Crochet Cyster's Creative Corner

And the winner is.....

2011-10-11T21:09:00.001-04:00

ME!

My afghan won first place in the granny squares crochet afghan division!

All that hard work paid off and I can officially say I am a prize winning crochet'r!

Take a look at it hanging at the fair.

And the blue ribbon I will proudly be displaying.

And here it is in my home.

Fall Inspirations Afghan take 7

2011-09-18T18:56:00.002-04:00

All finished!!!! I dropped it off today. In 2 weeks we are going to go and see it on DISPLAY!!!! How exciting. This is the largest project I have ever done and I am very proud of myself for finishing it up and on time.

Fall Inspirations Afghan Take 6

2011-09-08T20:43:00.003-04:00

I have come a long way since my last post! I have 6 more squares to make and 7 more to attach! Plus I have to crochet the border and then I will be done.

Can you guess where the next 7 squares go? :)

Fall Inspirations Afghan take 5

2011-08-19T18:01:00.003-04:00

Slowly but surely it is coming along. I have till September 18th to submit the piece and I think I can get it done by then. If not then I can do it next year, but I really think if I put my mind to it I will finish. I am slightly more than halfway done yay!

Fall Inspirations Afghan take 4

2011-06-12T23:09:00.003-04:00

It's getting there!!! I have 12 squares done so far.

The Gazebo Print

2011-04-02T20:12:00.000-04:00

The local lake has this gorgeous Gazebo that I just love. Last summer I decided I wanted to draw it and hang it in our home. I finally finished it tonight!!!

light background

darker background

Fall Inspirations Afghan Take 3

2011-04-02T19:57:00.000-04:00

Two more squares done!

Fall Inspirations Afghan Take 2

2011-03-25T12:14:00.002-04:00

Pictures of what is done so far:

Fall Inspirations Afghan take 1

2011-03-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

This fall I am entering a crocheting contest at a local fair. I am very excited to have my work judged and seen by so many people!!!

I decided to catalog my progress as I put each square together. There are 35 squares total and the afghan will measure approximately 53" x 73".

I'm using a modified version of this pattern. The colors are going to be beautiful orange, yellow, green, tan and choclate brown. Also, the size and location of the squares is going to change. I am really only using it for the square patterns, then modifying them as I see fit.

Stay tuned for pictures...

Last Day of Class

2011-01-11T20:50:00.000-05:00

There was a mishap with my camera so I had to purchase a new one before I could take pictures and upload them.

Our final class was great and felt like I really got a handle on drawing figures. We were even adding "space" around the figures to show where the body would be.

Day 8 of class

2010-11-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

You can see the shapes of the model taking form. Some are farther along than others, but you get the idea of how the model was posing. I won't be in class for week 9 but I will be there for week 10 and I will be sure to post those pictures as well. I will be doing a comparison from week 1 to week 10. I think there will be a huge difference!

Visit My Creative Sites

2010-11-03T20:53:00.000-04:00

Besides this one you can find me on Etsy and Facebook.

See the links below and feel free to browse and or order if you feel the need!

Etsy's Crochet Cyster

FB Crochet Cyster's Creative Crafts

Warmth or Love

2010-10-27T00:00:00.018-04:00

I love the way you look all warm with sleep
Drowsily you look up to say you love me
I lean down and leave a kiss on your cheek
You smile unknowingly into the dark
As I leave the room I slowly look back
Feeling the cold creep in with each step
Longing to be back in the warmth with you
Arms around me
Clinging to me
Protecting me
But is it the love or the warmth that I long for?

Class Pictures Hiatus

2010-10-25T20:25:00.000-04:00

The next few weeks of class I will not be posting anything. It is the same things each week with some minor improvements. As he had mentioned at the beginning of the class, weeks 4-7 are usually the stalemate classes where we will feel frustrated and annoyed. We can see what we need to do but our hands and arms have not quite caught up with our brains yet. But by week 8 he said there will be a marked improvement. So in a few weeks pictures shall again be posted.

In the meantime, I will be posting an poems or other drawings I do.

Day 4 of class

2010-10-17T10:58:00.000-04:00

Just some more bags with shapes. Though this week were are getting more detailed with the shapes. By the last picture you can see that the shapes are actually starting to create the figure.

Day 3 of class

2010-10-09T22:41:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, the original model that was supposed to be in class today canceled at the start of class. So we had to wait for a make up to show up. This meant much less drawing time and because of this, I will not have anything to show this week. I do, however, plan on starting my drawing that I hope to finish and frame in a few months. So maybe I will put up some of the initial sketches.

