Other People's Art

My Dad is not the only person I know who creates things. Here is a sampling of the cool stuff other folks have done!

A sweater Edith (and Lynn) made for me. I know the picture quality is poor. But the detail picture gives you a better idea of color and the cabling and seed stitching.



The sweater Lynn knitted for me out of thick and thin yarn (which she said she is never going to knit with again because it was such a pain to work with!).





Cross-stitch done by Dawn. She has done some really intricate pieces.



Psynky by Marilynn. I have no clue if I am spelling it right! These are eggs that have been hand done. Marilynn tells the story well, but here's my go at it - this Ukrainian art form was being produced hundreds of years before Christ, and some of the design motifs have "pagan" meanings. For example, the one in the top row on the right shows a ladder going up the side of the egg. That was so that if during the year the person you gave the egg to died, they could climb the ladder to heaven (or the appropriate upward place). In the red one with the bees, you would put that under the bee hive to ensure prosperous honey production!

The creamy one with the kind of art deco deer is one she based on the design of a wrought iron fence of the art deco style. She painted the egg black and then covered the part she wanted to remain black with beeswax. Then she bleached the egg, then removed the beeswax, leaving the picture you see here. With eggs that have multiple colors, you dye the egg the darkest color first, so let's say black, then cover what you don't want to be removed with beeswax. Then dye the egg a second shade, red. Then put on more beeswax to cover the red bits you want to keep, then dye it yellow, then more beeswax, then dye it white. Once you have all your colors on, you remove the beeswax by melting it carefully off (don't want to leave scorch marks). I told her it sounded too complicated to me! Amazing.


Painting done by my Mom. Mom liked to use gold leaf and quotes in her portraits, and stars (the shape). She painted a gigantic one of Jean Harlow (Bob Ihrie currently has), and I have also seen ones of John Wayne (given to Uncle John), and herself (at their house) and Amelia Earhart (also at their house).


Pottery by Charlie Cummings.


Valentine made for me by Mom and Dad's next door neighbor Bill Malin, also a potter (electrician by trade).


This is a cross-stitch done by Chelle. It is from Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada.


This is the glass candle holder Chelle made when we took the class together (mentioned below).



And I have done some stuff too! I generally get interested in something and try it out once or twice, do reasonably well, and never do it again. No patience.

My first work of art, done at age 3. Already you can see I have the makings of major artistic talent!


A painting I did in middle school or high school, can't remember. I drew a line drawing first and then painted in with acrylics. No, it is not paint by number. :) I based the design off one of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha.


This is a pointalism I started my senior year of high school and worked on into college. I photocopied faces from magazines and used tracing paper to draw in the major shadow changes, then traced it onto the big paper and started inking it in, one dot at a time. But Regis, our big kitty at the time, stuck his wet nose on part of it - hence the smudge. After that there was really no point in finishing it, so it sits in my attic.


A little clay dish I did at Charlie's studio. This started out to be a bowl, but when clay gets fired it shrinks!


This started out to be a vase, but again - clay shrinks! Word to the wise.


D&D miniatures I painted through the years. I do not do the shadowing style where you paint the shadows on the mini. I paint and then put a gloss coat on for protection. Sorry the pictures are so small. I think I did very well with mini's. I was able to get detail in like eyelashes and things. The ones with names were actually played in games.

Werewolf and victim, vampire, halfling thief.


Assassin, wizard, pirate, Evelyn (thief), Rhys (witch - she was played twice and drowned both times!); second row sorceress, sorceress, sorceress, sorceress, Jia (psionic), wizard, wizard.


Large square: paladin, barbarian; top: ranger, thief, dwarf thief, heavily-laden adventurer; second row fighter, fighter, paladin, fighter, Rhinn (ranger), Gavynn (amazon warrior); bottom row: druid, druid, druid, shaman, druid, druid, monk, cleric.


Top: fighter, cavalier, fighter, repeats of above; second row: druid, Katuk (arctic druid), repeats of above.


The first piece I ever painted, a pegasus. NPC's; second row: fighter, ranger, ranger, cleric, Audrianna (cleric), cleric.


Gargoyle, fighter, fighter; second row: sorceress, Ghaliya (sorceress and sister to Ghislaine the paladin, whose piece was stolen.)


Dancing girls and gypsies; second: fighter, Rick (ranger), ranger, Chumani (weretigress farmer fighter), amazon; second row: cleric, unpainted.


Angel of Mercy, queen and king, zombie, evil clerc; second row: Dottie (thief), pirate, thief, bard, Lucie (bard); bottom: twins Chelle and I played once (can't remember their names).


A fountain I made at a glass studio. The base was purchased and waterproofed inside and given a gloss coat outside. Then in class we cut the copper piping, drilled holes in the glass, twisted copper wire, and cut and sanded the edges of the glass we wanted to use. The glass was put in a kiln on a form to get the wave and then we attached everything together. I'm going to get an outdoor pump for this and put it on the back porch after I paint it this spring.


Glass candle holders made at the same place. I took this with Chelle and Edith. This one did not crack.


This one did crack but through clever angling you don't notice it. :) These were also glass pieces chosen by us, cut, sanded, and put in a kiln later to slump over a form. Chelle has hers in her bathroom and Edith has used hers as a vase for fresh flowers. It gives the flowers a really full, dramatic look.


Rag rug I started on my loom. This is a detail.


Picture of the entire rug. It's too skinny to be a rug at this point, but someday I hope to add a piece to each side.