rachel's musings

Tutorial (good for beginners)! decorate your own mug

2011-09-16T16:57:00.001-04:00

So I did a tutorial awhile back on making your own mosaic frame that was wildly successful, so I thought I'd post another easy craft. I like things that can be done in varying levels of difficulty (beginner to expert) and that don't require a lot of expensive materials, because lets face it... who has the money for that?! Something that I have had a lot of fun with has been Pebeo Porcelaine pens. It is essentially a permanent marker that writes on glass... permanently. I love this craft because of its adaptability, and it makes a perfect personalized gift. My favorite glass items to decorate are coffee mugs, because everybody loves coffee, tea, (or at least something they can drink out of a cup... maybe you drink whiskey out of your mug, that's OK too!), but you can use really whatever you want (a vase, plates, bowls, anything glass). The markers come in different colors and are very affordable. If you are just starting out, I'd recommend at least the black one. From there, let your creative juices flow! If you aren't artistic, you can write a personalized message or use a stamp. For this, all you will need is a mug (or whatever you are decorating), a super awesome, cute stamp (check out your local craft stores), and a pebeo porcelaine pen (preferably in black). Stamps can be tricky, because on a round surface (like a mug), you have to roll it from left to right, pushing fairly hard, but the end result is amazing and everyone will think you are an artistic genious (even if you're not). If the stamping gets smudged, never fear! You can wipe off mistakes and fill in gaps with your marker pen. When you are getting the stamp inked with the paint, try to get an even coverage of the stamp, but not too thick, because that can cause the aforementioned smudging. If you are feeling really brave, you can use your colored markers to fill in the gaps and embellish the mug even more!

OK, stamps sounds too easy? Draw your own design. Let your imagination run free! I made a favorite mug for my best friend that had inside jokes, pictures, and quotes all over it! She loved it!

After you have your item decorated to your satisfaction, you follow the directions on the package and bake it in the oven. Then you're done! Everyone will be jealous, and the best part is that the paint is non-toxic and dishwasher safe, so you can do more than just look at your pretty mug, you can actually use it!

Have fun, and be creative!

Update for September

2011-09-14T16:21:00.000-04:00

Hello, what has everyone been up to? I have been busy! I just started my first semester of grad school and it is INTENSE, especially with working fulltime hours. I do try to balance some play into routine though. Lately I have been loving loving LOVING cooking. It is my special quiet creative time, with the big payoff of deliciousness. Its like a craft you can eat. Anyways, some of the latest favorites have been quinoa with chicken sausage, guacamole chicken with rice and beans, and salmon with cucumber yogurt sauce. When I'm not cooking (or sleeping, or working, or doing homework) I love playing with my kittens. I never thought of myself as a cat person. In fact, I was the kind of slightly-mean-spirited person always making fun of "crazy cat ladies". Swear to God, I always thought cat people were psychopaths, but suddenly I've found myself in love. They do sweet things like put small objects in my shoes, climb on top of my head, and wink at me. So now you know, the secrets out. Oh and to end the post, I'll leave you with some pictures of my "children"

Real life cat fight!

Hello everyone!

2011-08-24T18:22:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I hate to be one of those self promoting annoying people, but I am just too excited! I have to share! I was picked to be one of the three finalists for Artist of the Month, a contest sponsored by Jerry's Artarama (an online art supply store). I would love it if anyone with the time could take a moment to click on the link HERE and vote for Rachel Kinkoph. I could win a huge art supply gift card which I could really use! I just started graduate school this semester, so you know where all my money's going. If you are one of those people who likes to know what you're voting for (I know I am), they made me a Flick page HERE

Thank you ALL!

etsy stuff

2011-08-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

I have decided to reopen the Etsy shop. This time around, I am focusing less on quantity and more on quality of items.

Ahem... so uh... so far I have 4. However, not to worry! I will be adding more quality items as time permits!

Here are a couple new ones.

Shabby chic yellow frame

Van Gogh reproduction painting

I have also joined the FEST (Florida Etsy Steet Team) and have become obsessed with making treasuries. << The most recent one. >>

creative block?

