Cavalier Lover

Welp... Let's see.

     So I found a pretty old poem I wrote maybe 4 or 5 years ago, I don't remember anymore.

I used to write a lot, i have about 4 journals.. which i'm thinking of burning .. but i digress..

I named the poem Cavalier Lover.

     I came across this picture of Evan Peters and it just struck me as what a cavalier lover would look like and act like:  disinterested, apathetic, careless, arrogant, etc. So I printed and distressed .. maybe a bit too much, the poem and just stuck it on. I used Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Soot and Vintage Photo.

I would apologize for the lack of clarity, but I without shame admit I was too lazy to take more 

pictures.

       The background colors I chose to match the picture of him and distress the poem to create more of a contrast so it pops up in your face.
        My professor pointed out to me how much I use words in my art and how it is sort of my trademark. I never noticed because I don't do it on purpose. I guess it comes from a subconscious urge to literally express myself.

Since the pictures are blurry, here is the poem.

Cavalier Lover
Captivated, Charmed
Like the sirens who have men hypnotized.
Your voice led the way, followed you into the dark.
You were the serpents alluring disguise.
Downward spiral into the abyss of your grip.
Now caught in a whirlwind of lies.

You're a mess
A torn drifter.
Your riotous and lawless ways of life,
A matchless medley, causing all of your distractions.
The beginning of my strife.

You're now a hoax, a fraud.
You're false love personified,
the Judas who sold me a lie.
Evidence of fabricated tall tales, of love and devotion
Were the smoking gun to this case.
And i truly see now, If I was with you,
It would only be turmoil and dissension I would face.

You're a tool,
A selfish deviant.
Anyone who crosses your path will end up the fool.
You're not who you once were.
I won't betray my beliefs
And love your doppelganger.
I won't let you collect my soul, during the search of your own.
I'm stripping you of your power.
Consider yourself dethroned.
So checkmate, this game is over.
I'll say goodbye to a Cavalier Lover.

             I look back now and it does come off as pretty emotional but I guess that's why we write. I was young and pissed off. But isn't that the best way to be? The point in life is to never let the passion die; to avoid the numbness you inevitably inherit through adulthood.  It is through this fire inside, that anything is possible.
             

Alice Themed Coffin box

The cards are paper mached on.

Artist Spotlight - Alessandra Ferrara

One of the most talented artists I know just happens to be my best friend! She does incredible paintings!

Her Etsy
Her Facebook


Here is an interview of her journey of artisty!


Question:  What do you choose to paint most of the time?

Alessandra: I like to paint characters from fairy tales, fantasy themes, abstract, animals, silohettes and mostly my own spin on Disney characters.


Question: What medium do you choose to use?

Alessandra: Canvas, acrylic paint, oil pastels, oil paint, crayons, chalk, pencils, lenolium, and clay.


Question: How long have you been painting?

Alessandra: I have been drawing since I can pick up a pencil, so I would say about 2  or 3 years old. I have been painting professionally since 2009.


Question: What are some things that inspires you to paint?

Alessandra: When I see beautiful scenery, when I hear a song and I want to express how it makes me feel, and colors and Disney, which I have loved since I was 3.


Question: What made you decide to start painting?

Alessandra: Well I've loved Disney since I was 3 and became interested in the animation process later on. I went through private lessons in the 2nd grade and in kindergarten I started using mock animation.


Question: What artists have inspired you?

Alessandra: Composer Alan Menchken, Painters Degas, Monet and Seurat


Question: What do you think makes you different from other young artists of today?

Alessandra: I like to mix techniques and see myself as very versatile rather than sticking to one niche.


Question: Where do you see Allie In Wonderland Shops in the future?

Alessandra: I will still be painting. I would like to open up my own brick and mortar shop where I can sell my work and instruct lessons and having an official website.

Opening an Etsy

I decided to open an Etsy shop, Let's see how it goes!

www.etsy.com/shop/mysteriumstore

Well it all started when I went to the NYC tattoo convention this year. I saw the beautiful artwork they had and it inspired me to try some work of my own. Started getting into it alot more and figured I'd share it with others.

The Octopus logo comes from the Octopus being my favorite animal. It represents magic, diversity, adaptability, spirituality and mystery. Hence the name of the shop, Mysterium, which means Mystery in Latin. It's not a full time job, but I enjoy it as a hobby and am excited to watch it grow <3

Only Drunks and Orphaned Children Understand The Devil's Side of The Story

Saw this picture and loved. Since the picture was sepia-toned , I decided to use a brown border.   

Love Will Light The Way

This is my first attempt at a canvas transfer. I've seen a couple of different ways to do this but decided to stick with the Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium.

You use it the same way you would with wood, which is just flipping your image on the computer, printing it on a laser printer (which is important, inkjet photos do not come out as crisp) and brushing the Photo Transfer Medium image down and brushing out all the bubbles.

When it was time to peel away the paper, I had to put a pile of books underneath my canvas to prevent the sides from caving inward and denting. 

Definitely did not come out as "clean" as it does with wood, assuming due to how textured canvas is, so I decided to make it a mixed media piece to sort of camouflage the distressed markings left on the photo from scrapping the paper off.

