This time around, it’s another blue canvas featuring the blue-green side of things with an overall turquoise feel. This color palette sells so well and and I’m starting to believe that the the larger the piece, the quicker it leaves the shop.

I experimented with a bit of new texture and I’m crazy about the result. See that light green-gold lower center piece? That’s a watch band from an economy watch that had quit working long ago. It was included in an estate sale grab bag and I thought to immediately toss it and then… I saw the possibilities of the texture in the band. I’m now keeping my eye out for more worn out looking watches with fake alligator bands!

And then the crowning point of the whole piece – the old tin heart mold. I’ve had this piece for a couple of years and found myself not wanting to use it, yet. I liked to see it sitting on one of my embellishment shelves. It was (and is) perfect when I finally built a canvas around it. I think it speaks for itself!

And then that old pickle fork! With it’s worn paint in perfect colors for use in my Assemblage work, I ask myself, “Will I ever find another sooo perfect fork?!”

And now for the official unveiling…

Heart Wall Art – a 3D Canvas Collage

An antique tin heart mold takes center stage in this Assemblage Canvas art piece. I’m referring to this as 3D collage on canvas – this isn’t just a painting. You’ll find a total of six hearts within this design that includes more than 100 embellishments plus dozens of mini beads. This 12″ x 12″ artwork was created piece by piece as I gradually layered the embellishments, ending with an overall depth of 2.0″.

Texture also takes a starring role with a background built first with stenciled designs utilizing dimensional paste that is then covered with multiple coats of paint, spritzes, and waxes.

When describing the actual elements you will find in one of my Assemblage canvases, I divide the embellishments into two categories – vintage found objects (20+ years in age) and newer elements.

Here those vintage found objects include a tin heat mold, pickle fork, two different beaded necklaces, ancient building (chess piece), crocheted collar piece, pearl collar sections, heart pendant, grape bracelet charms, buttons, 1980s jewelry makings, brass button, brooch, rhinestone button, and various beads

Newer elements include resin flower, gypsy head, wings, various leaves, branch charms, heart feather charm, paper butterfly, paper roses, wood round and cap, wreath berries, heart charm filigreed metal shapes, hummingbird, cabochons, floral bracelet link, hot air balloon, heart bracelet link, wood heart, and various other metal embellishments.

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.

Dimensions: 12.0″ x 12.0″ x 2.0″

$119.00

Available for purchase at Etsy

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

The last weeks have been busy ones around here. Just when I thought I had my Etsy shop well stocked, I sold three of my larger works (and received a commission for a fourth) and found myself thinking “Replace, replace!” I made a promise to myself years ago that I wouldn’t get in a hurry to add new art – everything would be at a peaceful rate, you know… NO stress. Well, I’m a chronic double tasker and a bit of a perfectionist and one who loves to challenge myself to do more so that promise is being put to the test. So far, I’m exercising the necessary restraint!

Here’s a last look at my recent sales.

 

 

Two new pieces are ready to list. Photography is scheduled today and I plan on listing over the weekend.

Enjoy!

Vicky

Creating with another person, especially a close family member or friend, is one of the best times I can imagine. Locally, I have a couple of Mixed Media artist friends who occasionally spend a few hours creating with me. We exchange ideas or experiences, share our recent creations, and sometimes just work silently side by side. Although we love to talk about the things going on in our lives, we seem to reserve most of that for lunch as we eat our bag lunches.

And then there is my sister Janey who lives a few states away – 740 miles away to be exact. She lives “creativity” and has her hand in a number of artistic endeavors – pottery, polymer clay, paper crafting, and most recently – embroidery. When I visit Janey, it is a constant exchange of artistic ideas and we rarely have time to actually do everything we have planned.

Recently, I drove the eleven hours to Tennessee to not only visit with Janey and her family, but to create. My SUV was LOADED with art supplies as Janey and I had decided to spend four full days creating. She wanted to learn more about Assemblage and its close cousin Mixed Media, and I wanted to learn more about whatever medium she was currently working with.

Janey’s art studio is in the lower level of her home but she decided to equip her upstairs pottery room with everything we could possibly need to avoid lugging all those supplies up and down the stairs. I arrived to find a neatly arranged room with at least five large tables and our own individual work spaces – facing each other. Since we would be working for hours each day, we wanted to easily visit back and forth as well as see what the other was doing.

