I’ve been spending most of my time at home the past few weeks which means I’ve been in my art studio more than usual. And I have the art to prove it! Also, it has provided me the time to organize my art supplies (which were already fairly well organized) to a greater degree. Having the type of embellishment I’m reaching for at my finger tips within seconds means I create more. I’m still working on organizing but I found that the new system worked extremely well with my latest finished works.

And today, it’s all about blue! Admittedly, I’m a person who has had favorite colors all my life and blue, in all its forms,  has always been at the top of that list. It’s my first time to work with such a deep blue as my background – I was really afraid it would be too dark so I decided to go with the feel of deep blue. Working it together with a lighter blue that had a touch of silver and toning it down with a few of Lindy’s sprays made it work perfectly. I’m so pleased!

In Wings Surround Me, I featured two of my favorite creatures for inclusion in my assemblage artwork – the raven and the rabbit. Ravens are an effective steampunk element which always adds to the steampunk vibe and this piece definitely says “steampunk”, just in a more subtle way. Can that be due to its coloring? I’m still mulling that over.

And the rabbit… not just any rabbit makes it into one of my assemblage artworks as I want the rabbit to add a fantasy element – not a feel of cute and sweet or scampering over fields. When I think of rabbits in an assemblage work, my mind leans heavily towards the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.

Now for the complete description…

 

Wings Surround Me

The feel of deep blue without being dark – that was the idea lurking in my mind’s eye as I started preparing the background for this unusual taste of steampunk wall art. While steampunk elements can be found throughout the piece, I leaned towards creating a sense of overall beauty rather than the more functional feel of steampunk. Result – a beautiful Steampunk Assemblage Canvas!

I chose to mix deep blue and a lighter blue silver with bronze tones for a foundation textured with stenciled modeling paste, adding highlights of color as I layered elements (found objects) – both vintage and new. The “DISCOVERIES” word charm seemed to be the perfect finishing touch. It measures 14.0” x 11.0” x 1.375”.

This piece contains approximately 200 found objects plus hundreds of smaller and medium beads. Vintage found objects include: toy piece, beads, buttons, numerous jewelry makings, and 3D wood shapes. Newer items include: flower face, word band, bracelet links, raven, rabbit head, crown, Vitruvian man, leaves, cabochons, wings, winged heart, gears, chess piece, branch, hearts, hand, clock, and various metal embellishments.

$119.00

Available for purchase at my Etsy shop.

Dimensions: 14″ x 11″ x 1.375″

Hangers are attached and, while I prefer the no-frame look, this is ready for framing. This piece will also display nicely on a large table easel.

All art sold at Art Creations by Vicky is the work of artist Vicky Hensley and one of a kind.

Recently I ran a post titled Adventure Time! I was working with a new paint line featuring gorgeous vibrant colors which was somewhat of a challenge for me. I adored the colors but I usually shy away from bright colors – the many small embellishments in Assemblage Art are the primary draw to this sort of art. I don’t want the brightness of those colors taking attention away from the overall composition. And that is why I’m so thrilled with the results of my adventure. When I toned down the colors with various shades of bronze, they became a soothing yet colorful backdrop for the main attraction – the assemblage.

I can’t say enough good about this new paint from Finnabair. A part of her Art Alchemy line, they are called Impasto paints. The colors used for this project are Jade, Bottle Green, Azure, Heather, and Aubergine. I can’t wait to try more combinations and I’ll even be adding a few more Impasto colors to my paint stash.

And now for the official description.

Adventuring – Colorful Yet Subtle

Colorful yet subtle – that’s was my goal when I started working with this mixture of gorgeous yet intense colors. I chose a variety of bronze shades to subdue the brightness just a bit and I’m thrilled with the result!

Texture takes a starring role in this 12″ x 12″ piece as well with a background built with multiple coats and spritzes of paint and waxes over several stencil designs utilizing dimensional paste. And the embellishments! This assemblage canvas contains over 100 elements plus 200+ brass beads and hundreds of tiny cream beads. Its depth is 1.75″.

