Clarissa Callesen Creator of Strange and Wonderful Things

PlAyiNg with Surface texture

2012-02-08T19:29:00.001-08:00

So in between what has been a pretty darn busy January, I did get a chance to do some playing with fabric surface techniques. I did these experiments leading up to my Steampunk Sally class in my home studio. It was a lot of fun to try some new things and then I got to play around with Photoshop on top of the pictures.

YAY! a little time for playing!

I have been wanting to play with rusting fabric for quite sometime now. I just hadn’t got around to it. This isn’t the best results ever, I didn’t take much time in preparing the doll, but good color and good potential…

How did I do it:

Wrapped the fabric of the doll body in steel wire that was already starting to rust and thin pieces of steel wool.

Then I sponged on generous amounts of Sophisticated Finishes Rusting Solution and then went to bed.

Next morning rusty headless doll… Ok she was headless before I started but it sounds more dramatic…

Mummy Doll… I love the look of fabric wrapped and bound layer upon layer. Easy Peasy…

Tear strips of white cotton fabric, I used an old sheet.

Wrap and tie … rinse and repeat till your happy.

Secure ends with a little gel medium. Let dry

Then apply washes of Walnut ink.

Fake Batik… or Spots and Stripes…

I painted melted beeswax on to the fabric body in you guessed it stripes and spots.

Then painted Walnut Ink washes over the wax and fabric

Used a heat gun to melt the wax and blot off excess…

Then washed the doll “lightly” to tone down Walnut Ink.

Unknown bonus from unknown causes…. cool red and blue stains from the stuffing in the doll..

Check out the yummy fabric scraps I have been

playing with also..

Lots of instant coffee and rit dye …

rinse repeat.. don’t rinse repeat…

TEACHING, teaching ALL over!

2012-01-27T18:22:00.001-08:00

Whew! Through the xmas season and time to breathe… oh wait its the end of January and I fill like I have been going, going, going! I am teaching a fair amount in my home studio and I have a pretty full schedule for teaching at Art Retreats out and about.

MARCH 2012

I am sure you have probably heard already, but 2012 is going to be the last year for Artfest in Pt.Townsend… cue sad sad music and tears… But I am teaching fun fun classes there!

There are still spaces available don’t miss this amazing retreat that will be missed dearly

STEAMPUNK SALLY class full

WILD THINGS spots still available

MAY 2012

I will be teaching at CREATE in Irvine, Ca

for the first time May 30-June 3

AUGUST 2012

I will be teaching and vending at Art Unraveled

in Phoenix, AZ July 30 - August 7
Embassy Suites , Phoenix-Scottsdale location

OCTOBER 2012

And wrapping up the year teaching at Art and Soul in Portland, OR Oct 1-7 Red Lion on the River

Doll Transformed

Junque Crow

Hope to see you at one or more venues!

Allied Arts Opens This Friday at 10 am!

2011-11-17T11:19:00.001-08:00

The Xmas season has officially began! I spent the last two days setting up Allied Arts literally two 8 hr days. I have So much stuff there. Then of course I have been working the last 6 weeks to get stuff ready. I am ready for a vacation, too bad this is just the beginning!

I have lots of new original one of a kind pieces so shop early!

The official info:

Allied Arts Holiday Festival from 11/18/2011 to 12/24/2011 same location as last year, the old Michael's Building at 3548 Meridian Street, just South of the Bellis Fair Mall, Bellingham, WA

The 32^nd Annual Holiday Festival of the Arts is a six week long festival featuring the work of over one hundred local artisans and craftspeople. The affordable handmade products range from jewelry to paintings to wearable art to specialty foods. Weekends are packed with activities; hear live local music, catch some of our artists in action, and bring the kids in for fun art projects.
The festival will be open weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Join us for a special night, December 2rd during the festival to meet some of the artists and do some exclusive shopping. We will also be open Monday and Tuesday, December 20th and 21st for last minute shopping before Christmas. The Festival will close at 3pm on December 24th.

Here is a few teaser pictures of my booth and my worktable in the last weeks…

New free standing Harpy in the works

New booth decorations patiently made by my fabulous assistant Layla

New small original paintings on wood blocks and sacred heart assemblages

Steampunk dolls and skulls

New designs for my talisman hanging cards

Assemblages in process

Lots of pottery waiting for ribbons and hangers

Dick and Jane’s Spot

2011-11-12T07:52:00.001-08:00

Its November!!! Its raining and cold AND gray!

I know lets take a walk down to a beautiful summer day looking at an AMAZING art house and dream of making my house look “like” this some day…..

NOW BACK TO WORK!!!!