I have made several such creative Janey trips to Tennessee. Always, it is a rich time of not only creating but sharing our bond as sisters and friends. This trip, we each created a mini assemblage canvas. Janey was a bit unsure of her ability to create such a work but it wasn’t a matter of ability – she has that. Rather, it was a process of working with her and showing her each step to be made along the way to obtain that desired end product.

Although Janey and I mostly create in different mediums, Janey is the best at brainstorming ideas with me. When I’m mulling over what step to take next on a difficult work, I send Janey photos and we start discussing the challenge. She is sort of a co-creator in those times. After asking questions and offering ideas, she may try to locate an item for me online or recommend a place for me to look.

Janey has art supplies – everywhere – perfectly tagged and organized. Yes, I went exploring! I loved examining her large array of polymer clay creations and found these beads tucked away (and out of sight). I couldn’t resist asking her outright to give them to me. I’m planning to feature these striking beads in an assemblage canvas but I’ll want the beads to be part of the focal point so that will take some brainstorming… maybe even a call to Janey for some joint planning. 

My first sale in my Etsy shop was to Janey. I was unaware that she had fallen in love with a particular piece in one of our first video shares. It featured a girl flying away with a kite and a quote that held special meaning for Janey. I was honored (and thrilled) to pack up this first sale and send on to my sister.

Earlier this year, after I returned from Tennessee, she purchased another work – one of my favorites. Unbeknownst to Janey, I had created Bird on a Branch while thinking of her and her love of birds and flower gardens. It contained many of the found objects that I purchased while in Tennessee shopping vintage malls with Janey and her family. It was entirely a “Janey” piece and somehow, she picked up on that. She immediately fell in love with it and, once again, surprised me with her purchase. 

I hope to plan another Tennessee trip later this year. We’re hoping that our sister Mary can join this time around. Talk about sister artistic talent – Mary is a painter and professional photographer. She also built my Art Creations by Vicky website – yes, this one!

Fellowship, childhood memories, understanding where one came from, shared love for family and each other, and expressing oneself artistically – all make for a fabulous time. We highly recommend trying it! Oh, and those mini assemblage canvases Janey and I were creating? Here’s the result!

 

Happy Creating!

Vicky

SOLD

Staying with the lovely blues for the moment, my latest Assemblage Canvas is also one of my largest single canvases to date. Although there are several lines of paint that I adore and use regularly, this particular line, Finnabair’s Art Alchemy Impastos, has been capturing my imagination in a big way. Mostly I work with their blues and a medium green but other colors are often seen in my completed work as well. Now to share the Lovely Blues with you!

The Lovely Blues

When I started this Assemblage canvas, the only direction in my head was to strive for extravagant beauty using this combination of blues and green. The large flower (that is sitting on an overturned ashtray) would serve as my focal point. I realized I had all sorts of vintage items to include in this work… including that large flower which originally was a decorative element for a chandelier.

Measuring 14″ x 14″, it’s slightly larger than my usual offerings. Texture plays an important role with a background built from multiple coats and spritzes of paint and waxes over several stencil designs utilizing both dimensional paste and plaster 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 Canvas contains around 120 found objects or newer elements making its depth 1.50″.

Here those vintage found objects include two brooches, chandelier flowers and crystals, pearl collar, pearl purse, ashtray, various bracelet links, imitation coins, 1980s jewelry makings, assorted beads, beaded necklace, and large brass button.

Newer elements include the bird, branches, beads, filigreed rounds, shell, various metal rounds, shield, numerous leaves, hearts, roses, berry wreath, bark, cabochons, word charm, decorative metal pieces, square tiles, stars, and wings.

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 a large desk easel.

Dimensions: 14.0″ x 14.0″ x 1.50″

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

Things are moving quickly around my art studio. I’ve been organizing even more plus creating. I love organization and have to create in a clean space but organizing yet again (!) makes me feel like I’m loosing production time. Eeeek!

You see, my art room has grown to three rooms now (therefore the use of “studio”) which means I’m driven to make sure every inch is used properly. But in the end? I actually produce more when every element is in order. Organizing thousands of found objects and my newer elements has been time consuming in the extreme but deciding I need a moon and reaching for a tagged sectioned container that tells me “moons” are within, well, it’s terrific! So, I’m creating more with even more joy these days!