Untitled Poem

2010-10-04T10:57:00.002-04:00

The colors
Bright, sunny, bold
They shine like glass
Piercing my eyes
Blinding me with their beauty

Looking out over the water
I feel a sense of peace
No one can hurt me here
No one can disturb me
If only I could stay forever

Feel the wind rustling my hair
I look up into the breeze
The cool air refreshes my mind
Enticing me with its dance
Calling me to settle down

Day 2 of class

2010-10-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Today's class was working on the shapes that make up a figure. Again we did not look at it like a figure, we looked at it like a bag and then went inside the bag to draw the shapes. He took it a step further and started sketching the figure when he was at our easel's, so I did it a few times just for fun. He caught me once and "tsh tsk'd" me lol. But this is what I have for week 2:

bag sketch with shapes

another bag with shapes

adding some lines to show the figure

my best one I did all class.

sitting on a box

another box pose

box again

First day of Class

2010-09-26T10:28:00.000-04:00

Class was a lot of fun. It is definitely for beginners but it works out well because it is all charcoal drawings of figures (or as the instructor says "shapes not figures, figures are too hard"). Neither are strong points fr me and quite frankly I am horrid at figure drawing, so for me, this class makes me feel like a beginner. No one has to know I have had 12+ years of art schooling, and did a bunch of hand drawings for work.

I apparently have a very heavy hand when it comes to charcoal. He commented that it was a good thing I didn't drink coffee and if I was in his Thursday night class he would gives me some beers. I guess I am a bit intense huh?

Here are some of the rough sketches that I did yesterday. Basically the first class was the learn how to hold the charcoal, make lines on the paper and use a "bag" to draw the figure. You will understand the "bag" when you see the pictures.

This was the first exercise. Right now my hand doesn't look too heavy.

The instructor's sketch. He came around and did an initial sketch with everyone.

And then there is my heavy hand!

Slightly better, and practicing on the inside of the "bag"

Adding some shapes on the inside to show the figure.

Again here.

This is a sketch of the figure on the upper right hand side to show how the figure lays out in the "bag".

As you can see, there are 4 sets of "dots" on each sketch. These represent the outermost points of the figure. The high point, the low point and the two widest points. Then you "drape" a "bag" over the figure and sketch where it would lay.

Each week I will post what I do and document my progress as the weeks progress and hopefully see a dramatic improvement between first week and last week.

New Class now

2010-09-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, the Drawing for Painting class I was supposed to start on Wednesday was cancelled due to lack of enrollment. I was, however, able to enroll in a Basic Drawing class on Saturday mornings. I am disappointed since I was looking forward the intensity that the first class seemed to offer, and I didn't have to get up early on Saturday to go to it. Ironically, this new scheduled class is the one I was originally going to take then decided not to since it is on the weekend and if we decide to go away for the weekend I would have to miss a class.

All is well that ends well and I am still taking an art class so yay!

Classes are Scheduled

2010-09-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

I finally scheduled my art class!!! I go on Wednesday's from 1-4pm. I am super excited I can not wait!!! Classes start on Sept 22nd.

This is the class I will be taking:

Drawing for Painting

You can be sure what I do I will post for you all to see!!

I have to leave a shout out to my dad who made it possible for me to actually take the class!!! :)

College Portfolio

2010-08-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some of my pieces from college. They are all hand drawn and hand rendered. These are from my first round of college, graduating in 2001. So they are a bit rough and as I look on them now I see many things that need to be fixed. However, I was and am very proud of my work. There are many many more pieces that I have in my professional portfolio but I don't want to put everything on the web.

Greek Style Hotel Room Perspective

Loft Apartment Perspective

Loft Apartment Floorplan

Victorian Mansion Restaurant Ballroom Dining Area Perspective

Victorian Mansion Master Bedroom Perspective

Victorian Mansion Residential Dining Room Perspective

Victorian Mansion Residential Living Room Perspective

Victorian Mansion Residential Kitchen Perspective

Watering Can

2010-08-21T00:00:00.003-04:00

Day 2 of practice sketching

My second attempt wielded the same results for me. I am satisfied with what I have done. Again, the proportions are slightly off but that is something I can fix with practice and patience. My only real issue with the piece is the nozzle part of the can. While the rest bears resemblance to reality, I think the nozzle is much too fake looking. I might try adding some more shadows and hope that helps. The light was off and on as the sun was being blotted out by the clouds. Note to self for future sittings...work inside with a lamp when the sky looks iffy.

Teapot

2010-08-20T00:00:00.004-04:00

Day 1 of practice sketching:

I was quite happy with this drawing considering it was the first time I have done any type of still life drawing since about 1999. My proportions are off slightly on the right side and I need to work on symmetry. However, I think my shadows and capturing the essence of the round teapot are well done. There is always room for improvement, but I will take this as a small boost in my confidence.

Colors are everywhere!!

2010-08-19T00:00:00.045-04:00

I LOVE COLOR

One of the great things about art and designing is color. You can use it in splotches, large areas, as patterns, as accents, or as a whole theme. Color has a way of setting the mood of the room or artwork.

