New carving project- flower mirror

I just finished putting this project together today. I had had the idea of doing a mirror frame for a while, and I sketched up the side panels while I was sitting at volleyball a couple months ago. Took forever to get the side panels carved so they looked similar enough to make me happy. I decided not to sand the flower panels on the sides, and not to finish the frame at all. The top and bottom panels were just simple curves to hide the edges of the mirror and the framework behind it... I am really happy with the way this turned out, and now I want to make another one! Will have to wait till inspiration strikes as to the theme though.. :)

Amoeba

Bonfire

Sapling

Shuriken

Breakwall

My second completed abstract/stylized piece! I have a couple more matted and backgrounds painted- I will have to try to get them framed and photographed this weekend as well. This piece is stylized waves breaking on a cliff. The background is hand-painted with watercolor in blues, greens, browns, and tans. It is framed with a simple black aluminum frame at 8"x10".

First cut- new Pony pattern

New work

I have been playing a lot over the last couple months with the idea of doing some stylized and/or abstract work (unlike my usual style, which leans toward photo-realism. Or as close to photo-realism as you can get with cut paper.. :) ). This will allow me to do more framed single-edition pieces with hand-painted backgrounds, and letting the background show through more.

My first piece in this series- "Solar Flare" is already complete and on display. My second piece is cut, and I am just trying to decide what color scheme to use so I can paint the background. It is tentatively named "Shuriken".

I just started sketching ideas for two nature-inspired pieces on the bus and while I was waiting at the car dealership for my car to be fixed today- one is a stylized tree, the other is waves breaking on a rock or cliff. I am having a lot of fun with this concept- as long as the ideas keep coming. And providing people like them well enough that they sell of course.. ;) I did get a LOT of compliments on "Solar Flare" at my last show when I displayed it for the first time, so we will see...

Art show this weekend

My next show is coming up this weekend- the
St. John West Shore Festival of the Arts at the St. John Westshore Hospital grounds, 29000 Center Ridge Road, Westlake.

Times are:
Friday, July 10th, 6PM - 9PM
Saturday, July 11th, 10AM - 7PM
Sunday, July 12th, 10AM - 5PM

Looking forward

For the last couple months, I have been working on designing and starting to cut a tiger piece that will be my largest ever (probably framed at 22x28) once it is complete. I still have quite a ways to go on the cutting, and then I will have to have the mat and frame made up and paint the background. I am hoping to have it done for my next Crocker Park show in October, but we will have to see how my time goes.. :)
Anyway, here is a small picture of the pattern.