FanARTic Magazine Volume 9, October 2016
Table of Contents DIY: Flowy Shirt Local Teacher Spotlight: Adam Walls Local Artist Spotlight: Meghan O’Connor Art Form Spotlight: Decoupage Artist Spotlight: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini FanARTic Adventures Birthstone Creations Authors of Horror Coloring Page Word Search Photoshop Fun: Dispersal Effect DIY: Sugar Skull Makeup Get to Know the Staff: Matt
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Do It Yourself Flowy Shirt
Today, we are going to show you how to sew a very cute flowy shirt! After seeing just pictures on Pinterest, we decided to tackle it ourselves. This project is one that can be personalized through the neck shape, sleeve shape, trimming, etc. We were pleased with the end result, and we hope you will be inspired to go out and create a shirt (or shirts!) with your own unique twist!
What you need: Fabric of your choice: there is no set length so you can tailor it to how long you want the shirt to be and how long you want the sleeves to be (knit is better because of drape, but any kind of cotton will do; just be mindful that you may need more if you go with a non draping fabric)
Fabric scissors Measuring tape Pins Coordinating thread Needle or sewing machine Trim for bottom of shirt and sleeves (optional)
Step One Fold your fabric in half and cut your neckline. You can go with any shape you want. For more variety you can change the shape of the bottom of the shirt to a circular one or go with an asymmetrical look.
Step TWO
Next is closing up the sides. Choose how big you want your arm holes to be and how snug you want the fit, then pin your fabric down from that spot to the bottom. You can try it on and make adjustments as needed.
Step THREE It’s time to sew! Sew your fabric up the sides where you pinned, and then hem your edges.
That’s it! Your shirt is complete! You can jazz it up by adding a trim to the bottom and neckline.
Local Teacher Spotlight Adam Walls
When I was a junior in college trying to find classes to fill up the electives for my second semester, I decided to give sculpture a shot. I had always enjoyed drawing, and sometimes I even painted a little when the inspiration hit me. After the first few weeks, I began to realize just how much I loved and appreciated sculpture! It was then that I realized that I had always enjoyed making things. That first semester in Professor Adam Walls’s class taught me to appreciate the many different forms of sculpture, as well as the techniques that allow a person to breathe life into their work using a hands-on approach. His teaching followed that same approach, as he made it his point to observe each student individually to make sure everyone was achieving the course objectives. Although we had a curriculum, he allowed us to make whatever drove us to create at that point in time. He guided us in bringing our vision to life and learning new ways of creating in the process. I had a chance to interview him and learn more about his process and inspiration. Where are you from? I’m originally from Gaffney, South Carolina. I currently live in Hope Mills, North Carolina What is your favorite art form? Sculpture. It challenges me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I also feel more rewarded in this art form. Where do you like to create your art? I have become very fond of working in my private studio at home. Do you practice many different forms or do you prefer just one? I actually do a lot of different things, but I currently feel a higher form of accomplishment with large scale steel fabrication. Where/Who do you draw inspiration from and why? I draw inspiration from past experiences, hopes for the future, and in response to found objects. What is your favorite subject to incorporate? Judging by my largest body of work, I would have to say I use oversized toy tanks a lot. I have frequently used the anthropomorphized image of a toy tank to represent myself. How can our readers find out more about your work? They can check out my website: www.adamwallssculpture.com. Do you have any specific works you have done that are your favorites? It would probably be a piece that I called Memory Bomb. That piece looks like a water mine and has my old teddy bear’s wind up music box inside it. The chiming of the lullaby coupled with the image of a mine reminds me of the errors involved with focusing on an old memory for too long. Did you formally study art? If so, what was your major specifically? Art Education BFA and Sculpture MFA
Why do you create artwork? To better understand myself. I have felt passionately about it for as long as I can remember. I remember stacking food on my plate from my high chair and how much I loved crayons on lined paper as some of my earliest experiences in art making. Whose art do you most identify with? Edward Hopper for his minimalist narratives and Jack Kirby for his powerfully populated worlds. What subjects inspire you? Mostly, my experiences with people and abstract concepts such as religion, existentialism, the ever changing nature of my role as a human, and my fantasy life. What is the main challenge you face when beginning a piece of art? Acquiring material to work with. I sometimes wish people would just dump piles of scrap in my yard for me to respond to and have them replace the unwanted items with new scrap material weekly. I’d never have to leave my home; I could just stay, work, and be content! How has art influenced other aspects of your life? I don’t doubt that it has played a role in who I decided to marry, in the career I chose, and in almost every trip I’ve made to leave my house in some way. It’s also part of why I stay at the house so much. Wow, that’s pretty all inclusive for most aspects of my life! What inspired you to become an art instructor? I suppose it was a need for self expression that allows me to better understand myself and my role as a person.