Xmas Rush

2011-10-31T09:32:00.001-07:00

I am eating sleeping and breathing making art right now…

I LOVE IT… its definitely not the most balanced way to live and my body misses exercise and healthy food.. lol…

But I am thriving on the rush of it… Here is a peak at some of what is happening in my studio…

work table

booth at Ruffles and Rust

New xmas ornaments

New dolls

Allied Arts Featured Artist

2011-10-05T17:32:00.001-07:00

2011 Juried Artist Series: Faces and Places

October 7th — 29th, 2011
Opening Reception: October 7th, 6-10pm
Exhibit Walk-Thru: opening night, 6:30-7pm
Gallery Hours: Mon. thru Fri. 10am to 5pm, Sat. 12 to 5pm

Faces and Places is a show featuring the work of Irene Lawson, Doug Banner, John D’Onofrio and Doug Waugh, all of whom have one thing in common; they are inspired by and find beauty in other cultures, folklore, and even scenes from our everyday lives.
In conjunction with this show, Allied Arts’ Inside the Box Series will feature work from Clarissa Callesen.

Callesen is a self professed “creator of strange and wonderful things.”
For more information visit www.alliedarts.org

Allied Arts October Newsletter

a little preview of some of the new pieces featured

Funky Seattle Restaurant Interior

2011-09-12T23:38:00.001-07:00

Bathroom door details with fancy ribbon

cool lamp

Amazing door… this is what I want my front door to look like

and Mary watching over the front door…

The food was mediocre but the decor was great…

Artsy Pictures from Portland Trip

2011-08-08T14:23:00.001-07:00

Layla and I took a lovely trip to Portland this spring to celebrate Layla’s Birthday. I had been to Portland several times to work, but they had always been quick trips mostly spent in hotels and convention centers. So I had never really got to enjoy the quaintness of Portland. Of course the quaintness of Portland has been artificially enhanced throw layers and textures on Photoshop.

This was a light fixture in an Anthropologie store made of plastic bottles that had been cut and painted. Brilliant use of recycling trash into art.

Architectural details on an unknown building

The disco version of the same details… Its too bright and weird for me, but thought the contrast was amusing.

More Anthropologie store decorations.. You know I really am not that crazy about the stuff they sell but they have brilliant store designers.

Portland love and a great use for a lot of wine bottles.

ARTFEST 2012

2011-08-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

The WEBSITE IS UP! The classes and teachers have been announced. I am honored to be teaching two classes

STEAMPUNK SALLY and WILD THINGS. Oh and the best part, I scheduled it so I GET TO TAKE A CLASS ONE DAY! In the beginning, I was questioning myself about not submitting more classes and teaching more days than two. You know being more responsible… more financially minded… But it was such the RIGHT decision for me. I need that recharge of taking classes, and that is what Artfest has been for me for years. It was SO exciting to get to teach for the first time last year, but I did really miss taking classes. So in 2012 I get to have the best of both worlds!

Class Samples for STEAMPUNK SALLY

Class samples for WILD THINGS

Artfest is such an amazing experience for the seasoned artist or the just beginning.

Registration begins on Sept. 1, 2011

and classes fill up fast so register early!

Saint Serene Art Doll

2011-07-22T16:12:00.001-07:00

I want to share with you part of the process of creating

Saint Serene the Circus Goddess Art Doll

She started with some very humble beginning. If you have been paying attention to my blog and ramblings, then you know I have an affection for reclaiming terribly tacky commercial objects and turning them into works of art rich with texture, soul , and a good dose of STRANGE.

Saint Serene’s humble beginnings… Check out that dress!

Next stop completely deconstructing the doll down to the bare bones. I then use my pyromaniac technique that involves lots of paint and a blow torch to create a cratered cracked surface that is completely unique and ancient looking.

Then my favorite part, painting the face. I was experimenting with a different approach to this face. I used a Picasso painting as inspiration and then played around till I was happy.

Then her cloth body is stained with diluted paint and walnut ink. I created her “clothes” out of a vintage doily and some well loved silk flowers. I don’t get too concerned with creating a costume as just embellishing and suggesting clothing. I found a piece of old maribou that became her collar.

Serene on the work table trying out clothing options

Completed Doll

The only left from her origins is the shape and stance of her body. Also that quaint tip of her head.

She became a saint when the nativity Virgin Mary decided to be the perfect accessory for Serene’s hat. Of course after a good coat of pint paint.

Saint Serene Circus Goddess is STILL AVAILABLE

to add to your

Strange and Wonderful Collection!

ArT CaRs FrEMoNt fAiR

2011-07-20T18:15:00.001-07:00

So I was a vendor at the Fremont Solstice Fair this past month. As a vending experience not so fun or profitable…boo! But the ART CARS were amazing as always. So I wanted to take you on a little visual tour. Now as a photographer I am not very good at documenting the the subject in its entirety. I tend to be much more attracted to small snippets of color and pattern or close ups of texture.

I have had a certain affection for false teeth in my assemblages but WOW this is a lot of dental detritus attached to a car…

and what would Art Cars be without pink flamingos!!

This was by far my favorite car! Bones and Rust! You can’t go wrong in my book!

Then a Steam punk Car that has been to Black Rock City

Liked the blue and gold! Very Classy

And everyone needs an ATTACK SQUIRREL!!!!

This car was amazing the entire thing covered with a yarn patterns held in velcro backing …

Geometric designs to make your eyes cross!!

READY TO START ON YOUR OWN ART CAR NOW?

HaRpiEs, HaRPiES EvErY WhErE

2011-07-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

I seem to be kind of obsessed with the image of a woman’s face on a bird body or a harpy. But Mythologically speaking or in modern slag the Harpy’s reputation is not a pretty one.

