It all started in an art class in Nashville…
How- you might ask- did the sassy, imaginative and diva-licious Glam Animal Art Series come to fruition? Like most of my artwork, the Glam Animals were not envisioned. It all started with me just playing in the paint, my favorite way to create. I signed up for a class called Tip Toe into Texture at Art & Soul Nashville, a nonprofit art studio dedicated to supporting individual creativity, personal growth, and artistic development. The instructor showed us different texture techniques- I went overboard. When I’m learning something new that I’m passionate about, I do not know when to stop. LOL. Every technique she taught and a few of my own landed on one canvas.
As always, I ran with it! I started out using stencils and Golden Gel to create a raised animal print pattern on the canvas. Then I used a Gelli pad with acrylic paint and stencils and started making my own papers. This was the day I fell in love with Gelli Printmaking, and I remember it well! As I began putting down my papers around the raised gel stencil pattern, I dove right in and let my creative instincts take over. I rolled up tin foil strips, played with shapes, and added in some cat eye-rimmed glasses just for fun. Until that day, paintings of animals had never shown up on my canvas. And I LOVE surprises like this one.
The first Glam Animal comes to life…
As I stepped back, I saw so clearly the face of an animal starting to emerge. I knew I had tapped into something special. Now, if you ask me, it’s a fashion faux pas not to pair animal print with bright red lipstick (I feel very passionate about this!). So, as I started to paint the face of my emerging animal, I knew she would be right in style with shiny red exaggerated lips.
Then came the eyes, big, bold, and lifelike; her lashes nearly flowed off the canvas. I added tissue paper for even more texture for her top hat, a few strands of ribbon, and a dash of glitter. It was at this moment that the idea for Glam Animal Art was born. Since the creation of my first “glammie” not even 2 years ago, so many more have come to life!
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Does this Farm Girl have a Favorite?
When asked if I have a favorite in my Glam Animal Art series of mixed media paintings, as FARM GIRL from Nebraska I grew up with every animal you can imagine. I didn’t have a favorite back then either, because farm animals eventually go to market or to the butcher. That’s the facts of farm life, so I wrote a song about how special farm girls are. Click the link below to have a listen, I hope you love it!
Farm Girl
But if I had to pick, Banana Baby, Pretty in Pink, and Wide Eye Wanda hold a special place in my heart. Yet each is perfectly unique and captures the essence of my creative expression. I can look back at each fur baby painting and feel the whimsy and joy all over again! There’s such a satisfaction that comes from turning a blank canvas into something beautiful. And when surprises like these sweet little animals emerge, I’m happy. If one of these fur baby beauties winds up on your wall at home, I know it will bring you as much joy every time you look at it as it brought me in creating it.
To see my whole Glam Animal Art family, plus my other artwork, check out my website Art.CandyCountry.com/