Just what is assemblage? It’s the creation of a larger art piece from smaller objects. Best described as a 3D collage on canvas, my assemblage art pieces contain numerous vintage “found objects” as well as newer embellishments.

Here those vintage items include two chandelier plaster flowers, bracelet links, beaded flowers, beaded necklace, chunks of a 3D rose frame, buttons, pieces of beaded purse, segments of two necklaces, earring, circular metal piece, paper milk bottle cap, and a large brass bead.

Newer pieces include 3 filigreed rounds, winged peace sign, plastic flying bird, glass rounds, paper brooch, word band, cabochon, beads, and metal elements including beads, wings, branches, various symbols, filigreed pendant, spirit girl, leaves, and gears. There is also a polymer clay clock face fashioned by yours truly.

And engraved into the word charm, you’ll find, “life is all about creating yourself.”

Original article updated Nov, 2017 to include current status – SOLD

Dimensions: 12.0″ x 12.0″ x 1.75″

Hangers are attached and, while I prefer the no-frame look, this Assemblage Art piece is ready for framing. It will also display nicely on an easel.

All Assemblage Art pieces sold at Art Creations by Vicky are original works from artist Vicky Hensley.

Vicky

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Today, I’m unveiling the new artwork for my website, Etsy shop, and Facebook page. I’m excited!

Since I first opened a year ago, I knew I needed a more professional look – one I didn’t have the knowledge or talent to create. But I also knew that I would be a challenging client as I didn’t want to simply showcase one of my works. Nor did I want mere words in some special font spread across the page. I wanted my header and logo to impart a feel for my process. Does that sound like an artist or what?!

So, what could I possibly mean by “my process”? Not only am I referring to building a work with dozens of little pieces, I’m talking about the painting, the spraying, the adhering, the layering, and the unusual use of found objects. I’m talking about the part I most love about the art I create – the adventure of first constructing a background from various mediums and then slowly adding one embellishment after another as I discover just where my imagination is taking me. It’s never exactly as I imagined. And it’s always better than I envisioned.

Jennifer Short with Quest Creative Design took up the challenge of demonstrating my process without words… with only two images. She used images that showcased the original use of everyday items. See the above logo? That light blue half circle you see on the upper left? That’s a paper milk bottle cap from the 1950s. You’ll also find hidden in there a plaster chandelier trim piece, a vintage earring, tree bark, beads that were once white, and flowers that were changed in color to coordinate with the design emerging in my head.

Now look at the header below. The light blue surface with tiny balls is actually a piece from a vintage black and red beaded purse. See the layering, the blending, the painting, the frosting of some items to give everything a cohesive look? That’s the process. And Jennifer captured it beautifully all while making it into an advertising piece.

Now I can finally order those new business cards (Jennifer designed those as well). I’ll be sharing those later.

Oh, and my new logo at the top of this post? It’s actually the shape of the items – without the white background. But technology gets in my way yet again. I don’t know how to work such an image into an article!

Vicky

 

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Yesterday I started what I now believe will become a grand paint adventure. I’m talking gorgeous colors – can you see?!

Anxious to start working with Finnabair’s new line of Art Alchemy Impasto paints, I started loading a 12″ x 12″ primed canvas with five of the six newly arrived Impasto paints. I didn’t even use that palette you see at the top of this image – I squeezed the paint from the tube onto the canvas and started working it together, first with my brush and then with my finger. It’s a highly pigmented heavy bodied paint which means that it’s not only beautiful but it is also thick and easy to work with. No runny paint here, you can even use your actual brush strokes as part of your design since it almost has the consistency of light modeling paste. Spray a bit of water on the paint and you can extend its coverage.

Before painting, I covered the canvas with texture paste utilizing several randomly placed stencils. I had no idea how effective that would be as I had not yet realized just how easily my finger could transform paints applied side by side into detailed texture.

