Portraits inspired by the artist Margaret Keane by Kelley Smith

I have been working on a "big eye" series inspired by Margaret Keane. Here is the start of my granddaughter Remi.

Here is the semi finished painting of my granddaughter Pepper. She is going to be holding a cupcake and giving it to the viewer to represent Good Works. I still have a bit more to do. These portraits are more "flat" than my usual portrait painting, but that is the charm of Margaret Keane's paintings.

and this portrait is of our granddaughter Goldie. She did not make it through labor, but she is in our family's hearts and minds every day. She has given us a renewed desire to strive to live so that we may all return again as an eternal family together in our Heavenly Father's presence. I am going to gold leaf her halo and the banner she is holding.
I'm so happy to be able to be painting again and I am thankful for this opportunity to share.

At Long Last..... A New Post

  I can not believe I have not posted since last November!!!!!! I am now working part time at a wonderful boutique called Pretty Please. I'm still working at the gallery and painting whenever I get a moment AND last week glambaby #16 was born: Summer Haggarton!

 

and I have started a new art website at http://1-kelley-smith.artistwebsites.com/ . You can order canvas prints, prints on metal and such and greeting cards. I think this will be great and the quality is very, very good. I am going to try to catch up a little with my family photos, etc. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me.  XO

New Paintings: "Vintage Toy Series"

I had a blast painting these images of vintage toys! They are oil on wood panels that are 8"x8"x2" (and I guess I wouldn't be a good art marketer if I didn't mention that they are for sale at the Arizona Art Alliance Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ.!)

"Honoring Our Veterans" show and sale at The Arizona Art Alliance Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ

 Please visit The Arizona Art Alliance website at azartalliance.com  for additional information concerning this show and future shows. We also have a list of the Outreach programs that we provide to the AZ community, and workshop information if you would like to take some art classes on the website!

this year's Halloween crafts.... Ewwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!! ( I kind of thought to myself- "What's a nice girl like me making creepy stuff like this?!! ) Oh well.

My Paper Mache Pumpkin Head Project

 This summer, while I did some paper mache projects with the glamchildren, I started a pumpkin head mask for myself. I started by applying torn newspaper an old school flour, water and white glue mixture all over a plastic beach ball. ( I like adding liquid starch into the mixture when I can find it)

 Then I taped some cardboard onto the ball for a neck and taped crunched up newspaper all around the ball to form a pumpkin shape, then paper mached on top of that.

 I takes at least a day in between each layer of paper mache to harden and that's in our AZ heat! I then drew a face on the pumpkin head and taped cardboard to add the 3-D features.

 More layers of paper mache........

 and more layers of paper mache and adjustments to add form and scariness...

I'll add a final post as I start to paint this guy. FUN

The Giffin Glamchildren came to stay.

 The next week after babysitting my Jackson glamsons, the Giffin glamchildren came to stay for a week. During a few of the days, the Jacksons came over and so did my cute little Haggarton glamgirls, so there were some periods of time that 10 of my glamchildren were here! Fun, but it is soooo hot here that we stayed inside whenever we could. During that time, the kids wanted me to watch MANY episodes of "Dr. Who" with them. It was great!

 On our Giffin day outings, we went to the trampoline place (I could feel sweaty germs floating in the air.....) and then later we went to the Phoenix Art Museum (which had no sweaty germs floating in the air and was sooooo much nicer).

 and we went to see 2 movies!

I am lovin' these glamchildren!!!!!!!

The Jackson Glamchildren came to stay....

 A couple of weeks ago, my Gourmet Girls went to Utah for 2 weeks to do research for their catering company and it was my pleasure to babysit the Jackson boys for a week. One of the "life skills" that I think is soooo important is paper mache. Need I say more. The kitchen was a mess the whole week (and the next week when I babysat the Giffin kids) but is was fun and well worth the effort as you can see! These boys waited eagerly between drying layers and layers of paper mache over inflatable beach balls.

