Painted Tool Bags

I finally finished a project that I can share with you!

yay me.

Introducing... my painted tool bags!

TOTAL COLOR CONTAMINATION.

I went all the way with the reenie palette on these,
because since they are for ME to use.

Materials:

~ Tool totes or bags from your local home improvement store.

(I chose more of a tote since they will live in my studio most of the time)

~ Heavy bodied gesso-- meaning a thicker brand.

~ Acrylic paints and brushes
~ Sharpie water based paint markers

~ Oil pastels

~ Clear coat spray paint

Here is what they looked like before....
They were a divine red and black.
Came with removable shoulder straps...
and have pockets all around the front and all around the inside edges (not shown here).

I gave them both two coats of gesso-- they really drank it up!

At first I gessoed them to give myself a white ground to work on, to make the colors pop!

I did not think they needed the gesso, but once I started applying it I realized they really did. 

The vinyl fabric would have devoured my precious paints.

It's taken me a month-ish to get them finished, been dabbling at them when I get some time.

Close ups of the "Tool Bag",  the one I will keep my hand tools in.

MORE close ups in my flickr album HERE or see slide show below.

Close ups of the "Painting & Travel Bag"~

MORE close ups in my flickr album HERE or see slide show below.

Inspired by my friend Michelle and her bag painting ventures.

Many more images of my bags here in my Flickr Album...

Kapow!

reenieout

Free Range Supply List~

The Free Range Art Journal

 Tues, July 13th at 6:30 pm pst

Paperclipping Live~! (click for link to the show)

The show will be filmed here in the Material Whirled studio!

AND... if you cannot make show time, the show will be archived at the same link!

I wanted to talk just a bit about tomorrow's Free Range Journal class....
I have been getting requests for a material list, which I will type out in a minute...

The class will be a tutorial, but very non-linear. Which in reenie speak means...
There is a process to building the book, one that will take more than a one hour class.
It is built in layers over time, and roamed through freely (hence the name- har har).
Very open-ended, NO RULES, no templates, therapeutic and freeing!
Free Range-- get it?
Like girl-friend therapy in book form.

I recommend watching us misbehave, and prepare to have some fun!
(Us being Liz, Jackie and myself.)
It will all make sense. I promise.
The technical tutorially stuff (such as binding the book) will be addressed tomorrow night, then explained later on in more detail here in the blog.

Material I used for my Free Range Journal~
The point is to use what you already have! None of us need MORE stuff
~ Manilla folders (do not have to be NEW, old, ugly and written on are the best!)
~ Gesso
~ Acrylic paints
~ Water color paints
~ Paint materials (brushes, water, etc.)
~ Collage papers... suggestions...
    - lists and notes from your daily life
    -junk mail that you find pretty
    - scraps from your scrapbook projects
    -mementos, copies or photos that did not make the cut in your albums
    -menus, maps, receipts, shipping labels...
    -book pages, magazine clippings....
    -I could go on and on, the ideas are endless really.
~ Adhesive- your favorite brand or type. I use a tombo tape or acrylic gel medium.
~ Decorative tapes
~ markers, ink and ink pen, pencils, etc.

SO...
Fix yourself your favorite beverage and prepare to have some fun!
Join the LIVE CHAT ... ask questions or share links and resources... heckle us!
I will be posting a show notes this time! Going to attempt to collect links and resources that are shared in the class chat and make a list here.
xo
SEE YOU THERE!
reenie

Links in this post:
Paperclipping.com/Live
Liz Ness Studios
Jackie Wood (aka Jackie Sparkles)

Scrounge~

I come from a long line of hoarders and scrounges. Grandparents and parents (cough- mom- cough).
It's something I fight constantly. Keeping too much stuff that I really do not need to have.

But sometimes that scrounging thing? It comes in handy. (Not the hoarding though)
Those 'make do' lessons from my grandparents? They fed my creativity. Now it is the thing, the green reduce reuse recycle mantras.
When I was in art school it was called being frugal or tightwad. Now it is to save the earth.
Whatever you want to call it I say.
Where is this going?
Ann and I were at Goodwill a few weeks ago, picking through the stuff to find some things to use for art.
I came across the 'decor' isle, *shudder*. A graveyard of bad and tacky, and not the good kind of tacky. I am talking about mauve geese tacky.
But in the midst of this 'Home Interior' nightmare? Some really groovy framed canvases.
The plan is to unframe and gesso over the canvases and make into my own, then paint the frames and reassemble.
But first.... let's archive the "before" stage.

First we have Barn Ross.... with textured roof and rocks...

Second is Velvet Trees...

See the great black velvet trim in the frame? lovelovelove...

And last is Eagle Moon. 

The worst of the three.... parts of him will have to remain somehow in my painting. 

He is too bad to kill completely.

Today I finished up the painting that I have been working on the past few months.... the edges are drying so I cannot photograph yet. Soon. I am really satisfied with it, and I thought I would never hit that point, but I did.
Off to vacuum. Before the wool and dust critters get me in my sleep.

Now where did THAT come from?

Have you ever created something you just did not see coming?

I mean-- it CAME from me, but I was lost in thought, painting away and WOW.

Loving this right now. Painting from intuition, not from the thinking brain.

Very spiritual and soothing. No music. No chatter. Just lost in my thoughts with my hands working on auto pilot.

I keep feeling like I need to find some meaning or hidden explanation for what I am creating. How else is the viewer going to understand where I am right now mentally? But it doesn't really matter. I am where I am. No one wants to be in my head and if they Do then I guess I don't want them there. So there.

The past few days my inner grouchy old man has been taking over. Things make me really angry fast. Not my usual personality. I mean, I can gripe and complain and get cranky, but rarely do I get fuming-red-hot-pissed off. Watch OUT. haha.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?