jaeartworks

the heart of the matter

2012-02-14T08:22:00.000-06:00

so in honor of valentine's day, i wanted to share some heart-related things with you. i know i have quite a few at-home mom's, grandma's, home-schoolers following me, so check out this smART class post for a cute heart project for little kids!

i was hoping to show you the jim dine inspired heart paintings that my own art students had done. however, the older students rebelled and decided they didn't want to do it, and my kindergarten student still hasn't finished. i do have this one from my new preschool class though. isn't it lovely?

at the suggestion of one of my dearest friends, i checked out the crokin girls website and learned how to use my crock pot to make my own heart shaped crayons using all the broken pieces we have in my studio. and trust me, that is a significant quantity! i used heart shaped silicone baking cups i found at michaels. i set them in the bottom of my crock pot, and then filled them about 2/3 full with peeled, broken crayons pieces. i actually found enough pieces that had already lost the paper, but i have heard if you need to peel them you can soak them in hot water to help quicken the process.

according to the crokin girls, you close the lid and cook on high for 45 minutes. after 45 minutes, however, i found that not all the crayons had melted. so i cooked mine for an extra half hour or so. once they were all melted, i pulled out the crock pot insert and set it on my stove top to cool. once the melted wax had hardened, i popped the crayon hearts out and set them on wax paper. viola! they came out great, and much to my surprise, my boys love using them. (i confess i thought it would end up a novelty.)

i also came across this great video by roberta laliberte showing how to make your own hand-painted paper. i love her demo videos- they are really quick and super fascinating!

and one more thing before i go, i am linking once again to dave's app recipe book, a super fun monthly challenge where iphonographers share their "recipes" for photos created exclusively with phone apps. because the february challenge was due at the same time that i wanted to do a "heart" post, i thought i would try and do a heart-themed photo for dave's challenge. however, that did not work for me. i found all the things i tried to do to be much too contrived. so, instead, i present this one, created about the word that's on my mind right now. i took the picture of a canvas in my studio with camera+, chose the "portrait" setting under scenes, and then did a freestyle crop. then i took it into scratchcam and hit the "random" button until i liked it. the title is "revolution."

and this one has to do with the painting i'm struggling to finish right now. the girl in the painting is my baby sister and is about the loss of our father. (you can see the entire unfinished painting here.) my idea was to create a self-portrait where i somehow become a part of the painting that is consuming me. i took the photo with the reverse cam in phototoaster. i then chose the filters "silver light" and "canvas." last, i cropped it to a square. i had trouble deciding on a title for this one, but for now i'm calling it "reflection."

so there you have it, not "a heart" but what's on my heart. and isn't that the heart of the matter?

xo,

-julia

hands in motion

2012-02-07T11:36:00.000-06:00

does anyone out there find hands as fascinating as i do? i love to watch my kids' hands as they work. sometimes i wonder if they think i'm crazy when i'm taking pictures of them- lol!

i have to include this one of my 4 year old putting flowers in a vase for me. don't those dirty fingernails just melt your heart?

here's my own print. i'm thinking this will be the logo for jaeartworks.

and i don't think i ever showed this finished piece. this is my latest "family portrait" that i have hanging on the narrow wall next to my kitchen.

told you i love hands! do you have something you are fascinated with?

have a blessed week,
-julia

go and be a blessing

2012-01-31T14:47:00.000-06:00

my studio feels like it is bursting at the seams. there's that one painting i'm still wrestling with and another i'm trying to finish for a fundraising auction at my son's school. there are clay scultptures waiting to be fired, stacks of plates waiting to be painted, and piles of art student work in progress. and there are 2 portraits that need to get going. i am busy. sometimes i am stressed. but, more importantly, i am grateful!

usually tuesdays are my studio work day, and i start with my blog post for the week. today was different for me though, because i spent the day helping my friend who is pregnant do some painting in the nursery. and because the past week or so has been even more busy and crazier than usual, i have nothing ready. instead of skipping though, i thought this would be a good time to share this with you. i first saw it posted a few days ago by kelly rae roberts on facebook , but it is originally from the inspiring blog brave girls club. isn't it funny how such a small thing as a picture of a sign can inspire you? i love, love, love!

may you inspire and be inspired.
may you be blessed, and
may you be a blessing!

-julia

i heart photo apps

2012-01-24T12:16:00.000-06:00

so last week i showed you a couple pics i created with apps on my iphone for an online collaborative project. you can see my post here and the project here. this week i wanted to share my list of my 5 favorite, must-have apps.

#1- instagram so easy and fun to use...you can easily flip through the different filters until you find the one you like. you can easily post to your social networks if you want to, and it's even its own social network if you choose to use it that way! let me emphasize that you do not have to use it socially. you can absolutely use it and keep your own roll of photos private!

#2- camera +    it took me a little while to learn this one, but now i actually use this one as my main camera most of the time. it has a lot of filters and special effect choices, and i find the crop tool on this one to be the easiest to use.

#3- snapseed    i'm still actually learning all the ends and outs of this one, but so far i really feel the filters on this one are of exceptional quality.

#4- scratchcam    this one is really cool. you can create vintage and grungy photos so easily. you can control the filters to customize as you choose, but most of the time i like to just push the "random" button over and over until i see one i like!

#5- grungetastic    i don't use this one as much as scratchcam, but it's still cool. it also allows you to choose whether you want create custom effects, or just hit the "dice" button and let it choose random filters for you.

so there you have it... certainly not my entire library of apps, but definitely my favs. and let me share a couple more of my iphoto creations with you. this one i created for my brother-in-law who recently ran (and finished!!!) the ironman marathon. i did half the work in photo apps and half in photoshop on my computer. i printed it large and framed it for him for christmas.

for this next one, i used color effects pro, which allows you to recolor photos to your choosing. this is my 4 year old who loves to dress up as superheros!

and this one was taken by that same 4 year old when we were at a football game. zachary is an avid iphonographer (you can see this post here to read more about his passion.) his latest obsession is the app called camera art fx, which allows him to take photos that look like drawings or paintings!

photo by zachary age 4

speaking of my 4 year old, i have a new preschool art class that just started! it will be every other monday from 10-11. the next time we will meet will be monday, february 6th. there are 3 spots left in the class, so let me know if you are interested. here is what they painted this past monday. doesn't this painting just warm your heart?!

here's to branching out to new things!

- julia

iartist

2012-01-17T10:18:00.000-06:00

so one of my new obsessions for a while has been with all the photography and art apps that are available now. i've never been interested in doing photography myself, especially back when you had to wind film and develop it. or carry a lot of large, heavy cameras and equipment around. but since getting my iphone, and now my beloved ipad, i've been exposed to a world of instant photography that i just can't resist.

my friend, dave, from the photography blog clearer reflections, is hosting a project this week called "dave's app recipe book." the challenge is to create at least one picture using apps in either your phone or ipad, and then post it with the exact "recipe" that you used to create it. now that last part is where i usually run into trouble. i'm good at experimenting...taking pictures in and out of apps using different filters, but remembering what i used in the end??? not so good. but since this project called for that, i made sure to keep notes on what i was doing.

the first one is a self portrait. i am a figurative artist, and one thing i have always done a lot of are self portraits. this one came about because , for one, i can not just sit and do nothing, and two, now i can not resist experimenting with different apps. my husband was driving, so i took a picture of myself in the rearview mirror above my seat. the title is "rearview."

