Share your Art - post here

When I was in 5th grade I bothered my parents for art lessons, they found reasonable oil painting classes nearby with a very patient, and talented impressionist artist, Georges Hiss. One Saturday the painting I had grown accustomed to on the wall in front of my easel had disappeared, the answer was it had been sold. Years later I saw it again in the National Gallery in Washington DC. I wish I could have understood what it was he was trying to teach me, but I was a stubborn child and realism was what I strove for. It's funny that what I remember now are 2 pieces of advice that still make me smile when I think about him: "never paint a crack in the earth" and "you must always paint a tree the way it grows, from the bottom, up". Hubby and I  are semi retired now, left the rat race early to start an organic farm. After almost 35 years of working as a medical illustrator I'm hoping to finally find some time to get back to drawing trees from the bottom up. Pics are the soon to be lost art of carbon dust illustration and a pen & ink study

Makes me wish my talent didn't depend wholly on if the bulbs did or did not burn out in my opaque projectors.

The latest painting to get off of my easel.

Hi there everyone! I'm excited to share my art with you. I draw pictures on dried artist conk and red belted polypore fungus. If you're intrested in more of an explanation feel free to ask about my work. I also have a website: https://www.inspirationboreal.com/ and also an Instagram page: inspiration_boreal.

Chelsea, those are super neat!

NICE WORK, Chelsea Allen.

Chelsea Allen wrote:Hi there everyone! I'm excited to share my art with you. I draw pictures on dried artist conk and red belted polypore fungus. If you're intrested in more of an explanation feel free to ask about my work. I also have a website: https://www.inspirationboreal.com/ and also an Instagram page: inspiration_boreal.

I've been Drawing anything / everything I could since very young (~3, according to Mom..) And, specifically, was 'smitten' with Calligraphy / Illumination since I was ~7-8.

Favorite Callig-project as a kid, was trying to 'duplicate' the Constitution, by taking store-bought 'parchment', and wetting it / slow-baking overnight on a cookie sheet to get the 'crinkle', then 'aging' with coffee, etc.. I must have written 'We The People' 500x.. Loved trying to also master the Declaration title, and some of the manuscript as well.. and all those crazy-Sigs..

Favorite Callig-project as a Dad, though, was a whole 'story line' I developed when my Boys were ~4 / 8, respectively, for our annual camping / cottage-vacations up in Canada.. Revolved around the "Legend of the Stoco (a Lake in Tweed, Ontario, where the cottage was..) Treasure", and even modded an old chest / 'weathered' (torched / re-stained / engraved, etc) into the "Treasure chest" (complete with Gigantic crystal 'Diamond', and some other large cut-crystal stones / Pyrite nuggets, etc)...



..but the Best / funnest part (for Me..) was making the 'Map' - found an Awesome piece of Birch-bark 'peel', and proceeded to 'weather' it, as well (again, some Instant Coffee to colorize / stain, and marker-washes, etc)...



..and then proceeded to develop this Whole story line (around this "clue" (the little bark-strip, at the bottom, there..) to - first - Find the main Map.. (pre-planted in the surrounding Forest, of course..) then use 'clues' embedded in the Map, relating to 'landmarks' in the area (ie: the 'Rock of William' - some random name assigned to one of our favorite fishing-rock spots, etc..)

I actually made it 'tiered', where the First year, we only found a Smaller 'chest' (not pictured..) that, sure - had a Bit of "treasure" (chocolate 'gold coins', and Herkimer diamonds, etc) but they had to wait a Whole Year - till the next camping trip at the Lake - for them to actually Find the "Real Map" (Which was a Solid-lesson in 'You don't always, at first, get what you Want in Life, so.. ya gotta Keep Trying'..   )

Needless to say, there was Quite a bit of 'excitement' when we finally 'found' the "Actual Treasure Chest", there (again, pre-buried in the woods, after they were in bed one nite, early in the trip..) and dug it up, etc.. They were.. beside themselves. Of course - eventually - they 'figured out' that this was all BS.. but, Also that they had a really cool Dad who went to silly lengths to build Great memories together  I mean, OK, so the 'Legend' wasn't "true", But.. Hey - Some people do "Santa" - I did 'Captain Morgan', what can I say..

Other notable (also for Them..) was a 'from Scratch' (ergo: Not a 'kit', no 'instructions', etc - Nothing of this Existed - except just a 'concept drawing' from one of my Favorite Book-Illustrators / Authors) a 'Rocking Triceratops'...

 

The 'Body' was an old Log-section, chainsawed in 1/2, then block-planed down (bottom) and top was rasp and machete-shaped, and the 'blanket' was Dremel-routed in (then 'woodburning-iron detailed'..) The 'color' was Fabric-dye-as-Wood-stain, colors as you see.. Otherwise, was all just finished with Tung-oil, and some Polyurethane, to 'seal'...

'Frill' was an old Oak 'Schoolchair seat' (garage-sale or something, don't exactly recall..) sabre-cut and routered / rasped to-shape, and, again, 'wood-iron' detailed..

'Legs' and 'horns' were just Tree branches, hand-cut / machete-shaped, and rasped / chisel-carved into form. 'Beak', tail, and 'rocking rails' (intentionally made 'narrow-angle' to keep the 'Faceplants' minimized were just some scrap Pine 2"x6", and, again, rasped / chisel-detailed, etc..

..and, the 'Eyes' were those really cool 'Cobalt Blue' glass-marbles, press-fit into the sockets - which were lined with the 'bright-side' of some Alum-foil (so-as to 'glow a bit', from light reflected back) Worked quite well..

..and man - That thing turned out So Strong.. Built for the 'kids', but I could rock on it - 'violently', even, and nary a creak.. We must have used it as a 'step-stool' a hundred times over the years - nary a creak. 26 yrs later, it's Still in top shape ('scuffed' / faded a bit, but Still Solid..) and now resides in the bedroom of my Incredible little Grandaughter, who just turned 7.. (though, She'll prolly be the one to finally Break it.

Anyhoo, just some Woodcrafts.. I'll Maybe post up some Pencil Drawings another time. Don't wanna be 'tooting my Horn too-much, here'.. Just sharing the ideas. Cheers...

PS - Just one more (so my Second post, herein, isn't all just 'Me Me Me'  My Favorite Hand-carved Wood Sculpture of All Time:

Love it!!!

To be clear: this ISN'T 'Mine', nor did I create it - Was / is located in the 'Base General Store' restroom at Malmstrom AFB up in MT, there, and I took this shot whilst there on Biz a buncha years back, but..

Just.. Priceless! Hats-off to Whomever created / sculpted that Gem.

Amy, your medical illustrations are incredible and I’m sure your bottom-up trees will be as well.