helvi smith
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THE FLIP SIDE

9/28/2010

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I simply cannot resist painting the backside of my flat canvases.
I get ready to seal the back side and then I find that, danged if I am not doing another whole painting.

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The "front."
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The "back."
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The "back."
I forgot to get a pic of the front before I flipped it over...
So, to make up for it - here is a pic of it before I even started...
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Some sort of affirmation/psychology printed on a nice canvas material.
Loved the canvas....
This was the first side and the painting went over the top of this and some of this lettering came through under the painting.
I liked it that way.
After the back-side dries - I will post a pic of the front.
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Busy Busy Busy

9/21/2010

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I have been busy the last few days with painting painting and more painting.

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Flip side of the canvas floor cloth from the other day.
Put two coats of primer on last night.
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Got a good start on it this afternoon.
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Worked on this one...
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Did some weird texture on this and plan on trying something - not exactly sure "what" - but that is another day.
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Worked on this one too...
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I think this one is done.

I also went to 3 thrift stores today to seek out treasures to sell.
I did not find anything wonderful today.
I did see a very unique way that Goodwill decided to display some items for sale:

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Good merchandising
or
bad merchandising?
I guess it all
depends.
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Next Victims

9/19/2010

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I never know when I am thrift store shopping what I am going to find.
However,
I always know what I am looking for.

I look for antiques and collectibles and ugly paintings to paint over and and and...

Two weeks ago, at my local Goodwill store there was a round canvas painting that showed up.   I was excited to think how fun that would be to paint over.
They priced it at $24.99.
That was a stupid high crazy price.
I waited to see if they would mark it down.
Nope.
Yesterday , I just happened to tell a supervisor that I was waiting for it to go 1/2 price and by that time, it would be full of holes from sitting on the floor so long.
He asked what I wanted to pay for it and I told him $14.99.
Bingo!
He marked it down for me on the spot.

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I will have no qualms about
painting this over, and
I simply have no idea "how" I will paint this  - but I am so looking forward to the process itself.
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This is a large painted canvas I bought last week at Goodwill.
I kinda like the way it looks right now- but this is on the on the chopping block to being repurposed.
Bwaaa-haaa-haaa!
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Paint it and put it on the floor.

9/18/2010

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Started on a new floorcloth today.  
I had it just perfect.
Then.
I added more and ruined it.
Washed it all off and started again.
Turned out lovely.
Again.
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Totally Affordable Art in the Making...

9/14/2010

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Art is quite often expensive.
So I have been trying to find a way to make and sell art that is affordable.
I am finding used canvas tote bags with advertising and paint over the
 advertising part.
Huh? 
Take a look...
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Here is what they looked like before I got started...
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And here is an idea of what a completed bag will look like...
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Or something that....
:)

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A field trip for Helvi

9/12/2010

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I had an invite to go to an outdoor art show last week.
Come along...
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I think this was a Trader Vics restaurant from the 60's.  COOL COOL long tiled facade.
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If you paid a small fee, you could paint on this car.How often do you get to do that?
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The tires were kid height and LOTS of kids had painted on them!
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This was my favorite photo of the day.

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I have my head in the clouds this week

9/8/2010

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I am taking an art class as I want to make realistic "things" on canvas and then alter or cover them with abstract paintings on top.
I have not taken an art class since high school - and that was a while ago.  
Last week our teacher showed us a technique for making clouds.
I decided that making clouds on paper was a pain in the behind - so this week I have been trying out making clouds on canvas.
Here is my first attempt.
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I am not sure if that is water or land under those funky clouds...
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This is a painting I bought for $1 at an estate sale and I thought I could kinda see a landscape in it already - so I decided to cloud the issue.
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I painted a light green over the bottom and scratched in some sort of grass like texture.
I thought the under-painting looked kinda fun there under the grass.
I think the clouds came out OK.
I am going to touch one of them up tomorrow.  I wonder what I will learn in class tomorrow...
I can hardly wait...
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I like art - I love my iphone - I like taking photos!

9/2/2010

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There is a corn field I drive each day and along the edge of the corn field - closest to the road the farmers have planted several rows of sunflowers.
I stopped and asked if I could take some photos with my iphone.
Yep.
It was OK.
What fun!
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This was just a few days later and you can see that the  weather has taken it's toll on these lovely flowers.
I hope they plant more sunflowers next year and I will time it better to take lots more pics.

Having my iphone makes it easy to take photos anytime and that is a great treat.

Here is a photo of the outside of a laundromat in my small town.
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I liked this photo and could not decide if I liked this next one better or not...
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I know that these photos  will somehow end up in my paintings ins some odd way...
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