On a creative roll, I’m spending even more time in my art studio adding new artwork or readying larger pieces for introduction at a later date. As I surveyed my inventory, I realized I was low on steampunk works and added this 7″ x 5″ 3D collage – an unusual size for me.

I introduced a new process to my work with this art piece – a sculpturing paste fortified with toilet paper – you heard that right! It’s a technique I learned from Maria Grossbaum-Fondler – better known as Abyssimo – in her online classes (there is a cost). This is only the beginning of what can be accomplished with her unique art methods. I have only the greatest respect for Maria – her work is absolutely beautiful.

And now for the particulars…

Steampunk remains big and here’s my latest – fresh from my art studio. I love building a piece of art utilizing the industrial and Victorian aspects of this fascinating science fantasy sub-genre.

On a 7″ x 5″ stretched canvas, the depth of this piece is 1.0″. The background has multiple coats of paint, spritzes, and wax over a sculpted background. Fabric and then embellishments are added and finished off with spritzes of paint.

Embellishments include clock face, gears, wings, cloth, beads, and a vintage hors d’oeuvre fork.

Dimensions: 7.0″ x 5.0 x 1.0″

$54.95

Available for purchase at Etsy

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

Staring at a full moon is a favorite past time, especially when I’m at our cabin where there is little artificial light and lots of space to just gaze at the sky. I find it simply fascinating and calming at the same time. The moon’s surfaces provide my imagination with all sorts of possibilities for facial expressions. What emotion is the moon feeling tonight? Is it laughing? Is it watchful? Or is it just contemplating space as I’m contemplating the moon?

Thus my love of Moon Art – I consider it all out fun. When those faces I see in the moon are transferred to 3D wall art, I can hardly resist buying if I spy one while shopping. Of course, that means I must create 3D moon wall art myself.

Offered at my Etsy shop are a number of 3 and 4 inch 3D mini canvases that I create upon request. These canvases are steady sellers and the two 4 inch canvases featuring fanciful moons are the best sellers. The Observations moon is the number one mini canvas seller while the newer Discoveries moon is making itself known in resales.

Observations Moon – available at Etsy  $44.95

Discoveries Moon – available at Etsy    $49.95

I’m adding new moons to my line of mini canvases as I’m sensing a trend toward displaying the moons together either as wall hangings or on small easels. I’ll be introducing my latest very soon.

Hope you are taking the time occasionally to just watch the moon and enjoy the simple pleasure of it all.

Vicky

Hidden away in my art studio, I’ve been busily learning new techniques for my second art line. It’s kept me from the mainstream somewhat and I was surprised to find this new piece – The Gray Lady – had been hanging on my studio wall for weeks just waiting to be listed. (!) The newer line will feature larger works and all handmade embellishments and I’m excited about it. Yet, I still love this line best – my Found Object Assemblage Collages. I’m still busy creating found object art as well as my newer line.

Now for the official Gray Lady listing…

When I found this old metal cameo at an estate sale recently, I knew she deserved to star in her own Assemblage wall collage. I realized I had all sorts of vintage items to surround her and decided on a gray/silver background highlighted with a light purple. It has an overall romantic feel with a touch of Victorian and steampunk elements as well.

Measuring 14″ x 11″, the canvas is gallery wrapped and its textured background is built from multiple coats and spritzes of paint and waxes over several stencil designs utilizing dimensional paste. A layer of fabric further enhances this intricate background.

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. This Assemblage collage contains around 110 found objects or newer elements.

Here those vintage found objects include brooches, cameo, chandelier piece, knob, earring, hors-d’oeuvres fork, imitation coins, assorted beads and buttons, mechanical element, beaded necklace, chain, necklace link, flowers, crocheted doily, toy piece, and large brass button.

Newer elements include the brick tie, tree bark, cabochons, metal branch, juggler’s pin, wings, chess horse, and assorted hearts, beads, and leaves.

Picture wire is attached to the canvas for ease in hanging. Although this piece is ready for framing, its gallery wrapped canvas measures 1.5″ in depth and that’s just for the canvas. This type of canvas is usually displayed “as is”. Overall depth with embellishments is 2.50″.