Local Artist
Spotlight
Meghan O’Connor
Where are you from? I was born in Norfolk, VA (my dad was in the Navy), and moved to Northeast TN in middle school. I am most recently from middle TN, just outside of Nashville. I moved to Laurel, NE, to teach at Wayne State College in Wayne, NE. We are about 2 hours from Omaha. What is your favorite art form? My favorite media as an artist is lithography. Lithography is a process which requires a knowledge of many variables such as the color of the stone, pressure, paper, moisture, ink consistency, drawing materials, grit of the grain, type of water, humidity, etch strength, type of acid, and grease. Knowing how to put all these variables together is like solving a problem, which I find very rewarding. In a sense, I exercise control over the drawing materials as it touches the stone, and it is my challenge to get it to ultimately translate onto paper. The process itself is one which requires a level of control, and my application of drawing materials is rooted in observational drawing, the narrative, and socio-political imagery. My favorite media to look at in a gallery would be sculpture and installation. I am greatly impressed by these artists, such as Ann Hamilton, who are able to work larger than life and create a space within which we can move. Moving through her work involves a series of instinctual and sensory experiences, which I think is especially important considering that the cultural acceptance of certain aspects of technology has dulled our senses of our immediate surroundings. Where do you like to create your art? I have a giant drafting table at home in my “studio.” My living room is my home studio. This is where I do a lot of my drawings and carve my relief blocks. I also have a screen printing area set up. Being able to work at home is important for me, so that I can get a mental break from school sometimes. Also, since we live in Laurel, it’s nice to not have to commute to make my work. I am currently in the process of getting my stone litho studio set up in our basement. I have an old cast iron press and a library of 10 litho stones. Once this gets set up, I’ll have an extra 600 square feet in which to work. Wayne State College has a beautiful print shop with two etching presses, ventilation, a dark room with exposure unit, and an acid room. My office is right in the shop, so I do my printing and intaglio work there. No matter where I work, light is important, not just for drawing, but for my lively-hood. I usually work near windows, and my most productive times are during daylight hours. It energizes me!
Do you practice many different forms or do you prefer just one? Many different forms! When I became a printmaking major in undergrad, I absolutely fell in love with the process: the planning, the anticipation as you work a plate, hoping the printed image works out as you had imagined it. I love the variety of media within printmaking. It is also nice to have the immediacy of mixed media work or drawing; a change from all of the planning and controlled work. In the past, I have done a lot of work in sculpture, with casting, assemblage, and I love to sew! I will say that, when putting together a solo exhibition, it is a challenge to reconcile a variety of interests of different media, with the expectation of a cohesive body of work. That paired with the level of photorealism in my drawings and the time needed to create them can limit the variety within my studio practice that I exhibit, but I still play around a lot with different media on my own, just for fun, or for portfolio exchanges. Where/Who do you draw inspiration from? People around me. My life. A lot of my work has autobiographical elements. I am very interested in relationships, especially how we treat each other and how we treat ourselves. I think that human relationships are the most important part of existence and are a big part of what it means to be human. I am especially passionate about this because of how our methods of communication have changed with the invention of the smartphone and social media. How we interact with each other is quite different than it was 20 years ago, especially in public spaces. Chance comes into play less, because people are not open to it, but also because we are too busy for it with our packed schedules. Everything is growing and changing at a pace so fast that it is difficult to have the time to process and adapt before the next move “forward.” What is your favorite subject to incorporate? Since 2012, I have been mostly drawing song birds. I love how fragile they are. I consider them a stand-in for the human figure, with anthropomorphic qualities, like in children’s stories. I love the variety of visual textures offered in their feathers, so I am still interested in drawing them from the perspective of a draughts-person. Metaphorically speaking, their hollow bones symbolize the frailty of the human condition, and their flight symbolizes hope and freedom. More recently I have started to add more text into my images. I am still figuring out why. I talk a lot! So maybe that is it, or the recent letterpress work. I have been collaborating with a poet in Nashville. How can our readers see more of your work? www.curLymeg88.com is my website, and I have Facebook, Meghan O’Connor, and Instagram, curlymeg88 Do you have any specific works you have done that are your favorites? Disambiguative Communication, lithograph, embossed monoprint, 8x10”, 2012 This piece started my recent concentration on birds as my subject matter. It was inspired by the death of a friend (Jack) that I made while making art with the residents of the Tennessee State Veterans Home in Murfreesboro,TN. For three years a handful of students and myself went out to the Veterans home once every 1-2 weeks and made art with the residents. Jack was the life of the party! He never made ANY artwork, but he was always there to “critique” our work, and just join in the conversation, all while rocking in his rocking chair. When he passed away, it really affected the other residents who lived there at the time. He started to fade away when his family stopped visiting him and lost interest in our art activities. After he passed, I kept thinking “he is free,”and, “he is out of his shell.” Essentially he transcended, so this image of a molting (changing) bird being carried up by other smaller birds is a symbol of that transience and freedom.