When the paper mache was drying, the boys played video games, I introduced them to the old "Twilight Zone" TV shows on Netflix and we played laser tag. Laser Tag was intense!!!!! I sure do love these glamsons of mine!

Just bragging about this fabulous new Swarovski crystals phone case that my daughter Devan made for me! Teaching my daughter's a bunch of random crafts when they were little is really paying off!!!
( Devan has created many fabulous custom blinged phone cases, pacifiers, laptops, etc. She will be moving back to AZ this July and so her company "Get Stoned" will have a base. I'll brag some more at the start of August when her little business go's very public.) Hope you are having a cool summer... It is HOT here in Arizona.

Happy Mother's Day and Mug Shot Necklaces

    A belated Happy Mother's Day to all the females in my life and on our planet. I am thankful to all my "Mothers" - Women (both family & friends) that have nurtured and taught me by example how to be a good person. Even though the world is full of creepy stuff, with each other's help we can live happy, fulfilled lives together. XO
    Oh, I started to post these fun necklaces and realized I should be posting some flowery things...Oh Well.

Melted Crayon Painting

I have always wanted to make one of these melted crayon paintings that you see all over pinterest and I thought it came out so good! I sprayed triple thick epoxy lacquer on top and that made the colors pop. This canvas is 24" by 8" by 2" deep and I painted the sides black.

I put it on top of the mantle above the fireplace in the kitchen next to a painting by one of my favorite artists Lee Kaster (her artwork in also at the AZ Art Alliance Gallery...fabulous stuff!) and some of my store front letters that I collect. (you really can't see the "K", but the letters represent "Dennis & Kelley Smith" Anyway, it was fun and easy. I think it will make a fun craft thing to do with the Glamchildren.

"Create" Collage Jewelry line

So I've been working on my line of jewelry called "Collage Jewelry". I use all kinds of non-traditional materials along with vintage pieces of broken jewelry that I incorporate into these fun and creative ways to scream "I LOVE ART"! This necklace is available in my Etsy shop "Kelley Smith Originals and Fabulousities". To see more scrapbook pages of other jewelry pieces, go to my art blog: "Kelley Smith Art". (brag-brag-brag and shameless self promotion....someone has to do it, so it is up to me) Hope you are having a fabulous day!

"Artist" Scrabble Tile Necklace/Bracelet

I am just LOVING these very limited editions of my Scrabble Tile Necklaces (that also can be worn as a Bracelets)! I finally found some more old Scrabble tile game pieces and was able to make a few really artsy jewelry with them. I had to sacrifice a whole lot of other word options to be able to make the art termed jewelry... but it was worth it! I have an "Artist" and "Create" necklace/bracelet available at the AZ Art Alliance Gallery in Scottsdale, and one in my Etsy shop. Anyway, I always feel like I am bragging when I post stuff that I am selling on my Glamma Fabulous blog, but I am just so excited about these new pieces that I have been working on. Fun!

AZ Art Alliance Reception

Please join me tomorrow at art reception at The Arizona Art Alliance Gallery, Sat. December 3rd, from 6 to 9pm (9011 E. Indian Bend, Scottsdale, AZ 85250). Meet famous former AZ Suns Basketball player Dick Van Arsdale, He is our guest artist and he will be there signing and selling original art and prints. I also have oil and pastel paintings, along with signed reproductions and my artsy fartsy line of "Collage Jewelry" in the gift shop. The event is free and open to the public. The Gourmet Girls are catering, so that is even more of a reason to come. Hope to see you there!

More Family Portraits...

above: sweet little Pepper who just turned One year old recently and

darling Pearl who recently turned two years old. We are expecting our #15 glamchild next month and it will be a boy... no name yet, but I am sure that it will fit in with the rest of the unusual names that my children have picked for their children. It is funny how each generation thinks they are starting something new with the choice of names that they like. I know I thought I was the most clever gal on earth at the time, and now there are millions of girls named the same names as I named my daughters. LOVE those babies though, no matter what their names are! I also posted a group of portraits that I did for a dear friend on my Kelley Smith Art blog today if you are interested....

