Showing posts with label Aurora Astel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aurora Astel. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Creating Slip for my Slip Trailing Sculptures

The process for creating the slip "powder" I use for all of my slip trailing and/ or slipping and scoring is made after crushing and destroying the lessor greenware (un-fired) pieces that never made the cut. 



These are the pieces I create with the slip squeezed threw a hair dye applicator onto a plaster bat.


Breaking apart big pieces of un-fired clay pieces with a large wooden pestle.  



Still breaking the pieces!

Crushing away!

I used to use the Mortar piece that went with the wooden pestle, though I had so much to crush it wouldn't fit so I learned that just rolling the pestle against the table crushed the clay chunks even faster! Yay, learning!

After crushed, the powder gets put through a rusty yet still fine sieve. 


At the fine powder stage, I would normally add it to water but here I am saving it in a large poring plastic tub for later!

The fine powder is later added to water and sieved a second time to make certain that all of the larger chunks of clay are eliminated so the slip can be squeezed out of a tiny hole! I have also added different oxides and tones to color the slip for later work!


Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Paintings from the Past - Everyone's gotta start somewhere

Starting from earliest to latest works, these paintings have been my fundamental learning core of what I do and who I am today. 

Acrylic on Bristol
High School level show
2007

This Acrylic painting on Bristol board is a landscape study from a photograph. This painting is the earliest I remember getting into a show at High School level. 
 
Untitled 2 
High School level show
2008

This landscape painting was an addition and part of my first ever series about water. Completed a year later but still made it into the show alongside my first High School work.  

Missouri Wood Duck
Second Place in State
2008

This painting was a contest piece for the Missouri Duck Stamp project. Students at the High School level would submit paintings of ducks that would be judged against others all over the State. Winners from all over the state had their pieces turned into a stamp whenever individuals registered for their duck hunting license. My Acrylic on Bristol board painting of a Missouri Wood Duck won Second in the State.

Untitled 3
Oil on Canvas 
2011



This oil on pre-stretched canvas was a challenge given by the professor. We were only allowed to use our biggest brush to complete and shows that we can't always take our tools for granted. I have also learned to push and challenge myself when it comes to my paintings. May not be one of my favorite pieces, but I am proud behind the lessons that it gave.

The Small Purple Cow
Oil on Canvas Board
2012




The Small Purple Cow was an oil painting completed in my community college. Sold and still on display at the Library at North Central Missouri College. This about the first time I had been introduced to oils and I picked it up fairly quickly. Still only using photographs for reference material, I am still rather fond of my past works.  

Buzz Buzz
Oil on Masonite Board
2012









 Buzz Buzz was the first oil painting in my new surroundings at NWMSU. This oil on Masonite board was given as a gift to a family friend and I was so glad to have people be appreciating my work outside of the school setting. I love looking at the later representational pieces I can do along with my surreal paintings. 





The Mask is Me
Watercolor
Depression Mask Series
2015
 This watercolor is the first in my Depression Mask series. I went through a hardship in my life that I was able to use my art to help cope. My issues with depression are sometimes hard to come to terms with and these paintings were what I used to help put those feelings into picture for others. 


Just one of the Crowd
Watercolor
Depression Mask Series
2015



Just one of the Crowd is the watercolor in the series that is in direct response to my family and how we all dealt with my Grandmother's death. Everyone just seemed so mechanic while I was panicking trying to keep my emotions in check. The rabbits were an idea from others' insecurity with animal suits and masks.

The Mask Everyone Knows
Watercolor
Depression Mast Series
2015
The original painting that started the series about my Grandmother's cancer. She was always happy despite everything and I started painting in response to her. 

Mask that is Bone Deep
Watercolor
Depression Mask Series
2015
Watercolor study of my own depression and how it is more than just an issue of sadness. My first use of using inks along with watercolor paint. I spent the most time on this painting due to the issue of the representational skull in a new style I have not perfected as of yet.



Depression is an Animal
Watercolor
Depression Mask Series
2015
This surreal watercolor was the first try at using my own creations from my hobby writing in a piece. it would inevitably become the new series I am working on today due to the popularity from viewers. The world these two creatures came from is called Ast and will be represented in my Senior Thesis show this May 2016.




Lauren's Other Art Sites



Fine Art America.com

I use Fine Art America's website to collect a lot of my Fine Art pieces I have finished at school in one place. This was the best free site that was recommended by my teacher that is well known and gets my name out there in the search.









Instagram.com

Just recently added an Instagram since I would like to document more of what I am currently working on that may not make it to the final edits of the posts. 


Disclaimer: Fine Art America is the only site right now that I have my collected portfolio of my fine art. Everything else past this point in this post is my hobby and craft sites. Please feel free to take a look to support them but you are not obligated to do so with an open mind and without judging.









Deviant Art.com


 I have used this site the longest out of any and you may already know that it is not well known for showing off fine art. Deviant art is, however, a wonderful spot for me to post my hobby work the the art I do on the side apart from my school work. I have a new name I will be moving to that I will work out of when selling my hobby and craft illustrations from but until then, here ya go!



  You Tube.com

This is my video blog channel for you tube, I also have another channel I have up for my Illustration Studio that I link with my new Deviant Art Studio. This is my first channel and I made it for my hobby collection and crafts made for my ball jointed doll collection. I have since that time, picked up my new camera and hopefully will create more videos on how I create different pieces. In case you were curious and wanted to know more about me outside of school, there is You tube.