so the recipe? i took the picture in camera+ , used the filter under the scenes called "portrait," and then saved it. then i opened it in snapseed and applied the filter called "vintage." at that point i wanted to crop it in some more, so i saved it again and took it back into camera+ and cropped it down using the "freeform" one. then i took it back into snapseed and applied the "drama" filter. last, i took it into scratchcam and used the "random" button until i found one that i liked. *you can take pictures in and out of as many different apps as you like, just make sure you save the file in between apps!

for this next one, i used a painting i had done a few years ago. I do not have this painting anymore as it is in someone else's collection now, so i had to use my digital picture of the painting. here's the original painting. the title is "king" and it is acrylic on 12 x 24 inch canvas.

and here's the manipulated image.

i pulled the picture up in photoshop and then took a picture of it in camera+. then i used the filter under scenes called "auto." then using "freeform" again i cropped out all the excess background and computer monitor. then i saved the file. next i opened it in wordfoto. i tried out the different preset styles, and finally settled on "classic gray." then i went into "words" and chose "add new word set." i put in the words, " savior, redeemer, messiah, lord, jesus." and wordfoto did the rest. so easy!

i don't want this post to get too long, so i'll continue next week with part 2. i'll tell you my top 5 or so must have apps, and show you some more pics i've created.

remember my word for 2012? inspired. i'm inspired by what i've learned from clearer reflections, and i hope you'll be inspired to try it too!

-julia

inspire

2012-01-10T11:11:00.000-06:00

to be inspired requires seeing.
to inspire requires doing.

so those are my goals for 2012.

and my own art has got to start here. i have a painting that has been in process for way too long. since summer, in fact.

i got an idea to try to mix my figurative work with my mixed media. i started with a large sketch and some tar gel.

detail of flowers with tar gel and acrylic

then i added some paper collage and some paint.

and then some more paint.

and this is where the story ends. not sure what to do next.

so back to "inspire." i need to see. i need to do.

i need to finish and move on.

here's my next canvas waiting for me. already a completely opposite color palette. now that's what i'm talking about!

so here's to 2012...may we all inspire and be inspired!

-julia

new years crash

2012-01-03T21:36:00.000-06:00

so my new year has started, not with a bang, but with a crash. as in my computer has crashed. until it is fixed or replaced, my access to photoshop and a desktop will limited as i have to share with my art professor husband. luckily, for this week, i had some pictures ready to go.

years ago when i was teaching public school, i made a trade with another teacher who was a great quilter. i did a couple portraits, and in return, she took my husband's prized tshirt collection from his youth and turned them into this fabulous quilt. this is, hands down, the most treasured and functional blanket in our house.

fast forward to the present. this is my newest scarf, a gift handmade by my friend, robin, of bailey bear & co. she made it from recycled tshirts, using a purple color palette to go along with my love of tcu. how fantastic is this? i love, love, love! my mind is already churning on different ones i can have her make for me. wouldn't this be another great way to show case tshirts you have but can't or don't wear any more? yeah, i think so too!

i also took these pictures of my boys with their sparklers on new years eve. i have some really cool photo apps on my iphone and ipad that i'm loving. i'll have to do a post about my favorite ones later, but if you are really interested now, you should check out this blog here. dave will show you lots of cool pictures and artworks and tell you the apps and filters he used. i've found several of my new favorites from him!

happy 2012!

-julia

happy new year!

2011-12-31T08:53:00.000-06:00

there's something about the start of a new year that makes you think of years past. for some reason i was thinking about when i was younger and i used to like to draw free hand letters on to large pieces of paper. my objective was always to have the letters look right, but also be centered perfectly on the paper. not an easy feat. so for nostalgia sake, i free-handed these onto large paper, and my sons jumped at the chance to color them. guess i still got it- lol!

the ensuing photoshoot was not so easy, but i think we got a few keepers!

wishing you all a happy new year and a fabulous 2012!

-julia

merry christmas!

2011-12-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

the business side of our studio is shut down until after our kids go back to school in january. we were traveling earlier this week, and now we are home getting ready for christmas. thought i would share some pics from around our small, 1950s house.

this is elfie, our antique elf that is spending the holidays with us. he once belonged to my great grandmother!

we are doing our own version of "elf on the shelf" with him, and he has shown up in some interesting places!

artwork by heidi lingamfelter

artwork by winter rusiloski

we have a small, thin christmas tree because of lack of space, but it's still pretty when it lights up!

and you just can't escape the art over here. it even peeks out from behind the tree.

artwork by omar hernandez

i am really liking sparkle this year, so the boys and i made some pretty leaves. my 4 year old's preschool teacher gave him the largest leaf i've ever seen. so we spray painted it (and some smaller ones) gold and sprinkled gold glitter on them while they were still wet. i'm using them as a centerpiece on my table.

i also found these shiny letters at hobby lobby. with a few stitches, i attached the initial letter of each of our names on our stockings.

i ran sparkly ribbon down the middle of a closet door to display the photo christmas cards. i think i actually need to add a second row now!

thanking you all for the best year yet for jaeartworks, and wishing you a very merry, magical, sparkly christmas!

-julia

easy way to frame kid art- no mat required!

2011-12-13T13:01:00.000-06:00

with 12 days until christmas, i thought i would show you this super easy method for framing kid art, or really, any kind of flat artworks. i love, love, love art made by kids. and with a nice frame, it can easily be transformed into an awesome wall piece and/or a great gift!

i am going to show you this using these two pieces my sons made recently to go in their space-themed bedroom. they started out drawing on cheap printer paper. when they informed me they wanted to hang them in their room, my mind quickly started churning on how to make the pieces more substantial. printer paper is not exactly high quality. so i had them cut out the items that they had drawn on the printer paper, and then we glued the scene back together on black card stock. once on the black, i had them draw in some embellishments with white crayon. here are the results. so quick and easy, and what a difference!

by zane age 6

by zac age 3 1/2

because of where these were going to be hung, i knew i did not want heavy frames. so i found this 2 pack on sale at michaels for pretty cheap. buy whichever frame you think will work best with your artwork. what you want to do is buy the next size up from the size of paper your artwork is on. so, the boys pieces were on standard sized paper, which is 8 1/2 x 11. therefore, when i bought the frames, i bought the next size up which was 11 x 14.

turn the frame over, open up the back, and take all the pieces out, except for the glass.

take the colored paper that was in the frame as advertisement and flip it over. usually the back is a solid white. if for some reason the back of this paper is not in good shape, you can easily cut another piece of white paper (or whatever color you choose!) in that size. you can use the paper that was in the frame as a guide by tracing it. mine was good enough to use the back, so i flipped it and put a little bit of masking tape on each corner of the printed side.

then flip it back over and secure it to the masonite back-piece of the frame. next, flip the artwork and put a little tape on those four corners too. flip the artwork back over, center it, and secure it in the middle of the white one on the masonite.

now, many times with these cheaper frames, some genius puts a sales sticker right on the glass that doesn't want to come off. and that was the case here. i keep a bottle of goo gone spray gel in my studio for just such cases. spray the sticker and let it sit for a few minutes.

then use a knife or razor blade to carefully scrape up the sticker and adhesive. i use a palette knife. make sure you clean the glass off with a little glass cleaner when your done to remove any traces of the goo gone because it is pretty greasy.

place the clean glass back in the frame, and then flip the artwork that is now attached to the back-piece over and slide it back into the frame as well. push all the holders back in place, and voila!

inexpensive, easy, and no mat required! i think it's a great way to preserve treasured artworks, decorate a space, and/or give a wonderfully meaningful gift!

wishing you all a very merry christmas!