Dimensions: 14.0″ x 11.0 x 2.50″

$139.00

Available for purchase at Etsy

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

This time around, I wanted intense color so I turned to Art Alchemy’s Impasto paints. The colors blend wonderfully even while remaining distinct yet they don’t shout “loud”. The challenge for me here was the central focal point which I rarely feature. I’m an asymmetrical sort of gal and “center” comes too close to a symmetrical design for me to start creating easily. I had to convince myself that I COULD create a balanced design without feeling the need to match elements equally on each side. In the end, I’m excited about the final design and don’t feel the need to avoid those central focal points in the future quite so much.

Now for the official talk…

Colorful Collage

Featuring a mixture of gorgeous yet intense colors, the overall effect of this latest Assemblage Collage is that of subtle beauty. I chose a variety of silver and bronze shades for accenting and I’m so pleased with the result.

This 14.0″ x 14.0″ 3D collage has a background built with multiple coats and spritzes of paint and waxes over several stenciled designs utilizing dimensional paste on a gallery wrapped canvas. Its depth is 3.0″.

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.

And the embellishments! It contains more than 200 elements. Here those vintage items include chain, beaded necklace, belt section, portions of a faux beaded purse, beaded flowers, patterned glass, bracelet links, pieces of beaded wall art, metal beads, plastic jewelry dish, chess piece (building), various frame portions, buttons, beaded leaves, antique crocheted lace, resin fragment, 1980s jewelry makings, faux coins, and various mechanisms.

Newer elements include metal embellishments – tree, leaves, shield, gears, flowers, and various filigreed designs, pendant, smaller leaves, hearts, a variety of beads, mermaid’s tail, cabochons, buttons, berrie, and large filigreed round.

Picture wire is attached to the canvas for ease in hanging. Although this piece is ready for framing, its gallery wrapped canvas measures 1.5″ in depth and that’s just for the canvas. This type of canvas is usually displayed “as is”. Overall depth with embellishments is 3.0″.

Dimensions: 14.0″ x 14.0″ x 3.0″

$169.00

Available for purchase at Etsy

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

Vertical – that’s the word in my mind today. Vertical art pieces give us rest from typical sizes of wall art. Here I placed two 7″ x 5″ canvases together to form one continuous long statement of beauty. On gallery wrapped canvases, the side glances are even more interesting as you notice the depth – it’s 1.5″ rather than the usual .75″.

And now for the official description from the page dedicated to today’s artwork…

Collage Art – a Vertical Pair

Vertical Assemblage Collages sell well here at Art Creations by Vicky. It’s a shape that fits nicely in a variety of wall spaces. This time, I split the vertical into two canvases – where one leaves off, the second continues the design.

On gallery wrapped canvases, I blended a lighter blue with turquoise for a background that is textured with stenciled modeling paste and finished off with a number of paints, spritzes, and metallic waxes. Embellishments are adhered to the canvas to form a three-dimensional design.

You’ll find around 80 embellishments in this pair of Assemblage Collages. Many of those are actually vintage found objects including pieces of a faux pearl purse, beaded leaves, various bracelet links or lengths, a cupped bezel, earring, buttons, belt buckle, 1980s jewelry makings, piece of a brooch, beads, and partial frame.

Newer elements include shield, star, mini leaves, cabochons, berries, filigreed metal, face, flowers, metal bead, larger metal leaves, button, plaster flower, and burlap. The polymer clay columns that form the center of the design were fashioned by yours truly.

Each canvas measures 7.0″ x 5.0″ giving the set total dimensions (with a 1″ space between the two) of 15.0″ by 5.0″ with a depth of 2.25″. Hangers are attached and, while I prefer the no-frame look for gallery wrapped canvases, this assemblage art pair is ready for framing.

$89.95

Available for purchase at Etsy

Dimensions when hung together as suggested: 15.0″ x 5.0″ Depth 2.25″

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m listing one more artwork today to make three new listings in a week (and a day)! Now that the creative vibe is moving strongly forward in my studio again, the new artwork is starting to fill the empty spaces on my walls.

Enjoy your art – whether you are an admirer or creator!

Vicky

Sales haven’t been something I’ve considered offering before. And I doubt you will ever see an art sale here that is an across-the-board discount on all art pieces as they are simply too intricate and labor intensive for overall discounting.

However, it’s time to clear my studio walls of some older art pieces and I’m offering amazing discounts on five listings with savings averaging over 50% off the original price. For the most part, they represent an earlier stage of my work and, although they aren’t in the exact vein that I’m now creating, they remain beautiful wall decor. 