Did you formally study art? If so, what was your major specifically? Yes, I received my BFA in Studio art (printmaking and drawing) at East TN State University in Johnson City, TN, and my MFA in Printmaking at Clemson University in Clemson, SC What caused you to begin making art? From a very young age my grandfather got me involved in drawing, which was the start, and still my main focus in terms of media. Anytime a holiday or birthday approached, I would anticipate the arrival of his cards in the mail – not because of the card itself – but because of the drawings he would create on their envelopes. I remember he was really good at drawing leprechauns! There’s a story that one day, when I was about 5 years old, during a summertime visit, he left the room while I was drawing. When he returned, he saw my work and accused me of tracing the image. I was VERY offended, so I sat there and re-drew the image once again right on front of him. I guess that was my first official edition! As I went through the public educational system, I was lucky to have teachers who were very encouraging and supportive of my work, so off to art school I went! I create artwork for many reasons, but the biggest one is very selfish. Mostly, it is a journal, a way to cope with life’s unexpected events, reflections on how we treat each other, relationships, and how we treat ourselves. It is how I process things. It keeps me excited about my world, gives me hope that another person will view my work and understand the connection of emotions that they sometimes experience, and provide them with some hope and comfort in knowing there is another out there who has felt the same way. I am generally a pretty upbeat person, this is because I make art. Being productive artistically helps to keep me happy. Whose art do you most identify with? My work is both illustrative and narrative. Historically speaking, I am inspired by the works of Heironymous Bosh for his fantastical, alchemical landscapes. I love the imagination of his work! Francisco Goya’s Black Paintings, Disasters of War and Los Caprichos series are macabre and grotesque, and show the darker side of human nature. I also really like the dream-like work of Surrealist artists such as DiChirico and Frida Kahlo. Printmaking’s history with social and political dissidence runs parallel with the content of my work, with Honore Daumier being very inspiring in that regard. What subjects inspire your work? Quite often, I will start a piece because of a conversation or a life event. I am working on a print now that is about a good friend who passed away recently. It was sudden, so making this piece is a way for me to work through what happened, provide homage to his memory, and eventually accept it. What is the main challenge you face when beginning a piece of art? Finding time during the weekdays. My weekends are precious. Being an artist/educator is a constant balancing act, but a lot of what I do in the classroom and interactions with my students inspire my work, so it goes hand in hand. How has art influenced other aspects of your life? Making art is a way to be independent. It is an act that no one else does the same way as I do. It builds my confidence. It allows me to express myself and be vulnerable. I have been able to share my work with others. As an educator, I have worked with and met many different types of people, from college courses, to working at the nursing home, to working on community projects at the Frist center in Nashville. My artwork is a constant springboard for new relationships and continues to foster these personal and professional relationships through conference activities and portfolio exchanges.
Art Form Spotlight
Decoupage The art of decoupage is one that has endured over the years, as its history can be traced all the way back to 12th century China. Essentially, decoupage is the art of attaching paper cutouts to an object, like a piece of furniture, a jewelry box, etc., and sealing it in multiple layers so that the overall look is one smooth surface as opposed to having the appearance that the cutouts were simply stuck on. This method of designing furniture and other objects became a hit in European countries in the 17th century, so much so that products from the East could not meet the demand, and artists in Europe began to imitate the style to keep customers happy. So much demand meant that items became very expensive, so those who couldn’t afford to get the genuine articles (or their imitations) resorted to cutting paper or artworks they already owned and attaching them to their current furniture. Nowadays, forms of decoupage can be seen all over the world, with many variations. People have used colored paper, photographs, drawings, or even specially made paper (which can be bought online or in craft stores) to decorate their objects and have incorporated other elements like gold leaf, glitter, lace, etc. to create their own unique looks. For more information on decoupage, and to see gorgeous examples of this art form, check out decoupage.org, and check out December’s issue for a decoupage tutorial from the FanARTic staff!
