Project #011. Simple Succulent Art

Simple Succulent Art

Succulent plants offer a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors. They are easy to manage and give your home or office space an instant natural green art. By using succulent to an art project could result an amazing effect. And it could be very fun tough.

I will show you a simple project step by step below:

Graptoveria Succulent Plant

Things You’ll Need:

Succulent plant, 2” plastic container with good drainage, Ceramic pot/mug/bowl that big enough to fix 2” plastic container, Soil mixture, Stone/sea glass/gravel/marbles for top dressing.

 Instructions:

1.     Mix the soil. Succulents grow in mineral-rich soil, but not in pure sand. Soil should be porous and quick draining. Add ¼ to ½ coarse sand, crush lava rock or perlite to your potting mix for porosity and aeration.

2.    Cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the plastic container with a piece of plastic screen or coffee filter, to prevent soil from escaping through the hole.

3.    Fill the plastic container with ¼ soil mixture. Place the succulent in the center of the container, and fill the surrounding with soil mixture. Be sure to position the plant so the foliage extends outward.

4.    Now, place the plastic container in the ceramic mug.

5.    Sprinkle a thin layer of crush rock over the top of the soil for decoration effect. Make sure the crush rock covered the edge of the plastic container.

6.    You have just made yourself a wonderful house/office plant. Yeah~

Tips:

WATER: Allow soil to dry between thorough watering. Do not mist spray plants as this practice encourages shallow roots and weak plants.

FEED: Little fertilizer is needed. Once every month.

LIGHT: Not all succulents are sun-lovers, but non do well in subdued light. Place them near the west window is a great idea to give them a morning “sun bath”. For best result, give them 5 hours of direct morning sun daily outdoor. Avoid direct sun from midday sun.

TEMPERATURE: 65^oF – 85^oF

Project #010.Craft Clay- Mini Sculptures

I was thinking about using polymer clay to create some miniatures. Inspired by an artist, Red Groom, I decided to create a series of street scenery.

Project #009.Block Printing

Among all of the techniques that I learned from printmaking, I like the linoleum block printing most. For me, the most challenging part of making a linoleum block printing, is how to present the design/image on the block. Linoleum block print is a good experience to duplicate an image into difference colors. It is really a pleasure to learn about block printing, all you need is just some patient and passion @(^^)@

For more information about linoleum block printing, please visit the site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linocut

Project #008.Monoprint

The first technique that I learned from printmaking class was monoprint. I think monoprint is the easiest one among those printmaking techniques, yet it is fun and just needed a few tools.

The printing process involved in making a monoprint is named such because only one print is made at a time.

Things you'll need: Plexiglas, brushes, wooden sharp tools like tooth stick, pencil or sharp branches), watercolor paper/card stock, printing ink, roller and wooden spoon/press machine.

Project #007.Wire Sculpture

Dealing with wire is always a fun thing for me during my spare time. In this project, I used steel wire to create structures of a rabbit, a carrot and a dragon .

Materials : Chicken wire, pliers, wire cutter, gloves, paper mache.

Project #002.CD Coastal(Con't)

Here are more ideas that can be painted on the CD coastal:)

Project #006. Wire Art

Before I saw the wire art work from Bart Soutendijk, I never thought that wire can be used as a skatching tool.

I like his wire art - simple line that mean everything.

So I try to make some images that I like most from his wire work.

Here is his website : http://www.wirewallart.com/

Project #005. Recycle Paper Coastal

Enjoy :))

Materials : Recycle papers like newspaper, junk mail or phonebook

Multi-purpose glue

How to make it:

1. Prepare 12 pieces of same size recycle papers. Fold it into horizontal.

2. Repeat it until the thickness of the coastal that you wanted.

3. For the last fold, please reference the step as the pictures below :))

**multi-purpose glue was used for the last fold.

4. After finished all the paper strips, you may start to design the pattern of your first handmade cosatal.

Project #004. Paint With Soft Pastel And Color Pencil

Paint with pastel is a little bit messy, but faster than oil paint and acrylic,

yet the effect is good.

This project is to emulate a painting from great artist, with soft pastel.

How to do it:

1. 
   
   
   Sketch the figure with blue color pencil.


2. 
   
   
   Start from the face, then the body. Use color pencil to draw the detail.



3. 
   
   
   Fill the background with soft pastel, then the figure. In the same time with applying pastel, you may need some tissue paper or your finger to assist you to get a better effect. Be careful of each applying color. Apply the brighter color first, then the darker one. This will help you to control the effect more confidently.


4. 
   
   
   Well, it's easy and fun, right?

Project #003. Decorative Lamp-Blossom

Blossom Lamp

I wonder if I could make a special decorative lamp for Christmas. This will have more fun and increase the joy of this season. So I decided to use some simple material to make a unique decorative lamp. The whole idea is come from the shape of flower, that's why "Blossom Lamp" is named.

Things you'll need: 4 Branches (30" long), 12 steel wire (30" long), teflon tape, a box of mini-lights.

How to make it:

1. Let's make the stand of the lamp first. Wrap the whole branch with teflon tape. Repeat the step for the rest. Arrange the four branches as able to stand itself and tie them with teflon tape.

2. To make the lamp shade. Bend the wire into round shape and wrap with teflon tape. Repeat the rest. Make 12 similar circles. hold them together and tie the center with teflon tape. slowly spread each circle in clockwise direction until it looks like a flower shape.

3. Put the "flower shade" on the stand.

4. The last step is to put on the mini-lights, you may tie the mini-lights on the stand when needed.

Tips:

• Mini-lights is easy to get during Christmas season, and that's many options in types and colors.
  
• You can replace teflon tape to floral tape.


• You may adjust the length of the branches. It depends you want a table decorative lamp or a floor decorative lamp.
  
  
  
  
  

Project #002.CD Coastal

This project is fun yet easy. From impressionism, abstract to modern art.

Let's your imagination begin...

Things you'll need : old cds, acrylic paint, brushes, hot glue, grove.

How to make it :

1. Clean the surface of the cd.



2. Use the non-shiny side. Warm up the hot glue before starting to draw with it. slowly applying hot glue on the cd, imagine you are using a pen to draw some nice drawing on the cd. Be extra careful of the hot part of the glue gun, wearing grove is a good idea to protect your hands.
   
   
3. When the glue dried. Apply acrylic paint on the glue. Adding water is not necessary during cd painting, two or three layers may apply as your desired. leave it aside and let it dry for about 60 minutes. In the same time, you may start to draw another master piece.












4. Hot glue is another idea as a support of the cd. Just apply a small amount of hot glue on the bottom of the cd (as picture shown). You may measure 4 equally angle to get a good balance of support.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Repeat for the remain cds, so you'll have a series of your own collection coasters.

Enjoy~