2009-08-25T19:06:00.003-04:00

I must say, I haven't had much to write about lately. I seem to be up against a creative block. I have heard different rememdies for creative block, some better than others.

- Some say: wait it out. Creative block is part of the creative process. Its like sleep. It gives your brain time to recuperate and subconsciosly develop creative ideas. While this sounds good, I have found no evidence to support it and it kind of seems like an excuse for not trying.

- Others say: make art even if you're not feeling creative. Sometimes just doodling or messing around can trigger a great idea. I agree somewhat with this. I have had some creative breakthroughs by just messing around, although, probably not my best ideas.

- Still others say: Go out and look for inspiration! Go to museums, look through magazines, find things that inspire you to push boundaries and break down walls. I have found that this works... sometimes. It has probably been my most successful method in finding new ideas.

So the way I see it, there are 3 ways of finding creativity: passive, active, and aggressive. I think that they all have a time and place in the creative process, but in my experience the harder I push for it, the more I succeed. Being passive has never done great things for me. What about you? How do you find creativity?

Junk Makeovers

2009-05-18T00:51:00.004-04:00

When I was a little girl, I loved watching makeovers on TV. Something about seeing drab and dreary looking people being helped to find their inner beauty and learning to live up to thier potential always struck a chord with me. I feel the same way about tossed treasures at the fleamarket. I look for old, neglected pieces that can be given a second life; a chance to live up to their potential. Sometimes when I thrift shop, even I don't know what I'm looking for, but I always leave with something good. I scour the thrift stores for colorful dishes that can be painted and stamped or broken into pieces (for mosaics). I love 70s era wooden wall hangings. They looks so modern and fun with a coat of acrylic paint. Old jewelry and beads can be reworked into something one-of-a-kind and interesting.

I'm always searching for diverse materials to work with, and I love thrift shops and fleamarkets because they're cheap and add interest and depth to wherever they are used. Plus, searching for new materials has become one of my new favorite hobbies. You never know what you're going to find!

Found

2009-05-06T00:41:00.005-04:00

I just found some photos of some of my old paintings on my old college's website. My art prof is SO good at photographing art! He made my paintngs look amazing.

"Contemplation"

"Time"

"Disillusionment (part 2)"

An owl fixation

2009-05-03T13:33:00.006-04:00

My latest obsession is owls. Cliche? YES! but there's just something about them. They somehow have a retro, creepy feel while at the same time being cute and modern. I love anything that has a weird balance like that. It catches people off guard. So here is a gallery of my little owlies:

Have a cup of art

2009-05-02T12:52:00.007-04:00

When I paint on glass, I don't really plan it out, I just let the paint and surface tell me what to do. I think this last mug turned out beautifully. Its like a mini-mural, so I got 4 different angled shots of it.

Lovely, no? It makes me want a big, tall, steaming cup of tea.

Gettin' creative with fleamarket finds

2009-04-29T18:00:00.004-04:00

I'm addicted to fleamarkets. Browsing old junk and treasures is literally one of my favorite things in the whole world, especially since I've started discovering the craft potential of many of these items. For instance, I spent a whole day looking around town for blue and white china. Wasn't sure what I wanted it for or why, just knew that I simply must have it. I finally did, and for a good price. The next day I was delighted to find a miniature plate in my exact blue and white pattern. Thrilled to say the least, and when I got home I created this!

Cute, right? I also found these old wooden wall-hangings from the 70s. They were not cute when I got them, but I definitely saw potential with a coat of acrylic paint. Look at them now! I think they look great! I was especially happy with the way the paint made the eiffel tower practically pop out of the "Paris plate"

Just goes to prove that you don't have to spend tons of money at expensive craft stores or boutique scrapbooking venues to make something artistic and adorable.

Make your own mosaic frame

2009-04-23T11:22:00.008-04:00

I consider myself a creator, not just an artist. I love experimenting with new materials. My favorite of the moment is the mosaic frame. Great for lots of reasons, but here are three: affordable- most of the supplies can be bought from Dollar Tree and Walmart, easy to make- it takes a little time and effort, but is simple enough that anyone can do it, and lastly because you can make it in any color to match any room or personality. Plus, they make amazing gifts! People will either think you spent big bucks at a boutique or slaved over the creation for hours.