Artist Spotlight
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini Widely known as the father of the Baroque style of sculpture, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a very accomplished man whose skills also included painting, architecture, writing plays, and directing. Born in 1598, his artistic talents began to shine while he was still a young boy, earning him the support and sponsorship of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. While working for the Cardinal, Bernini created notable sculptures such as David and Apollo and Daphne, where his combination of classic Renaissance techniques and the exaggerations of the Mannerist style gave way to a new style of sculpture, Baroque. This new style and his works were praised for their portrayal of the emotions within the narratives of the scenes he sculpted. In the 1620s, Bernini gained the patronage of Pope Urban VIII and began creating sculpture and architecture for the city of Rome. One of the bigger projects he was involved in was St. Peter’s Basilica. He would continue to work on the cathedral as well as commissions for private residences until around 1644, when cracks in St. Peter’s facade were falsely attributed to him, causing a massive blow to his reputation. While he lost some of his support, he was still allowed to work on St. Peter’s, but it was his creation of the Four Rivers Fountain, or Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, in 1651 that brought about his full return to glory. He would continue to create great sculptures and works of architecture up until his death in 1680, and his legacy continues today through his still-standing creations and in homages and references in literary works such as Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons. For more information on Bernini’s life and works, check out giovanni-lorenzo-bernini.com!
October Opal Opal, one of October’s birthstones, is one of the most unique gemstones around. All the colors of the rainbow can be found in this stone, which led to it being referred to as the Queen of Gems. This flashy birthstone is the symbol of faithfulness and confidence, and is often worn to ward off evil and protect the wearer’s eyesight. Check out our colorful opal inspired creations, and don’t forget to send your creations to fanARTicmag@gmail.com!
Christine
This month, I wanted to create something that incorporated the many colors that opal comes in. To that end, I went back to the fractal creating program, Apophysis. I created a bunch of triangles overlapping to symbolize the random facets of the stone, and chose a color gradient that incorporated a lot of different colors. All in all this was very fun to make!
Rebekah I wanted to make something this month that incorporated a medium I haven’t used yet, resin! I love working with resin to create things, although my projects thus far have been on a small scale. This month offered two birthstones to choose from, opal and tourmaline. I decided that opal would be the perfect opportunity to try out some techniques I have seen floating around YouTube. I chose to combine the techniques demonstrated by TCBeads and OxanaCrafts. After I mixed the resin, I added a bit of white oil paint to give it a cloudiness that many opals have, and mixed in some iridescent cellophane that I chopped into small flakes. While this method worked, I wanted to see if I could make clearer opals that still looked authentic. I used less paint to color the resin in the second attempt. These opals were clearer, and allowed me to add a background color to the opal. I then created a wire wrapped ring setting for the opal. I would love to use this technique to create more types of opals for entire sets of jewelry! There are many tutorials online if you would like to experiment with this technique!
Chelsey
For this month, I wanted to incorporate both of October’s birthstones, opal and pink tourmaline. This time I decided to incorporate my graphic design side by using existing vector objects to create a collaged scene. I wanted to touch on one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, hence the zombies and bloody weapons. I also wanted to incorporate a little bit of meaning into the piece and that is why I have the woman walking a skeleton creature. It is mostly just commenting on people having their “skeletons in the closet� as well as holding onto memories/ things that may or may not hurt you.
Authors of Horror Nothing says Halloween like scary stories. In honor of some of the best storytellers out there, here are some works from Megan’s collection, titled Authors of Horror.
Poe
Stoker
Lovecraft
Coloring Page Submissions
To have your coloring page featured, send it to fanARTicmag@gmail.com with your preferred name, location, and medium used to color the image. Happy coloring!
Photoshop Fun: How to Create a Dispersal Effect
The dispersal effect is a neat technique that is used to make images appear to be cracking, crumbling, or otherwise falling apart. Once you get the hang of the process, creating this effect takes little to no time at all, depending on the size and complexity of your image. Here’s how you do it!
Step One
Choose your image. For beginners, it’s best to choose an image with a solid background, as this will make it easier when working with the part of the image you want to manipulate. I chose an image of my friend Faith and changed the background to a gradient to make things easier. If you don’t have one on hand, there are free ones for use on pexels. com. Once you’ve chosen your image, open it in Photoshop and press Ctrl + J (or Cmd +J for Mac users) to make a copy of your layer.
Step Two
We need to separate the part of the image that we want to have the effect from the rest of the photo. To do this, choose the Quick Selection tool, make sure it’s set to add to the selection, and click around the image to capture it in the selection. Sometimes it will select more than you would like. To fix this, change the tool to deselect, make the circle smaller, and click on the areas you want to deselect. Once you have everything selected, press Ctrl + J to make the selection into a new layer. Alternatively, you can use the Lasso tool or the Magic Wand tool.
