Drawing chocolates!!!!!!!!!!

Here I am drawing chocolates onto the canvas. To get this smooth surface, I had to apply many, many coats of white paint (gesso), and spend a million hours sanding this white paint.

Heart to Heart; building my canvas board

After hours and hours of cutting and sanding

I primed first one heart and then the other.

Now, I will have a smooth surface on which to paint my chocolate box. I will use my photos of the chocolates that I made to help me create my painting.

Building (not stretching) the Surface! Oh Boy!!!

This week, I focused on printing reference photos that I had taken and making the heart shapes that will become my canvas.

Now that I had my photos and materials, I built the heart shape using very thick wood for the sides. I felt that the wood should be hollowed out to make the painting lighter, since a solid block of wood is soooo heavy.

The guys at the local "Wood-Mart" helped me to find a strong blade that would cut thick wood without breaking.

I cut the face of the heart out of primed masonite. I like to paint on this stuff because it is very smooth.




I used a waterproof wood glue to fasten the face to the sides.





A pile of books and a clamp put enough pressure on the box to give the glue a good seal.



After the glue has dried, I will refine the shape of the boxes. I can cut the best heart shape when both wood pieces are solidly fastened together.

Starting out!

My next painting will be a box of chocolates.

This will go allong with my series of paintings that features enjoyable foods.

I have always loved the delight that food has brought - not only to myself, but also to others. Everyone knows the tingling feeling you get when you bite into a strawberry

or the sensation of a wet juicy orange

and we all know just how much of a smile a banana split will bring you!

Well, to continue on with that line of thought, let's meet our newest member!

To prepare the still life for my next painting, I taught myself the art of chocolate making.

Here are peanut butter shapes for the inside of my candies - I also made pepermint flavored ones. After I made these shapes, I dipped them in chocolate.

As with everything else I do, I like to control the elements as much as possible - along with the detail. It would be so easy to just buy a box of chocolates, but then I wouldn't be able to call it my own creation. When I make the candy myself, I can say that I created every bit of my art piece! :)

Slow and steady wins the race! Here I am drizzling frosting patterns on my delectables! >:)


YUM!


Below is the piece that I will be painting! Oh BTW I even made the box from cardboard, silk clothe, ribbon and real roses from Wal-Mart!!!


I'll keep you guys posted! See ya' next Friday! With love, Dana :)