HARPY

–noun, plural -pies.

Classical Mythology . a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.

( lowercase ) a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman;shrew.

( lowercase ) a greedy, predatory person.

In earlier Greek mythology, Harpies were described as beautiful, winged maidens. So what happened? I have some feminist theories about what happen, but alas this blog is actually about art. I have been making lots of Harpies lately and it has been an image that has been in my sketch books for years.

Mixed Media painting done a few years ago

Assemblage Harpy made with a porcelain doll head

on a fake crow body made this spring for Artfest

Class sample from Happy Harpies at Artfest 2011

made of a vintage compostite doll head with eyes

that blink on a tacky Christmas bird decoration.

My circus Harpy painting

Collage and Acrylics on Canvas 2009

A bit scarier Harpy made of a composite Virgin Mary head with wings made out of gut stretched over wire

Geisha Harpy made this spring from a doll head I had in my childhood available on ETSY

ArTsY FaRtsY Art FeSt PiCtuReS

2011-06-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

These are some Photoshop creations from photos from Ft. Worden. I stayed in an officers house this year for the first time and absolutely loved the molding and architectural details in the house. So in the few spare moments I had I took pictures inside the officers house and then I have combined them with tree and landscape pictures I have taken other years. I am enjoying the contrast and connection between the architectural and the natural.

JuNk BiRd & HaPpY HaRpiES ClAsSeS

2011-05-03T22:21:00.001-07:00

Day two of Artfest was spent making Junk Birds out of scrap of fabric and feathers. It was a super fun silly class with lots of creative exploration. It was inspirational to see what other people did with a form that I have worked with a lot!

Day three was Happy Harpy class and I was a tired tired girl.. The work was outstanding in this class as well but alas I did not do a good job of photo documentation.

A big THANK YOU to all my great students at Artfest !!!

ArT FeST ClAsS/ DoLL tRaNsFoRmED

2011-04-29T09:30:00.001-07:00

Wow! teaching my first class at ArtFest…It was super exciting and a bit nerve racking, but oh so satisfying. I had the best students that did the most creative work. I was great to watch a room full of people work within a format I work in all the time and see the incredible diversity of approaches and styles. I can’t help but be influenced by the creativity of my students… So here is a photo documentation of Doll Transformed Class Artfest 2011…

Great to see it in print….

This is what a lot of the dolls looked like before we got started

These pictures that follow are from Show and Tell night, after the students have got to do some final touches and refining. I was blown away by the creativity and quality of everyone’s work.

SpRiNg ArTwOrK

2011-04-25T18:45:00.001-07:00

It has been a productive and good Spring so far. Well using the word “spring” metaphorically since its just been the last couple of weeks that it has actually felt like spring outside.

Keeping up with all aspects of being an artist and still having a life continues to be challenging and in that process things like my blog get neglected. I do love being self employed though! It is hard and not for everyone, but I cherish the ability to have more time with my chosen family and more flexibility to enjoy what life brings my way. My mantra these days… MAKE ART… LOVE PEOPLE… THE REST WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.

But back to the artwork, I wanted to share with you some of the new work I have been doing this spring. Most of this work was made to go to Artfest and a fair amount of it has found new homes. Oh Artfest!!! was amazing and I have pictures and stories to come…

This piece was in the Gallery at Artfest and is still AVAILABLE.

I had these old hanging vegetable baskets in my studio forever and then suddenly brilliance struck and the smallest basket became the skirt on this girl with a bird on her head. AVAILABLE

Another smaller “snow queen” doll who started her life as a terribly tacky ballerina doll from the dollar store. SOLD

Ok a bit darker now… its hard to see from this view but there is a small baby with a skeleton face riding a cockroach on the stomach of this “clown” SOLD

Ok still having a strong fascination with Bunny people…

This falls into the sort of sweet with a heavy side of creepy or weird? How would you describe it?

This piece is using a new technique I am playing with that combines plaster on top of reclaimed porcelain dolls. AVAILABLE

Mermaid doll with apoxy sculpt octopus that I LOVE and lower body and fins made with gut over the top of a wire armature. One of my favorite pieces this spring. SOLD

A larger “snow princess” SOLD

This is probably my most favorite doll of this group of work. The face was inspired by a Picasso painting and is different than my normal style. It has a very circus feeling and I love the fact that the doll is of ambiguous gender. AVAILABLE

Bone Head doll with some darker energy and tons of fun texture! AVAILABLE

So this is another new technique I have been messing around with and I am considering submit a class proposal for next years Artfest. What do you think? The technique is basically Frankenstuffed animal. Take an ugly stuffed bunny cut its face off… replace with doll head.. cut bunny paw off replace with old doll arm… reshape and recreate with sewing and painting… SOLD

A sweet little tin with a hybrid swan woman. I do so enjoy working in a small format… AVAILABLE

So I have been recreating/ resurrecting used porcelain dolls for quite a few years now. I have also worked in ceramics for the last 12 years, and I HAD NEVER THOUGHT TO MAKE MY OWN CERAMIC DOLL HEADS! Laughing at myself! So these are some new one of a kind doll heads either for making your own doll or for just a small unique sculpture.

