Art Pops

I made cake pops for the first time this year and it was quite addictive!  I first saw them on Alisa Burke's blog.  You know by now how I feel about sweets, so I could not help myself as it crept into my artwork.  I have a feeling, this will not be the only version of art pops I create....

colorful and delicious!

I played with a variety of lollipop shapes.

For those not familiar with cake pops, chocolate cake and chocolate icing mixed together make up the gooey core!

Candy melts are used for the outside coating, then dipped in your favorite sprinkle variety!

This photo was my inspiration for the colored pencil sketch below...

So much fun!  Then I went 3-D....

Art Pops

Scrumptious wire atop a round canvas of sugary sweet fabrics and sprinkles of delicious beads is the delight of my aesthetic taste buds.  And the weight went straight to my artistic mind!

Materials I used were; color coated brass wire, steel wire, commercial fabric, hand painted fabric, batik fabric, floral tape, glass beads, adhesive, thread, embroidery floss, lollipop sticks.

Top View

As a collection...

This is my submission into the Cloth Paper Scissors Wild Wire Reader Challenge!

Finalists announced May 13th.....

staying whimsical on this artist holiday,

hannah

Pink Boots and Pencils

Just me and my pencils...

This month's Sketchbook Challenge theme is "branching out - out on a limb".  With that in mind,  I decided to pick up a brush very little this month.  Turns out, it's been a crazy month with family obligations and life in general, so that wasn't as hard as I thought!  But, I didn't want to paint at all in my challenge sketchbook.  So far so good, but the month isn't over yet...  I am feeling that tinge!

I just love my 7 year old's pink cowgirl boots and decided to sit down and just sketch, no paint to cover the flaws, just pencils.

If you have ever tried drawing shoes, maybe you noticed that certain angles can look normal in real life, but trying to draw them at that same angle, they can look a little skewed or not quite right.  Maybe it's just me and needing more practice, or maybe that's where the hand of the artist comes out!  Not sure, but gotta keep practicing either way.

It funny that the months' theme also coincided with me offering my first private art lesson!  That is really branching out! Other branching out opportunities that coincided this month;  I have attempted to get my first wholesale account. (no luck yet)  I have also sent off a proposal for my first magazine article.  I won't hear back from for quite a few months.  So, even though my sketchbook pages were a little thin this month, I would like to think that I have totally taken advantage of the month's theme and branched out more than I ever have before.

out on a limb on this artist holiday-

hannah

The Courageous Art Department

I am branching out and starting something I have thought about doing for a very long time.  Teaching!  And what better time than now and what better beginning lesson than creating your own pantry sketchbooks!  No matter what medium you find yourself in, you always have a sketchbook of some variety.  It may be small or large, just for jotting future ideas down, practicing a specific technique or just doodling.  You may have 1 at a time or several going at once.  Right now, I have about 5 going, if you count my hand-held sketchbook I take with me to museums and my hand-held journal for creative writing.

I had a couple of parents ask me about teaching their children and decided my first class would be with children ages 6-10.  I am so excited to share my creative adventure with kids and hope this is the start of many more classes to come! 

I have titled it The Courageous Art Department!  Why courageous?  I wrote this on the back of the brochure.     

I believe it takes courage to explore, produce and share your art in any capacity, whether young or old.  And it also takes courage to use your talents to better those around you.  Through these classes I hope to show students that the courage comes from within, and sometimes just a little creativity goes a long ways.

Pictures of my brochure are below:

My first brochure!  Art or Bust!  Yeah!!!!

Inside pages including a short bio and class information that I have listed below.

Bio:

My name is Hannah O. Koch and art has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.  After engaging in art in high school, I went on to attend East Carolina University where I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Metal Design (Jewelry).  But it was after college that I truly explored various other mediums and found myself drawn to experimentation and a life-long learner of art.  More recently, I have had artwork accepted and hung in the Visual Art Exchange Gallery, in downtown Raleigh and a few pieces published in the mixed media magazine Cloth Paper Scissors.

 

Class Info:

As the years have passed, I have accumulated vast knowledge in arenas such as metal, paint, fabric and mixed media.  I have always incorporated recycling in my art processes and artwork.  And now, I would love the opportunity to share my skills and creativity with your child.  My goal is to share some tools in my creative arsenal and encourage their creativity to blossom  I also hope to show how  their small gestures of art can have large impacts.  Each class I teach will be laced with how to be a cheerful giver where they not only have their artwork to take home, but most often have made something to donate to a needy or sick child.