The first step in making a mosaic frame is gathering your materials. Here is a list of what you will need.

Clear glass plate(s)- I buy them from thrift stores. The smoother and thinner the glass the better

pretty paper- it can be all one color or multiple colors in a complimenting scheme

Wooden frame- can be found for 1-2 bucks at Dollar tree, Walmart, or Michael's

Super glue- I swear by GOOP. Its a little more expensive but it works really well

old towel, hammer, exacto knife or scissors, foam brush (all can be found at Dollar Tree)

tile nippers, grout, acrylic paint (optional)

Break up your glass, by wrapping your plate in the towel and striking with the hammer. Continue until pieces are of desired size. Tile nippers may be used on this part if desired.

Once you have all your materials start gluing the pretty paper to the glass so that the pattern shows through the top. You can use super glue for this , but I prefer mod podge or something in that vein.

After glue is dry, use scissors or exacto knife to cut out pieces of glass. Use super glue to glue pieces to frame. Try to position them as close together as possible. Imagine that you are fitting together pieces in a puzzle.

You may leave frame like this. They look perfectly beautiful without grout and some people are scared of the mess that grout can make. However, if you are feeling adventurous mix grout according to instructions. (I like the unmixed kind). Using foam brush, generously brush on grout. Cover the entire frame, including your glass. Make sure that you get it down into any holes or gaps. At this point, the frame won't be very pretty. Don't be alarmed, it should looke like this.

Allow the grout to dry overnight. The next day, using a sharp edge (I use an exacto knife or my fingernail, usually) Scrape the grout only off of the glass. Make sure that the grout in the gaps stays intact. BEWARE: this part is messy, you may want to do outside. When you are finished, you will have your very own, homemade, one-of-a-kind, personalized picture frame! Once you get the hang of it, you can use this technique on almost anything. The possibilities are endless!

current painting

2009-04-04T14:08:00.003-04:00

So the current painting that I've been working on is about an hour's work away from being finished. I just can't seem to motivate myself to do that last little bit. For those of you that weren't with me a few posts back, my good friend commissioned me to do a painting for her. She was very touched by a piece that I did called "Time".

She wanted me to do a piece inspired by it, but in a horizontal shape that would fit over her fireplace. It was a challenge, both to make it look right and to please her (she was very picky about the colors and objects, and rightly so!) but I think we finally worked out something that really works.

How to fully engage your audience

2009-04-03T23:36:00.005-04:00

So, I had a twitter-friend call my art "unique, imaginitive, and fully-engaged", a true compliment. I really do try to put heart and soul into anything that I create. For me, art is a way to express things hidden deep within my soul, but I think that a lot of that can transfer onto the observant viewer. Not that I consider myself a master of anything, but I thought I would like to share some of my mental rhetoric that I go through when I'm creating a piece. I thought it might be helpful. If you guys have anything to change or add, let me know!

- The first thing I do, when beginning a creation (let's say a painting, theoretically) is to make sure that it involves imagery that goes deeper than just being pretty. Picture of things that can have multiple meanings leave people pondering and add depth and life to the painting. I like to use a lot of shadows and silhoettes because they are so suggestive. I think people automatically put themselves into the painting.

- sometimes "not pretty" can be very powerful. Life itself is not always pretty, and I think that art is all about expressing life's ups and downs. Sometimes I use decay or an old object. It adds mystery and a realness to the painting, that it wouldn't have otherwise.

- Color can evoke strong emotion- This one, you may know intuitively, but taking an effort to put together a evocative color scheme can make a world of difference. Take this painting for example. I wanted to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and warmth. I wanted people to view this painting and remember the youth and innocence of childhood.

- Don't follow trends- Everytime I see a profitable new trend, I'm tempted to jump on the wagon, but I remind myself that art is about being original a nd provacative, not making money. (Although, I admit, both would be nice...) If you are smart enough to recognize a trend, your audience will be too. Art lovers love originality and depth.

