Carey Burns

I started another assemblage piece called "The Remains of Love" and it started off great with separate pieces somehow just fitting together like magic. A pile of plastic bones...a cobbled-together Cupid...a very old photo of a bride and groom... To say I  am a novice at this "art" thing is a big understatement. I'm getting better, but am still figuring out what supplies do (and don't) play well together. The first mishap was learning that the adhesive I used to attach a bisque doll to a metal piece failed when a rusting agent was applied. There was some cursing, but I got over it. The bisque figure was missing its arms Originally, this was going to be a harpy but the arrows made me think Cupid The second mishap was the glitter texture I wanted over the plastic bones. For some reason, the acrylic paint I used just didn't want to stick to the plastic. Never had this problem before, it was frustrating. Then the glitter was too big and totally...

I've been working on quite a few artsy projects lately and have posted a few on my Etsy store for sale. One that I'm really proud of is "The Perils of Being a Mermaid." This piece started when I found two old wooden drawers at an antique fair. $8 for the pair was just the right price, even if I didn't know what I'd do with them. The next thing I found was a really neat antique Arthur Court picture frame with wonderful details of seaweed, fish, and shells. It was broken so I think I only paid $6 for it. While wandering around a few antique malls in Southern Illinois, I stumbled upon a bag of three antique bisque figurines for $4 and the mermaid inside was just what I was looking for! A humble beginning With the basics covered, I decided to add some texture to the background with molding paste. With a paint knife, I added some lines in hopes they would look like ripples in the water. I used Tim Holtz Distress Stain. Making the depths I almost left t...