Along with being a skilled artist, I also have experience working in public schools and understand the workings of the classroom environment.  Your child will be engaged in art making at their personal station with the various mediums provided, along with my instruction.  In each class, your child will learn art vocabulary and how to solve aesthetic problems with creative solutions. 

Classes Offered:

Pantry Sketchbooks

In this 3 hour class, students will learn how to use recycling through their art processes and final artwork.  Each student will be making 3 sketchbooks from recycled pantry boxes. 2 sketchbooks for their personal use and 1 to donate to a local children’s charity.  Along side making sketchbooks, students will also make 2-10 artist trading cards, depending on time restraints.  Bottled water and a small token of appreciation will be given to each child.

Why Courageous? on the back cover with my web information.

So there you have it!  My first class date is May 14th.  I will let you know the results!

 expanding my horizon on this artist holiday-

hannah

 

Changing my Mindset

It never fails, each artistic endeavor I travel, there is a valuable lesson for me on the other side.  The Sketchbook Challenge is certainly one of them!  And honestly, drawing has never been something I truly enjoyed.  It has always been a means to an end for what I really wanted to do - design a piece of jewelry, paint an object or design fabric, etc...  Well, I want to change my mindset on this and practice drawing more, with pencil only.  No paints, no pens, just me and the pencil.  And of course I started with silly things, like my children's toys and other items that strike me.  So, here goes.....

What else but a jazzberry jam crayon!

Foam letters and numbers.  The angle was a bit tough to capture and getting the shadows right.

Beautiful brown suede shoes for my littlest one.  I like the one on the right better.  Left shoe was a tougher angle.

Babydoll.  It certainly doesn't look like a real person!  Eyes are tough.  I did much more work on the face than the body, hence the darker areas.

Toy phone.  Better angle here.

Changes and growth on this artist holiday-

hannah

Who said....

As with many artistic endeavors I find myself on, stringing pearls has begun yet another interesting path.  Who said you can only string pearls?

The pearl strand on the left is where I would cut the knots and take each pearl off to put the pearls on the new strand on the right to make my Mother's Pearls, the contemporary strand.  Then I felt it was time to string other beautiful beads.....

This is a bracelet I made using a larger size silk cord and Dark Chocolate Orchid Shell beads (their actual name!)  They are a beautifully chocolate brown!  I placed a small charm, by the clasp, with other shell beads on steel wire to give it a finishing touch.

Using the larger size silk cord again, I made this bracelet using tri-rectangle shell beads, as they are called.  Very pretty shell beads with depth and layering in each bead. I also added a charm of other grey shell beads and an orchid shell bead on steel wire, by the clasp.

This was quite a fun bracelet to make using beautifully colored beads!  Once again using the larger silk cord and yellow turquoise, glass and ceramic beads adding them randomly to make what I titled a "cocktail bracelet"!  The sterling silver square clasp and button charm also make it such a unique piece.

Finally, some new listings on my etsy site!

stringing and knotting my heart out on this artist holiday-

hannah



Mother's Pearls

She knew a mother's pearls were sacred for any daughter who was fortunate enough to have them passed through the hands of time to her own fingertips.  But as she leaned back gently, she realized her Mother's pearls didn't pass through generations before her, but began with her.  Her Mother's request for a long strand of pearls had only now become a special moment where her Mother actually received a generational symbol of love and she accepted graciously the occasion to create such a beautiful symbol.  With that thought, she knew her and her Mother were like the women who came before them, creating their own tradition through a simple act of love.

I finally caught on to knotting with pearls!  I have made pearl necklaces before, but it was many years ago.  It may not be the traditional way to knot, but I am very pleased with the results.  The knots look pretty good and they are all perfectly next to each pearl.

This is a very long strand, approximately 39 1/2 inches, but I wanted to have the traditional clasp on the necklace anyway.  And the background is a traditional quilt block I made many years ago as well. 

The first necklace was the traditional strand.  I decided to spice this one up with a light blue silk cord.  It is very faint, but the blue knots between the pearls look very contemporary.  And the toggle clasp also gives it that comtemporary look.  Great to wear with a pair of blue jeans!

You may be able to see it a little better here. 

I am one who believes you can wear pearls, preferrably costume, anytime. Thanks to the wisdom of my Mom and her friends.  Truth be told, my Mom found two identical strands at a flea market and wanted them knotted together.  But she didn't go to a jewelry store, she came to me!!  So, after getting halfway the first time and having to start over, (knot too far from pearl) I tryed tryed again.  With each knot came experience and wisdom and even enjoyment (once I got the hang of it)!  The other strand she gave me creative license on!

Thanks Mom for such a learning experience!  I love you!

creating Mother's Pearls on this artist holiday-

hannah