A Circus Affair

A simple 3D encaustic piece. I collaged the images of the circus family in the background. Then I added black and white encaustic paints, tissue paper dots, thread, and the little horse. Colorful and fun, I want to make more like this. 

Carousel: Using Colored Wax and String

These videos show how to prepare and add string using colored wax. They go along with my Carousel piece.

Step 1: Dipping String

Very simple process: melt wax in container (here I have them separated in a muffin tin on a griddle), dip strings into desired color, let dry on wax paper. WORK FAST this stuff dries super quickly.

Step 2:

Like on the Sing & Sting pieces, I'm not using any glue to hold things in place. Unlike those pieces, I'm adding my object, the horse, as the wax dries instead of before I add the wax. This lets it "float" closer to the edge rather than be covered in wax. 

Find more on my You Tube Channel available here, or by clicking the gray You Tube Icon near the top of the page. 

Center Stage

This is the last piece in my Circus series, at least for a while. This one features a plastic zebra, a metal crown, and lace set in a clear encaustic fill with black incisions.

 

I also added some drops of colored encaustic paint in primary colors to balance the black and white and to tie it in with the other circus pieces.

 The background image is a sketchy rendition of a circus crowd with a simple scumble for the audience.

Balance

Another piece in my ever-growing Circus collection. This is a 3D encaustic collage with plastic toys, wooden blocks, encaustic fill, and background illustration. Still staying with primary colors on this one. 

Still not finished with this theme. There's more to say about it and I haven't quite achieved what I want yet.

Carousel

I keep wanting to play with the "circus" theme and I have a ton of objects for circus assemblages. But I am not one for a lot of color. Some people are great at making colorful artworks look beautiful. I am not one of them. Using primary colors, a clear fill, a horse, and a drawing, I made this carousel encaustic work. Don't expect this to be the last circus piece; I don't feel that I've explored the theme as fully as possible yet. 

what i love this week....

so i know its not tuesday, but i am a bit over due for this...so what i love this week is...Carnivale Art! my inspiration comes from Lisa Kettel's Altered Art Circus, pictured above, that i received as a gift from one of my friends. i mostly loved how she altered her animals, using bright colors and glitter.



so, inspired by this, i started on my own circus themed assemblage. i made my own box from cardboard, with a simple layout, no small boxes on the inside. the idea of this one was to be a traveling advertisment, like the ones from old carnivales that displayed sideshows etc. so i had only 1 compartment.


then i added the background, a diamond pattern from one of my old sketchbooks, that was once going to be an alice in wonderland page, but never happened.


then i needed a subject, so i found this sad little girl picture in one of my art books.

next i added the tickets, and my color scheme

was born. black, white and red. to go with this, i added the wiggly ribbon border, then the button and feather and small stars.

to bring out the girl, i gave her a border of pearls.

small objects, like a drum, die, blocks and small bowling pin were added a the bottom.

i finished it with some thread to act as bars and the caps from some fancy grape juice to be the wheels.

honesty, i was never a fan of this while i worked on it. but now, looking back through the pictures of it as i post this, i do have a much better fondness for it. i think i do like it. :)

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and side note, today i got to over 1000 page views! yay!!!! ^_^