Last Minute Gift...

I am a procrastinator.  I think that I've mentioned that personality defect once or twice on my blog.  I think about doing things and for some reason, those thoughts slip back into my brain storage where I keep all the things that I intend to do...someday.

I think I am most famous (at least among my family and friends) for procrastination involving birthday presents. Our grandchildren might get their gift a month later than they should, all because Grandma put that task on her to-do list and it got stuck in that brain storage drawer. I'm also equally bad at picking up little hostess gifts beforehand when we have a soiree to attend.  Put those two together: event + gift, and my brain finally shifts into gear the day of the party.

"Gee, I shoulda got a _______ for her." Or "Oh no, I forgot to get them something!" Whatever the reason, my brain suddenly engages and I think about all the things I could have made for that person beforehand. However, when you are creative, 6 or 7 hours is enough time to make most anything. I'm not tooting my own horn here, I'm just saying that I will try anything...once...and Laurel works really good under pressure!

So, fast forward to yesterday and a friend was having a birthday dinner that evening.  No presents were expected but I got the brilliant idea of giving him a work of "art" for his mantle...at 6:00 a.m that morning.  He is a gifted contractor whom I had the privilege of working with a few years ago on a building project. So what contractor would not want a set of custom nails? (Probably none, but hey, it's going to be art!!) I needed to make 60 of them, one for each year of his life.

8:00 a.m - off to Lowe's and Michael's early to get the supplies...wasn't sure yet how I was going to make this little artwork, but just walking around Lowe's gave me a good start, then I finished up at Michael's.

The Raw Material: Paint, 16 Penny Nails, wood blocks, etc.

After making the wood base, I made a grid for the nail holes...

(still using those Excel skills from work)

I have to say that my skills with Dave's drill were rather lacking...what a pain!!

On to the fun part! Spray paint for the initial base of the hand-painted nails...

Took a seat at the kitchen table with my acrylic paints, brushes and voila! 

(well, not exactly that quickly...)

60 Custom Nails - Check!

Gives new meaning to the word "Nail Art", doesn't it Gayleen? (my manicurist friend)

One of a kind.

Laurel. 

No, I'm not going to make you one...

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Technology addiction is a slippery slope - just ask the Candy Crushers, the Farm Town farmers, the Minecrafters, the online "Pokers".  Once you get your first taste of victory, it's all over. And like the Apostle Paul who was humbled by his sins, I too admit that among the Techie Sinners of the world, I may not be "Chief" among you, but I'm right down there with you when it comes to Polyvore. I have burned more vegetables, left the house showerless and ignored my unmade bed countless times, all for the joy of creating a digital masterpiece on my computer.

In the Polyvore world, users form groups that you can join, theoretically with the same artistic predisposition as you. Most group owners sponsor contests, where there is some sort of theme or set requirement.  Even huge corporations like Macy's and Wendy's sponsor contests...remember that the chief goal of Polyvore is to get you to buy fashions, jewelry, home goods and beauty products. Many groups have hundreds, even thousands of entries for a single contest.  I haven't figured out how the game is played, or who decides who wins or why, but I enjoy the challenged of putting my spin on their rules.

And after four months of creating all manner of artistic sets, I finally "won" a prize in a contest. It wasn't first place, or even second. And it wasn't even a "big" contest - only 258 entries.  But I won 7th Place!  (Rather like getting a Lavender ribbon in a county fair sewing contest...) The contest theme was "FREE Woman!", and we were challenged to create a set that epitomized a free spirited woman. And being the conservative, traditional chicken that I am, what is more free than a woman who sports tattoos?

"Too Chicken To Get a Tattoo"

Group: Fashion Madness

 

The irony of my thought process in creating this image is that, like my Polyvore addiction, I am told by a couple of women whom I love dearly that Tattoos are also addictive. That explains why we see so much "art work" on men and women these days...it's hard to just get one. And even though I have such appreciation for the artistry of this inked art, I just can't get past the thought of ending up in a skilled nursing facility bed sporting a sagging image of a blurry butterfly smeared across my backside. 

Not that I would ever get a butterfly...I would want a hummingbird...or a Viking...maybe an image of Colette. 

Yep, no tattoo for this girl. 

 Laurel. "Cluck, Cluck, Cluck..."

Art Addiction...

I never really thought of myself as having an addictive personality. In the past, I associated that trait with the lesser accepted addictions such as alcohol and drugs.  We tend to poo-poo these souls as weak, pathetic and out of control, when we ourselves have recurring behaviors than infiltrate our minds and bodies to the point of "addiction". Forget the endless list of minor disorders, tiny hang-ups and slight societal ills, is there such a thing as a "good" addiction? Is it socially okay to be obsessed with something?

My name is Laurel, and I am addicted to Polyvore. I started out with just a desire to find some cool fashions to  re-create on my sewing machine. I would just spend a few minutes perusing the items and picking a few things to add to my wish list. I wasn't spending any actual money, so how could it be harmful? Before long, I discovered the joy of the drag and drop lifestyle, and I became hooked. I could pull in artistic elements - backgrounds, florals, smudges, flourishes, etc. - making my fashion choices look even more trendy and cool. People "Liked" my sets and I started getting followers. I found myself scouring the web - Pinterest, Tumblr, everywhere - to find new elements for my sets.  My simple sets morphed into tiny works of art that had nothing to do with fashion at all. I confess that I have burned dinner once too often because I slipped back into the computer to work on a set and time got away with me, out of control, dragging and dropping the hours away. I am a Polyvore addict...I'm not proud of it, but at least I admit it.

They say that admitting your "problem" is the first step. But I say, there's another way to look at this. All of the great artists were obsessed with their creations, driven to leave a piece of themselves on a canvas or on a pile of clay or in the photography darkroom. To re-create the musings of our minds in some tangible medium is a gut-level reaction to the world around us. Whether we wile away the hours with "acceptable" hobbies like knitting, beading, teaching, cooking or gardening, there is a tortured artist in us all to some degree. The need to express ourselves is guttural reaction to life.

Don't bother trying to read anything into my art. I don't consider myself to be tortured, as in the artistic vein of a Toulouse-Lautrec,  Truman Capote, Johnny Cash or Vincent VanGogh, but I will be bound forever to create beauty in some way. It is part of me, the way God created me. So burned green beans withstanding, I will keep on dragging and dropping in Polyvore...at least until I grow tired of it. All artist are highly susceptible to boredom, you know.

Lost 2, by Laurel Dismukes - 2014

Laurel. Art addict.

Under Venus' Spell

Digital Art is challenging, to say the least.  I have been messing with my Photoshop Elements, Pic Monkey and Polyvore to try to create a digital art work.

Here is my first attempt...a collage of elements put together in the Polyvore application. Unfortunately, I haven't mastered or have an idea how to master creating a digital art work in a stand alone program...don't even know where to start.  Meanwhile, I at least figured how to import some of my manipulated photos into the Polyvore app, and was able to create this, my first piece of work.

Any ideas or suggestions...I think I'm addicted to the process...

Under Venus' Spell by laurel-dismukes featuring silk scarves

Pretty Polly black pantyhose
revolveclothing.com

Buccellati gold jewelry
scullyandscully.com

Vince Camuto statement necklace
vincecamuto.com

Silk scarve
elizabetta.net