Step Three
Go back to the original layer, select the part that you want to have the effect again, and this time press Ctrl + X to delete it from the background. You can do this quickly by going to the effect layer you made in Step Two, choosing Quick Selection and making your circle as big as it will go, and clicking. This will select it all at once, so you can then just click the original layer and then delete that selection. Once this is done, your background layer will have an empty area in it. We need to fill it in, so choose the Lasso tool and roughly draw a selection around the empty area. You can then either fill it in with a solid color if your background is solid, or click Edit>Fill and make sure Content Aware is selected.
Step FOUR
Click on the effect layer from Step Two and press Ctrl +J to make a copy of it. Click on the original effect layer, then click Filter>Liquify. This will bring up a box with the menu so you can tweak the parts of the image you want to liquify. You want to start off with a smaller radius and play with it a bit before going bigger. I used 800 to start off with. The goal is to stretch the image out in the direction that you want the cracks to fall from. Once you’re happy with it, press okay and it will render.
Step FIVE
It’s time to start on the dispersion! Make sure your liquefied layer is selected, then hold ALT and click the Layer Mask button (it looks like a camera). This should pull up an adjustment layer that is linked to the liquefied layer. This layer should be black, meaning that it is currently hidden. If it’s white, undo it and make sure to click while holding ALT.
Step SIX
Click on your non liquefied layer, then click the Layer Mask button. This adjustment layer should be white.
Step SEVEN
Now the fun begins! Making sure that the white adjustment layer is selected, go to your brush tool. You can use any kind of brush that you want. I chose a broken glass brush for my look. Once you have the brush you want and the size you want, click around the image to start taking bits and pieces away from it. If you want the spots to be darker, simply click a few times in that spot. Feel free to play around with different brushes, different angles, and different sizes. Make sure that you are brushing in black, since we are removing parts of the image right now.
Step EIGHT
Click on the black adjustment layer, and change your brush color to white. Next, just like in Step 7, choose your brush size and angle, but this time click in the liquefied area. Pieces of the image should be showing up, and it should appear as if it broke away from the original image. That’s it! You may have to tweak it a bit to get the effect exactly how you want it. I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial! Please send us your dispersal creations; we would love to have you featured in our next issue! Check out the submission guidelines page for more info.
SUGAR SKULL DIY
This tutorial is based on a tutorial from Wholesale Halloween Cost sumes. Check them out on youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pWhHTc_AAs
Male Sugar Skull Makeup Tutorial | #WHCdoesSFX
Contact FanARTic Magazine for more information FanARTicMag@gmail.com
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get to know the
Staff Matt Matt is our Marketing/Promotion Specialist. Along with pitching in where he can to make the magazine a success, he is also in charge of communication, getting the word out about the magazine, and bringing in talented artists for us to share with you! Let’s get to know Matt and find out what he has in store for you FanARTics! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What kinds of crafty hobbies are you into?
I enjoy painting, photography, and candlemaking.
Do you have a preferred artistic style?
When it comes to painting, I like Impressionism. For photography, I prefer landscapes and nature.
How long have you been creating art? Since I was in high school.
What influenced you to start?
At first, it was a way to pass the time, then I came to realize how fun and relaxing it was.
What kinds of paint do you like to use? I prefer oils, but I have used acrylics before.
What kinds of candles do you make?
I use soy wax, and I like to put them in mason jars to give them a homey feel.
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Are your candles mainly decorative? Do you do any aromatherapy?
I mainly make them for aromatherapy. While I like the look of the mason jars, it’s more about the scent for me.
What are your favorite scents?
Patchouli is one of my favorites, along with floral scents like lavender.
Out of the three hobbies you mentioned, which would you say is your favorite?
I would say photography because I get to go out in nature and find new and exciting things to shoot.
What are your artistic plans for the future?
I want to be able to take more professional pictures for weddings and other special events. I am also learning how to sew so I can make costumes for myself.
What are some projects that you’re excited to share with the FanARTics?
I would like for the readers to join me on my journey to improve my photography skills, and I want to share some DIYs with them in the future.
Submission Guidelines
We here at FanARTic Magazine love to showcase all kinds of art, not just our own. If you have a coloring page submission, DIY creation, or even your own original work that you want to be featured in the magazine, please send it to fanARTicmag@gmail.com along with your name, location, and a brief message about the work you’re submitting. We hope you enjoy the magazine, and we look forward to having you in it!