with different rubber materials. I also love to see how my own abilities evolved (or are not so restricted anymore with problematic materials? Who knows ;) ). 

So I went to have a look and thought, oh well, why not show you my whole collections? Here it is! (there could be some smaller ones be missing but then I wouldn't even know where to start looking for them). 

As you see I used every tiny wee bit! I so loved the big dragon fly image but sadly it crumbled (right side). It is a good material for stamps like the birds and leaves (top row, middle image) because they don't have small areas but are rather massive. But I am handling my octopus stamp with the most utter care! 

And I nearly forgot my pegasus, and my tree, and my spider, and my little owl, and my flower....! I definitely need to use them all again somehow! I hope I am not the only one sometimes forgetting the little treasures in their stash.

As a last impression: Here are all my other insect stamps I made a long time ago. As a reference I stamped the little beetle on my finger nail too.

Diana, thank you so much for this theme, it was perfect for me!
Now please have a look what everybody else made!

Guests

Mona Arnott 

Melissa Trudinger 

Sarajo Wentling

Divya N

Art Elements Team

Cathy Spivey Mendola

Diana Ptaszynski

Lesley Watt 

Caroline Dewison

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Lindsay Starr

Niky Sayers

Claire Fabian (you are here)

Scarabs, bird skulls, beads and more

Since we were on Formentera for holiday I got into my mind that I want to create some scarabs. These are the first two finished ones! I have some more waiting to be glazed as well as waiting that I have time to start a new firing (will not be before next week *sniff*).

They turned out in all these lovely hues of blue and turquoise with a hint of green! I need to make more and also have to play with glaze and colour effects! I actually used underglazes like washes comparable with polymer clay and acrylic paint. 

You can see it maybe a little bit better at the backside It enhances the colours of the transparent glazes on top!

A lot of pendants. On some of them the glaze dropped more than I wanted to (I like a little dropping). But the kiln had started and stopped in the middle. The glaze just started to melt down. The kiln was started again but it had an effect on some pieces. Some glazes also reacted strangely... 

I played around mostly with "bottle green" but had to include "orient blue" as well. 

You can see the difference better at the backside.

Of course I also had to try to make a bird skull like I made so often with polymer clay. Love him! What else can I say? It is a different effect from polymer clay. I will definitely make more from ceramic clay as well as from polymer clay since both materials create different and unique effects. But I was honestly surprised how much easier it was to create the skull from ceramic clay compared to polymer clay.

The skull is just really, really difficult to capture with the camera!

Some more favorites (yes, I have also non favorites... but in the end it divides in "love it!" to "love it not" ^^). I like the organic shape reminding me of either sea shells or flower petals.

 I also love how this tiny leaf tuned out that had a kind of frame around. I used a polymer clay mold I made years ago.

Using the "hand ruler" you can see that is rather on the small side.

Now to the ones that went wrong. *sighs* Yes, the upper two also have a beautiful side shown in the image above. But the glaze dropped a little bit too much. The same amount like the last time but I think it behaved different due to the kiln problems. 

Maybe the same reason there was a piece gone from one of the beads.Only problem is: All of the broken ones were so beautiful on the other side.

But all in all: I am happy! Off to the next round! ;)

Inspirations: Critters (Leipzig)

You are not alone. Waiting for the tram.

Inspirations: Critters and flowers (Püchau)

After the rain you could see all the tiny drops of water on the flowers. I love this effect! It creates something just even more beautiful than the flower itself. Next to flowers there were of course a lot of insects, all the critters, which I love to find!

We went there as part of a little tour to find spices and healing plants, how to detect them, how to treat the single parts and for what benefit one could use the.

Needless to say, most of it -as interesting as it was!- just went in and out of my head. Even regarding that I studied biology... I just had botany courses during my basic study phase (first two years). That was enough for me! 

But I still love the look of plants... also of course to eat them! ^^ I still know all the biochemical processes inside... but names? Ehm... no.

Just a tiny drop of colour...

Can you see him? ^^

My challenge for 2012 - stop being my own worst enemy!

This is one part of my challenge. A challenge which takes part at my social life, at work, but especially regarding to creating stuff! It was and is easier for me to make things for other people. Somehow I need some kind of social pressure and deadlines. Otherwise sleep is sometimes more tempting or duties more demanding... 

But I want to make things for myself. That keeps me sane, that makes me smile and yes, there is something special to have and to use the things made by the own hands. I also love the things which were made for me! It is hard to describe because no, because one of parts why I love to create is that keeping the things in my hand I don't only see the present but every moment which went into its creation. Starting just from the idea in my head...

They don't need to be perfect. I love to challenge myself, to learn more and new things... There is nothing like the feeling of mastering new methods and techniques, nothing more cool than overcoming own fears (like how to use a electric jig saw!) and even more, nothing like the moment when you jump in your own abilities! Take crochet: Going from charts to freeform... Take polymer clay: From simple forms to creating deep textures... 

As I already wrote some time ago: I tried to set myself some limits for getting new stuff. I allowed myself only to take things if I have an idea what to make out of them at that moment. You know what? Nothing trains the brain and also the creativity more. No, didn't worked out for reducing or limiting my stash but did wonders to my own imagination!

This year I want to make a lot things for myself. All the things I already planned, already have the materials for, already dream to have... but always put to the side. 

One of the things I wanted to do was to enhance my stichting abilities. I am so into all kinds of garnish and decoration! 

Also... a big pile of small fabric pieces lying around helps...

So I take part in the crazy quilt journal project 2012. It works for me like a social deadline... Yes, I try to trick myself and even knowing it is a trick, hey, it works for me! ;)

Therefor I started sewing crazy patchwork blocks out of my stash... so I have already a good basic for starting to stich. 

The heart fabric was painted by my little sister Lachafa years ago.. when she really was still a little one! ^^ I never had a use for it but I kept it all the time. You see the single heart I stiched? :)

(and yes.. I'll make some better pics with better light. But still the dark season here...)

I played with dyeing some fabrics. This white fabric with roses was my test object. And now the pieces came into use...

A little fabric piece where I started to learn bubbles with fabric paints... also kept in my stash for years... 

The january block before...

...and after. Still having a lot of errors but every one helped me :)

And some of the blocks for the next months...

Some with stamped fabric like the violett pieces...

And no... all not ironed ^^

As you may see at the colours: All made late at night. Too late for ironing!

All the blocks are about 30 x 30 cm...

...this stripe of fabric pieces in the middle was a leftover from a quilt I made... five?... years ago ;)

The wrinkles are not so bad like they look on this pic!

And in the end the blocks will be joined :) 

That's why I won't use beads for the embroidery. 

As lovely as they are, cuddling with them is not the best idea...