New Artwork

Since the last 2 months have been crazy, I have a whole bunch of stuff to catch up on. Like these super cute teacup fairy gardens!

Some other things I have been working on are mixed media pieces and some assemblage pieces. I have several pieces in my head I want to create. However, it is something that I have finished these pieces.

I also have had several photo shoots as well. Recently, I did a photo shoot with sisters. It was so much fun. Their family is fantastic. I'll do a post about the shoot later.

I also attended the Caldera Pagan Music Festival as a vendor for LilyMairi. You can see images from the festival in my post here. There was anticipated to be nearly 4,000 attendees. However, I think because of the holiday weekend it was on, and the fact it was their first year, attendance wasn't that high. I did manage to meet some fantastic artists and spend some time with the hubby without the kids in tow.

We Are Moving!

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area then lucky you. I am not from Georgia but my husband is. I had lived there since 1991 until we moved to Peoria, Illinois last year. We have been here for 10 months and have decided to go home.

I will be focusing on getting my blog, website and Etsy shop up to date with the latest photo sessions and products for Lily Mairi. I will also be booking clients for fine art portrait sessions for the fall and traditional portraits starting in July.

In the mean time here are a few images for some new items for Lily Mairi

Woodland Head Pieces

Steampunk Jewelry

Fairytale & Whimsical Jewelry

I also have new costume pieces and accessories, new bridal pieces, new steampunk fascinators, and new woodland flower fascinators. Keep checking in for updates. You can also like my facebook pages:

Jennifer Griffin- Fine Art Photography
and
LilyMairi

or follow me on Twitter
Lily Mairi

Design, Artisan Craftsmanship and Mess

I keep just about everything, broken jewelry, bits of paper and fabric. I just can't help myself. Fortunately, I am fairly organized so I kind of know what I have on hand when I get an idea for something.

Jelly jars to hold my bits and bobs, like Victorian era buttons and vintage gears

A tea box to hold my small works in progress pieces

The boxes that I store my personal photos for scrapbooking

I reuse lots of different things to store my stuff. However that doesn't mean it doesn't get messy. When I am actually designing pieces and crafting them I make a HUGE mess. I tend to get bored or stuck artistically, so I move to something else and just leave where I left off on what ever it was that I was working on. Because I do this it tends to look like all of my neat little boxes and jars just got dumped in the middle of the floor by my toddler. I assure you, it was me. Though my home is fairly tidy, my creative space it very messy. I have to pause and clean it up when it gets to the point that I can't find anything in the general area where I left it. Kind of like it is right now actually.

What my floor looks like when I am paper crafting

If it wasn't for my mess making I wouldn't be able to create my products and art pieces. I turn this mess into these beautiful things.

Yet to be listed bridal necklace crafted entirely out of vintage brooches

In teaching my children to value creativity and the things of the past, we read lots of literature together and look at artwork of all sorts. Some of our favorite stories are, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Through the Looking Glass-and What Alice Found There and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Well at the World’s End and Phantastes, and the artwork and illustrations that have been created by others inspired by these literary pieces.

Fantasy and whimsy have always influenced me and my creative process. This influence shows in my work. Steampunk, Victorian color palettes and a hint of our Celtic roots, myths and all, flavor my pieces. I pour a little bit of my heart, soul and history into everything I create.

I pull from my ancestry and the world in my head to create my Woodland line of products and fine art photography. It is the world I lived in as a child. When I create these pieces I am literally creating the images in my minds eye. I see these people and cultures, and see their lives, where everything has meaning. Which is why most of my pieces have a title and a story behind them. I photograph my woodland pieces in a story. It is my joy to create these images. It is my way of painting what I see. My way of honoring the One who created me. Using the Gifts I have been given to encourage others and tell stories, even the messy ones. 

Be Still- Merka of The Elves of the Woodland Realm series

A Pawn No Longer

I say, if your mess can help you create pieces that speak to you and to others, then have at it my friends. Makes mess, design, create, live life on all of it's roads, and only look back to remember that you have lived, even if it is messy. 

The Weaver

A Peek at What's To Come.

