Camper Update

I just got back from another summer trip. This time it was back home to Chicago to visit my Mom and sister with the kids. We do it twice a year and get to visit amazing places with family. This year we added a trip to the top of Willis Tower, the American Girl store, and as always to go see the Bean sculpture at Millenium Park. I love that sculpture - I don't think I could ever tire of it.

So now I am back to work and getting worried about school and the fall art shows coming on fast. I am committed to have my camper gallery up and running before Columbus Day weekend for our Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour. 

It doesn't look like I've done much but at one point this baby was a military camper and in its many lives it gained many stickers! Before painting I had to remove them all, and sand. There is also some messy frosting like caulk that I am just trying to give a clean edge to so it doesn't look funny when being painted. My firend Lisa Is sooo good at this kind of stuff so I have her coming this week with her paint sprayer to kick the project in gear! First we are painting it with a primer for aluminum and then we need to paint it all white and then finally the color I choose for the camper. I want it white and something else... but still need to pick it.

In my original post I said I wanted to paint it turquoise but I talked one friend (so far) into doing a camper art gallery with me and hers came beautiful on the outside in a light turquoise. Can we say jealous much! She had the foresight to make a kickstarter fundraiser to help pay for it - I wish I had thought of that! Here's her website where you can see her beauty. Although the outside of hers looks great she still needs to empty the inside and get it gallery ready. I love her idea of having a hanging system on the outside as well as the inside. http://www.kristinawentzell.com/

Okay so here is what colors I am trying to decide on... I already bought a red and white striped awning so it has to match that.



This is what I riginally wanted to do. I c ould just got a shade darker than Kristina's.



They actually look quite cool in red - especially if I add a zig-zag!



Or what about green?

I need your help and opinions! Make sure to look at Krisitina's to see why I am wavering on the turquoise!

Here's my original camper post where I talk about where I came up with the idea! http://www.nicolecaulfieldfineart.blogspot.com/2012/07/camper.html

Edit: It is now raining and it says rain for at least the next 5 days! ugh! Also there is one major snafu on the color. I have been given the good advice of keeping the color light because it will fade! Especially red so that is definitely out! ft!

Mushrooms Squared

Mushrooms Squared

8" x 8"

$200 original $50 framed print on canvas 

I thought I better do a couple of neutral ones to go with the series. This one has a lot of color actually for being a neutral! 

Blue & Yellow

Blue and Yellow Squared

(Peaches and Blueberries)

8" x 8"

Colored Pencil on Pastelbord

I was asked to do one that is blue and yellow, which sounds easier than it is. There are just not that many foods available that are blue. There is also the problem that I want all these pieces to actually taste good together - so I wouldn't for instance put together blueberries and squash. Anyway I came up with peaches, bananas, and blueberries and they did taste good together. We even went to the blueberry farm Monadnock Berries and picked the blueberries fresh. mmmmmmm

Watermelon Squared

Watermelon Squared 

8" x 8" 

$200 original

prints on canvas available on Etsy for $25 

My family and I just got back from a cruise to the Bahamas - not to be confused with the Colored Pencil On the High Seas cruise next sprint. This was strictly a family vacation and did not include colored pencil fun! We actually took the kids on a cruise though because we had so much fun on our first cruises that I did with Ann Kullberg. Its such an easy and fun way to vacation.

Anyway - we had a blast, but I hope you like my newest drawing Watermelon Squared! 

Camper

I was looking through images on Pinterest and came across this woman's Airstream Art Studio. She had her husband refurbish an old Airstream into a workable art studio. I searched more on the internet and also found this great dress shop in Portland Oregon, yes, out of a camper trailer.

I have to say I got a little obsessed, started a board on Pinterest for camper trailers, and talked about it with everyone. To my amazement when I was at work and again telling everyone about this great trailer idea., one of my coworkers said she had a camper that she might be able to sell! She offered it to me for dirt cheap so I could not say no (really honey).

It obviously is not an Airstream and since it is not that large I think an art studio is out... so I have a new idea of what to do with it inspired by the dress shop camper. My idea is to do it up like a vintage 50's, 60's camper (this one is from the 80's but is not too different) in a nice turquoise and white striped design and use it as a little art gallery. I know crazy right? But think about taking it to maybe a farmer's market with a little canopy on the front and selling my little 8x8 prints? Perfect right?

Even better if I can inspire some other artists and craftsmen to do the same, we could rent a lot to keep them on  and sell from the campers in the warmer months, or drive them to other areas and have our own art shows. If you want in - get a camper and let me know. 

For now I am busy making more 8x8's and getting this thing cutified. I am scraping the undercarriage and using some rustoleum over the rust on the bottom  right now. Booo. & am trying to figure out how to paint it. I am really liking something in turquoise with red or yellow accents like these I found online. I have some paint chips next to my door above that you can see I am testing before getting out a sprayer!

   

The inside of my trailer has already been gutted (dead mice removed) and thin wood paneling put up. I want to fix some of the paneling that is coming popping out, paint it out again, make some curtains and maybe put up some picture rails to hold artwork. The kids right now are using it for sleepovers while I am working on the outside. I even slept out in it one night with my daughter.  We just popped a couple of mattresses in there now but I am looking into some foldout futon chairs/small couches. You can see the ones I pinned on Pinterest.