Bunny and Knob Head SOLD Angel AVAILABLE

TiCkLeD PiNk

2011-02-04T09:20:00.001-08:00

I have a new gallery in Seattle

representing my work!!!

A really cute funky gallery on Greenwood ran by a great lady.

TASTY

And I have work featured in there Feb group show

TICKLED PINK

featuring art by women only

Opening night Feb 11th 6-10pm

A LITTLE PREVIEW OF SOME OF

THE FUN PIECES I HAVE THERE!

This piece features the body of a vintage composite doll with the original clothes just altered slightly, and one of my favorite found objects, spent firecrackers aged by the weather.

This is a tiny piece aprox 2.5” across. I am using a technique taught by Micheal de Meng that involves deconstructing small toys and creating new creatures utilizing epoxy clay.

I love working small and love how this little woman turned out. She lives in a metal strainer with the toe of a crochet baby boot as her backdrop.

Another fun small piece using similar techniques

One of my creepy cute stuff animal hybrids.

If your in the Seattle Area stop

by at the opening on Feb 11th

and say hello!

CoVeT sHoW

2011-01-24T12:27:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the other pieces that were featured at the Dec show at Covet Boutique.

“My Lucky True Love” $65

I think this is probably one of my favorite pieces from the show. The horse shoe is actually a pony shoe that I got at the witches market in Mexico City. This pieces is still available.

“Protect My Love” SOLD

included another favorite artifact from Mexico City

a metal rat trap that I rusted in my back yard.

“My Heart Grew Up to be a Swan” SOLD

“Sewing Up the Wounds of My Daily Habit” $140

The Heart started as a cheesy Halloween decoration, I stitched, painted , and recreated the heart and then paired it with vintage wallpaper, text and mail. My favorite part is the old sewing kit on top of the heart which I added a cigar band to.

“The wound of losing someone must be sewn up daily, over and over again”

“Long Long Ago” Available $130

“Putting the Heart to Rest” SOLD

“She Wore Her Heart on Her Sleeves and Her Skirt”

Available $200

HaPpY NeW YeAR

2011-01-04T09:07:00.001-08:00

The Holiday Season is officially over and I can return to the world of blogging. Of course now I am out of the habit so do bare with me, I will find my blogging legs again. There was So much art made and sold in the last two and a half months. Which means lots of new pictures of new art. I enjoyed some really joyful, fun time with my family of choice for the holidays and I feel incredibly blessed with my life.

(my amazing solstice present)

I think there may be a bit of a colorful phase going on with me! Oh I am still in love with all those faded subtle tones found in weathered objects, but I have been enjoying an affair with a more colorful palette. These are two paintings that I did for the Heartache and Rust show at Covet boutique.

I feel like such a baby painter… I am mostly ok with these paintings and it was good to do them. I really like the colors and the imagery. I am still struggling with executing things the way I imagine in my head.

These pieces were about heartache and loss. They started as rough sketches in a journal while trying to process the loss of a really important friendship. As I worked with the images, the symbolism of loss became less specific to my situation and more about the universal human experience of loss and heartache. For me one of the most poignant visual image of loss has been that of a mother holding the body of a deceased child. That is a very literal image of grief, but in sitting with the image the mother and child became very symbolic. I think most of us have felt like our hearts were injured and bleeding at some point in our lives, and had the desire to cradle and hold that injured part of ourselves in our arms like a small child.

Happy healing of all the our hurts in this new year!!

HoLiDaY fEsTiVaL sChEduLe

2010-11-18T13:44:00.001-08:00

Happy Blustery Fall!

I can't believe its that time again, but the Holiday festivals are upon us!

I would like to join you to come and explore and enjoy my newest strange and wonderful creations at the following venues.

Allied Arts Holiday Festival OPENS THIS FRIDAY

November 19^th – December 24^th 2010

The festival will be open weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Join us for a special night, December 3rd during the festival to meet some of the artists and do some exclusive shopping.

We will also be open Monday and Tuesday, December 20th and 21st for last minute shopping before Christmas. The Festival will close at 3pm on December 24th.

3548 Meridian St. Bellingham (just South of Bellis Fair Mall, the old Michaels building)

Bellingham, WA

* Unfortunately I will not be present for the Artist opening on the 3rd, but please don't hesitate to call if you have questions about any of the work. 360-305-9058

Gallery Opening for "Heartache and Rust" Mixed Media Assemblages and Paintings By Clarissa Callesen

at Covet Boutique

Friday and Saturday Nov 26, 27 6-9pm Fairhaven Holiday Gallery Walkabout

Covet Boutique (Located in McKenzie Alley, in the historic Fairhaven district. We're hard to find, but worth it!)

1311 11th Street Bellingham, WA

Come join me at this hidden jewel of a little gallery to celebrate a new body of work inspired by two of my favorite subjects "Heart Ache and Rust".
The show will be on display through the end of December.

