green cigar boxes

Boxes of the cigar variety, now ready to be used in whatever way you so choose. Treasure boxes with secret items or just your full on booty box with ---well you get the idea.
Anyway I am finished with these. They are fun to do. The orange and red one is fake mosaic. I used some old photos that I didn't want anymore and cut them into tiny pieces to look like tiles that somewhat match the trim of the box. I doubt I will do another mosaic one because it was kinda tedious to do and time consuming, but I wanted to try it. Been there done that -check it off my list.
I am trying to keep the integrity of the box, as I personally love the trims and the inside lid has the original motif of whatever type of cigar was stored in the box. Back in the "day" when we would do these we would try to cover every part of the box-so as to try to make it like it wasn't a cigar box. What were we thinking? Although I kinda wana make a really cheesy '70's one with velvet and Peter Max kinda paper or design with satin and Stevie Nicks flowy kinda material--I am still doing my own agenda.

cigar box monkey

My latest project. I was using Sharpee markers on the gesso base and finding it doesn't really work with the colored ones, anyway. So I am going to just finish with acrylic paint - as I know that will work. I love Frida's monkey. I really like the boarders of the box with the jungley background. It's still my own agenda.

sun moon solstice peace love

..and so ...a cigar box for the summer solstice. the sun and the moon loving each other. my agenda. i am now working on yet another cigar box with frida and her little monkey...cuz i wanna..having your own agenda is fun!

Mushroom decoupage to Frida portrait

Once upon a time in 1972 they used to do this crazy thing (well actually there were a lotta crazy things)-but one was decoupage-taking a picture of some polka dotted mushrooms or some cutesy thing and gluing it to a perfectly fine piece of wood.
Well-that's cool- however I am into this oil painting adventure right now and don't want to spend a bunch of dollars on new wood- plus that just doesn't seem right. Goodwill has a plethora of these little wood plaques with all the old funky stuff on it. 99cents-a little gesso and I am in business. The size is small and just perfect for me to experiment with the oils-but not break my bank with using so much paint.
I am still in my Frida mode and decided that instead of the wacky kitties that everybody wants-I would have my own agenda (a la jafabrit blog inspired) and paint a portrait of someone I believe to be worthy of such recycled wood.
I am very pleased with how she turned out, and learned a lot in the process--I need new brushes and I need to get new glasses!!-I had to take them off and put the work up really close in order to tackle the small size.
As my own agenda is seeping through, I have started a portrait of my grandson on a little block of wood. I think about who or what is the most meaningful to me and has purpose for me to paint and spend time with that subject. Right now it is people I enjoy looking at and who mean something important to me.
Somewhere back in art school I remember one of my drawing teachers saying-whatever you are drawing should be something you like to look at and is emotionally pleasing to you-for beginning drawing or painting that is so true. The more I already know and like about my subject, then I can concentrate on the techniques or medium I am learning to use. So that is what I am doing with the oil paints.
My next project- painting and drawing on recycled cigar boxes. talk about 1972-sheeesh- I know that was a thing we did then, too, however-since this is MY agenda for what I want to do as an artist-I'm gonna paint suns and moons and peace signs on 'em, too--so there!

IMAGINE PEACE