Illustration Friday: Rescue

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Rescue" theme is a painted paper sculpture and it is completely created from a piece of Stonehenge paper. It is lovely to start with a simple sheet of paper and turn it into a full colour dimensional image. I also used one pin, glue and a piece of thread. Happy weekend everyone!

"All girls are! Even if they live in tiny old attics, even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart or young, they're still princesses - all of us!
~ Frances Hodgson Burnett

2013 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: Mysterious

we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player ~ albert einstein

my submission for Illustration Friday's "mysterious" theme is a dimensional painting titled " Enchanted Evening".

valgal 2011

Illustration Friday: surrender

Here we are a few days later and I have poured resin on the painting and it is sealed and very shiny. It heightens the colour in one way and it also adds a layer of depth to the painting too. I have to always intensify the detail because the resin softens all of the fine handwork and creates an even dreamier image. For me this image is really called Tree House because this is what it is, a California Redwood! valgalstyle :)

" If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it" ~Toni Morrison

My submission for Illustration Friday's "surrender" theme is a dimensional painting. Liquitex acrylics on wood panel with wood frame, foamboard building, handmade paper shingles and clay chimney and door handle. The painting is called Home in the Woods.

photos and art by Valerie Walsh 2011

Illustration Friday: atmosphere

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Atmosphere" is a dimensional painting I made for Dee Dee, my sister in 1995. It is wood, formable foam board, acrylic paint and resin. This was a bit of an experiment in several ways, I wanted to go beyond the traditional shapes of paintings and create leaves that give the piece dimension sort of jutting out curving around and also by painting part of the leaf on the surface to add a faux visual continuity for the eye. I made a few of these round layered pieces and really enjoyed this look. This flower girl is saying "I like the air up here". What does it mean? I don't know it was just fun to make, love the colours and I like it :) sorry about the glaring white spot, I took this picture at my Mom's house. She has an entire room dedicated to my art and it is a Valerie Gallerie of sorts and this was sitting up on a shelf so I did the best I could because I frankly had completely forgotten about this image.

I am not sure if they make this foam board anymore I bought a ton of it and you could wet it and it would form easier into shapes that I wanted to make. I never see it anymore so I imagine it was not so popular, but it worked for me. I have found through the years that when I like a product I buy a lot of it because many art supplies tend to get discontinued...

Illustration Friday: Star gazing

I have created hundreds of paintings in my 30+ years as an artist that feature or incorporate stars. This image was commissioned by a very close friend and she looked at my portfolio and chose to have me make a bridge painting that would include her husband, son and herself in the buildings. She likes very soft muted colours which is always a challenge as I tend to be quite colourful :) Yes this is subtle and subdued for me... She really loved the softness and the pastel quality of this and it is large and one of my layered dimensional paintings with resin. I did this in 2000 and I am always happy to paint something special for someone I care about. It is called "connection to love" and it is my submission for Illustration Friday's "Star gazing" theme.
valerie walsh 2000

Illustration Friday: subterreanean

My submission for Illustration Friday's " subterreanean" theme is an idea that I started to work on quite a while ago, i think two summers ago I was planning on working out this painting called "DownTown" but I was sidetracked by so many other "Houscapes", paintings. greeting cards, etc. Sometimes this happens, I have a lot of ideas just not enough time to get it done. I try to use the summer as my time to do art and ideas that I have wanted to explore and I always have the best of intentions. I hope I can get back to this some time in the future. This painting shows me, I might have lived in Topanga a little to long. I started thinking the ants and bugs and rodents have little condos and it is like a little underground town. I am sure that I am right ;) On a side note sometimes when I create an image in a layered dimensional way I do a flat illustration as well so I have one version for a reproduction image and a dimensional image as well. So that gives me two unfinished pieces I need to work on :P Happy Friday!

Illustration Friday: confined

Most of the time artists have to create in a confined perimeter. But I usually try to go beyond the boundaries any way I can get away with ;) My submission for Illustration Friday's "confined" theme is one of my dimensional paintings titled "Oriental Evening". My bridge paintings are quite popular so I have done them many ways for many people and each one is unique and yet similar. I think bridges help to break out of the confines and going outside of the frame helps too. I always put in details of life inside the windows in the form of glimpses of men and women, instruments. birds in cages, cups with tea or coffee in them and books, paintings, kitties and dogs. This one I even made some clothes on a line created from handmade paper and all the flowers are dimensional. I hope you enjoy!

