My First YouTube Video!

I did it you guys! I have been talking about it for a long time now and I finally did it. I made my first ever YouTube video. It's a timelapse video of a collage I did of my Grandma from start to finish. I have been thinking about doing this for a long time because people often tell me that they think my artwork is a painting until they see it up close. Once I explain that it's a collage made mostly from paper many people react by saying, "Ah, so you are painting with paper!" Yep, that's what I do. So I thought if I showed you the process it would be easier to understand. I have added a Technique page to this website where that video will live. But here it is for your viewing pleasure... http://youtu.be/DeoEY8ebs3M I think the reason this idea finally came to fruition is that I felt especially inspired to do a portrait of my grandmother since she passed away in July this year. She was also a collage artist and the one who inspired me to try making my first collage way back in middle school. She was my hero for so many reasons, so this was a really beautiful way to spend lots of time thinking about and honoring her life and spirit. What a beautiful soul. I really LOVE doing portraits - especially of people I know and love. There's something about spending that much time thinking about them and studying their every feature and nuance that feels so loving - nurturing in a way. It's a way for me to honor that person by focusing my creative energy on them for a long stretch of time. It's kind of like Reiki through glue. :-) This piece took about 8 hours to complete. It's done on an 8"x8" canvas. I started by gluing down a photo of my grandma and then using gesso over that image. It helps me get the proportions lined up the way I want. Sometimes I like to include a little piece of ephemera from that person's life. It may get completely covered, but I know it's in there. I like to embed the portrait with a little bit of the person's actual energy - like a foundation to build on. From there I sketch out some of the prominent features and start adding the collage over top. It's tedious, but I love it. Adding the documentation part was an interesting twist. I learned a lot about recording myself, iMovie and YouTube in the process. I totally got a kick out of how many YouTube tutorials on iMovie were done by children (like in the 8-12 year old range). Love how much technology is second nature to these kids (and I'm only in my 30s!). Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!