LEGO Starry Night Build

My husband Jon, the absolute love of my life, is not an artist. I'd love it if he would guest write an RSAS blog post about what it's like being a non-creative person in a relationship with an artist, because I know he would put a hilarious spin on it. It's no contest, I love art a lot more than he does. But he loves ME, and gives me art gifts because he knows how much I will love them.

 

In my art collection are a few prized pieces: two of Danielle Clouse-Gast's paintings, one painting by Laura Enninga, a painting by my college pottery professor, and a large 16"x20" marker drawing that my stepsons Connor and Joel worked on for an entire weekend (and killed every one of my green markers in the process.) I also have one of a (so far) limited number of LEGO Starry Night sets. If you haven't read it, I have a post about LEGO sets as art. This one is a LEGO set recreating one of the most famous paintings in the world, Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. Jon gave me the set for Christmas/my birthday. 

A small but entertaining detour: I told Jon I didn't need any presents for my birthday, because this LEGO set was such a big gift. Unrelated to my birthday, Jon had picked up a new sled for the girls that he saw on sale, and left it in the garage. The night before my birthday, Jon told the girls (ages 3 and 5) that "tomorrow is Mom's birthday!" and they asked me if I was going to open SO MANY PRESENTS! Jon informed them that I did not have presents to open because I didn't want any presents and they were HORRIFIED for me! Fast forward to the next morning when Jon was taking Emma to school, and they see the new sled in the garage. They get excited and ask, "Is that new sled for Mommy for her birthday?!" and Jon replies, "Yes." So for my 37th birthday, I got a new sled and a new LEGO set. And, as is tradition, the first time I used my new sled I hit a cable box and injured my leg for the next week. 

But I digress. As I built my Starry Night, I documented my progress with still photographs. I put them all together in a video that shows the set being put together. What took me hours to make over several weeks, you can watch in a matter of minutes! I'm no professional videographer, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. :) 

Watch the video here on YouTube.

Artist Interview: Danna Fruetel, Centre for Arts and Artists

Danna Fruetel, of Newton, IA, is the first scratchboard artist I’ve had the joy of meeting in person. Scratchboard art utilizes an artistic technique of engraving, where a surface is layered with different materials/colors, usually with a dark color (like black) on the topmost layer. When the surface is scratched with a sharp instrument, it reveals the color (typically white) underneath. Once the engraving is completed, it can then be colored with paint.

“A Little Wild Thing”, 8”x10” scratchboard

“Many have said that my scratchboard work looks like embroidery,” Fruetel said, “and I am perfectly OK with that description of it. I am certainly an artist that thinks out of the box and I’m not one to follow any trends. My art comes from within and flows out of my hands.” Beautifully expressed! 

I can practically taste this piece.

Fruetel is known for her scratchboard art, and while that is her “serious” medium, she also paints in gouache (opaque watercolor) and acrylic. “When I just want to have fun outside painting (something scratchboard doesn’t work well for) I do gouache. It’s so portable and with my disability, that is important to me. When I want to do a larger painting in my studio I’ll turn to acrylic paint. It’s not as easy to work with as gouache but for larger pieces, it’s a better choice.” 

This one feels very bio-mechanical to me, what do you think?

I haven’t personally used scratchboard as a medium yet, but if you are interested in it you’re in luck because Fruetel teaches a number of different classes! “I do teach workshops on both scratchboard and gouache painting and I’ve also taught a workshop on creating mandalas. These are 3-hour introduction workshops. For my gouache class, I bring all of the supplies and we do 3 paintings, the final one is a master’s study of the student's choice. Master studies are a great way to experiment with a new medium.” Fruetel plans on teaching 2 gouache workshops this summer, one was on June 3rd at Art Domestique in Washington, Iowa the other will be held on August 12th at the Centre for Arts and Artists in Newton, Iowa. “On July 15^th at The Left Bank, I will be doing a scratchboard demo during the opening of my scratchboard show. I would like to plan a scratchboard workshop somewhere in the NW corner of Iowa but I haven’t done that yet.”

Currently, Fruetel is working on some long-term projects. One of them is her Master’s Certification in the Scratchboard Society. There are 4 levels in the Scratchboard Society and she is currently a Signature Member. “I feel I’m close to the master level,” she said. “But my technique isn’t as polished as it needs to be. That is my biggest focus at the moment.”

Check out this intricate repeating pattern!

She’s also working on a large series of gouache and scratchboard mandalas (large geometric designs, usually in a circle as the word “mandala” in ancient Sanskrit means “circle”.) “The gouache ones go much faster so I can do a couple in a month.” For these pieces, she’s taking her inspiration from both nature and industrial things. “Each one is hand drawn and it takes about a week to draw out my design.”

“Awakening of Color”, 16”x20” colored scratchboard

Her scratchboard art will be on display from mid-July through August at The Left Bank in McGregor, IA. Fruetel also has two summer shows this year of her mandalas. One will be in June at Art Domestique in Washington, IA and the other one will be during the month of August at Cafe Deim in Ames, IA.

Stunning work!

“Every year the scratchboard society has an exhibition somewhere in the world. The next one is in October and it will be in Arizona. I am working seriously on my entries for that exhibition. Scratchboard is not a fast medium and one piece can take easily over a month to do.”

“I’m also the President of Iowa Artists and that of course is a focus in my life for another year. My favorite part is connecting artists around Iowa with the art centers and galleries that need them. I’m putting together a spreadsheet of artists that are ready to teach a workshop or hang a show. This will be shared on the website so that others can reach out directly to the artists.”

Fruetel’s go-to “sharp things.”

I ask every artist I interview what their favorite tool is for making art, and I laughed when I read Fruetel’s answer: “I like sharp things. Hardware stores are a great place to find them… When I color my scratchboard I use Bombay Ink because it is the most lightfast. My favorite gouache paint is Holbein Artists Gouache. I don’t buy expensive brushes.”

“Family Treasures”, 5”x7” colored scratchboard

I also ask every artist about a struggle or stumbling block in their artistic journey. But Fruetel replied, “I’m not a person who focuses on stumbling blocks as everything is there to help me grow.” I mean, I ask because it’s so easy to think that the finished pieces we post on social media are created with ease when in reality we all struggle with something… But what a positive outlook and great answer to the question!  

“A couple of years ago my biggest issue was figuring out what I really wanted to focus on. I had stopped working and I had the time to do what I wanted to do, I just had to figure out what that was. By keeping an art scrapbook (see video above) I learned what I really liked and started heading in that direction. I made sure that I kept the artist's name with the inspirational art and began to follow each on social media. Many of them have followed me back and continue to inspire and encourage me. I also meditate every morning and that helps me keep the distractions away. The best way to describe the old me would be to watch the dog Dug from [the movie] “Up” when he yells ‘Squirrel’.”

What a scene; I love it so much!

Her experience working with other artists has taught her so much she wrote a whole list when I asked her what advice she would give to emerging artists. I’m saving that list for a guest post later on (link to come), but she did say this:

“Remember that being an artist is your dream and you are the one that is responsible for making it come true. Don’t count on others to show you the way. Carve your own path.” Well said!

If you’d like to see more of Fruetel’s artwork, check out her website at DannasDesigns.Weebly.com, or on Facebook. She also manages IowaPleinAirevents.com.