Speaking of enjoyment I went with my friend Trish to see her daughter Katherine in her music group tonight at the Apple Store in Santa Monica. The name of the group is Sonos and they are so good that I want to share this with the world!!! We live on the same street and have been neighbors for years. I have watched Kath grow into a beautiful young woman so I had to go see Sonos tonight and give my support before they go back out on tour again. They have a deal on Verve Records, these kids are kicking butt! Because I know Kath so well I asked if I could have a picture with the band, a kind of "I knew them when" and I was the only one to have my pic with the band, YAY!!! They are amazing and you must click on to this word: kings of maybe and you can see what I am talking about. There are no instruments only voices in this group. Awesome!

sonosings.com

Illustration Friday: entangled

Many entanglements are affairs of the heart. It is a little hard to see but there is a man serenading a woman in this dimensional painting and he is wooing her with his song. "Mediterranean Night" is my submission for Illustration Friday's "entangled theme.

copyright 2000 valerie walsh

Illustration Friday: pattern

My submission for Illustration Friday's "pattern" theme is a painting that will be used on a wine label for Cornell Winery. This is an amazing little area and the buildings are quaint and old timey. The person that made this building employed many different materials, which in turn has created an array of many "patterns". I will be painting another building in this area as well. I embellished the vineyard aspect in this painting for the owner of the winery because in fact a beautiful park is there called Peter Strauss Ranch against a mountain backdrop. This was the perfect angle of the building for me as it highlights this unique steeple. It is a historical landmark area and I am quite taken with the place. Quite a few vineyards and wine tasting establishments have sprung up in the canyons of Malibu in the last few years. I enjoy creating wine labels and when the printing is finished I will repost.

Last night I posted a giveaway here and one of my readers will win 250 full colour greeting cards courtesy of Uprinting. Please read the details and enter to win some free greeting cards that you can put your art or photos on for the holidays!
click here for CornellWinery.com

click here for Greeting card Giveaway

My backyard is State Park so these critters are coming close to our home because it is very, very hot the last few days. I put some water out for them :) copyright 2009 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: Caution

Caution to all who enter! My submission for Illustration Friday's "Caution" theme is a dimensional painting I did in the 80's titled "Bats". Throw caution to the wind this weekend

copyright 1985 valerie walsh

Illustration Friday: parade

This parade was for the ladies. As the first Gondolier made his way towards the town you could feel the excitement build. I made this painting in 1993 and in 1994 John and I drove to Washington and delivered this and 6 more paintings and ceramics to the Chase family home. They have a beautiful, modern home decorated in all of my colours and everything looked amazing!!! We helped them hang all the paintings and this one was hung above their bed. Only one piece broke on the trip but I brought an extra painting and it all worked out. My submission for Illustration Friday's "parade" is titled "Gondoleer".

copyright 1993 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: hierarchy

Because of her place in the hierarchy, the King awarded the Princess her own castle. This layered dimensional painting was done for the Walker family in Washington. They commissioned 2 paintings, one for each daughter and this was for Amira. She loves lambs, butterflies, hearts, flowers, birds, etc. Also they wanted an image to represent the meaning of her name.
The girl's name Amira \a-mi-ra\ is pronounced ah-MEER-ah. It is of Arabic and Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "princess. Feminine form of Amir. My submission for Illustration Friday's "hierarchy" theme.

copyright 1994 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: Theater

Another blast from my past and from the show I had called "Five Easy Pieces"in 1987. This dimensional painting is called "Vanity" and suits today's Illustration Friday theme "Theater". I wish I had more pictures of it but it sold long ago and was way before I had a digital camera. There are many little details like a compact with mirror and a tube of lipstick on the vanity, ashtray with a burning cigarette and a small hand mirror. copyright 1987 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: impossibility

