Tree Spirit
by Rachael Direnna

“Many hours & quite a bit of work goes into every sculpture. I create each piece over a strong armature I construct myself using wire & found objects. The clay that I use is made by me as well. I shred junk paper (office paper, junk mail, newspaper, etc) soak it & mix it with paste & glue to make a pulp. I add calcium carbonate for strength & to buffer any acid in the paper. Each piece is sculpted in layers so that it dries completely & when finished is sanded, gessoed, painted, covered in decorative or handmade papers & then sealed. The work I sell on etsy is not constructed for outdoor display (especially in wet climates) but with normal use will last a lifetime (or several lifetimes – quick fact – there is paper mache still in existence from the China’s Han dynasty, 202 BC-220 AD).” – Rachael Direnna

See more at:
http://rdirenna.etsy.com
&
http://rdirenna.wordpress.com

Joined
by Rachael Direnna

Tags: armature, Art, artist, Artists, arts, artwork, calcium, calcium carbonate, china, clay, create, Direnna, dries, etsy, existence, figure, figures, fine art, fine arts, found object, found objects, gessoed, glue, Han, han dynasty, handmade, handmade papers, joined, junk, junk mail, lifetime, newspaper, paint, painted, paper, paper mache, papier mache, paste, Prints, pulp, Rachael, Rachael Direnna, rdirenna, sculpt, Sculptor, Sculpture, Sculptures, shred, tree spirit, wet climates, wire, wordpress

Art Spread
(the great taste of butter
with half the calories!)

In Memory of Frida
original mixed media assemblage
by Clarissa Callesen

“Some where along the line I became a collector of odd and useless things. I am drawn to objects that have a past, a story to tell, like pieces of rusty metal along a roadside, a seashell corroded by the salt water, or a discarded letter found in a musty box. I can spend hours conjuring the stories of unknown people in discarded photographs on antique stores shelves. These are my chosen materials, my inspiration for creating. Many years ago I fell in love with folk art, Mexican in particular, and then later cajun/vodou altars and folk art. One of the most important components in folk art is the use of ‘junk’ or “garbage” as a medium for creating. In that process the artist raises the status of the mundane, ordinary, throw away object from mundane to divine. I strive to follow in that tradition. So I gathered up my strange collection of things, my ecclectic spiritual leanings, my love of folk art, a sprinkle of feminism, and a dash of alchemy to create the pieces you see here. I hope you enjoy.” – Clarissa Callesen, creator of strange & wonderful things.

For more visit:
http://ClarissaCallesen.etsy.com

The Long Road Home
original mixed media assemblage
by Clarissa Callesen

We’d love to show off your artwork, so show us what you do! Write to us!

Tags: altars, Art, artwork, Assemblage, box, cajun, calories, clarissa, Clarissa Callesen, Clarissa Callsen, corroded, creator, ecclectic, etsy, feminism, folk art, frida, frida kahlo, garbage, in memory of frida, inspiration, junk, letter, Mixed Media, musty, original, process, roadside, rusty metal, salt water, seashell, shelves, spiritual, strange collection, taste, the long road home, tradition, useless things, wonderful things