July 15th, 2008
I’m sure most people are aware that Vatican City is a little sovereign nation right in the middle of Rome! I don’t even know where to begin with telling you about our visit to the Vatican Museum…I saw pieces of art that I never in my life ever thought I’d have the chance to see in person. I was a Greek major in college, and many of the mythological heroes of antiquity are to be found in the museum, like Perseus here:
Or Laocoon and his sons after they ran afoul of Poseidon:
And this one, the god of the Nile, which is enormous!
Mosaics and inlaid work that defies description:
And the huge sphere within a sphere which dominates the courtyard. It moves, by the way!
I believe this last lady is a muse of some sort. Even though her thread has long since disappeared, she is binding a book! How cool is that?
One of the best parts of the Vatican has to be the Sistine Chapel. It is just breathtaking. No photos are allowed, but you can click on the link to see some of the familiar works on the ceiling. Michelangelo painted the entire thing in only 4 years, while the Pope complained that it was taking too long! What an experience it is to see it in person :-)
Tags: Italy, mixed-media-art, Rome, Vatican By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 15th, 2008
Technique Tuesday!
The Owl and the Pussycat
Acrylic paints, a black fine-tipped marker, and clean sandals are all you need!
- Choose your colors of acrylic paint: a main background color and a couple of accent colors.
- Using a sponge or foam brush, paint all the leather surfaces of the straps with your main color. Mine was turquoise. Let the paint dry.
- Lightly sponge on your accent colors. I’ve always found that I get a better look if I return to my main color last, and lightly sponge it on as if it were also an accent color. Make sure you let the paints dry between colors.
- Using a fine-tipped black marker, write or doodle whatever you want. I used a Zig Millennium pen with a bullet tip.
- Use a heat gun to help set the colors and words further. Don’t get it too close or the paint may bubble.
- Spray your shoes with a light coating of Krylon acrylic fixative.
Tags: Mixed Media, shoes, tutorials, Wearable Art By Cyndi -- 14 comments
July 14th, 2008
Andrea is looking for someone to make a woven paper structure for her, that will be an artistic version of a family tree! I think it’s a great idea, but I have no time to do any commissioned work in foreseeable future. Can anyone help her out? She saw the post on woven paper from awhile ago, but there’s also a slightly newer one to consider.
If you’d like to discuss this project with Andrea, please contact her at andrea3483 @ comcast.net (remove the spaces)
Tags: paper arts By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 14th, 2008
We traveled by train from Venice back to Orvieto to retrieve all of Dani’s stuff from the monastery. From there we took a train into Rome’s central station (Termani). That pretty well shot the day, as you can probably imagine. Bright but not too early the next morning we began our Roman adventure!
Our first stop was the Borghese Museum. Since you have to make reservations (or take your chances, which I don’t recommend), we had a set time to show up, and only two hours to enjoy it. NO PHOTOGRAPHS, thank you very much! Suffice it to say that it is well worth the visit. Click on the link above, and you can see the official photos of some of the works we saw! Here are the only shots I took, of the outside:
After lunch, we headed to the National Museum of Rome, housing an amazing collection of mosaics, inlaid stonework, and other treasures. You might think we’d be museumed out after that, but not when every corner you turn takes your breath away, no.
I got the biggest kick out of this scene! People don’t worry too much about the car traffic in some areas :-) This street is not closed to cars, despite what it looks like:
After dinner one of the evenings (I can’t remember which one!), we took a bus ride over to the Trastevere district on the east side of the river. It’s where many large residences, nice apartments, and fine dining can be found. It has a different look and feel from the busy Termini district where we were staying.
Another evening (or maybe it was even the same evening…it stays light so long!), we went to see Trevi Fountain. You couldn’t get anywhere near it because of the throngs of people doing exactly what we were doing! It’s pretty impressive though. Click the link above to see some better images.
As long as I’m sharing some miscellaneous stuff with you, I’ll throw in this striking image from the church known as St Peter in Chains. It’s an amazing church, full of wonderful artwork, but we couldn’t see most of it because there was a wedding going on at the time! Sometimes we forget that many of these wonderful places we visited are operating churches!
Typical tourists that we are, we always visit any Hard Rock Cafe in the cities that we vacation in :-) Rome’s Hard Rock is great!