My submission for Illustration Friday's "impossibility" is a dimensional painting that I created for a family in Brentwood, CA. They commissioned many paintings and always encouraged me to make unusual and unique works for them. It was awesome to make large paintings and get to be kind of "out there" with my ideas and techniques. This image is another version of "Flying Home" but on a magic carpet with paper I made and molded to hold the house. I even sewed little tassels on the edges. The boulders and water are made from wood and I used prismacolor pencils for the jewel like tones in the rocks and painted over the color pencil than scratched away the paint to get the stone like quality. The idea of a flying house might seem impossible but is it? We have been taught that anything is possible, right?

copyright 1995 Valerie Walsh

wood, paper, thread, prismacolor pencila, acrylic paint, foam board.

Illustration Friday: Fleeting

Childhood is fleeting. My submission for Illustration Friday's "Fleeting" theme is a dimensional painting for Rady Children's Hospital auction on April 21st. The title of this painting is "Happy Home". I loved making it and hope it goes to a happy home and benefits a child who needs care.

Happy Easter or Passover or both :)



copyright 2009 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: poise

My submission for Illustration Friday's "poise" is a dimensional painting that was in a show I had called "Five Easy Pieces". All the paintings were dimensional and each one represented a word and a piece of furniture. The paintings were Vanity, Charity, Chastity,Sinkronicity and this is called "Stability" and this is the painting hanging on a wall, I only mention it because you might think it is laying down but it is vertical. It is 20" x 40" and it is 5" deep.

I can't seem to scan film real well,I am not sure how to size it becaue it is scanned at 2700 dpi and reduced down. This doesn't capture all the details. I could use some tips if anybody has some :)

copyright 1987 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: Time

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Time" is a dimensional painting I made in 1992. The title of this piece is "Night Clawk" and it was hanging in a restaurant in Westwood, CA and a young man named Kirtland Washington came in and purchased it. It's cool how a painting is a part of the artist and then someone takes it home and it has it's very own life out in the world somewhere. I hope Kirtland still has it and enjoys it. I am close to finishing the Shoe House and will post it soon.

copyright 1992 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: canned

My submission for Illustration Friday's "canned" is a layered dimensional painting of a little town called Red Bluff, CA. It reminds me of childhood and small town life. Notice there are canned cherries in the window :)

This is a poster from my husband John Hartmann's concert hall "The Kaleidoscope" and you can see the Jefferson Airplane,Grateful Dead and Canned Heat played 3 consecutive nights in 1967. John's friend Gary Essert disovered them playing in a fraternity house where they were a huge hit. So John and his partner Skip Taylor signed the band on the UCLA campus. Skip still manages the band to this very day. Bob "The Bear" Hite lived in Topanga as well as "The Blind Owl" aka Allan Wilson. They played at the old Corral in Topanga.

If you have a moment please watch this gem of a short film and you will have a better day :) click on to the link "The Story of a Sign" Oddly a tin can is featured in this short.
http://en.zappinternet.com/video/nilSqaMboM/HISTORIA-DE-UN-LETRERO-THE-STORY

Illustration Friday: worry

Sometimes when I get ready to leave the house, my dog Rat seems to worry. Once he realizes that he will not be coming with me he looks sad and let down. This can cause me a little guilt but I promise him I will be right back with a walk in his future and I leave him with a few cookie bribes. He seems to look a little less worried...

My submission for Illustration Friday's "worry" is a small layered dimensional painting "House Sitting" and it is made with Foam board, clay, wood, acrylic paint and resin.

Illustration Friday: pet peeves

Most of my pet peeves center on nature vs. development. I don't go along with the idea that every piece of land needs to be owned and developed. I love buildings and homes but the idea of ownership gets blurred. We are custodians of land that we should nurture and love. The animals are getting pushed out, the bees are having problems and yet we continue to develop. I know the animals adapt somewhat (Hawks living in Cental Park) but as I hear them each day calling out to each other I am grateful they have a place to fly, swoop, mate and teach their young. Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Park are threatened with closures for lack of funds. This is a small dimensional painting I made quite a long time ago "Night Hawk 2" and it is my submission for Illustration Friday's "pet peeves".