Dark Mood (click for website)

At first glance, a piece of artwork can produce a feeling inside the viewer, based solely on the colors used. When looking at a dark painting, one with lots of blacks, grays, deep blues etc, you are immediately left feeling dismal or gloomy. Expecting to see dark forces at work in the piece. However, when you view a painting with bright yellows, reds, oranges, whites etc, you immediately feel brighter, happier, sunnier. The tone has been set and the artist will use those colors for that specific purpose. Furthermore, a death or funeral scene will not seem so dark and depressing if painted with those brighter colors.

Light Mood (click for website)

Now for our basic art lesson for the day. The color wheel is made up of 3 primary colors, 3 secondary colors and 6 tertiary colors. The primary colors are red, blue and yellow. Any color found in the rainbow can be created by using these three colors, and these colors can not be produced by mixing any other colors together. The secondary colors are orange (red + yellow), purple (red + blue) and green (yellow + blue). The tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary with a secondary; yellow-green, red-orange, etc.

As a little side note - the red blue yellow color wheel is not entirely correct. It is the artists' color wheel. In actuality the true primary colors are yellow, magenta and cyan. Most people recognize these from your color printers. However, most art students are taught the ROYGBV color wheel. To see an explanation of what I mean check out this website: Color Theory. (Image below from this website as well)

Study the color wheel for a moment and take the time to see which colors are opposite each other. These colors are complimentary colors and have many uses. The complimentary color can be added to create shadows. For example, when in my high school art class (I use this example because it is most vivid in my mind), I was working on a color still life. One of the pieces in my section included an orange bottle. In order to show the shadows, I used blue. The result was near perfection. I say near because I was in high school and still learning many many things about color and art. The complimentary colors are red-green, yellow-purple, and blue-orange.

A relatively common myth is that black is the lack of color and white is all colors. This is wrong. Black absorbs all the colors, while white reflects them. So I guess, it would depend on the way you look at it. Black could be the absence of color since you don't perceive any while you are actually seeing all the colors reflected from the white. Either way you view it, both are colors. Furthermore, both can me mixed with the primary and secondary colors to get desired shades, or hues, of color.

Check out these vivid colors and tell me that you love color too!

(for images see links: Purple Orange Yellow White Black Green Blue Red)

Welcome to Art Attack

2010-08-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

I started this blog as a place to post my creative endeavors. Drawing, crocheting and furniture painting are the most recent mediums I express myself with. However, I have an extensive background in art and am currently looking to take some fun, non-credit art classes to get back into my old love.

I also want to use this blog as a place to spread the joy, love and knowledge of art that I have.

A little history of myself:

I started drawing as a young girl. When I was 4, I drew a picture of Donald Duck that looked dam close to the real one. Unfortunately, it was never saved :( For as long as I can remember, I received art supplies for both Christmases and birthdays and always used them up but the next present was due.

Since the art classes in school were general, my parents signed me up for outside lessons on Saturday mornings. I still remember the studio and the teacher. When they moved to a larger location I stopped going. They changed the class schedule and I had gotten older and didn't want to spend my weekend mornings in class. One of the pieces I drew while in these classes is hanging in my old middle school. My art teacher entered it into the school contest when I submitted for my portfolio for the high school art program. I tied for 1st with another student. Funny, I remember buying a new bed-in-a-bag from Caldor with the money I got!

As I stated, I applied to the high school art program and was accepted. It was 3 years with 2 classes per year. The classes were divided by halves. The first two marking periods were one class, while the last two were another. These classes included drawing, print-shop, pottery, photography, painting and one other I can not remember. To this day I still remember the art center, the way it smells and looked and the feeling I got when I created something I loved.

Continuing that feeling into college was what I wanted. I was accepted at the Art Institute of Philadelphia after a semester at a non-art school. It was the best decision I ever made! I had chosen to major in Interior Design and AiPh was a great school. I honed my creative skills and found a love for design that I knew I had but never really thought much about - side note, when I was younger I used to create entire homes with furniture and appliances out of index cards. I would spend hours working on them. I know what a dork huh? So while I knew I loved homes and designing, I never really thought I would be a designer. I graduated with my Associates Degree of Technical Science in Interior Design in 2001. In 2007 I received my Bachelor's of Science in Interior Design from the Art Institute online.

My professional career didn't include must actual art work until I started my last job in 2006. I was fortunate enough to work along side the resident artist and produce many hand drawn and rendered projects for clients. It was by far my most favorite job to date. That aspect of it anyway.

I began crocheting in February 2009 after a friend of mine passed away. It has become a wonderful form of design for me now that I am disabled and no longer able to work.

That brings us to today and this new blog. I hope that you will find some pieces you like and feel free to let me know what you don't like. I am all about constructive criticism!!!