Homemade Light Box

Taking very good pictures is essential when you have an online store; your customers must be able to see your item(s) accurately before making the decision to buy it.   I haven't been happy with my store pictures and have been researching for ways to improve them.  Recently I came across a post on the Strobist blogspot.   It’s a step by step DIY way to build a light box for $10; I had all the supplies on hand so it actually didn't cost me a penny.  It’s a great way to take professional pictures of your art items.  The supplies are:

• A cardboard box
• Tracing paper
• Poster board (white or black)
• Tape
• Knife
• Scissors

One negative is that the tracing paper is fragile and may tear easily.   One person on the post commented to use felt instead of the tracing paper. 

Another post in Studiolighting.net uses white foam board instead  of the cardboard box for the construction of the light box.  This is worth trying as well.

I have included below pictures of my own box made with a cardboard box and pictures of some of my art prints.  

Cut off three sides of cardboard box.

Taped tracing paper on the three open sides of box.

Inside of the box.

Picture of card taken by the window using day light.

Picture taken with light on right side of light box.

Close up.

Light box in action.

I am looking forward for your comments and to hear about your own experience with taking the best pictures to show off your items.

A Bientot,

Pascale

New art project: Mixed Media Collages

August was a busy month for me at work and I did not have time to work much on my art.   To rest from all the hard work, I took a week vacation for my birthday (9/2); rested a lot and also worked on some art projects.   My last blog was about paper making and I had the idea to use the handmade paper for a collage.   I had made collages before using paper I painted with acrylic paint and decided to do the same but using my handmade paper.   

I also decided to incorporate a technique I learned at my last workshop at the Pullen Art Center: sewing the paper together instead of gluing.   Our instructor had suggested sewing paper together on monotype print and I have also seen some artists sew paper art to mat board.  The result of my project is three mixed media collages which actually look like paper quilts.   Below are pictures of the project; let me know what you think.

The handmade paper with watercolor paint and below paper cut in small pieces to start the collage

 
I started putting the collage together and below are picture of the collages just before sewing

 One of the collages after sewing and below the three finished collages.  Using color pencils, I added some birds to the lighthouse collages, windows to the buildings and the bridge to the last collage.   I still have to come up with tittles for the collages.  Stay tuned!

 Took me a few days to create and I am very happy with the result!

Recycling and Papermaking

While surfing the internet a while back, I came across handmade papermaking using recycled paper.  I found it very interesting and though that it would be something I would enjoy doing and would also love to add to my artworks somehow.   

So a few months ago, I purchased a papermaking kit from Arnold Grummer.   I finally made some paper yesterday and it was just as I have imagined; a very enjoyable experience!   I was able to turn recycled paper into brand new sheets of paper; awesome!!!   I have a lot of paper that I have been saving just for this; I used newsprint paper which I have used to test some of my prints.  The newsprints had blue and pink water-based inks which are now part of the paper.   I have dried the paper by stacking them between newspaper sheets and heavy books.

My next art project is a paper collage and I will be using the new handmade paper and acrylic paint to create a landscape scene.   I am very excited about this new kit and plan to use it often; it feels very good to recycle and reuse!!!   I have documented below in pictures my very enjoyable papermaking process.  

What is needed

Recycled paper

 

Box from Arnold Grummer's Papermill kit

A blender

 

Recycled paper with 2 cups of water

I used the puree setting on the blender

Recycled paper reduced to pulp

Added the puld to the box

Removed the box from the water and the pictures below are the new sheet, before removing the water

The new sheet after the water has been removed (steps above).  Below, I have put the new paper under newspaper sheets and have added heavy books on top

Below are the pictures I took today of the somehow dry new paper.  I have put the newpaper sheets between two pieces of carboard and got a suprise:  I got some textures and color from the cardboad and newspaper sheets.  I should have known, but I really like it.

This was a lot of fun!

Chili Peppers mixed media print collection

Below is my Chili Peppers mixed media collection.    Already have another project in mind; it involves collage, stamping and sewing!  Stay tuned!

Red Chili peppers mixed media print on blue archival cardstock paper

Red Chili Peppers mixed media print on green art paper

Red Chili Peppers mixed media print on yellow archival cardstock paper



Colorful Chili Peppers mixed media print on green art paper



Red Hot Peppers...and other colors!

I love peppers and I decided to make some prints... of peppers!   I made those prints as mixed media; using linocuts and then enhancing the colors with watercolor pencils and paint.   It has been a fun process which I will explore more.   So far I have listed two prints in my Etsy shop and I will be listing some more, maybe four different color peppers in one print.  I am thinking note cards as well.   Until next time...

Two red hot peppers on yellow cardstock paper
Love it in this wood frame!



Yellow, orange and red peppers on printed art paper



The two prints in frames

My butterflies prints

I have added two new prints to my Etsy shop this week .   They are mixed media prints; I started with paper lithography for the banches and trees, then painted the butterflies with watercolor pencils.  Let me know what you think.