Queen Bee

One of my favorite whimsical characters is Buzzy Bee.  I introduced you to him here in my very first blog post.  I love the expression on his face.  I love the cheery little flowers at his feet.  I love how colorful he is.  Plain and simple....I love Buzzy Bee.  He has since flown off to live elsewhere, which is a good thing, right? (I have mentioned I have attachment issues to my characters.)

Long before he left I had an idea for another bee.  Ideas come to me at the oddest times and in the strangest places.  This time I was in the shower one morning, and I had several ideas buzzing around my head, but one of them struck me hard.  Queen Bee! 

I have always loved puns and a play on words, so this idea of a Queen Bee went beyond being the biggest bee in the hive.  No, I saw pageantry.  A beauty queen.  I saw this:

I saw a bee much like Buzzy, sculpted from black and yellow clay, with a black crepe paper collar, and wings made from tissue and wire.  (After making Buzzy, my husband informed me that bees have double wings, so I felt I needed to make them double this time.)

Beyond the basic bee things, I wondered what I could do to make her into a beauty queen.  Well, of course, that meant she must have a crown or a tiara of sorts.  So I fashioned her one out of silver clay, eye pins, and Swavroski crystal gems. 

And she needed a sash as well.  I think purple is a very royal color, so I used a piece of purple glittered velvet ribbon and hand painted "QUEEN" on it with white paint. (The photo does not do this little detail justice--it's tricky taking pictures of glittered ribbon!).

What beauty queen walks the aisle without a bouquet of red roses?  Well, none of them!  These are delicate little paper roses, twisted together and wrapped with green satin ribbon. 

One more little detail on her sash---purple and red felt flowers with a clear crystal brad in the center.  That along with some glue holds her sash in place.

Queen Bee is ready to reign over the hive.  Isn't she just adorable?

Thanks for buzzing by again!

Lisa

Queen Bee is available here in my etsy shop.









A Little Bit of Honey

All Buster Brown Bear wanted was a little bit of honey.  He found a beehive and thought he would just poke his paw in really quick and pull out a handful of his favorite sweet snack.  Much to his surprise, the bees were at home, and came swarming out around him. 

Now he doesn't know what to do......should he cut and run?  Should he swat at the bees?  Or should he try one more time to get that delicious honey from the hive? 

He does look a little perplexed.  But I bet he gives it one more try....Buster just can't resist this sweet summer treat.

( Buster Brown Bear is available in my etsy shop ) 









What's your favorite summer treat?  I hope it's easier to get than fresh honey!

Have a sweet summer day!

Lisa





Becoming an Artist

I am an artist.  I know that sounds like I might need a 12-step program.  Judging by the amount of art and craft supplies I have stockpiled in my studio, I probably do.  But there, I said it.  I am an artist.

I have been making things for as long as I can remember.  When I was a little girl, I went to my parents' cabinet shop with them every day until I started school.  Mud pies made with sawdust crusts and shaving cream for whipped topping were my favorites.  I could easily entertain myself for hours playing make believe.  A fresh box of Crayola Crayons was my favorite thing ever.  Ahh, don't you just LOVE the smell of a newly opened box?  I do! 

In school, art was always my favorite subject.  Classmates would ask me to draw things for them all the time.  I rarely turned down that opportunity, and most often, my friends were impressed.  High school classes exposed me to much more than just drawing and watercolor painting and construction paper cut-outs.  Oil paint!  YUM!  (not that I ATE it, of course, but again, the smell!) Batik. Pastel chalks.  Scratch board.  LOVED IT ALL!!  The one year didn't take an art class, I felt rather lost at school.  By my senior year, I KNEW that I had to do something with my life that revolved around art. 

While it's not a particularly 'marketable' major, and lots of people wonder why it's a major at all, I decided to jump in with both feet and work towards a Fine Arts degree.  College was a whole different animal.  No longer was I the very best.  I was surrounded by hundreds of students as talented, and let's face it, even more talented than I.  I had struggles, but I persevered, and after five and a half years, proudly crossed the stage to receive my degree.

As much as I LOVE to paint, and as much as I enjoyed other mediums, it wasn't until after graduation that I found my true calling, and the medium that I truly love.  Polymer clay.  Interestingly enough, I didn't love sculpture classes, and wasn't the best at three dimensional work.  But there was something about this fun little substance that hooked me from the very beginning. 

I'm not going to kid you and say I was wonderful from the start.  Nope.  Not even close.  I think my sister still has the sad evidence of that....the two AWFUL little figurines I made her one year for Christmas.  But as with anything, it was a learning process.  The more I practiced, the better I became.  And the more I used the clay, the more I loved it for its versatility. 

A few years ago, I took a hiatus from my work during and following some difficult personal times.  But in the last couple years, it has called me back.  In a new way, with a fresh perspective, but the same clay. 

This is what I love about polymer clay.  You can take this:

(wire, aluminum foil, crepe paper, glass glitter, and of course, the polymer clay)

And after several hours of work, you end up with this:

Meet Buzzy Bee

Isn't he adorable? 

Are you an artist too?  Do you love to create things as much as I do?  What is your favorite medium?  I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for buzzing by!

Lisa