Art project for Kristen

It has been too long again. My last post is over a month old and it is about time I update you all again about my arty endeavours. 

In my last posts I introduced a featured artist, Kristen, and I shared with you the beautiful reversible art canvas she made for me with a dragon and an egg.

That really resonated with me and I knew I wanted to make Kristen something with a dragon as well. What better opportunity than for our birthdays for the middle of the year? (Both our birthdays and wedding anniversaries are similar dates, just kind of reversed) 

So I set about planning a beautiful art canvas for her, also featuring polymer clay, but I wasn't really happy with what I was planning. I felt it was too close to what she had done and not original enough. And while I was pondering one day my eyes fell on a set of plain, wooden nesting boxes I had purchased around last christmas. These boxes had recessed lids and in the recessions they all had a fitted canvas board. 

Muahahahahaaaaa, perfect.

After all, why stick to a plan that doesn't feel good enough when you can throw all planning overboard and get creative?

I stuck to the dragon scheme and developed a storyline, to develop as each nesting box is revealed inside the next. The materials I used were acrylic paints, polymer clay and mica powders, wire and seed beads, and last but not least, fabrics and varnish.

The first box tells the story of the beginning of a great love story between Mother earth and a dragon...

I also painted some iridescent medium onto the sides to emphasize the scales of the dragon.

The story continues when the two lovers meet to place a great treasure under the tree of life...

I used the same iridescent medium to make the stars of the universe. The tree fitted nice and snug into the recessed lid.

And the last box reveals what this treasure is all about...

And to finally reveal the treasure within...

I have to admit, it was very hard to let them go to their new home, I enjoyed making every single box and coming up with the story, and basically a lot of heart and thought went into this. I will admit that I did not use all of the canvas boards that came with the set for the set. I indeed was so sad to have to part with this project I decided to use them for myself (there was no more space for them in the boxes anymore anyway), and I made muself another swirly-rooted tree and another mother earth face canvas. They are a little sentimental reminder of this creative adventure. 

As things are, I am in the middle of a christmas project for Kristen. I am trying to get it finished in the next few days so I can still mail it to her in time for Christmas, but I might not be able to pull it off. I might have to post it too late, but should that be the case of course I will let her know.

And now, as a last small visual treat, here is a picture of all the boxes together.