Studio Saturday at Art Bead Scene

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is Shannon Westmeyer of After Hours Art Glass. Congratulations! 

You have won a Flower Pendant with Sari Ribbon from the studio of Jennifer Heynen. 

Send Jennifer an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.

Oscar the Fish!

In a previous Studio Saturday early in the year, I was telling you I wanted to paint. Mixed media it is! Above is the fish I created in Michigan while staying with my friend Margaret. We were in Lake Leelanau for a week. It is such a beautiful place, right on the lake. Margaret is such a great person and fellow artist. She and I taught together for a couple of years in Cincinnati. 

When traveling I am always looking for new inspirations. Strolling through the shops and galleries in Sutton's Bay we came across these fantastic fish by Jesse Hickman decorated with all sorts of items. Of course we both look at each and say "we can make those!" 

So to go with the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose" theme, my son keeps pounding in us, comes the fish. Oscar here is made from a picnic table board that was being replaced. The idea of using soda cans came to me as I was falling asleep one night. After the tops and bottoms are cut off the cans you can cut the aluminum easily into strips. From there into scales. I used very small nails to attach them to the board. That had it's own difficulties being so small and after so many your hand begins to cramp. 

Scales

Say Cheese!

Oscar's teeth are made with nails. Interesting dilemma, you can't get a drill in a small space and have it drive in straight. Cool crooked teeth!

Birdhouse

This is my newest project, decorative birdhouse. It's not really made to go outside. The roof has soda can shingles. The siding is made from paper beads/tubes. The ValPak coupons are the perfect length, only a little bit of trimming after you roll them. I glued my charms on it and dangled pewter bird charms from them. Feet are beads, a couple coats of varnish and voila! 

With kids and a husband at home for the summer these projects could be picked up and put down through out the day. I didn't have to worry about clay drying out. It's been busy this summer visiting college campuses with my son. I have to keep my hands busy.

My question is:

Is there a summer project you have been working on? 

Tried something new? 

 Have something you would love to try?

Leave a comment on Art Bead Scene's Blog and you could win a LUV2TRVL button for all of your adventures this summer!

Happy Traveling and enjoy the summer!

School definitely needs to start soon!