It's always a fun challenge to take on a project.
So that's just what I did!
This past Spring I painted an Art Box.
Whats that, you ask?
In my home town we have a wonderful program called
the San Jose Art Box Project
for artists to paint one of the many electrical boxes throughout our city.
I was lucky enough to paint one inside the
historical Rose Garden.
The electrical box is actually located inside the grounds
My design concept was based off roses, ofcourse!
I was also influenced by the history of the garden
and incorporated a 1930's theme.
I wanted to capture the different stages of roses
and designed those elements within my overall concept.
Each of the four sides and the top of the electrical box
would have a different rose found in the Rose Garden.
Staying true to my aesthetic, the roses needed to be
drawn in a style that represents my artwork.
Obviously, creating texture was not in the cards.
But I still wanted them to have some sort of
structure and line-work, that I love.
The following are the final designs done with markers,
that I presented to the Rose Garden.
Then I began my "templates" drawn to scale,
for the each of the sides of the box.
The family represents the 1930's theme, I was inspired by
postcards printed at that time.
The parents and young girl are taking a stroll through
the rose garden possibly on a Sunday afternoon.
So now the prep-work. I taped and primed the surface of
the electrical box before drawing on my designs.
I thought it looked pretty cool after the first
side was drawn on. It took longer that expected, ofcourse.
Here's a view from the street outside the Rose Garden.
I started painting the leaves, keeping it monochromatic.
Besides the occasional bug crawling in the paint,
and the wind drying my palette,
It rained a few days as well...
One day I painted inside a pop-up canopy.
It worked until the wind picked up again!
This is where I spent every weekend that I had free,
between two big art shows, family-life and a part-time job.
Just a stop a Starbucks for my Iced-Soy Latte
and I'm good for a few hours!
The yellow rose on the top, was one of
my favorite designs for this project.
My husband gives them to me on
our anniversary. :)
Here are some completed close-up details
showing my line-work which defines the
shapes and structures of the
rose petals, leaves and thorns:
Rose-hips and Thorns!
English Roses are another favorite of mine,
all those petals!
So here it is all completed.
I wanted to keep the background soft and neutral,
so it would not compete with the rose designs.
It was finished with a few coats of varnish.
This is my Joseph's Coat Rose, there is one just beyond
the box climbing on a fence close by.
So now it's off to a new project!
I hope my Art Box in the Rose Garden stays for many years,
and brings joy to those who visit!
I feel very fortunate to be so lucky for such an honor.
It was all worth it!
My art to yours,
Yvette