Cheap Finds

2009-03-20T17:47:00.004-04:00

Hello all... I have nothing deep or earth-shattering today, but I thought I would share a recent find with you. The Dollar Tree (not Dollar General, Dollar One, or any other variation...) is a great resource for artists of all mediums. Yesterday, I found 3 blank wooden picture frames, an exacto knife, some glass baubles (to be used in collage art), 2 packages of organza bags (great for packaging jewelry), 2 plain glass mugs (which I painted), a huge bag of those foam brushes (I go through a lot of foam brushes...), and 2 packages of shipping envelopes (an essential for the Etsy seller). All this for about $12!

The reason this store is so great for artists is that the name is not a misnomer (everything really is one dollar not a denomination of one dollar), and most of the Dollar Trees have a massive craft section. If you haven't discovered the joy of Dollar Tree, I encourage you to find one near you and check it out. You'll save on costs and find new and interesting materials.

Learning from mistakes

2009-03-08T14:48:00.004-04:00

I figure it's pretty easy to learn from success. Everyone does that pretty much as a given. What's harder is figuring out how to learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are a big part of the art process, and I think some people are ashamed to admit that. People want to think that "there are no mistakes in art" but at the same time, pretty much everyone agrees that there are different degrees of success.

I for one, am not ashamed of my mistakes. I'm proud of what I've learned from them. I figure maybe some others could learn a thing or two from them too.

- Don't try to fit into an art cliche. Art is all about originality and novelty. Having inspirations is great, even essential, but don't try to make your art fit into a certain brand. That's not art. That's marketing.

- Don't be intimidated by great artists. Usually, they are happy to share their art wisdom and they probably don't think they're as great as you do. People are born with a knack for art, but it takes years and years to develop that skill. They've worked hard to get where they're at.

- Art is equal parts skill and vision. If you have one without the other, your work will be unremarkable. If you are a skilled artist without vision all you will have is a pretty picture, and paintings by an artistic soul without skill are not something beautiful to behold. Work on developing BOTH sides. I think I am heavier on the vision side, so I have to take extra time to develop my skill.

- Don't try to repeat past successes. Sometimes its scary to move forward after a success, but you have to if you want to grow as an artist! Its easy to stay with something because you know it works. Its harder to experiment and find something BETTER.

- Don't forget to balance your work. It doesn't matter what kind of art you do, balance is key. You have to find the right tone, the right colors, a balance of shapes and textures. Juxtaposition will make your work so much more interesting. Its more than just finding pretty colors and shapes. Its about finding the perfect BALANCE of color and shape.

- Don't be afraid to lose or fail. If you are always trying to stay away from the edge, you're never going to make anything that captures peoples' attention. Don't be afraid to do something different and don't be afraid of competitions. I once almost talked myself out of doing a painting competition because I was scared of losing. I changed my mind at the last minute and did a knockout job on my painting, met a lot of great artists, and learned some new techniques.

- Don't stay in your bubble. I still have trouble with this one. Once I get comfortable with a technique its easy for me to fall back on it over and over. Its important, though, to branch out and learn new skills and challenge yourself and your audience.

- Don't compromise. If you have a vision, don't stop working on your project until that vision is REALIZED. Don't settle for something less than perfect.

Art in Italy

2009-03-05T23:16:00.003-05:00

Thought I'd just do a quick one before I go for my nightly run.

About a year ago, I went to Italy. Passports- incredibly expensive, airport and plane ride- terribly anxiety inducing and long, group of people I went with- less than enlightened, the weather- extremely cold and wet, but the trip... the trip was hands down the best experience of my life. Completely life changing in so many ways.

One of the awesome opportunities we had was to visit the Uffizi. The Uffizi is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. It is home to paintings of great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Rembrandt. Naturally, I took the long tour. I could have spent weeks in that museum. I know people don't normally fly across the world to Italy, but if you are ever over there do not pass this up. It will change the way you see art.

Another incredible piece of art I got to see was the statue of David. Of course, everyone has seen pictures and knows what "he" looks like, but in person the statue carries a life of its own. His eyes follow you around the room. He was powerful, yet vulnerable, and he was so much bigger than I expected. This was the most powerful piece of work I will probably ever see in my life. I don't even think words can explain it. I just know that everyone around me was speechless and staring.

