Thursday, May 1, 2014

We Are All of Us Stars . . .

Ava Lee
 6 x 6 Birchwood Canvas

 "We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle."
- Marilyn Monroe

Oh how I love this quote. And really, anything related to Marilyn Monroe. As a child, I would stare at big picture books of Hollywood Starlets for hours, hoping of course, to be just like them one day. And Marilyn Monroe was my favorite. Her bird-brained demeanor never fooled me. I thought she was brilliant.

But anyway . . .  Happy PPF

This week I played with a little 6 x 6 Birchwood canvas. It was made for the newest baby-to-be in our family, a little girl. (Hopefully her Mommy doesn't read this. No, I think I'm safe ;) Her nursery is being made pretty as we speak, and I hope she'll like this tiny addition.

I took some process shots again: in case you'd like to see how I got here. 

 Began with the "peeling paint" technique. 
Once dry, I added another layer of watered-down gesso for a softer look.

Pencil Sketch 

Colors added with watercolor crayons, acrylic and acrylic paint and gel pens. 
A second layer of oil pastels was laid down for a shot of bold color. 


And here's what became of her:

A decorative paper crown, Swarovski crystals and look - more iridescent stars - Hmm.

The sides. The entire piece was sanded and sealed before adding the final accents.


There we are. I hope she likes it. And thank you for taking a peek.


To Twinkling, 
Kristin xo


40 comments:

Olivier Violin said...

Adorable, comme toujours!
Bravo Kristin :)
Bon week-end.

Valerie-Jael said...

I always love your little girls and the gorgeous colours. Valerie

Virginia said...

Beautiful - as always!

K J D said...

She won't like it Kristin she is going to LOVE it!

It's so pretty and best of all made with love :)

Karen x

Clare Lloyd said...

She is gorgeous.

Paper rainbow said...

Love her jaunty crown :)

Giggles said...

Gorgeous...she can't help but LOVE it! Thanks for showing your process!!

Hugs Giggles

Annette G said...

Am sure she will adore it with all its fab glitz shining through. Another fab girl Kristin. Happy PPF, Annette x

http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

Carol Rigby said...

Great to see your process. She is lovely.

Faye said...

What a wonderful gift… a princess for a little princess. Your painting is gorgeous. My only thought is I wish I knew which parts were water soluble crayons, which were acrylic, etc. You blended everything so well.

Linda Kunsman said...

I'm always fascinated and curious about process. Thanks for sharing. This is such a beautiful painting and will be perfect in the nursery!

denthe said...

she's a beauty! Love how you did that background ♥

SLScheibe said...

She's really cute! Very adorable artwork!

GlorV1 said...

I like your style. She is beautiful. Happy PPF!

scrapwordsmom said...

Seriously DARLING!! I love that technique!!

AnnD said...

Your canvas is awesome - and I have never tried the peely technique with the Vaseline! Now I am inspired to do it! Thank you! :D

Anonymous said...

Really beautiful

Mary Ann Potter said...

Really cute. I like that peeling paint technique; it makes your work so unique. The canvas will make a beautiful gift!

Joanna said...

She's absolutely adorable!

That quote is so sweet too.

xx

Anonymous said...

she is beautiful, I just realized I hadn't joined to follow your blog with my new blog, I am now!!!!

Joy Murray said...

Bright and sweet. I love seeing the process and what you do with colors.

Annie Claxton said...

It's so beautiful, love the vibrant colours and the twinkles - she can't help but love it! :o)

Unknown said...

so pretty! Love her pink hair against that blue background. And the sparkles add that perfect touch. A portrait fit for a princess!

bellefrogworks said...

It's good to be a queen! Love her sweet face and bold color

Unknown said...

Really LOVE seeing the process. I especially like her eyes. The reflections are amazing. Her pink hair is fab! Love your work. Happy PPF!

Kooky Makes said...

Beautiful beautiful eyes. A lovely present for a little girl, someone to watch over her.

Jo said...

That's so sweet.

kat said...

So bright and lovely!

Carmen said...

So sweet. Perfect for their new arrival :-)

I'm loving these process shots!

Marianne said...

I love this little star-girl...
She's so sweet and beautiful.

Alexandra MacVean said...

She's absolutely beautiful. I LOVE the shade of her hair and the eyes are stunning. Well done! :)

DVArtist said...

Wow I really like what you did here. She turned out beautiful.
Nicole/Beadwright

JKW said...

Thanks for the details. It is amazing to me how these products work in the finished product. Blessings, Janet PPF

Unknown said...

Oh my. What a great choice of colors.

artfullycarin@gmail.com said...

Twinkle twinkle- she lives up your name hun! And she is absolutely gorgeous! So, so lovely!

Faye said...

Just one more comment on this adorable painting, Kristin. The eyes. I love how you can pour life into eyes. Just so beautiful. Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful creation!! I just love all of the attention to detail!

Annabelle said...

Hi Kristin,

Your Princess is precious and I adore her eyes! Thanks for explaining your steps to this beautiful work.

Annabelle : )

Little Artbee said...

Amazing little princess. Great artwork, little girls will love it. A very decorative painting.
Greetings
Sabine

Beth Niquette said...

I absolutely love this painting. It fills my eyes, which is the greatest compliment I can give.