Art Festival in Seattle! Phinney Neighborhood Association Winter Festival and Craft Fair

December 4 and 5, 2010

10am – 5pm on both days

6532 Phinney Ave N

Seattle WA 98103

* Booth location- BLUE Bldg -Main Fl, Rm 1
(206) 783-2244

* please feel free to call or email if you have further questions about any of the shows or the artwork. 360-305-9058

To keep up with my crazy artsy life follow me on facebook or my blog

SNEaK pEeK At WoRK tABle

2010-11-06T22:57:00.001-07:00

I am up to my elbows in making work for the upcoming holiday season. Been working on some new designs and wanted to share some sneak peeks at the works in progress. I have been making lots of new jewelry designs and am really enjoying working in that medium.

Student Work

2010-10-19T02:12:00.001-07:00

The Beginning Stages…

The finished or almost finished dolls…..

I was really impressed with the work done in this class and these are small detailed dolls….. Good Work Class!!

BurRniNg Man 2010 SiLly PiCtUrEs

2010-10-07T16:37:00.001-07:00

So last post was my “serious art” shots of Burning Man, these are my “silly art” shots!

BuRNiNg MaN 2010

2010-10-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

Burning Man was challenging this year for me… First off there was the weather. This year I decided not to pack all my heavy coats and cold weather clothes that I had packed so many times before and had NEVER used… Well that just assured that it was freezing cold and rainy in the desert at the end of August.

Then there was the temple. The temple is probably one of the most important parts of Burning Man for me, and this year I just didn’t connect with it. I completely appreciate and support the HUGE amount of work it takes to create a structure like that and I think they achieved their aesthetic objectives. It just didn’t resonate with me personally.

I wasn’t as physically strong this year as I have been in past years and Burning Man is a physical endurance test!!!

But besides my whining, There was still lots of FUN to be had and LOTS OF AMAZING ART to see and photograph. I do believe Burning Man is one of the most fun places to take photos. Participated in a couple of parade/ processions this year for the first time and that was fun and visually beautiful. Did the RED parade because it is my favorite color, and did the white procession at dawn which was magical and beautiful. I continue to be amazed at the physical beauty found in that desolate piece of land. The sky is so immense and blue and the sunset and sunrise so amazing set against the mountains surrounding the playa.

Now on with the photos…..

Charlene the mannequin that we strapped to the roof of the Subaru for the road trip… Boy did it make for fun conversations and funny looks on the drive!

The Temple

Bliss Dance 40ft high

Had a lot of fun taking photos at night, played around with my camera settings and got some shots I was happy with this year at night.

EcO-SpArK BlOG

2010-09-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

One of my junk birds was featured in this Eco-Spark blog about recycling clothes into art!!! What fun!

http://www.handmadespark.com/blog/eco-spark-recycling-clothes/

Also love this monster made out of recycled sweaters featured in same article

A ThEmE

2010-09-25T12:29:00.001-07:00

There seems to be a theme in my self portraits that I was completely unaware. Pictures of me with no makeup looking serious with fire of some kind behind me. I took this most recent self portrait at Burning Man 2010 and made it my profile picture on Facebook,

only to realize how similar it was to this picture taken four years ago late in the evening while I was firing a large gas kiln. Odd…. but cool serendipity

HoUsE ViGnEttEs

2010-09-24T17:46:00.001-07:00

Some more pictures of some of my favorite things in my home played with in Photoshop. I am getting more of a handle on editing the texture layers to work better with the photo. I find it strangely relaxing to edit photos…. hmmmm

BuNNy EaRs FoR EvErYoNE

2010-09-12T17:37:00.001-07:00

Not sure what came over me, perhaps it was the ADO wonderland event or watching the fabulous stop motion Czech film “Alice” That featured Alice turning into a doll, a fabulously creepy taxidermy rabbit, a sock puppet caterpillar and fabulous creatures made out of bones and found objects.

But almost everything I created in the summer had rabbit ears!! Very weird..

On with the show…

It was a silly/sick joy to cut the face off of this Hallmark stuffed bunny (upclycled from Goodwill) and replace it with one of my sweet but strange baby faces. Reminds me a bit of Max from Where the Wild Things are, simultaneously sweet and rough at the same time.

Then there is this little bunny man…

He started his life our as a cloth and clay animal of some kind. When I found him in my stash there was no head left but cute paws and feet still. So I did a little creative transplant with a baby Jesus from a nativity scene, and then sculpted some new bunny ears and an anatomical heart out of Apoxy sculpt. The perfect aged house shape was a salvaged from an old bird house.

And then here is the rascal that started this trend…

finished with his ruffled pants.

EtSy TrEaSuRY

2010-08-17T01:17:00.001-07:00

Mean Mister Mustard sleeps in the park / Shaves in the dark trying to save paper / Sleeps in a hole in the road / Saving up to buy some clothes ...

My Yellow Queen Butterfly was included in this fun Etsy Treasury

For the Beatles Song Lyric Challenge: Mean Mr. Mustard Treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c644a5ced3e8eef11299a7c/mean-mr-mustard

ArTFeSt 2011

2010-08-11T16:46:00.001-07:00

I am super proud and excited to announce that I have been invited to teach at ArtFest 2011, March 24-28th in Pt. Townsend, WA. I will be teaching all three days, with three different classes. Its a popular event so register early.