And here is my latest – A Lady Moon rather than your typical “man in the moon” scenario…

With a whole lot of beauty and a lady sitting on the moon, this Assemblage Canvas exudes a definite romantic feminine feel… with a little whimsey, of course. I’ve named it “A Lady Moon” and love that we have a “lady in the moon” rather than the traditional man. Measuring 8.0″ by 8.0″ with a depth of 1.50″, the background is textured with stenciled

modeling paste and finished off with a number of paints, spritzes, and metallic waxes. Embellishments are then adhered to the canvas to form a three-dimensional design.

You’ll find more than 50 embellishments plus dozens of tiny metal beads in this piece of Assemblage art. Older elements (found objects) include an oval cameo base, beaded necklace sections, brooch, button, earring, square bead, and various other beads. Newer elements include the lady moon stamping, paper roses, numerous metal embellishments, cabochons, bracelet section, the tiny beads, and pieces of a berry wreath.

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.

Dimensions: 8.0″ x 8.0″ Depth 1.50″

$79.95

Available for purchase at Etsy

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

Hmmm, I think this one could be called Industrial Steampunk. Although I know there are numerous mixed media artists who create “industrial” art, it’s a first for me and probably more than a little unique with a heart sitting at its center! As I adhered the final embellishment, I caught a sense of industrial America, say 1900-1940s. I saw the factories, the war effort, the hope, and the peace – all as an artist, of course. 🙂

And now for the official blurb…

Although it’s full of steampunk vibes, this Assemblage Art on Canvas has a definite industrial feel to it as well. Assemblage describes the process of creating a larger art piece from smaller objects. Best described as a 3D collage on canvas, it contains numerous vintage “found objects” as well as newer embellishments.

Measuring 10.0″ square with a depth of 1.5″, the background is textured with stenciled modeling paste and finished off with a number of paints, spritzes, and metallic waxes. Primary colors here are shades of green and copper accented with a bit of red.

In the center sits a handmade polymer clay heart that is surrounded by approximately 85 embellishments. Vintage elements include sections of a pearl purse, paper bottle top, buttons, bracelet base, beads, earrings, purse clasp, bobbin, strip of a beaded purse, bracelet links, and necklace pieces. Newer elements include winged peace sign, metal beads, 2 clock faces, propeller, word tag stating DESTINY, starred round, bird, cabochons, pop bottle cap, stars, and many metal elements such as flower, tree, gears, diamonds, squares, keyhole, wings, arrow, claw, and crown.

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.

Dimensions: 10” x 10” x 1.5″

$89.95

Available for purchase at Etsy

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

I took another adventure into new color for this latest work which ended up being a romantic look at our emerging spring. Oklahoma has had a good old fashioned cold winter (of which I’m very thankful – insects love mild winters) but even me, winter lover that I am, longs to see evidence of spring.

So, here’s the official description…

Heart of Spring – 3D Heart Found Object Art

I must have been feeling a touch of spring when creating this latest Assemblage Canvas. Its vintage heart center gives it a romantic flair while many of the other embellishments add a feel of an emerging spring. For me, Spring always brings with it the desire to explore and I thought the word charm summed it up nicely with “wanderlust – a strong desire for, or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.”

Measuring 10.0″ by 10.0″ with a depth of 1.25″, the background is textured with stenciled modeling paste and finished off with a number of paints, spritzes, and metallic waxes. Embellishments are then adhered to the canvas to form a three-dimensional design.

You’ll find around 75 embellishments in this piece of Assemblage art. Many of those are actually vintage found objects including the gold heart, necklace links, beads, resin frame piece, imitation coins, beaded necklace, earring, Monopoly house, porcelain house, and a number of 1980s jewelry makings.

Newer elements include the bottle, clock, a variety of leaves, beads, coin, branches, hearts, bird on a branch, filigreed metal rounds, quote charm, metal beads, buttons, butterfly, grapes, glass rounds, and metal embellishments.

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.