Dani and Mike with Jimi Hendrix’s
patchwork outfit in the back
Well, there you have some initial first impressions of Rome. I’m going to cover our trip to the Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica, the Catacombs, and the Colosseum in separate posts. So much to see, so little time!
Tags: Borghese Museum, Italy, mixed-media-art, Rome By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 14th, 2008
Make Art Monday!
I shared this pair of painted sandals before, but I thought I should show you a second pair and maybe suggest that it might be a nice project for a quick pair of summer wearable art.
I don’t like buying new shoes. In fact, I tend to wear the same pair of sandals all year, even in the snow. When they get worn out, I do buy a new pair (the exact same style…aren’t I exciting?), but I can’t stand to just throw out the old pair.
So I usually paint them.
The Owl and the Pussycat
After a friend saw my re-furbished sandals, she asked for a pair. This is what I made for her, but unfortunately, they didn’t fit. So we ended up donating them to a local school auction!
Baa baa, Black Sheep
Tomorrow for Technique Tuesday, we’ll talk about the particulars. In the meantime, find a pair that you’re willing to sacrifice, and make sure the surface is good and clean!
Tags: altered couture, Mixed Media, shoes, Wearable Art By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 11th, 2008
About Family Crafts
When you have a day when it is way too hot to spend time outside or when there is another reason you are stuck inside, you can keep busy with these Summer-themed coloring pages.
About.com Cross Stitch
Use these tile patterns for bookmarks, borders, and more - let your creativity flow!
Aileen’s Musings
Aileen’s feeling inspired! Enter Aileen’s Artist Manikin Contest and get your groove on creating your own art muse! Click the link to find out the nitty gritty…
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Variety abounds with summer centerpieces, retro gas photos, a sneak peek a couple of fun projects from the new book Felt Inlays, a how to make your own Calligraphy pen from the new book Modern Mark Making and a tutorial on how to convert a photo into a knitting pattern with a free graph of Jon Stewart!
Crafty Princess Diaries
Lesson 3 in Tammy’s series on getting your craft work published talks about submitting your work to magazines.
Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi got to test some new Golden’s digital ground products, and a waxed paper transfer collage is the result!
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
The Scissors are busy with Summer Sweater Projects
The Impatient Blogger
Madge is in full tilt preparation mode for the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Show. ACK!
Tags: Art Communities, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 11th, 2008
The food in Venice was phenomenal…the pizza, the handmade pasta, the wine!
Gorgonzolla with smoked prosciutto:
Giant mushrooms and ham:
Handmade vermicelli carbonara:
Grilled vegetables:
Insalata mozarella:
The feast:
Tags: italian food, Italy, Mixed Media, venice By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 11th, 2008
Christmas in July?
Chloe has issued a challenge to start your Christmas or holiday crafting now!
Favourite Art Supplies
Sharing some of my favourite art supplies to use in my journal. So, what are your favourites?
Frugal or “Green” Quilting Tips
In these days of saving money and being environmentally friendly, quilters have some tips to contribute.
How to Make Mint Matchbook Party Favors
Have you seen these cute little matchbooks as wedding or party favors? Each matchbook contains an after dinner mint and is inscribed with the occasion, date and/or some significant saying.
Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi’s readers are sending in pictures of the best thing they’ve made so far this summer! Wanna join in?
Making and breaking and making again- A tatting shuttle becomes a necklace
Noreen Crone-Findlay carved 2 tatting shuttles from some recycled wood. She broke one of the tatting shuttles and recycled it into a very spiffy necklace. And now, she’s debating about the cord for the necklace. Opinions are welcome!
Win Scanalog: A Great Way to Organize Magazine Articles
Store directions, recipes and more for later use, then recycle your magazines.
Tags: Art Communities, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 10th, 2008
Art Attack Thursday!
The Vizier’s Daughter
The Dangerous Detritus etsy shop greets you with the following message:
Welcome to Dangerous Detritus! I am Molly ‘Porkshanks’, a traveler from across time and space, I import and export wares across the dimensions. I try to find appealing hand made one of a kind items for the discerning retrofuturistic gent or lady.
Molly promises that if you want a little something that no one else on earth has, you’ve come to the right place…
I believe her! Visit her shop and see what you think :-)
Dimensional Array Selector Pendant
Tags: handmade jewelry, Mixed Media, steampunk, Wearable Art By Cyndi -- 3 comments
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