-julia

holiday happenings

2011-12-06T13:35:00.000-06:00

this post is going to be quick this week, as i am up to my eyeballs in the studio with work. first things first, though. i had a portrait deadline this past week, which i'm happy to say that i made. this is ellie. her aunt comissioned her as a gift for her parents for christmas. i sincerely hope this portrait brings them joy for many, many years!

graphite on paper 16"x20"

so, besides doing portraits, teaching private art lessons, and making my own art, i also do a line of kid art using hand prints and foot prints. i like to call them "printworks." you can see finished examples on my website here or on my facebook page here. this past sunday, my friends in waxahachie hosted a party for me and here is the stuff i need to finish.

i didn't even get all of it this picture, hence my wording "up to my eyeballs!" and, i can't forget that other full-time job i have of at-home wife and mother.

my boys are only 6 and 4, so this time of year i also have that all important 3rd full-time job, otherwise known as "santa's helper." no worries...i can do it all. right???

i'll leave you with one more thing before i go. last week i posted a cute upcycled lightbulb santa tutorial. you can click here to see it. my art students are still working on these, but one has finished so i thought i would show you. this one is by carly age 11.

carly always likes to do her own thing over here, which i love. she made hers in to mrs. claus. she wasn't sure about how to give her hair. i tossed her a thing of gray yarn and told her to figure it out. and figure it out she did! i think she was so clever in how she chose to wind it. here's the top.

like i said, so clever! i told you it was a good problem-solving exercise.

so, i'm going back to painting now. wishing you a joyous and creative holiday season!

-julia

upcycled light bulb santa how-to

2011-11-30T11:52:00.000-06:00

how cute is this upcycled santa lightbulb?! my art students are making these for christmas.

i found this idea in the latest issue of cloth paper scissors magazine.

there is not a tutorial in the magazine, however, so i thought i would share the general steps we are using to make these. i say general because my students have the artistic freedom to change anything they want. in the magazine, the artist used buttons to make the beard. for ours we are using one of my favorite artist tools- our fingers.

to make this one i used an old light bulb and craft store acrylic paint. if you don't have any old light bulbs, you can buy a box of 4 at the dollar store for a buck. i started by painting the light bulb in a flesh color. holding the light bulb by the bottom, i painted the top portion first.

then i set it inside a small paper cup to dry.

once it was dry, i turned the light bulb and painted the rest of it.

then i set it on the cup to dry again. on this one, i did 2 coats of paint because i didn't want the light bulb glass to show.

once all the layers were completely dry, i used a pencil to lightly sketch a line where the hat would hit and a frame for the face. you don't want to make this area too big. i put 2 dots for eyes and a small oval for the nose. then from the center of the nose i drew 2 lines that curved out to give myself a guideline for the mustache. last i sketched a line for the mouth.

to fill in the white i used my finger prints. i started by following the face and mustache lines first. put some paint out, dip your fingertip in it, and print it a few times, then repeat.

then i filled in the rest of the front of the light bulb the same way. i set it on the cup again to dry. once it was dry, i turned it and filled in the back. once that was dry, i put a second layer over the entire white area, using the same finger print technique.

once the white was finished, i used a small brush to paint the nose pink and the mouth red. for the eyes, i filled in the dots with a thin sharpie marker.

once that was dry, i used a small round brush with white paint to fine tune the area around the face and fill in any other areas of the white part that looked thin.

to make the hat, i used an old red tshirt that my son had grown out of. first i cut off one of the sleeves.

then i put the part of the sleeve with the seam around the light bulb where i wanted the hat to sit. once i had the material pulled back tight enough to have the hat sitting where i wanted it, i sketched a line with pencil to mark it. you can't see the pencil line on the picture, so i marked it with tape to show you. it is the inside tape line. it is close to the light bulb, but not right up against it because i know i have to sew a seam. i think i also put one sewing pin on that line to hold the material together before i carefully pulled it off the light bulb.

now, i have a sewing machine, but it is not set up. so instead of doing that, i decided to just hand stitch the seam. if you don't want to stitch it, you could use fabric glue. even staples might work if you don't pull too hard on it afterwards. you couldn't see my stitched seam in the picture, so i added white dots on the line to show you. while it was still inside out, i cut off the extra fabric. make sure you don't cut too close to the stitched seam.

then i flipped it inside out so the seam was on the inside and placed it on the light bulb where i wanted it. the top off the hat was still open and ugly from where i cut it, so i pulled down and marked with my finger where i wanted to attach it. i carefully pulled the hat off the light bulb and put in a couple of stitches to hold the top of the hat down. now, i'm just telling you how i made my hat. you could do this many different ways. if you do this with your kids i encourage you to let them problem solve a way to make a hat. my art students are doing their own. like is said earlier, it's a great problem solving activity.

my hat is just sitting on top, but if you wanted to, you could add a little hot glue on the hat to attach it.

viola! a cute and super trendy upcycled santa for the holidays!

i also wanted to show you these ornaments my boys made the other day. these were sort of an accident while we were looking through what i had stored in the studio. i had some of these clear glass balls.

my 6 year old found some shiny pipe cleaners in another box. you know kids love all things shiny, so he couldn't resist messing with them. he started bending them and shoved one in the glass ball. i saw it and encouraged him to shove in some more of different colors.

then we grabbed zac, and they both started making them. they had such a good time!

now, i really tried to get a good picture of this for you guys, but this was the best i could do.

i think you can tell that these came out really cute! i just added a christmas ribbon to the top and, boom, instant gifts for the boys to give. and so easy, fun and cheap!

happy holidays!

-julia

not made in china

2011-11-22T10:08:00.000-06:00

today's confession: i can not make everything myself. hmmm... maybe i should rephrase that: i should not make everything myself. these ikea chairs from my boys' room are exhibit a.

my boys love these chairs. but how long do you think it was before that white pad (and that is your only choice when you buy them!) was filthy? so i did a search online and found 1 person who made designer covers for that chair. i then decided that i should just go ahead and make them myself. 12 hours and 1 ginormous headache later, i had them! not bad, huh???

well, here they are again...1 month later.

so i gave in and ordered them from jcaroline home. and look at them now! for $45 i got a completely new pad covered in a very durable, deep orange fabric. and she has all kinds of fabrics and patterns to choose from. they still look great over a month later, i might add. and trust me, they've had some wear and tear!

my next search was for some bird earrings. i wanted them to be very simple, so i thought surely i should just make them myself. then i came across these from off beet on etsy. i love these so much! it was well worth $12 (and that included the shipping) to not have to drag myself all over town trying to find the stuff to do it on my own.

and did you know i am a huge football fan? it's true. you can blame it being raised by a football coach. well, check out my new game day tassel earrings from paper taxi. she did not have purple in her etsy shop (which i need for my tcu games) so she made them special for me. love!

i found these totally quirky, super awesome skull earrings for a gift for one of our artist friends at sora designs on etsy. i haven't given them to her yet, and truthfully, i really don't want too!

and how about these halloween name tags my sister-in-law made for my son's 4th birthday party? could not have made these better myself. perfection!

or this moss covered "h" by green crow gallery?! love, love, love!

and don't you just love these ornaments, also by green crow gallery. simple and natural yet elegant, they look like something straight out of better homes and gardens! her website is not up right now, but if you want more information on these items, let me know and i'll give you contact information.