Doll Transformed

Junk Birds

Happy Harpies

If your not familiar with Artfest, it is an amazing experience. Talk to people… Check it out.. I have gone as a student for years and I live on a starving artist budget so coming up with the tuition was always a bit challenging. But every year after I had gone and make art, laughed,made new friends, and soaked up the beautiful environment. It feels worth every penny!!

Jack Knife Butterfly / Found Object Assemblage by ClarissaCallesen

2010-08-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

Jack Knife Butterfly / Found Object Assemblage by ClarissaCallesen:
Description
Jack Knife Butterfly
Original Found Object Assemblage
By Clarissa Callesen

6.5” x 8” x 1.5'
Ready to hang
Signed on back

I found this beautiful old jack knife that had obviously been well loved at a garage sale and it became the center piece the body for this butterfly creature.
The face is one of my hand sculpted ceramic charms. The wings are constructed of glorious flotsam and jetsam, including old lace, ribbon, wooden beads, brocade,and buttons.
The entire piece is mounted on a rusty tin and a beautiful piece of old tongue and grove from a deconstructed box.
All my pieces are signed on the back and finished with a matte sealing spray and beeswax.

please email if you have further questions..."

ArT FeStiVaL tHiS WeEkEnD

2010-07-28T10:36:00.001-07:00

Come celebrate summer this weekend at the

BELLINGHAM ART FESTIVAL

and chalk art festival…

Saturday, July 31st, 10am to 6pm
Sunday, August 1st, 11am to 5pm
1200, 1300, and 1400 Blocks of Cornwall Ave in Downtown Bellingham, Washington

I am only doing a few art shows these days so don't miss this opportunity to see and shop my work.

I will have some new strange and wonderful things and I will also have some discounts on some older pieces.

Look forward to seeing YOU!

aN eVeNiNG sTrOlL

2010-07-26T23:03:00.001-07:00

I have been enjoying the warm summer evenings lately. I love how late it stays light out. Played tourist in my own home town on an evening stroll with a lovely companion and took pictures of downtown Bellingham. Of course then I had to thoroughly mess with them in Photoshop…

Title page… lol.. I want to learn more about making text interesting and harmonious… this just reminded me of how little I have worked with text.

There is a Sebastian sculpture exhibit in Downtown Bellingham and thus the large geometric sculptures.

Ok and this is my one unaltered photo, which is actually a pretty good photo… but a bit boring and brochure like for my taste. Ok now back to crazy photos.. There is a knit tree in front of NW handspun yarns on Commercial and I am in LOVE! I want to start decorating the trees in my yard!!

Ok… don’t expect the tree to look like this is real life.. this last one was a bit of knit tree on LSD…

ThE WiNNeR iS.....

2010-07-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

The winner of my first blog give away is ... Wondrous Strange who has some really amazing work in her etsy shop. I will drop her a note on etsy and get her new art work in the mail!! That was fun!! Wonder what else I can find to give away...

In other news I have been down and out with zombie tonsillitis and have not been up to much besides moaning and groaning, but on the mend and be on the look out for some new posts and exciting news!!

ALSO NEXT WEEKEND, I will be vending at BELLINGHAM ARTS FESTIVAL

July 31, Aug 1... Don't miss this small but high quality art festival!!

LaTe LAtE FoR A vErY ImPorTaN T dAtE

2010-07-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

The ADO blog wonderland event started yesterday and

I AM LATE

LATE

FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE

I may be late but I am inspired!

I am working on a piece inspired by the white rabbit. However he/she is not turning out to be very white, but perhaps there will be white furry pants in her future?

I am not a traditional Doll artist, as a matter of fact me and the word “traditional” doesn't work in most parts of my life. Instead of building my dolls from scratch I alter/ upcycle dolls found at yard sales and thrift stores. Here is a peak at how "Rabbit" started out life…

A bit of a difference… huh?

I usually use lots of textured paint effects with my dolls utilizing my favorite tool the blow torch. This time I wanted to play with some plaster, so after resculpting the face with apoxie sculpt and creating some armature for the ears, I covered the doll in thin coating of plaster.

I was purposefully messing and drippy with the plaster wanting as much texture as possible. After the plaster had dried taking advantage of that glowing ball of fire in the sky to help, I gessoed the piece haphazardly. Then my favorite part started, I stained with walnut ink and golden paints. the gesso and the plaster absorbing the paint and ink differently, and then I sanded and painted and painted some more… and I am sure it will change further before I am done…

So here is my work in progress “Rabbit”. A day late and a dollar short, but full of excitement and creative discovery.

Make sure you go and see all the other amazing wonderland inspired dolls being created…

And THANK YOU ADO for hosting this event!

If your new to my blog check out my blog giveaway and become a “follower”. (That word always conjures up images of cults and makes me shake my head)

HoUsE ViGneTtEs

2010-07-07T17:03:00.001-07:00

I love my home but sometime when you look at something day in and down out your stop appreciating its uniqueness. These photos were fun to take and alter and help me see the beauty around me freshly.

ClaSsEs

2010-07-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

I will be teaching three upcoming classes at my home studio. All have spaces still available!