Here are the deals:

 

3D Roses on Canvas

SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

Nesting

$39.95 – was $69.95

Available at Etsy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forest Nymph

$59.95 – was $149.95

Available at Etsy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamsa Hand

$19.95 – was $29.95

Available at Etsy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3D Bird Art

$19.95 – was $39.95

Available at Etsy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have two more new listings in draft status over at Etsy. I’ll be listing over the next two days.

Enjoy your art whether you are the creator or the admirer!

Vicky

I’ll be listing three larger works this week. I’ve been so busy creating that I’ve conveniently looked over the fact that each must be listed. And listing takes time, especially when each is one of a kind and detailed. So, I’m curbing my art studio time the next few days to sit at my laptop more than usual and create in another whole way – creating enthusiasm in others for my style of wall art. Once I’m in the middle of it, I enjoy the written technical side of it all but it’s just so much easier to head straight for my art studio right after breakfast!

I finished this artwork around four weeks ago. 0.0  At that time, I didn’t even think autumn colors – it was the middle of summer after all. Now, I not only see year round wall decor but it reminds me that my favorite season – FALL – is just around the corner!

Now for the official talk…

3D Collage Wall Art

Shades of bronze, copper, and a touch of red give this Assemblage Collage a warm yet vibrant feel. On a gallery wrapped canvas, it’s full of found objects, many of which are vintage pieces I found at estate sales or flea markets. This particular artwork contains around 80 of these vintage or new embellishments. They sit on a deeply textured background fashioned with stenciled dimensional paste. It’s further enhanced with metallique and antique waxes and spritzes of paint.

The vintage found objects contained within include sections of three different bracelets, stained glass, ash tray, belt link, bits of several necklaces, beads, brooch, chain, buttons, chess piece (ancient building), watch face, lamp tear drop, rhinestone earring, metal flower, and metal mechanism.

The newer elements include: a branch, flower, sun, cabochons, patterned beads, buttons, leaves, gears, heart, metal diamonds, bird, large glass red strip beads, filigreed metal, eye, wood squares, berries, other metal embellishments, Celtic heart, and acorn. There is also a scripted piece of polymer clay crafted by yours truly.

Embellishments are layered one upon another to allow further definition and dimension.

On a 14.0″ x 11.0″ stretched gallery wrapped canvas, the depth of this piece is 2.50″. Hangers are attached.

Dimensions: 14.0″ x 11.0 x 2.50″

$139.00

Available for purchase at Etsy

All Assemblage Art pieces sold at Art Creations by Vicky are original works from artist Vicky Hensley and one of a kind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editor’s Note: After publication, the price was changed from $129.00 to $139.00 as there was an error in calculating the price. My apologies.

In late spring, I was commissioned to create a larger form of one of my earlier sold works. Although 24″ x 18″ isn’t that large when you consider the size of today’s wall art, it is for the Assemblage wall art I create. These pieces are created on canvas and the weight of the many attached elements must be considered when creating any work but especially a larger work.

So, my first challenge was proportion – I needed to use larger elements for a larger canvas to maintain the same look. And then – the weight. With this piece I used a gallery wrapped canvas which is stronger and holds more weight if you purchase a better quality line. It also is 1.5″ deep compared to the usual .75″ depth of the more affordable canvases. That depth also gives it more of an Art Gallery feel.

My first week dedicated to this work was used finding the right larger elements and recreating the three clocks in the smaller work on a larger scale. This work had more than three times the surface of the smaller work as well and a number of the smaller elements on the original work were too small for the larger canvas. They would have been lost. And the weight was always on my mind. One of the three clocks I created from found objects, in the end, didn’t pass the weight test. A fourth clock was created and that was my process as I slowly gathered the needed elements to fill this size of canvas.

I was thrilled with the end product. Not only did I produce exactly the canvas I envisioned, I took two large steps in my overall design. I no longer fear the restrictions larger Assemblage wall art presents. I love the challenge of creating out of the box and plan on creating even larger wall art. Plans are firmly underway for a second art line featuring large wall art even as a write this. These pieces will contain a larger ratio of handmade elements and feature only vintage found objects. Also, those gallery wrapped canvases? Soon, nearly every work I produce – large or small will be on this type of canvas. I appreciate the professional air of the deeper canvases.