so, if you have the time, money and inclination to make something yourself...i say go for it! i know i'll never stop. but, sometimes it's nice to have it done for you.

this christmas season i raise my glass and toast to all the artists and artisans out there following their dreams and all their wonderful and unique items, not made in china!

have yourself a handmade christmas,

-julia

pinterest results

2011-11-15T12:01:00.000-06:00

back on october 11, i posted a pinterest challenge- 5 weeks, at least 1 finished project that i had pinned on pinterest. i also invited anyone else who was interested to join me. now, i know 5 weeks is a long time for a challenge like this, but as i am a working artist, i had to be reasonable in allowing time for my commissioned artworks, my art lessons, and the production of a quality pinterest project. oh yes, and that family that i'm raising- lol. after a lot of initial interest, i ended up with 2 pictures from friends who finished. julie from the amazing art blog spaark- artistcally afflicted made a beautiful terrarium . click here for pictures and a little tutorial on how she made it! my friend, christine, from adorabelle design made these super cute clam shell cookies for her daughter's mermaid birthday party.

clam shell cookies by adorabelle design

You can also see the pics of the beautiful party decorations she made for that same party here.

as for me, in that 5 week time period, i actually used several ideas i had pinned. this painted pumpkin was the result of the combination of 2 ideas from pinterest- a painted pumpkin i had pinned, and the dia de los muertos theme i discovered here at teach kids art.

dia de los muertos pumpkin

my art students and i also did some fantastic dia de los muertos prints, which you can see here.

I also created these fabulous skulls from an idea i pinned from mega crafty.

paper covered skull

paper covered skulls

these took a long time and a lot of patience, but i think were worth it in the end!

and then there was this watermark tshirt (using elmer's glue gel as a resist!!!) from a guest blogger at ucreate.

wet tshirt with glue gel

finished tshirt

now, i actually think i need to do this shirt again. i don't think i mixed the dye well enough, so there were some darker spots that i didn't care for. but what a great idea. the possibilities of designs are endless!

i just have to add that doing this post was a pain because my beloved pinterest site was not working right. i couldn't access my pins, so finding the links to the sites of my sources took a lot of searching. i guess that also shows how convenient pinterest is when it is working. so for now i know i'll keep pinning, and hopefully, keep doing!

peace, love...art,

-julia

studio life

2011-11-08T10:46:00.000-06:00

it's sort of a somber day in the studio for me today. i talked a little about the sudden loss of my father last may in this post here, and as we move into the holiday season, i feel the heaviness of that loss descending upon me. for those of us with artistic souls, we know that sometimes there is no better medicine than making art. that being said, my studio has been bursting with artistic life, for which i am profoundly grateful. here's a little peek:

art lessons! the opportunity of passing of artistic knowledge to other artistic souls is priceless for me.

carly and brandon at work

pinterest projects! i will post the results of the pinterest challenge that i wrote about here next tuesday, november 15th. no, it's not too late to join me!


part of my halloween pinterest project!


a sneak peek at my other pinterest project!

then there is my own work. i've got several pieces going right now. most are commissioned, like that portrait there and that green canvas with the sweet little prints on it, but that large blue painting is my newest work in progress.

i have been feeling my momentum on this one slowing...taking me to that place where you're not sure what to do next and you don't want to mess up what you've already done. you artists out there, you know what i'm talking about. well, this post from my fiber artist friend at bohemiannie art came out at just the right time and has inspired me to just do it any way. now, I just have to finish this blog post and go do it. and here's to hoping that working on it will soothe my soul today.

cheers to you,

-julia

dia de los muertos prints

2011-11-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

i've been a little obsessed with the mexican holiday dia de los muertos (or day of the dead in english) this year. not really sure why. this year, my family decided we would each design our own pumpkin, and i painted mine to go along with my obsession. what do you think?

it all started when i read this post at the art blog teach kids art. i'm not a printmaker, but the project seemed so simple and fun, i couldn't resist. and let me just say that every one of my kids loved it. here are some of their finished prints!


carly age 11


brandon age 9

max age 6

zane age 6

zachary age 4

for this project we used scratch-foam. this box has (12) 9" x 12" sheets in it, and ran me around $6 at dick blick.

i also used a pencil, a wooden skewer, a rolling pin, and water-based block printing inks by speedball. oh yes, and a brayer. i wasn't smart enough to put that in the picture, but mine looks like this and can be found at any of the craft stores.

i cut each scratch-foam board in half to make them 4 1/2" x 6". i also used 9" x 12" drawing paper, cut in half the same way. on the drawing paper, i drew a basic skull template. (my students had the option to use just the outside line of my template or all of my template, and then they did all the decorations themselves.)

then i put the drawing on top of the scratch-foam and secured it with a little bit of tape at the top and the bottom so it wouldn't slide around. using a semi-dull pencil, i traced the skull, making sure i pushed hard enough to scratch into the board below it. then i pulled off the top paper, and used a combination of the pencil and the wooden skewer to carve the lines deeper and add my decorations.

then on a disposable palette sheet, i put out three colors of ink. i ended up running out of palette sheets during the course of this project, so i used wax paper. just make sure you tape down the ends securely if you use wax paper.

next, i rolled the brayer through the ink, making sure to cover the entire surface evenly. i changed directions as i was rolling to help that.

once the brayer was inked up nicely, i rolled it over the carved scratch-foam plate. once the color started to fade, i wiped off the brayer and changed colors. i kept doing this until the entire surface of the carved plate was covered evenly. (if you get a glob of ink on your carved plate, just run the brayer over it until it flattens out.) then i carefully turned the inked up plate over and set it in the middle of a clean sheet of white card stock. i pressed down on it with my hands and then rolled over it a couple of times with my rolling pin.

zac printing his inked up plate

then, starting at the bottom corner, i carefully peeled away the plate from the paper below. voila!

my example

i set the print aside to dry and rinsed off the brayer and the foam plate with water. the foam plates can be used over and over if you're careful with them!

each of my students did several different prints with their plates, changing up the color choices and the background paper colors. carly and i did a white one on black paper that was cool, and a yellow one on black paper that was even cooler! like i said, my kids had a blast with this project, and we definetly plan to do more printing in the future.

zachary (age 4)

on some of the early prints, i taught them how a printmaker signs prints.


max (age 6) signing his print

with most of the prints, though, i tore the extra edges off, and we made a dia de los muertos banner. here it is hanging in my studio!

now, don't you love dia de los muertos too!

-julia

a photographer is born

2011-10-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

happy birthday, zachary isaak!

today is my baby's 4th birthday, so i thought i would take this opportunity to share some of his recent photos with you. zac loves art in all forms, but here recently he has become absolutely obsessed with photography. i am not even kidding when i tell you that his ipod touch has close to 700 pictures on it right now.

last month, unexpected circumstances took zachary and me out to my inlaw's house in azle. their house is on a huge piece of land. we had some time to kill, so we went outside to explore. i decided to take the opportunity to do a photography lesson with zac. now, those of you who are in texas with me, i know you remember the scorching summer that we just emerged from. well, this photo shoot captured the tail end of that record-breaking heat wave and the beginning of an obsession for zac.

i, julia, do solemnly swear that the following pictures were taken by zachary isaak, age 3! lol (yes, i'm going to call him 3 one last time here!)

view from the front yard

the roses took a beating from the sun

even the cacti were looking scorched

me telling him to always be on the look out for an interesting angle

he called this one "pink flowers"

by the time we left azle, he had taken close to 200 pictures and a photographer was born. and he taught me a lesson that day...no matter the circumstance, there is always an opportunity to share knowledge and make art!

peace, love, art,

-julia

pin it, make it, post it... love it!

