Close-Up of Hexagon Cut-outs

The hexagon shapes have really intricate design qualities.  I kept the colors muted so the hexagon background would not overwhelm the piece or be too distracting.

Close-Up of Gerber Daisy

This is the main flower of the piece. I'm liking the yellow backing the bud of the flower so I'll probably keep the color. I just love gerber daisies because of the different colors it comes in, plus it makes a good base to plant the bee in.

Bee Hive in Progress

This is pretty much where I am at with this project.  At this point I dream about cutting hexagons.  It is so much more time-consuming than I expected.  I am unsure if I want to back the hexagon shapes with white paper or let the other color shapes show through.

Bee Hive Sketch

So this is what has been consuming my life for the past month.  I am collaborating on a piece with an amazing craftsman.  He works at Frantic Frameworks and will be designing a hexagon frame for this piece which will connect with the hexagon cut-outs that make up the background design. Instead of putting little blocks to add depth to the piece I will be separating the layers with glass.  I am so excited for this one! After it is completed we will try to sell it at the Frantic Framer's Store. 

Sketches of next piece

To generate work and to update my portfolio I have to decided to make  a series of pieces based on the broad subject of family. Family has always been an important subject to me.  I am fascinated by the fact that where we come from and the dynamic of our family circle, shapes the people we are today.  This project will scale from human beings to animals and I have started with a piece on Honey Bees. Honey Bees have a large and complex bees nest which will be a nice design to show in paper.  The intricate way that they communicate with each other and pure reliance on their community as a whole inspired me to make them my first piece in this series that asks the question of "what is a family" and peeks into the many layers that is holds.  Finished sketch by next week!

~Daniela

Quincy Art Festival

Hello friends! So it's been a tough transition from summer to fall.  I am already missing the warm summer nights anddd have changed from working six days a week to seven aghhhhh, but it must be done.  A highlight would be winning second place in the Quincy Art Festival! The piece that was originally for the Taste exhibit but won second place at this local art show.  What was even nicer was finding out that my hometown has an art community thay was broader than I thought. 

Strong Against the Weak

This is the semi-finished piece of the previous sketch.  I decided to take some details off. I made the person more into a fish by taking out the hands. I also was going to put a sushi wrap over the middle fish but I edited that out because I thought there was alreading enough going on with the multicolored streaks in the background and it  would just be overstating that the girl was eating a fish.  Except for some slight re-touching this piece is pretty much done.  I can't wait to frame it! Talking about frames I am going to start working on a frame for a baby's room.  My little nephew is definately inspiring to make pieces that are abnoxiously cute. More to come!!!

Your Insomniac,

~Daniela

CONSUMPTION

Now that it's the middle of the summer my multitasking skills are being perfected.  At first juggling two jobs and creating work seemed impossible, but I have found a way!  The answer is dunt dunt dunnnnn.....No Sleep!  I have come to follow the saying of "I'll sleep when I'm dead."  Despite working like a mule, I am determined to have fun and create artwork.  While vacationing for the weekend at the Cape I sketched this piece.  It is my entry for Lincoln Arts project call for entry.  The gallery is  hosting an exhibit called "Taste" and were accepting entries for anything that had to do with consumption.  Sailing in the Cape definately influenced this nautical piece and the word Consume made me think of how it is such a dog eat dog world.  How we don't just consume food but each other for what we want.  How we need to hustle and strive for the things that mean something to us in this world.

Close-up of doves

Decorative framessss

My best friend's sister got married about a month ago.  Sooo trying not to hurt my already terminally ill budget I decided to make a gift from the heart.  I took one of their wedding photos and fixed the color on photoshop and then made a frame out of artist's paper.  The orchids and the roses were made after the flowers she had at her wedding and the E and D (for Emily and Dan) are the same type face that the newlyweds had on their invitations.  I really enjoyed making this, probably because it was personal and I had a connection with the piece.  I definately will do more of these.  I think that the next one will have even less of a separation between photo and frame. 

close-up of Ellard

So I decided to put a little bit of color to ellard's face to make him look a little more pale and sickly.  I think I'll do the same with the other characters I am in the process of making.

Ellard character finished

Sooo I have been insanely busy this summer working two jobs, one of which is with kids and leaves me in a comatose state when I get back to my house.  Without saying, that is not the best state for being productive with my artwork, butttt I have managed to be working on a few pieces and finally finished Ellard.  For the time being I decided to not do the deconstructed background and keep it simple, I think he looks more lonely this way.

Ellard Simms Deconstructed

I have been bringing some of my characters in my notebook to life.  This is actually a character influenced by the play, "The Foreigner."  In the play, Ellard is suppose to be this timid character, whose personality is so off beat that many think him to be mentally handicapped, but in the end he redeems himself, somewhat.  I interpreted the character to just be misunderstood, a twenty-something year old in the 1940's that really has no purpose in life or any great achievements.  As a result, he drinks and drinks alot. Although not pieced together yet, I kind of like him this way.  It shows how disjointed he is inside.  I am going to play with his name so it seems like it is falling apart.  Finished piece to come soon!

Art Institute of Boston Graduation

Sooo I finally graduated last Saturday.  And will finally have time to actually use this blog.  Feels like nothing has changed, just another summer, I bet it will  hit me come the fall when I am not going to school and therefore I have no excuse for being unemployed (hehehe) Oh well here it goes...

Sleeping with the Fishes

main character for a book I am writing