My Day Illustrated In A Mandala - Arts and Crafts

I used my version of a mandala to illustrate my day.

The center is a goat cheese pizza. Many of the shapes are from a painted tote bag. The tote bag has a Star Trek insignia from Star Trek Into Darkness. The blue coffee cup is the cappuccino cup my daughter made me that I use daily.

Matisse Style Tote Bag - Arts and Crafts

I found a Matisse style clothing applique image and kept the idea in my to do list. The problem is, I don't sew much anymore and don't wear appliqued clothing.

I drew Matisse style shapes and traced the pattern pieces onto a purchased canvas bag using pencil. I think there are better transfer techniques but it's what I had.

I taped on small pieces of paper colored with markers so I would get the color placement correct.

The shapes were painted with acrylic paint and I'll wash the pencil out after the paint has had a day to dry thoroughly. You can still see the pencil lines on the unwashed tote bag.

Aluminum Can Dragonfly - Arts and Crafts

I have a huge pile of to do projects. They defy categories but the list needs thinning.

This aluminum can dragonfly came from Make It Yourself by Christopher Flagg.

Carefully cut the can apart. I taped the metal down on cardboard.

I was going to draw a dragonfly but scanned the image from the book and sized the bug to fit the can.

I tried tracing the design by drawing on the paper, hoping to indent the outline on the can. It didn't work well so I cut the shape out and traced the outline on the can with a marker.

Bend the area around the wings slightly down and back.

Place an artist paintbrush under the body and curve the body around it, the wider end towards the head.

Curl the antenna using a needle nose pliers.

I might make more of these and hang them in the woods at the cabin. They remind me of the toys made from recycled materials that you find while traveling.

This is not a toy, the edges are very sharp.