i got the job! and an awesome paint-by-number!

before i unveil the most awesome of all paint-by-numbers, i will formally announce that my new job is official!  well, it will be truly official in february when i actually start in the new position.  the exact title of the job is "visual sales associate", which means i get to make displays most of the time, and also work on the floor a bit when i am not needed as a display person.  this will also (hopefully) train me in the ways of anthro display so that one day i can be full-fledged as a display coordinator.  in the meantime, i will be working full-time.  most days begin at 6 am, which will be hard to get used to.  it's not much different from when i was teaching.  i had to be at school pretty early, and got off at a similar time.  it's just going to take me a while to adjust.

i am so very excited!  what a dream job!!

ok, it's kinda creepy.  like a bad dream.  but it's also ultra kitschy and so dang laughable!  i have been collecting paint-by-numbers for a long time.  even when it was pre-cool.  i could get them for a few dollars each.  i won't tell you what i paid for this one!  (well okay, it was $28.  that's ridiculous…i know…)  i had to have this, though!  it was described on etsy as "the skipper and a really young gilligan", which is quite hilarious.  in fact, every time i walk by it i start singing "the skipper, too…a millionaire…and his wife…"

i have cut up many a paint-by-number to use in my work.  but this one?  never!!

by the way, when i was teaching i had about 20 pbn's on the wall of my classroom.  and you know what?  the kids had no idea what they were.  i had to explain it to them.  oh my…showing my age!

father time

"father time" is officially finished.  another in the series using boxes covered with vintage paint-by-numbers!  materials include old clock parts, old washers, ephemera, a nail tin, and a 50's era wooden cut out of the perfect guy!  behind him are pages from an insurance policy.  

if i'm doing my math right, that means i have13 assemblage boxes, and 29 framed prints for my show in may.  phew!!  i think i'm gonna try and finish one more box, and then be done.  work has to be delivered on may 1st, so i'll have a few days to rest.  oh, i take that back.  i think i will only take one day, and then will begin that monumental push in printmaking for the arts festival in july!!

i can't complain.  it's nice to be working toward such nice goals.

by the way, may show announcements go out today, so if you are on my mailing list, you should get one very soon!  if you would like to join the list, you can send your email or physical address to me at:

thefwegers@me.com

don't worry, i won't bother you will a million emails.  the mailing list is used for show announcements only!

mother nature, finished!

ok, so i only lasted 6 hours or so of glue drying before i put the new box together.  i get like that sometimes.  i know that the full 24 hours is optimum, but since there are screws securing the found pieces along with the glue, i figured it would be ok.  i get so excited about finishing the work, that i just have to do it, glue dried or not.

in my last post i talked about the paint-by-numbers, and as you can see, the box is completely covered with them.  i cut each piece to fit and then glued and clamped them in place with painter's tape.  then i sanded the edges to get them to line up perfectly.  finally, i sealed the old paintings with a coat of matt medium for strength and a nice surface.  

the box can sit on a surface or ledge, or can hang with the wire installed on the back.  this piece will be one of the boxes at the juxtaposition show at the curtis center in may.

i really like this one.  if it doesn't sell at the show, i think it may have to go in my permanent collection!!

mother nature, in progress

a new assemblage box, in progress.  i'm working on a series of boxes that are completely covered, inside and out, with vintage paint-by-numbers.  i got a bunch of these a few years ago in an antique mall, before they were really hot collectibles.  i wish now that i had purchased the entire lot (there were over 100).  unfortunately i only bought about 10.  it takes about 2 large paintings to cover a box, so the series isn't going to be a long lived one.  i only have enough large ones to make 3 boxes.

anyway, here is #1, in which the glue is still drying.  i need to let "mother" sit overnight, then attach her with screws to keep her secure.  then she gets popped into her frame for the grand reveal.

did anyone notice her halo says "bing-o-rama"?  i think that's a riot.  the original game piece was red.  i re-covered it in metallic silver.