These gorgeous colors are bright for my Assemblage Canvas work but that first coat is only the beginning. I plan to add hundreds of items. How? Well, see… that’s why I’m calling it an adventure. I don’t yet know! I’m taking it step by step and already have painted dozens of little pieces to gradually work in with dozens of bronze items. And to prepare for that step, I spritzed the entire canvas with Lindy’s Starburst Grab a Guy Gold spray. I use a wide array of Lindy’s spritzes extensively in my work and Grab a Guy has to be my favorite.

Much of this background will eventually be covered by other elements but that’s the nature of Assemblage art work. There are at least a half dozen layers making up each of my backgrounds – it’s all about building depth for the final product.

This Impasto paint line represents (to the best of my knowledge) Finnabair’s entry into selling non-metallic paint. She has an impressive selection of metallic paints, powders, and waxes – all ones I use heavily when creating metallic works. My favorite non-metallic paint remains DecoArt’s Media Fluid Acrylics but these Impasto paints will definitely have their place in my future work. They are simply a wonderful alternative for the Mixed Media or Assemblage artist.

Vicky

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Yes, my heart is full of thanks – it’s a standard I strive to live by every day. But the hearts I’m talking about today are the little ones I started handcrafting recently to include as thank you gifts to buyers of my Assemblage Art pieces.

I find that knowing the basics of sculpting with polymer clay, either by hand or using molds, is a valuable tool for the Assemblage or Mixed Media artist. If you can’t find a particular piece – either among your found objects or new embellishments – to fill that hole or serve as the focal point in a specific artwork, your choices are unlimited when you turn to polymer clay for the solution.

This time around, polymer clay provided me with a quick and easy little gift for my art customers. I’ll run a ribbon through the heart’s hole and tie it around the tissue-wrapped artwork. I’m thrilled with the result!

The hearts that are pure white are those directly from the oven. Originally, I planned on doing no more to the hearts as the chalky white is attractive as it is. Polymer clay can be painted before or after baking. It can be stained, sprayed, and painted with further detail – for starters. However, I chose to go with wax.

Artist Anna Dabrowska – better known as Finnabair – specializes in Mixed Media and Assemblage Art and works with Prima Marketing to develop Mixed Media products. I adore these products as well as Finnabair’s work. She is such an inspiration. One of her latest releases in the Art Alchemy line is a selection of permanent waxes in a wide variety of colors and finishes. Truly versatile, these waxes provided me with the perfect finish for my little hearts and it only took a minute or two for each heart.

I will have the opportunity to send five of these hearts out in the next few days as my Assemblage Art has really been selling this past week when I just happened to be on vacation!

Vicky

 

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This piece will always remind me of our new puppy Thomas. He’s a black golden doodle who is definitely on the young side of puppyhood, Still unable to trust him to run around, I created an area in my art studio for him where he can play with toys or nap in his bed. So, most of this artwork was created as my little fella slept or played in my studio.

Okay – can you tell I have had puppies on my mind?! Now switching gears to steampunk…

With the exception of one mini canvas, all the artwork with a strong steampunk theme has sold in my shop. So, with my latest creation, I decided to go big on the steampunk elements while giving a nod to the industrial look as well.

It’s a “two piece makes one” art piece. Two 14″ x 11″ canvases join together visually with two sides of a lock set which are then each attached to a wing. The background is black layered with spritzes of coordinating color. This one was hard to photograph. After five separate sessions in varied lighting, I finally realized the metallic sheen on the spritzes just wasn’t going to allow the black foundation to show as much as it does when in hand. Wish my photographer sister and brother-in-law were around to help me with this one! Still, the photographs are 90% on target – just expect a little more black to show in the background.

Now for the official description.

Original Steampunk Art – Two for One Steampunk Canvases

This original steampunk work of art consists of two canvases that make one piece. On two 11″ x 14″ stretched canvases, overall measurements of the work (when you include a 1″ space between the two canvases) are 23″ wide by 14″ high. It’s 3D assemblage art at its best with a background comprised of multiple coats and spritzes of paint with stenciled textured designs and an overall depth of 1.50″. It is sold as a pair.