2011-10-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

to go along with the pinterest challenge i posted last week (click here to read that) i thought i would post my first-ever tutorial. if you like this, feel free to "pin" it and send me a picture of your completed project for my challenge!

with halloween just around the corner, i get to display one of my favorite "print"works from my own personal collection.

my sons and I made this in 2008, and i can't tell you how much i love it every fall when i pull it out. my youngest son's birthday is near halloween. those are his sweet baby footprints on there! so i thought i would do a new one this year with him, using his hand prints this time.

the hand print and foot print ghosts are pretty simple to make. the key is to get a great print. that can be tricky with acrylic paint because it dries so quickly. and it's even trickier with white, which seems to dry the fastest of them all. so, for this project i recommend a craft white acrylic and a slow-dry blending medium. these are the ones i used for mine. the liquitex medium will run you around $6, but you can buy it at any one of the craft stores using a coupon. and you can use this medium any time you need to slow down the drying time on acrylic paint. you will also need a black canvas or canvas board (i paint mine black ahead of time and let it dry thoroughly) but i know they sell canvases that are already black at the craft stores now too. you could also use black paper, but keep in mind that it may warp some with the paint on it. let me also just add quickly, especially if you do footprints, you may want an extra pair of adult hands to help out!

on your palette or plate, you want to mix equal parts of the paint and the medium.

use a palette knife to mix the two together until they are blended completely. paint the precious little hand or foot until it is covered completely with the paint. do not use too much paint though. you don't want any globs.

turn the hand over and press onto the canvas where you want it. it might be a good idea to practice that with the child at least one time before doing the paint. that also helps you know exactly where you want to put it too. press the hand straight down, press down once in the middle, once near the wrist, and once on each finger, all the time reminding him to keep his hand still. try your best not to slide the hand!

then pull the hand straight up. remember, if the fingers slide a little, that is just part of what makes these prints cute! but if you accidentally get some paint in a place you don't want, if you use a wet paper towel or baby wipe while the paint is still wet, you may be able to get it off. wash the child's hand (i use baby wipes) and repeat with the other one.

i let the fingers and thumb on mine overlap a bit. after the last print, set it aside and let it dry before trying to add the faces or text. you also have the option to let it dry in between hand prints too, if you are worried about messing up prints you already made. once dry, use a pencil to lightly draw the eyes and mouth on each ghost.

then carefully paint in the eyes using a small brush. if you don't feel comfortable painting those, another option is to use a black sharpie marker. the first picture below is with marker and the second is with paint.

after that dries, you can add text if you want. i always paint my text too, which can be very tricky. in this case, i still am not sure about which text, if any, that i want to use. so i used white stickers as a temporary solution. maybe the stickers will become permanent, who knows?! you could absolutely use stickers or glue chipboard letters on though if you don't want to paint text. or you could leave it blank with just the prints, which is what i may go back to. the idea is to capture the prints, make it your own, and treasure it!

boo!

-julia

pinterest challenge

2011-10-11T11:06:00.000-05:00

so, have you discovered pinterest yet? i have. i read about it in a magazine a few months ago and was instantly intrigued. a way to instantly bookmark or "pin" all the great things and ideas you come across on a daily basis into one place, where you can easily find them and the original source at any time...sounds like a creative dream come true. and that's exactly what it is. but, i've been thinking a lot about pinterest lately for a different reason. i've been pinning ideas left and right, but i rarely go back and look at them, much less actually do them. and that got me wondering if there weren't others just like me...caught up in too much pinning, not enough doing. so, with halloween around the corner, to be followed by thanksgiving and christmas, i thought now would be a great time to post a pinterest challenge. my idea...to set a goal to make at least one project i found on pinterest in one month's time. you guys with me so far? 4 weeks- at least 1 completed project. then i thought, why not invite others to join me!? if you are interested, all you have to do is complete 1 project you found on pinterest, make it, and then send me a picture of it with your name and the original website or blog where the idea was posted. you can email the information to me at julie@jaeartworks.com or post it on my jaeartworks facebook page here. then, on tuesday, november 15th, i will post my completed project AND any other completed projects you guys send me! if you are a blogger or have your own website, send me that info too, and i'll link it. if you are not on pinterest and you want to see what it's all about...contact me. right now, the only way to join pinterest is by invitation, but send me your email address, and i will send you an invite. if you are interested in seeing the projects i have pinned on there, click the red pinterest button on the right sidebar, and you'll have access to all my pins! also, next week, i will post my first ever "print" project/tutorial on this blog. so, if you want, you can come back here, grab that idea and make it. so, the real question is, do i have time for this? absolutely not. and that is exactly why it's called a challenge!

happy pinning, and even happier doing,

-julia

surfacing

2011-10-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

i am a figurative artist. when i was in art school, it was a very contemporary art program. i wanted to learn how to draw and paint people. realistically. here is my latest finished portrait. mission accomplished, i guess. you can see more of my drawings like these by clicking here.

"brett" graphite on paper 18"x24" (2011)

but back to that contemporary art training. while my art professors admired my dedication to learning technical skills, they also pushed me to go past that and create more complex pieces of art. at the suggestion of a painting professor, i started combining realistic works with other pieces, and reworking them as a whole. and thus, my mixed media art works were born. you can read more about my contemporary art beginning here.

"portrait of a fairytale" mixed media on canvas 48"x72" (1997)

as i'm sure you can tell, there is a huge difference between my latest portrait and my art school painting. what happened in the middle? life happened. i started teaching, got married and had kids. my portrait business came about sort of by accident while i was teaching, and then quickly evolved into the kid art stuff as my kids were born (you can get that whole story here.) and while i was technically making art, i was moving farther and farther from the artist i was after art school.

then the strangest thing happened. one of the pastor's at my church asked me to paint a portrait of christ to go along with a sermon series. you can see that whole story here.

"king" acrylic on canvas 12"x24" (2009)

in short, i really enjoyed the graphic nature of the painting, and it got me thinking about starting my own work again. what if i could some how combine graphic portraits or figurative works with the technical precision i love with mixed media or collage elements? in a way, go back to my roots. it couldn't hurt to try, right? so i started with this self portrait.


"surfacing" acrylic and paper on canvas 16"x20" (2011)

"surfacing (detail)"

the title is "surfacing" because to me it symbolizes just that...me coming out of a long period of either no art or art for other people and reemerging into my own. i can tell you my vision is not all there yet, but it sure feels good to be on the hunt for it again.

to be working.

to be breathing.

to have surfaced.