You Are My Unforgettable

I always loved the look of a blank wooden box. I look at it and see so much possibility, it's almost overwhelming. 

This is a box from AC Moore and it is not a transfer. The top's base is painted and the rest of the box is a paper pattern I printed with a Laser printer. 

     The two envelopes, the lace and rhinestones are all attached with gorilla glue.

The letters I cut out of patterned cardstock paper, used distress ink and a stamp set I got from Michael's. Those are attached with Mod Podge Gloss finish.

  

I Mod Podged the entire box and noticed it was difficult to open even after it had dried for days. I had to open it with a knife and I sanded the edges and repainted them so it would be easier to open the box. I didn't notice it in person, but looking at the photos you can see the little flecks still in the box from me sanding it. Next time I might try the Matte finish, maybe that will make a difference.

The scroll I made from computer paper and a stamp. I stamped both sides of a strip of computer paper I crumbled up and flattened out. Then used Distress Ink to make it look aged and frayed the edges. Then I took a piece of string and rolled it in the Vintage Photo Distress Ink pad to make it look old and dirty.

The bottom of the box is a postcard. The top of the box is a couple of letters as well and put a picture of Bettie Page inside, not only because she is awesome but it also portrays a retro/vintage feel I was going for.

Harley Quinn

I went to a local comic book store and picked up  Harley Quinn invades Comic-Con International: San Diego issue #1. Inside was an advertisement and this image was it. I loved the tongue-in-cheek humor and figure I'd try it out. This time I chose to try to put it on canvas. Also, It's easier to glue comic book paper on top of wood and/or canvas than transfer it because it is thicker and usually doubled-sided, you the image hardly comes out as clear as it would if it was on computer paper.

I cut out the image from the advertisement and figured out where I wanted the place of the words/image and little trickets I decided to use. 

I visualized an explosive/dirty background with that retro pop look. So I chose little gears and this bold look for the background.

I covered the final product with Mod Podge Gloss glue which personally, I would take back if I could because I didn't like how super shiny the comic book paper came out. Comic paper is already shiny so maybe Mod Podge Matte would've been better. I've yet to use that as well so who knows lol.

Figured I'd put some staple catch phrase on the sides lol. 

Pet Mural

Anyone who knows my sister, even for a day, knows she is an avid animal lover. She has been taking in rescues for years. There has been two in particular that are near and dear to her heart. Her kitty named Moo and her pup named Ena. 

I decided to make a little dedication plaque for her in memory of them and she loved it!

Making it super girly (since they were both girls) was a bit of a challenge to me but still kept some of the elements I feel comfortable with like Distress Inks. 

*Note: The picture she chose was very blurry. Its not how transfers come out, its just how pixelated the photo she wanted was.*

 

Marlene Dietrich

Stumbling onto this photo, I was romanticized. I instantly felt a sense of melancholy and pensiveness coming from her body language and facial expression that I adored. I attached this quote to the plaque because of its somber vibe that seemed appropriate.

  

All stamps except for lettering are from the Tim Holtz collection. For the obvious reasons I chose clocks as accents on the plaque.   The plaque is longer than a piece of computer paper so i added some color on top to make it blend more.

The words are blended with regular pink ink, Distress Ink in Black Soot and Vintage photo on card stock paper with a Mod Podge Gloss glue over  it.

Lucille Ball

I had stumbled across this photo and totally fell in love. I adore the obvious concept  of the modernized Lucille Ball.  

I used a wooden plaque from Michael's and had bought fluorescent paint (the purple). 

For the circles, I used the bottom of a glue stick! I like to use tools rather than freehand.

For the quote, I bought Tim Holtz's card stock paper  and cut them into pieces. I bought normal font stamps, again from Michael's. I gave the words an aged look with Tim Holtz's Distress Inks and Ink Stamper. I watched a few youtube videos on this technique and got the hang of it pretty quickly.

I felt like the plaque needed more pop of color than the dripping purple and purple circles so I painted a tear drop (which seemed fitting to me because that is the vision I get from her in this photo) and painted on smeared red lipstick, as if she was under stress.

I am a huge fan of her show and naturally when my interest is sparked in anything, I read about it for hours. Over the years I have done a lot of research on her, her husband and her career.

I read  about her tumultuous relationship with Desi Arnaz and this quote came to mind.

"The people you love become ghosts inside of you, and like this you keep them alive."

Even though they were divorced 20 years at the time of Desi's death, Lucille is quoted saying how much she always has and always will love him. I think this quite moving quote fitted this photo of her very well.

  

And Suddenly I Felt Nothing - Helena Bonham Carter

When I saw this picture of Helena Bonham Carter, it struck a cord in me. The vibe of apathy mixed with danger was too much for me to resist so I felt compelled to add her to one of my "works".

I took a trip to Michael's and picked out a plain 11"x8" wooden plaque and went to  Staples with my  usb drive and make a copy about 2  inches smaller than the plaque. I decided to  make it horizontal and use acrylic paints and stamps.

As you wipe away the transfer, it can sometimes tear the photo, In this case, when that happened, I decided to make it a cigarette burn hole and liked how it came out.