It seems that I love tiny details and this pair of assemblage canvases proves that point. When I finished this work, I knew I had included many pieces but was surprised to see it contains over 300 embellishments! I usually try to list the embellishments in my assemblage work but this time, I’ll share the highlights…

Let’s start with the vintage found objects. Behind the central design is facial netting from a woman’s hat circa 1950-60. The clock face is vintage as well as the clock gear and inner workings. Other vintage pieces include a mechanical tool pin, an unknown metal tool piece, adding machine keys, typewriter keys, links from two bracelets, metal beads – large, medium, and small, 12V bulb and socket, another 12V bulb, various plastic jewelry elements, buttons, washers, electric wire, hors d’oeuvres fork, earrings, glass oblong bead, and brooch.

The new charms/embellishments/found objects include metal bird, black bird, glass stones, propeller, wings – both large and small, steampunk bird, winged key, mosaic tiles, flying heart, gears of all types and sizes, stars, paper/fabric roses, branches, bow, hinge and latch set, buttons, large decorative beads, pocket watch form, acorns, bark, quote charm stating “reality has limits, imagination is boundless”, and various metal embellishments.

There are attached hangers for wall hanging. Although most of my Assemblage Art pieces can be framed, I don’t suggest framing this steampunk pair. Embellishments hang over the edges as part of the intricate design.

Original article updated Nov, 2017 to include current status – SOLD

Dimensions: Hung as a pair as shown 23″ x 14″ x 1.50″. Hung separately 14″ x 11″ x 1.50″

All Assemblage Art pieces sold at Art Creations by Vicky are original works from artist Vicky Hensley.

 

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It’s almost ready to go – a two piece Assemblage Art Canvas. And the theme is completely steampunk. It’s about 80% finished and I plan to have it listed next week!

Vicky

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Last week I ran an article featuring one of my latest Assemblage Canvases that I had just listed on Etsy. Although I had given it the “hang and wait test” and it had passed (I let an art piece hang for a week in my art studio before listing to convince myself it’s finished), I was still a bit unsure of its final design. Holding it in my hands, I saw the beauty of the finished piece but was concerned that photos wouldn’t adequately showcase what I was seeing. I couldn’t rid myself of the nagging feeling that I was right – it was a piece that was better suited for a one-on-one sale than an online sale.

After tracking the public’s response through multiple tools, I decided it was time to let the piece evolve further. I told myself that I wasn’t changing it so much as I was taking it to its next level. Whatever Vicky! I changed its focal point by removing and replacing the figurehead and toning down the starkness of the building by adding gray and bronze tones. I’m much happier with the final product and that nagging feeling has fled. It really is finished!

And the final piece…

The full details can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicky

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It all started with that Greek ancient looking figurehead and a heart. It sat for days waiting for me to feel inspired to continue. What was I to do with those two pieces? What direction should I take?

By the third day, I reached for a resin off white plaque featuring an ancient building that was now in pieces. I had taken a hammer to it a few months earlier to give me broken chunks of that building. I just knew those 3D bits would work well in future Assemblage pieces. So, I added the resin building chunk and let the piece sit again for a few days as I worked on other Assemblage canvases. Now and then I’d glance at it and carry over another embellishment or two to add to its growing idea stack.

This is how art grows in my studio. Rarely do I just sit down and start a piece knowing where it will go. Instead, I first plan my color scheme and then create the textured background. Next, I choose the focal point which sometimes takes me days (now you can see why I usually work on four or five art pieces at a time). In this piece, the focal point is actually three pieces – the figurehead, heart, and building. Once I’ve selected the focal point, I start searching my multiple embellishment boards and sectioned boxes of assemblage elements for those items I think would work well with the growing theme in my head.

