Last weekend was the Wake Up The Earth Festival here in JP. I spent a week prior making a dragon costume for the parade and costume contest (the theme was ‘year of the dragon’). This is my first mask making endeavor! I’m pretty pleased with the result. Though I didn’t win the contest…
The mask is built from a big soy milk packaging box and some cardboard scraps, all taped together. Then layered with local free newspapers and paper towels with homemade wheat paste. After the papier mache dried I painted it with acrylics, finished with an acrylic gloss varnish. Later I hot glued sparkly paper for scales and teeth plus cut black fabric for the beard. The mouth, which I could see out of, was covered on the inside with some screen.
The costume was sewn together by my boyfriend (I can’t sew…) and glued to the mask. He also made the claws for the feet, which are attached to a piece of screen and pinned to my work gaiters. For the shirt, I pinned on scales cut from the same sparkly paper as the teeth.
The last photo is my boyfriend wearing the mask during the “making of”. For the parade he held the back of the costume while I wore the mask.
Funeral II
india ink and tea on illustration board.
Piece two of two, created for an upcoming group exhibition.
See Funeral I here.
New business card design!
Original drawn with india ink, then edited in photoshop for printing.
Funeral I
india ink and tea on illustration board.
Piece one of two, created for an upcoming group exhibition (details to come later!)
Starting to sketch some creatures for a coloring book zine. I decided on a theme of Mythology. I’ll include some of the usual suspects, like unicorns and dragons, as well as some less common one, like the vegetable lamb and chimera. In the final zine I’ll include short little “bios” on each creature.
So here we have a unicorn and a vegetable lamb!
What do you think?
Feel free to tell me some of your favorite mythological creatures!
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thebowerstudio:
cicada bunting
One of the items I contributed to The Bower Studio. Hand dyed bunting canvas (using handmade natural dyes) with drawn on cicadas.
(via wolfwithhands)
Sketched line work for my submission to an upcoming group exhibition. The finished pieces will be contained within the same frame, one above the other. Fall with the bird funeral is the top image and Spring with the decayed bird is the bottom.
This piece is of spiritual significance to me.
The bird funeral sketch so far. I’m thinking I’ll include another image directly below as a diptych (maybe I’ll get lucky and find a proper dual frame!). The setting will be exactly the same with no change in viewpoint. However, the season will be Spring instead of Fall and the bird will be a skeleton. The insects and flowers will change from Fall to Spring as well.
So, this piece has chinese lantern plants, poppies, various weeds, snail shells, a lady bug, and monarch butterfly. Spring will have the same main plants (though in bloom and not wilting), plus (maybe?) lily of the valley and various weeds. The insects/bugs will probably be a cicada emerged from its nymph stage, living snails, and caterpillars.
Wow that’s a lot!
Also, I’ve got to fix up the butterfly a bit size wise, or make it into a non-monarch butterfly. It’s a bit small for a monarch I think. So I may switch it up with another common in fall butterfly.
The plan for finishing is my new favorite sepia acrylic ink and muted watercolors with a limited pallet.
sketching out some possible ideas for an exhibition piece before I head to the preliminary sketch phase.
I’d like to make a little coloring book zine, for both kids and adults. (So kid friendly, but cool enough for everyone!) It’ll be a handmade booklet of black line work to be colored however you like!
What are some themes or subjects that you would like to color?
Here is the “witch oven” that partially inspired the “Shapeshifter” coyote piece.
Shapeshifter
Acrylic ink and watercolor on illustration board
Based off of my findings in Stony Brook Reservation in Boston.
I SAW A COYOTE TODAY!!! I was walking three dogs in Stony Brook Reservation and was warned of a “huge coyote” by a passing jogger. I caught a glimpse just as it was turning to run away! The only sound it made was rustling the pine branches when it turned to run, otherwise it was completely silent. It was the size of a german shepherd and a deep rust color. I only saw the side and back of it before he disappeared and startled a clan of ravens further back. WOW!! This made my day! I’ve finally seen a real, live coyote right here in Boston! I couldn’t be happier!
Perfect timing too, while I’m finishing up this coyote piece inspired by a “secret” location within the very same park.
I apologize for the awful photograph! I was pet sitting and only had my phone to take photos with…
Painted this card for two of my clients who just married. The card paper was interesting to work with. It sucked up the paint even more than hot press paper. So working with the watercolors was almost like using inks on hot press, but with more of a bleed. Pretty fun, actually.
the art and times of vincent frano