I'm purposely leaving out the Sistene Chapel. I almost got ambushed by a tour group of Asians and then nearly kicked out because my friend tried to take a picture. The rest of the Vatican, very cool, but the Sistene Chapel was just too crowded to enjoy anything and I still can't understand why pictures aren't allowed. I stand by the reasoning that if you pay to get in, you should be able to take a picture.

Inspiration

2009-03-05T00:38:00.004-05:00

So, I want to know... what inspires you?

Artists and crafty people have to start with some kind of vision, so where does that vision come from? What drives you to be good at what you do?

I know there are a lot of reasons that people create art, and I thought about it a lot. I think that I love art because it is a form of communication that I can express myself and be understood. I have never been a great communicator, and not for lack of trying. Its just always been really hard for me to get complex ideas and feelings across to others. When I'm painting, I feel like I can put a million feelings and thoughts and ideas onto that one-dimensional surface. I know that a lot of people say that you should paint for yourself, and I do, but I also paint for you. I want to pass my ideas and thoughts on to the viewer. I can paint when not inspired with an idea, but my most powerful paintings were done when I was inspired with an idea I had to share. With any of my pieces, I could tell you the idea I was trying to convey... but I prefer to let the paintings speak for themselves.

So... what inspires you? I want to know. If you don't know yet, then you should take some time to figure it out. It may not make your work technically better, but it will give it life and power.

the bible of crafting

2009-03-03T20:47:00.000-05:00

tips and mistakes i had to find out the hard way.

- liquin is NOT the same as linseed oil. I can't ever keep them straight but in college I covered a whole painting with liquin instead of linseed and it was very very bad.

- you can't mix grout with water. it dries and then flakes off, creating a big-ass mess!! i still have no idea what you're supposed to mix it with, but glue works better than water.

- when using glass in projects it is best not to drop them off of 3rd floor balconies. wrapping the glass in a towel and using a hammer and glass nippers is easier, faster, more effective, and... safer?!

- don't start big undefinable projects at other peoples' houses.

- start no more than 5 projects before finishing at least one.

- buying supplies at hardware stores is much more cost effective than buying from craft stores.

- you probably shouldn't break glass on the carpet. the little shards never come out.

- make stuff that you yourself would want to look at or use.

- fleamarkets are a great place to look for supplies! old postcards make collage materials. antique plates make great mosaics, ugly old jewelry can be reused for its beads and sometimes they have packs of markers or paintbrushes for really cheap.

thoughts...

2009-03-03T20:05:00.001-05:00

I'm migrating here from wordpress... so this post is actually a few days old.

Today was not a good day.

The art world is so vast and competitive, its got me wondering if I really have anything to offer. It’s such a stupid long shot… like wanting to be a famous movie actor or a supermodel. I’m thinking maybe I should just forget about the “store dream” and get a job doing something mundane and unrewarding. I’m wondering if the end result would really be worth the lifetime of uncertainty it would put me through. The “normal/rational” part of me wants a stable life with my husband and dog, a privacy fence, trips to different countries, regular paychecks that can pay for my “normal” life. haha, if that’s what other people consider normal. At any rate, it’s what I want.

Plus, my mom asked me today if I wanted to get tested for muscular dystrophy (which my dad has), a subject that I try to avoid at all costs. I guess I should. I mean if I really don’t have it, I’ll be happier knowing. I’m just not sure I really do want to know if I do. Would you want to know if you had an incurable disease that would ruin the last half of your life? Question of the day.

Anyways, I hate the feeling of being a downer, but I just have a lot of things running through my head tonight and I had to put them down somewhere. So thanks for listening out there.

I’m currently working on a painting for a friend. She really loved one that I did called “Time”.

but she needed a landscape size that would fit over her fireplace. So we went back and forth with her giving ideas and me trying to design, and this is what we came up with.

ok, so that was supposed to be just a picture of the new one, but it’s kinda cool to see them next to each other. Obviously the old one is an actual painting and the new one is just a photoshopped image that I am going to go off of. Anyways, I’m getting ready to run my 2 miles and then sit down and paint, two things that always make me feel “normal”. Nite!