Dimensions: 10.0″ x 10.0″ Depth 1.25″

$89.95

Available for purchase at my Etsy shop

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

Finally – a sunny day yesterday! I pulled out the camera and set up my little photo shop on my front porch – the perfect spot for photography… when the sun shines just so.  I had several new art creations waiting for just such a day. This is the first of that group – a collage of time. I’ll have the other two listed by the end of the day.

In Time Tells, you’ll find four clock faces and even a sun dial. It’s a bit steampunk but probably falls more into eccentric traditional assemblage art. How’s that for a categorization?!

Now for the official stuff…

Clock Collage – Found Object Art

This original steampunk work of art is 3D assemblage canvas art at its best with a background comprised of multiple coats and spritzes of paint over stenciled textured designs that is then finished off with a metallique wax. Measuring 16″ x 8″, this artwork tells the story of time with four clocks and a sundial sprinkled across the canvas.

I love to include many tiny details in my assemblage artwork – not only adhering dozens of pieces onto the canvas but carefully painting and aging many of those items one by one. This piece includes around 85 embellishments plus dozens of metal beads.

Many of those embellishments are vintage found objects including assorted metal disks, bracelet links, adding machine key, various necklace links, earrings, 1980s jewelry makings, imitation coins, watch face, and a beaded necklace.

Newer elements include a multi-diamond shape, clocks, cabochons, vial, art deco embellishment, bird head, gears, large beads, wings, mortar tie, belt buckle, square metals, chess knight, wings, sundial, buttons, and other various metal embellishments.

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.

Dimensions: 16.0″ x 8.0″ x 1.25″

$99.95

Available for purchase at my Etsy Shop

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

Just what is Assemblage? It’s a question I often receive so let’s start with an official definition:

assemblage – an artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate (canvas) that consists of three-dimensional elements projecting out of or from the substrate (canvas). It is similar to collage, a two-dimensional medium… it typically uses found objects but is not limited to these materials.   Wikipedia

Now let’s look at how I incorporate Assemblage into my artwork so that it defines my end product. I create assemblage art on canvases (the substrate). Therefore, you will see my art described as Assemblage Art on Canvas or Assemblage Canvas for short.

It starts with a canvas that is first textured, painted, spritzed, textured yet again with more paint and then more spritz. I repeat as needed. Gradually I start adding Found Objects – embellishments that vary in size and impact. Many of these items are vintage pieces I’ve found while searching out flea markets and such or, even better, bits of a larger piece. Some embellishments, such as beads or charms, may be from a new supply. I keep layering these objects, painting again, spritzing again until I’m satisfied with the end project. I never know exactly what I’ll end up with – it’s all part of the creative process and guarantees that each work is “one of a kind”.

Vicky

 

Wanting to create something romantic – you know lots of flowers with a heart as the focal point – I started gathering a pile of embellishments from around my art studio. I didn’t know what would end up in the final art piece. I just knew I wanted to create a romantic feel that would resemble the front of a greeting card… in a most unusual way.

And although this isn’t specifically for Valentine’s Day, it does set the mood for that holiday which is fast approaching. It’s year round home decor with a rich color scheme that sort of takes my breath away!

And now for the official description…

Heart Hill

At the start of this Assemblage creation, I knew two things – the basic color scheme of turquoise, green, and purple (which evolved) and that I wanted a more romantic piece this time around. And then I started building to see where it would go and now find myself in love with the end product! I’m calling it Heart Hill as the focal point brings this piece to 2.0″ in depth which gives this 10.0″ x 8.0″ canvas a highly defined 3D feel with multiple layers of embellishments.

Texture takes a starring role in this Assemblage Canvas piece with a background built first from multiple coats and spritzes of paint and waxes that were then layered with several stencil designs utilizing dimensional paste, burlap, and antique lace.

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 Canvas contains around 75 found objects or newer elements.

Here those vintage found objects include the antique lace, necklace pieces, buttons, 1980s jewelry makings, hanging plastic crystal, porcelain rose, wooden leaf, and papier-mache bead.

Newer elements include patched heart, filigreed metal round and leaf, paper roses, various metal leaves, beads, cabochons, styrofoam ball, bark, decorative beads, metal flower, word charm, metal branches, and wooden round.

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.

Dimensions: 10.0″ x 8.0″ x 2.0″

SOLD

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