"Time For The Show"

20" H x 11"W x 3" D

This has been a fun piece to create. Lot's of playing involved. I bought the main piece at the "bins" a few months back and have looked at it every day trying to figure out what to do with it. I was going to use a "dinosaur/monster-barbie" I had created, but her hair overwhelmed the whole thing.

My first step was to cut a base for the giraffe to stand on and a back for the piece. As I was picking papers for the collage, I came across a ticket from the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. This started the Circus theme really rolling, but I didn't want a traditional circus so I put the wings on the giraffe that I took off my barbie creature.

I painted the whole contraption with what Michael DeMeng calls "uszhhh" a mixture of colors he usually uses. Then dry brushed green and white over it, to give it a feel of verti-gri. The metal decorative cross pieces are drawer pulls that I painted with some Alcohol Inks they come in a small squeeze bottle and you just drop them on.

I wanted a kind of Victorian Fantasy world feel for the piece. I have been researching the Steam Punk movement (thanks to my new artist friend Cheri) and this was in the back of my mind. The old Walthum pocket watch on top came from either Bill's family or mine. We can't remember which. Decoration details include vintage buttons, game pieces, beads, and hand painted designs. I plan to enter this piece in the We Art Women 2010 Juried Competition.