The Making Of Crazy About Face

It begins with a sketch somewhere. I am known to not discriminate. I sketch wherever I can lay my hands on; there may be on a piece of paper, a napkin, a leave, whatever...

The sketch is then blown up at Kinkos and traced into fabric. I use cotton but have also used silk, one of the most strenuous fabric to work on.

Now, this is what I consider to be one of the most complex of the steps, the selection of the colors. I seldom use the basic color. I must confess, I never select them in advance, never sit to arrange them beforehand. It is just not me. The color combination comes in tandem as I move along. Sometimes, they are painted on so to harmonize, others are situated "as asked". You will see what I am referring to later. They are always mixed to create my own color. So, the motto, no one piece is the same because the colors can never be recreated. They could but a hue will be a tad altered somewhere.

I was drawn first to the leave, why I don't know. I just did since it is in the middle. The color was later replaced with a more suitable green. 

I did not put much thought into these three colors. They harmonized so perfectly that everything else took off from there. They served as a base and the remainder of the colors were worked around them. 

The face begins to take shape. Other colors are introduced. 

Much of the face has been done but clearly, there is just something wrong with this picture. It is too heavy, dusky and not gracious at all.

Yes, his nose is no longer brown but placid. What a difference a nose makes?

Add the lining.

Tack and sew all the layers, there are at least three, together.

And voila. You got yourself a 64"x37" tapestry!

The Making of Pauline

She was conceived on a 8x10 paper on a beautiful afternoon after a day of creativity binge. It began as this beautiful drawing ending up as this blown up diva.

After a few copies here and there, and after feeling comfortable with the intended size, she was blown out of proportion, literately to a 55" X 37 image.

Here she is being traced to the white fabric. 

What is a girl to do but showing her true colors?! Well part of it, as she begins to take shape. 

Pauline is feeling comfortable, almost in her environment. The colors are there but it requires additional finishing touches.

 This is the lining that will be inserted and give her the volume that she needs. 

Still under the needle and thread, carefully being confectionated, one stitch at time. 

After three long weeks, she is finally here, waiting for the final curtain call. 

Paulina, The Party Animal is all ready to see and be seen.  She is assertive, confident, lovely, courageous, graceful, great personality, pleasant, professional, athletic, sexy, warm, gracious, attractive, angelic, striking, captivating, fascinating, poetical… and will be profiled in various ways, depicting the woman that she is.

Dieneba Is Here...

and she is ready to adorn any wall.

Introducing Dieneba

Introducing Dieneba, well parts of her. She is looking forward to her debut and will be a tapestry soon measuring 35” X 24”.

Random Thoughts

I mean talking about making things up. This paint was nowhere close to what it looks today when I begun it. First, it was the vital colors that went off cue. So, I applied a few more coats and it finally got to where I wanted it. Then nightmare struck, paint splashed everywhere, and I had to come up with ways to either cover them up or incorporate them into the design; hence the little circles. It actually reminds me of stained designer glass.

The Making of The Tapestry

This is a much larger painting that it appears. It was a challenge to put it together because the fabric never stretched prior to painting. It was up and down with the paint bruch … Once completed, it was lined to make it thick and then sewed. I broke a few needles a couple of times but as long as it is not my finger, I just keep on going.