Finally – when I did start the actual assembling of this piece, it flowed easily. I worked and worked – caught up in the creating but not knowing exactly where it would end up. It was almost like it had a bit of an aura that drew me to create in a specific manner.  When I felt it was almost completed, I searched for the final element and saw the REMNANTS charm hanging on one of my embellishment boards and knew it was a perfect finishing touch.

And now for the official description…

Inspired by the combination of a centuries old figurehead and a scrap of an ancient building, I dove into this 3D Assemblage wall art on canvas not really knowing where it would end up. The stunning result has a bit of an ancient feel all over and it’s filled with found objects, both vintage and new. The “REMNANTS” word charm seemed to be the perfect finishing touch.

I chose a blend of light violet and light blue mixed with gray tones for the foundation and then started adding complimentary colors as the layers of elements increased. My Assemblage Art is best described as “original 3D collage on canvas”. It does have a mixed media vibe as well but its many elements place it firmly in the Assemblage category.

Measuring 12.0″ x 9.0″ with a depth of 1.875″, the background is textured with stenciled modeling paste and finished off with a number of paints, spritzes, and metallic waxes.

Vintage found objects include:
Brass flowers and leaves
Chandelier trims
Rectangle metal piece
White bird
Buttons
Jewelry – earrings, beads, and base pieces for building jewelry
Metal leaves
Filigreed and Ivy embellishments
Wood half rounds
Decorative hors d’oeuvres forks
Resin piece of ancient structure

Newer elements include quote charm, metal embellishments, resin figurehead, filagreed rounds, beaded bracelet piece, wings, bark, filigreed heart, flower cabochons, and styrofoam heart.

Original article updated Nov, 2017 to include current status – SOLD

Dimensions: 12.0” height x 9.0” wide x 1.875″ deep

Hangers are attached and, while I prefer the no-frame look, this is ready for framing. This piece will also display nicely on an easel.

All art pieces sold at Art Creations by Vicky are the work of artist Vicky Hensley and are one of a kind.

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Spending time in natural environments has always been one of my favorite things to do. I long to be deep in a forest or looking out over a mountain or standing in a stream. Fortunately, our cabin fills many of these longings with trails deep into the woods and a mountain view. And sometimes, I just have to transfer my longings for nature into my artwork.

Finding the polymer clay mold for this woodland nymph inspired today’s work. When creating, I let this one sit for days at a time as I contemplated my next move on its design. One thing I knew I must do – keep the elements large since I was working on a larger canvas. I knew filling a 16″ x 20″ canvas with hundreds of tiny objects was not the direction I wanted to take. I wanted the nymph to stand out and I pulled it off!

Now for the full detail…

3D Woodland Collage – Forest Nymph

Discovering a polymer clay mold for this gorgeous forest nymph (in round frame), my imagination went into overdrive as I saw visions of a woodland collage – Assemblage Canvas style. Straight from Greek Mythology, I envisioned an original 3D wall art piece featuring the woodland goddess in her natural environment. Some may call her a fairy rather than a nymph and that fits too!

One of my largest pieces to date, it measures 20″ x 16″ x 1.75″. Its background is comprised of numerous layers of paint and spritz sprays and stenciled texture paste in a number of designs. The art form is called Assemblage Art, a method of creating a larger art piece from smaller (found) objects. My assemblage art is on canvas rather than free standing.

The found objects used in creating this piece are, in a large part, vintage. Vintage elements include:
Round wood frame
Tin candy mold
Brass flowers and leaves
Chandelier trim
Jewelry – earrings, brooches, and beads
Beaded flowers
Filigreed and Ivy embellishments
Piece of beaded purse
Piece of beaded collar
Rhinestone button

Newer elements include polymer clay face made by yours truly, buttons, resin heart, and metal embellishments.

$149.00

Available for purchase at my Etsy shop

Dimensions: 20.0” height x 16.0” wide x 1.75″ deep

Hangers are attached and, while I prefer the no-frame look, this is ready for framing. This piece will also display nicely on an easel.

All art pieces sold at Art Creations by Vicky are the work of artist Vicky Hensley and are one of a kind.