Of course, I will continue creating the smaller works – I love creating with dozens of embellishments! But I relish a challenge. More soon on that second art line.

Enjoy creating!

Vicky

 

Whew! The past six weeks have been filled with one travel event after another which means I had to temporarily slow things down at Art Creations by Vicky. First, I traveled for a week with my husband and visited the mountains of Colorado  – a favorite destination.

Then, it was on to Cousins Camp – a week with my older grandchildren at our cabin. We create a number of art projects, take field trips, and spend a LOT of time outdoors enjoying good old mother nature. We don’t play with toys or electronics or watch TV – it’s all about old-fashioned quality time together. Here you see two of this year’s projects – first, paintings for the interior of the new treehouse Pop just built and second, painted rocks which we added to Cousins Trail. With four Cousins Camps in our past, we now have around 60 painted rocks on that trail!

Within days of Cousins Camp, I traveled with family members to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Mn. I was there to provide care for my young grandsons as their parents went to the clinic daily. Twelve days later, we returned home with hope in our hearts.

And in the midst of all that activity, every free hour I had at home when I stopped in for a day or two, was utilized creating my largest work to date – a commissioned assemblage wall art piece that is now at its new home in Massachusetts.

Again, whew!

During those six weeks, I purposefully slowed my Etsy shop down by extending shipping times and suspending all promotional activities. Now, we’re back to our regular shipping and I’m tweaking my listings to encourage views once again. Many don’t realize just how much time Etsy shop owners must spend online each week just letting Etsy know we are alive and interested in selling. If you don’t work your shop daily online, your listings are less likely to appear in customer searches. So, my laptop is never far away right now as I tackle those duties little by little. 

And, of course, the art. I am brimming with ideas right now and have two larger canvases in the works. I was so very tired that first night after returning from my last trip but I couldn’t settle in until I arranged my art studio for working those two canvases the next morning. I’m now surrounded by the organized mess of assemblage art – coordinated piles of found objects, beads, and bits of fabric (and more) are just a few of the things you’ll see around each canvas. Ahhh – just the way it is supposed to be. More on those pieces soon.

It’s good to be back home and my art studio! 

Vicky

SaveSave

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Taking on the challenge of commissions usually means creating larger pieces and I have definitely found this to be the case. It’s encouraged me to start working on larger canvases to offer for sale in my shop as well and this collage is one such example. It measures 20″ x 10″ – a size that is quite versatile when looking to display in just that right place. Since it is long horizontally, it is also ideal for hanging above a mantle, buffet, credenza, or even a bed.

So, here’s the official presentation…

A Collage of Found Objects

Steampunk Assemblage Art… in an oft-requested larger size – this time a 20″ x 10″ canvas. My steampunk version of Assemblage Art features the industrial and Victorian aspects of this engrossing science fantasy sub-genre leading to some rather fascinating collages. This time I’m featuring ancient and mythical symbolism with elements such as the Celtic knot, Pegasus, yin and yang, lotus flower, hamsa hand, the sun, the eye, and more if you’re curious. Look closely and you will see approximately 150 embellishments – both vintage and new – as well as dozens of metal beads.

Assemblage Art on Canvas begins with the background – it’s not just paint. I start with multiple coats and spritzes of paint on stenciled dimensional paste and pieces of crocheted doilies. I then add more spritzes of highlights and finish off with Finnabair’s waxes (which dry to a hard finish). Multiple layers of embellishments are then added to complete this 3D collage to bring it to an overall depth of 2.0″.

Vintage elements include adding machine keys, pearl collar pieces, old bottle glass, metal ornate focal point, beaded necklace, buttons, beads, ancient building (old chess piece), and 1980s jewelry makings.

Newer pieces complete this steampunk look with items such as gears, various beads, bird, brick ties, coins, cabochons, leaves, steampunk heart, buttons, Vitruvian man, wreath berries, clock gears, tree, diamond patterns, hamsa hand, pendants, bracelet sections, eye, “Breathe” word tag,

Pegasus, tree trunk, clock round frame, clock face, rabbit, stopwatch case, ancient calendar, sun, metal beads, and various other metal embellishments,

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.

Dimensions: 20.0″ x 10.0″ x 2.0″

$159.00

Available for purchase at Etsy

All Assemblage Art pieces sold at Art Creations by Vicky are original works from artist Vicky Hensley and one of a kind.