To register for classes I need payment in full

I can take credit cards over the phone call 360-305-9058

or make arrangements to mail me a check.

All classes have a small materials list, email me for further information clarissacallesen@gmail.com

Winged Assemblage

Saturday July 10 from 10am -4pm with a 45min lunch break.(Please bring a sack lunch)

$80 limited to 6 students

Learn basic assemblage techniques while creating a winged goddess, monster, saint, or creature from another world. We will cover different methods for attaching 3D objects. I will share with you some of my “secret techniques” for altering objects to take ordinary modern objects and make then look like antique relics. Learn to work with you mistakes and embrace chaos. This is both a technique and project based class. You will finish a piece of art in the class and learn many techniques to use in your personal art.

Altered Doll

Saturday July 17 from 10am -4pm with a 45min lunch break.

(Please bring a sack lunch)

$80 limited to 6 students

There is magic in the act of reclaiming an object and turning it into art. Dolls are as ancient as humans. They can be just toys for children. They can also be important icons in artwork and spiritual shrines. We will deconstruct and reclaim an ordinary or perhaps even tacky commercial doll and turn it into a meaningful work of art. I will provide you with a small jointed porcelain doll for you to alter. . By reclaiming and recycling an already constructed doll, you can skip right to the fun part. No sewing, no stuffing, no patterns, just decorating, dressing and embellishing. Through layering paint and ink, we will create a unique “antique” texture as a base for a hand painted artistic face. We will “dress” our dolls through wrapping string, fabric, tape, and wire to create a richly textured artwork. I will show you two different unique techniques for creative wings. I believe in embracing the grunge and cherishing the haphazard. This is both a project and technique based class which you will leave with a unique piece of art as well as skills useful not just to art dolls but to assemblage work in general.

Junk Birds

Sunday July 18 from 10am -4pm with a 45min lunch break.

(Please bring a sack lunch)

$70 limited to 6 students

Everywhere we look stores are full of large quantities of mass produced decorative items, which tend to be aesthetically challenged or just plain ugly. More often than not they are also sterile and soulless. But if you dare to join me we will deconstruct these objects and then with an open, playful spirit, we will recreate and reconstruct them into our own unique pieces of soulful art.

Starting with a commercially made artificial bird decorations we will engage in some deconstruction. Through the use of fabric, wire, string, and whatever else, we will create a complex textural base on our bird/s. Then using thin metal and found objects we will build new beaks, wings, and eyes. We will embellish and add richness to our creation, with beads, buttons, paint, ink, and wax.

This is a project-based class with tons of room for exploration and variation. I really encourage everyone to go where their muse is leading them. We will be learning lots of fun easy techniques that produce quick, dramatic results. You’ll find that these newly learned techniques can be applied to many different kinds of mixed media work. I look forward to playing with you.

mY fIrST BlOg GiVeAwAy

2010-06-22T17:30:00.001-07:00

I was doing a bit of inventory on the work I had in my studio and stumbled on a box of older work. Nice pieces, just pieces that haven’t found the right home yet. This piece was the last one left in a serious of mousetrap collages, and like the last lonely apple left at the market it hasn’t been taken home. Now I could offer a sale? or I could give them away?

I also have been spending a fair amount of time thinking about my blog presence and wanting to increase the number of followers and reward the faithful readers I already have.

So why not “kill two birds with one stone”. You know I hate that saying! I want a positive saying that means the same thing. Any suggestions?

* Petting two cats at once. (that is the saying a friend of mine uses) hmmm? not sure it works for me… but??

Alas I digress… The point is

I am hosting my first blog giveaway of this sweet little mousetrap assemblage.

Free Spirit by Clarissa Callesen 4”x 3” ready to hang signed on the back.

Drawing will be held on July 23rd

* How to enter – become a follower of my blog

see cute sidebar with all the smiling faces.

If your already a follower then your already entered!

- Leave a comment, ok that isn’t required but it sure would be nice.

- If you link to this giveaway on your blog then I will enter your name twice. (leave me a message so I know)

Thanks for playing…

JaWbOnE JeSuS on EtSy

2010-06-22T13:13:00.001-07:00

Just listed this on Etsy

Description

Jawbone Jesus
Original Found Object Assemblage
By Clarissa Callesen
9 ” x 5” x 1.75"
Ready to hang
Signed on back
An eclectic, offbeat shrine to Jesus, constructed completely of found objects. The base of the shrine is an old weathered silver plate. The jawbones were gifted from some unfortunate roadkill. A dried starfish, a porcelain handle, silk flowers and buttons decorate the once was a night light, Jesus. All the pieces have been been treated with my signature paint,ink and wax process to create the look of an ancient patina.
please email if you have further questions...

