Sinister Bug

by Leslie Brier, Brier Design Studio

This recently appeared in my studio. It is a Sinister Bug, believed to have become extinct during the early 1900s. You can click on the photos for a  closer view of its exoskeleton.

I'm not sure what the body originally was. It had a chute, and a wheel that turned. Does anyone out there have any guesses?

Speaking of guesses, that reminds me of contests. Don't forget about my blog hop giveaway. Leave a comment on the blog hop post and one winner will be selected to receieve a fabulous package from Artistic Artifacts, and one of my steampunk bird necklaces. I will draw a number this Friday, February 10.

Her Name is Lola

...She was a showgirl.

Lola used to have an hourglass figure, but somewhere along the way it went to pot  top!

She still likes to be glamorous, though. So she gets dressed up every day and takes little Zeppelin for a walk.

We'll be making pieces like this in the Mixed Media Robot Assemblage class at Art and Soul next month. It's right around the corner, and I'm so excited!

Art and Soul Blog Hop - Christine Atkins

Hello Blog Hoppers,

Today I am thrilled to introduce you to Christine Atkins. Christine's blog can be found at http://www.christineatkinsart.blogspot.com/.  I took a very enjoyable tour of her blog and her website  Her passion for her work is evident. She works with an amazing array of media and is a master of all of them!

 Christine will be coming all the way from  sunny Western Australia to teach at Art and Soul in Hampton. She'll be teaching Capture My Heart and the No Solder Etched Shadow Boxes on Thursday and Friday, and teaching a two day master class, Found, Etched and Conncected,  with Jenn Crossley on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Here are some questions she answered for me for the blog hop:

What 4 tools can’t you live without?

There are many tools I can’t live without but my main four would be my drill, hammer (what can’t you fix with a hammer), pliers and my workbench.

 After art, what else is your passion?

ART ART ART

My art rules my life, when I am not in my day job I am tucked away in my studio.  I pretty much only venture out when I have to eat, take the dog for a walk or the dust balls become a hazard around the house (or I need to clean up for visitors). 

What aspect of teaching do you love the most?

What I get most out of teaching is experiencing others' creativity.  I feel as a teacher you always have something to learn from each student.  They will take what you are showing them and incorporate their own symbols and journeys as well as different skill sets into creating a unique art piece.  This would be my favorite part of teaching as well as meeting like-minded creative people who are passionate about the same thing as me. 

Do you have a favorite technique?

I go through phases of favoring different mediums and techniques.  At the moment I am focusing on metal sculptures through lost wax casting and one-off jewelry pieces, however my artistic beginnings had its roots in fiber art.  I have a short attention span and like to constantly push my knowledge and skill so when I have reached a plateau in one medium I will move to something else to learn.  I think as human beings we have an innate drive to learn, create and move forward. 

Do you work in a planned or intuitive way?  How would you describe your approach?

I work in a mixture of ways from sketches to ideas in my mind to just beginning a piece.  The majority of my work starts out as a completed picture in my mind, but when I begin it takes on a life of its own and frequently ends up different from the original design.  I let the materials lead the design where it wants to go. 

What advice do you have for someone beginning their art journey?

Create Create Create. 

Practice makes perfect

And most importantly there is joy in the creating not only the finished product.  (That is the art therapist in me talking).

 Christine's blog can be found at http://www.christineatkinsart.blogspot.com/ Her web page is www.christineatkins.net.You can also find her on facebook at www.facebook.com/ChristineAtkinsArtist.

Leave a comment on my blog and I will choose one winner to receive a packet like this from Judy at Artistic Artifacts. I was there when they were assembling them the other day, and the packets are filled with all kinds of goodies! I will also include one of my steampunk bird charm necklaces, shown below.

Now hop on over to Liz Kettle's blog for the next stop: http://www.textileevolution.com/?option=com_wordpress&Itemid=203

Steampunk USB Stick

I made this USB stick as a gift for my son. He has developed an appreciation for steampunk style since he went away to college.

I started off with a regular USB drive, and sealed off the end and the red part that slides with masking tape. Then I went to town, adding gears and numbers.

I added an extension to the top, so he can fasten it to his keychain. The piece at the end is an antique laundry number pin.

 I was thrilled to find that the drive still worked once the tape came off.

Edgar!

by Leslie Brier, Brier Design Studio

I'm feeling the steampunk vibe these days, and so is dear Edgar. 

 Edgar stands about 12 inches tall. Look closely and you'll be able to recognize lots of the pieces that he's constructed from. See the red on the bottom? I'm working on a new technique for adding color to metal. I'll demo it for the first time at Art and Soul in Virginia Beach. Hope to see you there!

Meet Myrna! Altered Art Robot

by Leslie Brier, Brier Design Studio

I am so excited to be teaching at Art and Soul in Virginia Beach this year, and classes are right around the corner! One of the classes I'm teaching is an Altered Art Robot class.

 I have declared January "The Month of the Robot" in my studio, and I have lots and lots of pieces that need finishing touches before they can go out into the world. This robot is called  "Myrna, Darn Easy". Her clock is ticking and she's looking for love! Her face is actually made from a vintage darner and if you click on the photo, you can see that the words Darn Easy are imprinted on the darner.

A local artist bought this piece for his wife as an anniversary gift. She is known for her stylish eyeglasses. I think he was very brave to choose a piece with that title, though!

Art and Soul is right around the corner. If you live in Virginia, and haven't signed up yet, you can receive a 10% discount on classes this month only. I'd love to have you in one of my classes -- or maybe see you at Vendor Night.

Thirteen Days of Christmas Finale Days 12 and 13

Day 12 artist is Terry Pitzel

Terry is great at texture and combining elements. This base of this bird is a sturdy watercolor paper.

Look at all the textural elements. You can also see the fold edging. I love those little tail feathers, too.

Day 13 artist is Pat Winter.

I just love Pat Winter's work and am so happy to own a piece of her art! My daughter and I love miniatures, and this little pin is a mini masterpiece. It is a lavendar sachet brooch.

Pat has embellished the ice skate image so beautifully with beads, and a flower and ribbon embroidery. Can you see the tiny snowflake in the bottom left corner? 

Thank you to everyone of the artists who participated and filled my holiday season with lots of good cheer, and to Elizabeth who was the mastermind behind the whole project. Every single day of this project was such a joy!