I'm totally backlogged with working on the chemistry class starting soon. Eight high-school students, $1000 in laboratory equipment, and multiple books to wade through while writing the syllabus; that's where I am.
So now is a good time to post about the treasure box I painted in a bit of free time a couple of weeks ago. This is cigar box #4, for which I used a brand new box from Michael's rather than a recycled box. I also challenged myself to simplify the surface by using printed imagery rather than my own painting. The bird, leaves and a flower on the back were cut out and applied with a bit of gel medium. I approached the project with the thought in mind that I might teach a class or write an article to submit to a magazine somewhere, so I wanted it to be doable by anyone, even those convinced they can't paint.
I especially love the first stanza from Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, handwritten on the side:
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
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