Day 2 progress...

This morning I've continued working on my box project. I thought I'd post now while I have time as I may not be able to later today or this evening.

The glue dried and everything seems to be staying in place. Here's a view of the side. I decided last night before falling asleep I would use pages from the phone book on the sides. I've seen this in a variety of books and was reminded of it last night while I was viewing another person's work on her blog.

I used a ruler to tear the page to the right width. I didn't worry about length as I wrapped the piece around the edge as I went along.

Here is the piece of paper ready to be adhered to the box. I used gel medium for the adhesion. I love gel medium and use it generously! After ruining a few paint brushes I decided to just use foam brushes I could throw away after I was finished. No matter how hard I tried I could not get that stuff completely out of my brushes. Even with the cleaner.

Here is a view of the side after being papered.

That didn't take long and I had to wait for it to try so I decided to do the inside edge of a frame I made ages and ages ago with the same technique. Here's a view of the plain from. I have no idea what I originally made it for! This is all out of basswood and its probably 6x6.

Here is the frame with the inside papered.

Both pieces done and drying.

Then I remembered this box frame I had from Ikea which I bought to make a little collage of items I brought back from Maine several years ago. So I did the inside edge to. This frame is 5x7 and 2 1/2" wide with glass in the front. I love these box frames. And they are so reasonably priced at Ikea.

So now they are all just sitting downstairs drying. And I am waiting for more ideas to filter in. I used to try hard to visualize a project in it's entirety and now I'm okay with the waiting.

I've been reading Living the Creative Life by Rice Freeman-Zachary and it's been such a great book for me in terms of learning about myself and my creativity and how all artists have their own process and rituals and ways of doing something. No one way is the right way but it's important to know you way. I think I spent a lot of years trying to be a certain way or create a certain way and didn't fully explore my interests and ideas and talents. But the good thing is that it's NEVER to LATE!

In process...

This month I decided to participate in the Art Everyday Challenge. You can find out more about through the link on the sidebar.

While it would be great to have a finished product everyday I've decided that's not what is important to me. For me working on something everyday is more important. Enjoying the process and learning are my focus.

So today I started a little wooden project and continued working on a canvas.

The wooden project is a reverse shadow box, so not a shadow box but a raised wooden box with the work on the outside. Clear as mud!? It's made out of bass and balsa wood that I have cut myself.

The front measures 4x13.5.
I painted it brown to start. I set it aside to dry.

Then I cut the side pieces which are 1 1/4" wide.
Then I chose the papers I would use for the letters going on the front. I also applied a coat of crackle medium to the board and set that aside to dry.
I cut the letters out of the pattern papers.
After the crackle medium dried I applied a coat of light green paint and then it crackled. I love watching that!
While the green was drying I stitched the letters with the sewing machine. All of the above steps took place while my son was sleeping and the washer was washing. I love multi-tasking. The green took awhile to dry though so I stopped there.
After I got home from work I assembled the sides and set those to dry over night with a little weight on them. Bass and balsa wood are not the straightest material to work with so a little weight was needed to keep things in place. I don't have C-clamps that are both large and delicate to keep the pieces together. Maybe I need to work with some bigger and sturdier lumber!
Oh, after the stitching of the letters I applied a coat of crackle medium to a canvas that has been waiting. After I assembled the box above I painted white over the crackle medium. Now it's ready for something else. But I don't know what. So it will sit and wait for more ideas. I'm okay with that.

All in all I think it was a good art day!