-julia

fall for art

2011-09-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

this past weekend was a whirlwind. my husband, an art professor in dallas, has spent months organizing the annual conference for tasa (texas association of schools of art.) the conference was this past weekend, and was full of art, community and inspiration... in short, it was a huge success. on saturday, it was also fort worth's annual, "a day in the district" where they open 9 cultural destinations of forth worth's art district free to the public. in addition to the gorgeous museum of science and history, it included the three biggies: the amon carter, the kimbell , and the world class modern art museum of fort worth.

i'm sure you can just imagine how crowed all these places were. but it's truly the kind of crowds that you don't mind, and positively inspirational to see all the people, many of whom would never have been exposed to art otherwise. the modern is just one of my favorite places on earth to be, so i found the challenge of getting a few pictures (without other people in them) quite entertaining. it's all about patience, my people!

and, i could not leave without a picture of my favorite piece in the whole place, "aschenblume" by anslem kiefer. this one was the hardest to get, by the way :)

if you missed saturday in fort worth, don't worry because the fall art events in north texas are just beginning. the dallas arts district has art in october just around the corner- full of exhibitions, performances, and other events. this kicks of this saturday, october 1st, and among many great events, includes free admission to the dallas museum of art, and another one of my favorite places on earth, the nasher sculpture center. for those of you with kids, i can't recommend the nasher enough. not only will you get great art exposure and beautiful photographs, but there will be great art activities for your kids sponsored by target. and did i mention it's free?! well, yes, it is...this saturday!

i'll see you there!

julia

have i created a monster (or two?)

2011-09-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

seth apter at the altered page has a great project this week called "the paper stack project." his call for photos of stacks of stuff in studios immediately had my mind buzzing. i've got those. which should i choose? papers? canvases? bills? lol! no... the craziest stack in my studio belongs to my 6 and 3 year old sons, zane and zachary. this is their recent stack of coloring and sketch books. and these are just the ones in the studio right now. i didn't even bother searching the piles in their bedroom or the stash of completed ones in the trunk that we have to keep forever.

every once in a while...ok, no i'm lying...quite often i freak out over the piles and piles of these books all over my house. but when i stop and actually flip through them, i see that almost every page is colored and drawn on! and that includes the backs. so, have we created a monster over here? i don't think so. i say that is passion. i say that is true love. mess, yes. but monster, never!

you can see more pictures of stacks from seth and other artist studios around the world at the altered page!

-julia

you gotta start somewhere

2011-09-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

it's been over a year since my last post. in that time i have done a lot of soul searching about the direction i want to take this business. i have read books, taken business classes, and painted. i have followed other art blogs (thank God for google reader!) and learned and laughed, and painted. i have researched and planned and inquired and dreamed, and painted. and then, in the spring, i lost my dad suddenly. which inevitably sent me spiraling further into, "where the heck am i going with this?'

well, my friends, i'm not sure i have an answer for that yet. but, i am here to tell you i am back. back to share glimpses into the life of a working artist and mother. back to offer art projects and ideas. back to answer art questions if you've got them. back, i hope, to inspire, or, at the very least, amuse. i don't have it all figured out, but, hey, you gotta start somewhere.

this is the painting i was just finishing when my father died suddenly. i don't usually paint with this simplistic of imagery, but it was sort of an experiment for me so i wanted to keep it simple and uncluttered. the text is from the poem, "life" by charlotte bronte. it's about how hope can pull us through those dark times in life and how important it is to enjoy things now because, before you know it, time will fly. i was thinking of my little boys when i started it, because they were 5 and 3 and i just couldn't believe they weren't babies anymore. i'm sure you can imagine the meaning for me now having lost my dad.

you can see this painting and more by clicking here. in the meantime, enjoy them as they fly!

julia

aye, mateys...zane is 5

2010-08-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

zane's 5th birthday party was great fun. we had the party at the frontiers of flight museum in dallas.e ven though it was at a flight museum, the party was a pirate theme. my friend from high school made the most fantastic banner for the party. obviously being an artist myself, i love all things handmade. her handmade party decorations are to die for. to see more of her stuff, you can check out her etsy shop here or on facebook by clicking here.

zane and his grandfather have the same birthday. this year was a milestone for both, as zane turned 5 and bobo turned 60. the night before zane's party, we had a 60th for bobo. bobo wore a badge at his party that said, "aged to perfection." zane loved it and insisted on wearing it at his too. in fact, as soon as he woke up on saturday morning, he insisted on putting it on. so sweet!

not only did our guests have full access to the museum, but there was also 2 fantastic play areas for the kids.

it also had a mini theater showing films about airplanes.h ere is zane with his best girl, ariana, in the theater.

the cherry on top? the museum is non profit so the party fee is tax deductible. a super-great place for a super-great party! happy 5th birthday, zane!

dad's day, 2010

2010-07-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

"any man can be a father. it takes someone special to be a dad." - anonymous

her children arise and call her blessed

2010-05-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

proverbs 31:28... that was my theme scripture for mother's day this year.

the first projects i did were something new for me- planters.a nd let me tell you that painting on a pot is not an easy thing to do. but, i think they came out just fabulous. the first one was actually my tester one. it came out pretty good though, so i put my husband's hand print on it, and we gave it to his mom for mother's day. the second one was ordered by a husband for his wife. this planter was much larger, probably a good foot tall, and the hand prints around it are her three teenage sons. now, who wouldn't love that for her porch or garden?!

i also did a few new ceramic plates. the first one is a butterfly made from the footprints of a sweet 10 month old girl. the second one has the hand prints of a 5 year old girl. and the third one is actually a combination of a brother and sister. the angel's body is the 5 month old girl's footprint, and the wings are the 4 year old boy's hand prints.

and, there are almost always a couple of canvases. i love putting prints on canvas. the true art is the print itself, but the rest of the decoration on these is pretty stinkin' cute too!

now don't you just know that the mom's that received these treasures had to feel just that- blessed.

spring is sprung

2010-03-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

spring is here! well, to be precise, it will be here on friday, but close enough. with exception to the pollen, and thus the runny noses, sneezing and watery eyes, i love spring. i've been working in the studio, trying to get some new projects out, and for once, i am right on time. that's right, people, i said right on time!

this year, easter is on april 4th. need a cute gift or even something for yourself to stash all that easter candy in? i've got some ideas for you.

mother's day, another spring holiday, is also just around the corner on may 9th. need something special for mom, grandma, sister, aunt, friend? i've got some ideas for all of them too.

it also seems like spring is the season for baby showers. even the stores seem to have more sales on baby stuff in the spring. well, how about these keepsake ideas for the new mom?

and last but not least, how about that spring cleaning, redoing, redecorating?? well, maybe i can even help you there. i just finished this painting that was commissioned to match the rug and bedding in a little girl's room. need a different theme? let's talk.

you can see more on my website here. have a great spring!

gifts from the heart

2010-02-10T11:21:00.000-06:00

with valentines day only 4 days away, i realize i may be to late with these projects. but, never fear, because these would also make great mother's day gifts, or birthday gifts for that matter.

i love this plate. this one just happens to be mine, and i can tell you i plan to display it from february all the way through spring. not only are the hand prints precious, but the mix of purple and green colors is modern and fresh.

and how sweet is this hand print heart? i wrapped it with scripture from 1 Corinthians 13, but it can easily be made with any words of love that you want. i actually found this idea a while back on the web, but i can't remember where. if that person ever sees this, hopefully she will let me know so i can give props.

and, always remember, love never fails, my friends, even when it's last minute. hee hee.

christmas 09 projects

2010-02-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

have i mentioned in the past 5 minutes how much i love this new ceramic paint i found? i feel like it goes against everything in my contemporary art trained nature, but i do. seriously, if you would have told me back in art school that someday i would be painting hands and feet on plates and loving the paint i was using, i would have told you you were crazy. well, this paint was the star of the jaeartworks christmas pieces i did this year. most of the pieces were different variations of my hand print christmas tree design, either on porcelain plates or platters. You can see more painted ceramics on my website.

i also did quite a few thumbprint mugs as well. i really love the mugs- not only are they fully functional, but they can be designed to fit just about any theme. and if you don't like a theme? well, my own mug that i use just has my boys' thumbprints on it in a fun and colorful polka dot pattern.

