Someone’s In The Kitchen With Aunty….

What’s cooking with Aunt Acid!

Originally uploaded by sarajane helm

I’m serving up a look at another assignment in my Photoshop II class. This one was to design a book cover using the various masks and modes that we’ve been studying. I also used three photos (good thing I’m also taking a digital photography class) and a food image that I created in Illustrator last semester–I LOVE Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop! (and I love using my homework more than once….thats Creative Leftovers which can be lovely reheated or served cold!

So here’s a look at what’s been cooking here at my house. Someday I’ll put the insides of this book together—I’m saving up some great recipes. But only the cover was this week’s project!

Aunt Acid’s Baby Book

aunt acid baby book

Originally uploaded by sarajane helm

What’s “real” when it comes to art and Adobe Photoshop, or the life of a puppet? That’s not a question that comes down to black and white, or even sepia tone!

If there was a book about Aunt Acid’s turn as a child star in Vaudeville, this would be it. It’s also my homework….

Here’s the “final product” in the Mask Layer and Vanishing Point Filter assignment for my Adobe Photoshop II homework. I love this class!

Aunt Nouveau

Aunt March

Originally uploaded by sarajane helm

Here’s Aunt Acid in a Nouveau Arts sort of way!
This was a fun assignment for part of my Adobe Illustrator class final project. It started with a photo for reference, but then I drew/created this image using the tools in Illustrator.  I love doing jewelry parts with the 3d tools and graphic styles and more…the pen tool was tough at first but now I know that its a wonderful thing!! What a great program!!

This one is a calendar pic for March 2010, part of a fictitious (but possible!) calendar featuring Aunt Acid in the homage to the styles of many artists.

Here you have a kinda-Mucha….sorta!

Aunty Warhol

If Aunt Acid were to write a tell-all book about her life as a modern muse and spokesmodel, this might be it. Of course, she’d NEVER do that—there are some things a body just keeps to themselves, if they are honorable.  And then there’s the stories you tell at private parties but never in print.  Although the most fascinating details might never hit print, there’s always something of interest going in THIS spokesmodel’s career, and its not just hitting the runways, or hitting the help like SOME supermodels. We pick up after ourselves around here, ladies and gents,  in the belief that no one is so special they can’t put their own undies in the hamper.

A calender of artistic spoofs is in the works for some future year, and here you see a print of Aunty in the style of Andy.

Aunt Acid’s Flower Power

April is always full of surprises, such as weather that can go from 15 inches of new snowfall to 80 degrees and balmy in just a day or two. Blossoms in the snow have been sighted recently.

It’s also yer auld Aunt Acid’s birth month!

Just a year ago, the wrappings came off and the beauteous mug that is mine-own shone forth!

In special celebration, here’s a  poster rendered in homage to the style of Alphonse Mucha and his lovely floral femmes.  Al  set the stage for beautiful curves in the art of advertising in his era.

This image also shows how flowers come together. No need to send the kiddies from the room–it’s just art, no birds and bees involved.

Everything’s Coming Up Aunty

Have you been wondering what yer old Aunt Acid’s been up to lately? well, life’s been busy as always. The gang is still renovating the theatre getting ready to Put On Shows and Friday nights are musicly hot at the Blue Swirl Bar and Grill.  While waiting for the paint to dry and those pesky building inspections  (we could have sworn the wiring was still good, but when sparks fly it probably should be the actors emoting, not the lights) the show still goes on..somewhere. Heres a picture of Aunt Acid co-starring in the Off Off Off Off Broadway re-make of “Babes In Bloom”. She wows ‘em once agaian with her stirring rendition of “Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees”. It was true when Flo Ziegfield first produced it in the 1930’s and its still true today, so dont believe anybody that says they’ll plant your dollars for next year’s crop.

A Valentine’s Wish

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you who celebrate this lovely holiday. May you always have access to as much chocolate as you want, and never have reason to regret it! Here’s a Valentine Collage made using Adobe Photoshop with a digital camera picture of polymer clay hearts, a scan of antique laces, a digital scan of a 35mm color slide by Bob Greiser of a polymer clay Shady Lady by Sarajane Helm and the letter “V” in a dingbat font called Vintage. Photoshop fun! When she’s not acting as head plaesthetician and wardrobe mistress around here, she’s back at college, learning how to tart things up even more around here.  She seems to think this counts as homework.

(Hershey’s) Kisses to you all from Aunt Acid and all the Ladies at Madame’s House.

Mushrooms From Outer Space

This is not a bad B movie premise…or rather, it goes far beyond that.

My dear friend Edward says that mushrooms first came to Earth from Outer Space.

He told me that the first spore arrived with meteors that struck the earth, carrying the beginnings of these fruiting funguses. Fungi? Yes, he is, but that’s a different story.

There are huge, massive, gigundous fungi that spread (some for miles)under the ground. What we know as “mushrooms” are the fruit, springing up after rains, when the weather and soil conditions are right.

The kinds that we can safely eat are just a few of the many that are growing in the wild. Most are pretty toxic to our systems in a liver and life threatening sort of way, so do NOT go out looking for myco-goodies in the cowpats in spring.  Those who study such things (mycology) will tell you that its safest to eat the mushrooms that are commercially grown. Liver failure is not a pretty thing, so stick with the varieties known to be safe…and ever so yummy!

That’s not such limiting advice, either, as there are many wonderful tasty varieties of edible mushrooms. Everybody has seen the button mushrooms sold at grocery stores and beloved on pizza. But there’s so much more! There are many kinds available between the big chain grocers, organic grocers, farmer’s markets and specialty markets. Shitake, Oyster Kings, and Lion’s Beard—some sound like rock bands or something out of Alice’s Wonderland. I like them best when sauteed in butter and garlic. But then, most foods are improved by a heated discourse with butter and garlic.  But maybe not ice cream or pancakes!!

Madame’s Boudouir

Here’s a peek into the private side of my dear friend Madame’s house. This is Madame’s own room. The bed is made with polymer clay over wooden skewers. Even the plants are polymer clay!

Madame’s vanity table in the corner of her room.

She’s got pics of Andy, Ava, and “Mr. K”. Ah, those were some memorable parties…..

Aunt Acid has friends in all SORTS of places, big and small! And these are small; 1/6 scale . Not including Mr. K.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Madame's House

Ring out the old, ring in the new!! Raise a toast of your favorite libation and drink it down to the dregs–Happy New Year from Madame to all!

This year we celebrate once again with a bottle of chilled Sparkling Cider and good friends at home. Madame is ready to celebrate as well! But she’s not just celebrating the birth of a new year, its Madame’s birthday too!! Born at the end of the year, she’s always ready for the next one to bring wonderful opportunities to celebrate. Her sisters are ready to assist!

Rod is popping out of the buttercream and chocolate cake…good thing Madame doesnt mind a little hair in the frosting, or a little frosting in the hair!

Happy Birthday to Madame!

Madame is 11 inches tall, and made of polymer clay. Photos by Bobby Grieser (1992)