Family Portaits

I have been doing some redecorating in my home recently by painting over the too brown walls left from the previous owner. I have added COLOR, but the neutral soft ivory that I painted in the halls looks pink at certain times of the day, and that drives me CRAZY!!! I told my husband that I can not stand the walls and I am repainting them more of a taupe shade. (OH the HOURS I put into painting.... Oh well.) Anyway I bought 30- 12" by 12" gallery wrapped canvases and am in the process of turning my hall into a family portrait extravaganza. Above is Conway. His portrait was the first one I did. I had planned to paint them in oil, but then loved the preliminary drawings so much that I decided to keep them in that state. I really love to see the marks, adjustments and process of thick, thin, straight, squiggly, light and dark lines that when layered on top of one another create an image of an actual thing.

This is sweet Ava. I took her photo with the camera in my phone.

and my son-in-law Jason. He was so cute and excited to see his portrait as this was the very first one that was ever done of him. It will take a while to finish every one's portrait with all the holiday coming up AND the fact that the adults in the family want the portrait to be from a photo of them that looks "attractive". (I can't blame them, I have done two of myself lately and they are not making the cut.) I'll post all of the family portraits as the wall progresses. Thanks for letting me brag!!!!
Oh, and new paintings on my ART BLOG too.

Win this Painting!

This Saturday: March 26th, my painting "Lady in Red" oil/36"x48", will be raffled for charity at the Hot Rod Show in front of the Arizona Art Alliance Gallery in The Pavilions at Talking Stick. Tickets are $5 a piece and you can buy the tickets at the Hot Rod show. The drawing will take place that afternoon at 4:30. You do not have to be present to win. I will also be painting a demo. in front of the gallery and schlepping my prints and greeting cards from 10am to 5pm. I think it will be a fun day for the family to see all those cool cars and cool art. Maybe I'll see you there?!

(The Pavilions at Talking Stick is just off the East 101 and Indian Bend Road.)

Arizona Art Alliance Show

I have paintings in the Arizona Art Alliance Show that is now hanging in the gallery in the Scottsdale Pavilions, 9011 E. Indian Bend, Scottsdale, AZ 85258. (just off of the east 101 and Indian Bend, next to Sports Authority). They are open Wednesday thru Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Click on Arizona Art Alliance to see their wonderful website and newsletters filled with art, show opportunities and outreach programs.There is a Public reception this Saturday evening , March 5th, from 5pm to 8pm, if you would like to peruse the art. There is something for everyone AND the part of the show I am in is all about the 20th Anniversary of Veterinary Medicine. What am I showing? ROOSTERS of course! I will be at the reception (my daughters catering company GOURMET GIRLS has been hired for that night, so it is also a chance to taste their amazing food!) Hope to see you there!

My Demonstration Painting for the PFFA

Last week I demonstrated my techniques in painting with soft pastels. I just love working with this art medium. The facets on each teeny tiny piece of pigment reflects light like no other medium as there is very little binder that surrounds the pigment. This also makes for almost no darkening of the color as the years go by. There are pastel paintings today that are hundreds of years old whose colors are as vibrant as when the artwork was first painted. I titled this painting "Farmers Market Trio". This "study" is 11" x 14" and I am selling it unframed on my etsy for $125.

Thanks you Peoria Fine Arts Association for asking me to be the speaker for your Nov. meeting. You have a lot of talented people and they were all so nice!

My Paper Mache Dear Head

Remember this Dear Head that I made from cereal boxes? Well, even though it looked fun, some of the cardboard was very flimsy, so I decided to cover it with paper mache. It took days and days of adding layers, drying time and more layering. I had to tape and prop it up as it was so heavy.

I finished the last layer with the comics from our daily newspaper. Doesn't it look great?

I'm refining my own pattern so that I can make some to take to a few custom decor shops around the valley.
I think I'd like to make some crazy fantasy animal head too. Fun!