and last, but certainly not least, i did this fantastic porcelain pitcher. i do believe it was during the painting of this piece that i flipped head over heels for this paint!

i also did a couple of my classic canvas pieces. you know, i'm always trying to add new projects into the mix over here, but at the end of the day, the canvas pieces are still my favorite. i still believe that by putting the hand print or footprint onto a nice canvas really elevates it into a piece of art. as always, you can see more over here!

there is one last project that i want to show, and that is this great tote bag. i did not have access to the children for this piece, but my customer was able to provide me with a tracing of each hand. i painted each child's hand on it and then painted on the words, "mom's blessings." on the inside at the top i put the scripture from proverbs, "her children rise up and call her blessed."

jaeartworks holiday happenings

2009-11-30T14:15:00.000-06:00

tis the season to be jolly! if you're anything like me, it sounds more like "tis the season to be stressed", right?? sometimes coming up with gift ideas can suck the merry right out of christmas. well, i think i've got some gift ideas that can help you out.

as i wrote last month, i've been working with ceramics for the first time. and i have really been happy with the results. i did this decorative plate for thanksgiving that i just love. it is the same hand print turkey we've all seen for years, but now it's a fantastic keepsake that can be displayed year after year.i like to display mine on a metal easel on the counter in my kitchen. then i can just change the piece to fit each season. gobble, gobble!

here is my newest plate for christmas. the hand print christmas tree is my favorite design of all! i could also just as easily do a footprint angel or a hand print reindeer. so many possibilities!

these plates are decorative only because the paint is on the surface of the plate where the food would touch.i f you would like something that can be used for serving as well, then we can do a piece where the paint goes on the outside. i made these thumbprint coffee mugs for my in laws for christmas. so delicious!

and of course, i still do my classic canvas pieces, which also look great on display easels. i pull mine out every year for christmas and display them on my piano. i think the canvas elevates the simple print into a work of art.
there is something else new at jaeartworks as well- my new bag tags. i started making these for my own boys to go on their bags for school and church. i can make any theme and any name and can put whatever information you need on the back. so cute and so handy! and a great stocking stuffer for only $6. To see more bagtags go here!
merry christmas!

september happenings

2009-09-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

the month of september is almost a blur, what with school starting (for both boys this time), zane starting t-ball, and grandparents day, just to name a few. oh yes, and i mustn't leave out the early arrival (and panic) of cold and flu season!

jaeartworks always has at least one new project for grandparents day. this year, my favorite is this great canvas tote bag, where i used the little girl's hand print as the "o" in "love." it's just fantastic, and i just know her grandmother will love carrying her stuff around in it!
i also did some experimenting with painting on ceramics.t his can be very tricky if you are not a professional ceramicist with a kiln. but, i finally found a paint i liked that was able to produce the quality i demand. and, the end result is this fabulous painted porcelain plate. what a great gift idea!

in the meantime, zane started his first year of t-ball with his good buddy, nolan. we went to the first practice with a little bit of hesitation, remembering our soccer experience the year before. we still laugh because omar got more exercise those first few practices for soccer than zane did. and then, when zane did go out on the field without omar, many times he was picking grass or off on the wrong side of the field by himself. so, you can imagine our joy when zane ran out onto the t-ball practice field and never looked back. he did everything the coach said, and more importantly, had a great time.

little zac had a great time playing in the dirt as well.

we can't wait to see how the season plays out. go thunder!

by all means, paint!

2009-05-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

today's confession: i have always wanted to be a painter. there, i said it- i feel free. the reason that i am not a painter, and probably other things as well, is that i am a super control freak who loves neatness and order. strange qualities for an artist, i know. there is a control that i have over the drawing mediums that i cherish and crave. i know that when i pick up that pencil that whatever i am about to attempt will come out with exactness and precision. it is safe. but, what about that desire for painting...hmmmm.

so a couple of months ago i was presented with a challenge by the missions pastor of my church. there was a series of sermons going on called "vintage Jesus." i was challenged to do my own portrait of Jesus Christ, something that showed Jesus in a modern way but also showed him through my eyes. i knew immediately that a photo realistic pencil portrait was out of the question, if nothing but for the simple fact that I had no picture of Jesus himself to work from. even if i found some picture of him somewhere to work from, it would still not be him- it would be an actor or some other artist's representation of what he looked like. for this same reason, i also knew that i would not show the entire face, but just a portion. i knew that it would be black and white so the viewer could "read" what ever color that he or she wanted to. i also knew that i did not want to use drawing medium for the picture. the lack of permanence of that type of medium was unappealing to me for the proposed project. so, long story short, i decided that i would finally become a painter and (no pressure, right!?) paint a portrait of the King of Kings.

now, i wanted to wait to write about this in the blog until i was able to take a better picture of the painting i'm talking about. sometimes even we professional artists make rookie mistakes, and i confess to you all that i made one- gasp- i took the picture of the painting using the flash. well, i have not had a chance to take another picture yet because the painting is no longer in my possession. so, please excuse the extra white area in the bottom middle of the painting.

"King" 20" x 10"

acrylic on canvas 2009

even with the (insert eye roll here) flash, you can see that the painting was a success. being my first full-fledged painting where I didn't fall back on mixed media or drawing media to complete it, of course I must say that there are some things that I know could be better. there are also certain steps that i would do differently if i did another one. but that is all part of the learning process. so, i will say i feel good about this painting, and that i look forward to painting some more in a looser style, because let's face it, this is every bit as tight and controlled as my portrait work. as van gogh once said, "if you hear a voice within you say, 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." oh yes, and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. amen.

mother's day project

2009-05-04T12:34:00.000-05:00

i tell you the truth- these things ALWAYS go better in my head than in reality. i realize i am posting these gift ideas now with mother's day only a week away. i really am trying to get my act together and have a sneaking suspicion that my "getting it together" will grow in direct proportion to the advancement of zachary's age. anyways, i digress...

the truth is, although i designed these with mother's day in mind, these bags are great gift ideas for girls of all ages any time of the year. green bags are not only fashionable now, they really are useful for both the user and the planet. i know that over here, i can never have enough bags to carry lots of stuff around. i'm already using mine as a library bag and will probably make a couple more.

here are a couple of other designs i drew up. let me know if you are interested. any of these designs can be modified for any given project!

easter '09 recap and projects

2009-04-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

rain, rain, go away... what else to do but update the blog, right!? this post is going to be a combo of family pics and easter art projects. easter was super fun this year as it was the first year that zachary was able to participate in the activities. it was also the first year that zane really understood what was going on. zane was so excited for the easter bunny to come. as soon as he heard me set foot out of my room easter morning, he came flying out of his. i have to wonder if he had been just waiting in the dark behind his door listening. so cute!

after opening easter baskets in the morning, we went to church. i have to include a picture of my boys because they all looked so handsome. as usual, zachary was uncooperative in taking the picture. thankfully, when your 1 1/2 you tend to look cute anyways.

the easter egg hunt came later that afternoon. the really fun part was that my husband insisted that it be outside even though it was chilly and had been raining all night (insert eye roll here.) but, i must admit that he was right, because the boys had a lot of fun. zachary was at a disadvantage though, as he didn't know what to do. zane has a full basket of eggs before he had even one!

zachary found one with Elmo on it, and spent 5 minutes studying it and chanting, "elmo!"