I have been working like crazy doing all kinds of fun things. Everything from new products for Made Again, Atlanta like this fun piece:

The Secret Garden

And some new bridal pieces created from vintage brooches, like this beauty:

Wedding of the White Queen

Aaanndd, working on some mixed media piece for my own personal sanity, such as this work in progress:

Needless to say I have been a busy bee.
What I really wanted to show you is something
for my next photo shoot coming up very soon.
I have created a fairy! Well, I am nearly convinced
that one of my children is an actual fairy. Seriously.
Just not the one I am sing for these images.

Here is a look at the progress of her wings. I used 16 gauge galvanized steel wire to sculpt the wings. It's pretty light weight and stable. At least for the size wings I
am trying to create. Mind you, I haven't created wings like this before, so I am kind of winging it. No pun intended.

After getting the size and basic shape, I added details and veins using a smaller gauge wire. I wanted to have a natural look to the wings. Like a bug would have. I didn't want a "dress up" look to them. After I got them how I wanted them to look I painted them a mat black using spray paint. The used some thick iridescent cellophane and  silicone caulk for make the "membrane"

Before Being Painted

After Being Painted

Cellophane Ribbon

Silicone used as an adhesive

After the silicone dries I will trim it to the wire so it has a cleaner look. I just have to put the arm straps on and the decorative details, and they will be finished. 

I am super excited to do this session. I am making some other fabulous props and costume pieces. Follow along for more behind the scenes and how I create my images and products.

The Making of Merka

When I come up with my ideas, I also figure out how I am going to accomplish the image I want to get. My goal would be to to get my image straight from the camera and be done, but there are somethings, especially in the genre I like to play in, that can't be done in real life. Yes, I am an original Star Wars trilogy fan. Why, because of the costuming! Among other thing of course. I digress...

Costuming and Makeup

I am all about reusing and repurposing everything. By everything I mean EVERYTHING. Here are some images of Merka's costume in the making.

I reused the suede off of a pair of boots that my oldest daughter wore and then passed to my second daughter. The zipper ripped out of them and I just couldn't throw away that fabulous tan suede. I salvaged it and tucked it away for later.I had also salvaged the "corset" loops on the skirt from an old purse my mom found at the thrift store. It had some faux fur (that I am collecting for another photo shoot) so she picked it up for next to nothing. I loved the sides of the bag and figured I could use them on an outfit as well as the faux fur. 

The boots I repurposed the suede from.

Pieces of suede from the boots.

                                

                                                  Indilwen Eruanna- Empress of the Woodland Realm

When I did the Indilwen shoot, I used spirit gum to apply her hear tips. Since I have no formal education on costume make up, I was just kind of winging it. This time I did a bit more research. I found that you can apply light weight appliances with a 3D makeup gel. It worked great with this shoot, especially since I was working with a 5 year old who has latex and other chemical allergies with her skin. The gel is gelatin base with no latex and comes off with soap and water, unlike spirit gum. The one issue is that it responds to heat. When it gets too hot, it starts to melt and get soft. By the end of the session little Merka's ears were falling off, though it was 5 hours later.

Her makeup look achieved using various shades of brown eye shadows applied in an ombre  fashion. I started with the lighter shade and blended out and up into darker. The metallic gold flakes are gold gilding flakes from a craft store. The flakes aren't as expensive as the sheets, so that worked well for my budget. If you are wanting the flakes to stay on for a long period of tie, say, for a con or festival, I would use the spirit gum to attach the flakes. However, since this was just for a photo shoot, I used hair spray. I sprayed a VERY light mist over the eye shadow to seal it. After it dried completely, I sprayed a bit on my fingers and dabbed it on her face. Then I pressed the gilding to the wet spray. You have to act quick becasue the spray drys ultra fast. I worked in small sections becasue the spray dried so fast.The gold stripe and dots were make using a metallic gold eyeliner.

 

Location and Capturing the Images

I just shot in my back yard and my in-laws yard. This is the tree in my in-laws yard that I just had to get some images with. It is stunning and HUGE.My in-laws, my husband, my friend, and my parents all helped me with this shoot on one way or another.

My father-in-law and my assistant for the day.

My husband photo bombing. Epic.

All in all I'd have to say it was a successful shoot. I am very excited for the next one. I have it scheduled for the end next month. The moss hair clips and elven crown are available in my shop.

Next: A look behind the Indiwen series. Remember to visit www.JenniferGriffinStudios.com  and like my Facebook page to keep up with the latest news and coupon codes for my Etsy shop!