the boys also spent the weeks before easter using their thumbprints to make gifts for family members. here are some of the projects we did through jaeartworks... need a personalized gift for someone? let me know! the possibilities are endless!

uppercase living

2009-04-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

i don't know if you've heard about uppercase living yet, but i love this stuff! they are a company that sells stickers that can be used in endless decorating projects. and before you roll your eyes at me, listen. these things are cool. they stick flawlessly to walls, wood, canvas- you name it. check out some of the things i've created with the stickers from this company.

this one is my favorite. zac's footprint on a painted 8 x 10 canvas. the uppercase living sticker, "zachary isaak," is on top. so cute! interested? let me know. i'll hook you up with the uppercase living consultant. don't want to make the canvas yourself? let me know. i can do this for you.

this next one is also on canvas. it's a mixed media piece using a plaster technique i picked up from an artist friend who teaches at texas tech. the sticker is the "create."

this next one is pretty cool too. take one old piano and add one uppercase living "H," and presto, you've got a customized piece of furniture!

this last one has been on this blog before, but i'll show it again because it's great. this is a 16 x 16 painted canvas (the red is painted too.) the sticker is the baseball player on top. talk about a homerun!

zac's recent work

2009-04-13T17:21:00.000-05:00

since i'm always talking about zane's art, i thought i would take a minute to show some of zac's talent. he too is really into crayons and coloring now. unfortunately for us, he feels too confined by paper and canvas. for a while now, he has been in what i would call his graffiti artist period. the first picture is of the front of my refrigerator.

nice, right?! i know, it looks like a heart. yes, he's very talented for 17 months. this next piece was an easter present for us and is on the window ledge of the big window in my living room.

fantastic. nice use of color and gesture and it looks like a rainbow (insert eye roll here.) some of his earlier works, on my leather couch, the front door and the wall of the studio were not photographed.

that face pretty much says it all, doesn't it!

fauvist zane

2009-04-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share with everyone the interesting turn Zane has taken in his coloring. He has now entered in what I like to call his Fauvist period. In art history, the Fauvists were a group of (largely French) painters working at the beginning of the 20th century. Their work was characterized by the use of bold, vivid colors and simplified forms. The following two pictures are examples from the two most famous of the Fauvists- Henri Matisse and Andre Derain:

Now take a look at exhibits 1, 2 and 3 done recently by Zane, completely on his own. Wow! I can't believe he's only 3 1/2!

Now, don't you just want to paint something?!

the birth of jaeartworks

2009-03-26T13:32:00.000-05:00

jaeartworks came about sort of by accident. after graduating with my art degree in 1997, i spent a fun-filled year managing a retail video store in florida. it only took one year of that to realize that i needed to do something else. so i went back to college and got a post-bac. degree in education. i spent the next several years teaching 4th and 5th grade, first in san antonio and then in fort worth. i was teaching in the later when my fellow teacher and friend got engaged. i decided to do a portrait for her as a gift for her shower. i really didn't think much of it, just wanted to do something different than the typical potholder collection or target gift card, you know. well, other people saw the portrait, of course, and some said they wanted to buy one...bada bing, bada boom- the beginning of a portrait business. now, like i said, i was still teaching at the time, so it really wasn't technically a business because I had no time to look into that. but, after my first son was born and i decided to stay home with him, i quickly realized that i needed to go ahead and turn it into a legitimate business (you know- business cards, website, license, and all that.) so, jaeartworks was born in 2006, mainly as a portrait business. you can see more of my portraits on my website, but here are a few.

"joaquin" 16" x 16"
graphite on paper

2006

"nolan" 18" x 24"
graphite on paper
2007

once our sons were old enough to hold a brush, gosh, as early as 5 months, omar and i both had them making art. trying to keep things fresh and always needing gifts and milestone markers, i began coming up with more and more art projects for my own kids. that led me to start thinking about expanding out to doing art for kids. i have done all kinds of art with kids of all ages and needs, from oilstick paintings in the style of Vassily Kandinsky with 4th graders to gesture painting with babies. i even headed up a collage for ed cody elementary school in san antonio in conjunction with an art grant from the city of san antonio. want your child to take art lessons? no problem. i've got everything here already. you can see more about art lessons here.

Zane, 3, and Hannah, 7, working in the studio

acrylic, marker and crayon on paper

zane 20 months

some of the most popular kids projects i do are using handprints and footprints on canvas. i've done them for all different occasions, and have even created custom ones for people. for more examples, go here!

if you have an idea of something you want, but aren't really sure about how to do it, let me know. i'll come up with something. this piece was done for a little boy who loves baseball.

"swing away"

uppercase living sticker on acrylic underpainting on canvas

peace, love and art!

julia

in the beginning...

2009-03-19T13:58:00.000-05:00

the year was 1997, and i was getting ready to graduate from the university of texas at san antonio with a degree in painting and drawing. understood was the fact that i was going to go out and take the world by storm (insert laugh here.)

anyways, i thought it would be interesting to show some of my earlier work from art school, stepping stones on the pathway to jaeartworks studio...

"if there ever was a time" 1996

34" x 48"

oil, acrylic and mixed media on canvas

"once upon a ...(nevermind)" 1997

36" x 57"

oil, pastel and mixed media on fabric

"portrait of a fairytale" 1997

48" x 72"

oil, charcoal and mixed media on canvas

"nevermind"

1997

framed cross stitch

the dynamic duo

2009-03-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

the boys are doing fantastic. zane is 3 1/2 now. he is fascinated by plants and dirt and "dirty bugs." he can dig in the dirt for hours and never get tired. he often says he is digging for dinosaur bones. he loves to read books and give "lectures," such as how the flowers grow and why the sun is in the sky. he is also quite the accomplished painter. he has been painting since 10 months, and is truly an example of how you're never too young to start.

zachary is almost 1 1/2 now. he is a never-ending ball of energy. if he is not sleeping or eating (and by this I mean physically strapped into his high chair) then he is running, climbing, and/or jumping off of something. he loves to play with cars and trucks, and he constantly follows his dad and me around trying to "help" us do everything from fixing things to loading the dryer. he also is an avid music lover. he loves to play on the piano and the harmonica. and at least once a day, he demands to listen to his music on my mp3 player.

my fabulous fam!

2009-03-11T13:04:00.000-05:00

i thought i would start out with some background information about my family. my husband, omar, is also an artist. we met back in 1995 in the art program at ut san antonio. he was a year ahead of me- the older, more experienced artist- a description that still applies today. so, our story begins in 1995, even though we didn't officially become a couple until 1999 (that's a whole other blog, people.) we married in 2002 in san antonio, and then moved out to north texas so he could finish his masters at tcu. i was teaching elementary school, and he had just taken a full-time art position in dallas when a stork delivered our first son, zane. we decided that i would stay home with zane for 1 year. that was 3 1/2 years ago. (i know, what a sucker, huh?!) no, really, it's been great :) in 2007, the stork came back with another delivery, and this time we named him zachary. i had already started a home-based art business drawing portraits. after being home with 2 boys for 3 years and doing tons of art projects with them and their friends, it was brought to my attention that maybe I should expand jaeartworks to include art lessons and art projects for kids. and that brings us to the present. zane is 3 1/2 now and zachary is almost 17 months. i'm in the process of expanding jaeartworks, and omar is an art professor and department coordinator at a college in dallas. hopefully one day he'll let me blog about what he is doing in the art world (as in making art) because it is very cool. things are super crazy here, but lots of fun as well.