Added on Jun 22, 2010

Shipping

Item ships from: United States

ship to:
cost:
with another item:

United States
$6.00 USD
$4.00 USD

Payment methods

ClarissaCallesen accepts the following forms of payment:

Money Order

Got a question about this item?

contact the seller

OlyMpIa pHoToS

2010-06-18T17:27:00.001-07:00

I recently got to travel to Olympia and give a little art talk at the Timberland Library with fellow WA artist Ruby Reusable. The Friends of the Library paid for my traveling expenses and put me up in the sweetest bed and breakfast

right behind the Library, Fertile Ground Guesthouse. Beautiful decor, The room we stayed in which I didn’t get pictures of had natural plaster walls done by one of the owners, so it had a very southwest natural feeling with a picture of Frida hanging on the wall, totally perfect for me. Great outdoor spaces with a large organic garden, lots of flowers, sitting places, and cats. So after surviving my public speaking engagement we part took of the local trending burrito place that served Kombucha cocktails. Yes you heard me right, healthy good for your digestion Kombucha mixed with alcohol. Strange but quite tasty. The next morning after a yummy breakfast served by our hostess we set about to explore some of downtown Olympia and thus the resulting photo documentation… enjoy!

Virgin Mary Assemblage by ClarissaCallesen on Etsy

2010-06-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Virgin Mary Assemblage by ClarissaCallesen on Etsy:

Virgin Mary Assemblage/ Shrine
Original found object assemblage
By Clarissa Callesen

9.5 ” x 10.5” x 3.5'
Ready to hang
Signed on back

This Assemblage is lovingly created from bright colored found objects.
The central image is junk store virgin Mary that I have repainted and distressed.
She sits securely on a child's pull toy, while fades silk flowers grace her feet.
Wiggle board, glass beads, plastic cake decorations, and broken jewelry decorate her little shrine.

please email if you have further questions...

hOusE PiCtuReS

2010-06-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

center piece original

center piece crackle

center piece just color enhanced

center piece voudou collage

13 ball original

13 ball voudou collage

13 ball color enhance and texture

creepy doll original

creepy doll crackle and texture

creepy doll subtle texture

So I got a few new treasures on a lovely day trip with my dear friend Bec a few weeks back, we went for a drive down Chuckanut Drive, stopped for lunch, and checked out the junk store. I returned home with a scary doll for the collection, a giant crucifix, a box of old bottle caps, and a two old cue balls. A purple solid number 4 for Jay cause if you know Jay at all you know his favorite number is 4, and then an orange striped number 13 for myself. I love the number 13 cause its suppose to be unlucky and scary. I say embrace the scary and unlucky and make it your own. So I was just going to post these fun pictures as blog fodder the way they were... and then I got to playing around with Photoshop and they became a whole other project of FUN. Which one is your favorite?

cHiCkEn UpDaTE

2010-06-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

I am well overdue on a chicken update...They are basically grown now and will start laying in a couple of months. These pictures are from their awkward teenager stage where they were so homely they were adorable. Sasha turned out to be Sam the rooster and found a new home. Fiona is the strangest and most photogenic in that bizarre creature way. She looks a bit like an alien or dinosaur in these pictures, she is considerably smaller than Hannah and Helga the Buff Orfingtons about 1/2 size with short legs and five toes. Hannah the gold colored one is probably the most cuddly and will just jump up into your lap and sit like a cat. They are just the sweetest creatures!

Ice Princess Original Art Doll by ClarissaCallesen on Etsy

2010-06-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ice Princess Original Art Doll by ClarissaCallesen on Etsy:
Ice Princess
Original Art Doll
'Her Heart was Ready to Fly'
By Clarissa Callesen

17 ” x 7.5” x 4.5'
Ready to hang or display
Signed on back

This beautiful doll is made from a reclaimed junk store doll.
She has been deconstructed and transformed. The face, hands, and legs are hand painted using my unique painting techniques
to recreate an old weathered,romantic look. She is dressed in recycled fabrics that I hand dyed and accented with found objects.
There is a wind up music box in her back that still plays softly to add to her ethereal presence.

please email if you have further questions...

HuMblE QuEEn

2010-06-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

I made this doll for the gift shop at SEAF this year and she has found a new home, but I wanted to share some pictures of her with you. She was one of those pieces that I really enjoyed making, used some new techniques and some great objects and was genuinely really happy with the way she turned out. Her crown was found in the Mission district of San Francisco in a cake decorating/ craft store that time had forgotten. I found tons of old plastic cake ornaments that were yellowed and flawed, just my flavor. Originally her crown was round, but with some careful heat gun action I molded it to fit the oval head of my reclaimed Goodwill doll, and in the process it got more yellowed and flawed. I used some molding paste I had bought a million years ago but had never opened to make her "hair" texturing it with the back of a paint brush. She is dress in lots of bit of vintage fabric scraps that I had coffee stained. I also created distressed white lace stockings out of tulle, lace, and some careful heat gun action. I wished I had gotten more of a close up picture of them. They were subtle but beautiful.

EtSy

2010-05-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

So... wow!! I have neglected my little etsy shop this spring... but not today, Two new things posted. One of my dolls from the Art Doll Quarterly article I wrote nov/dec/jan 2010. Its kind of hard to let her go, but its time for her to find a new home. I also have few junk birds left from my last show, they were so popular at Artfest that I sold out. So I listed a lil green bird along with the doll.

Here are the links and the descriptions:

Art Doll Featured in Art Doll Quarterly by ClarissaCallesen:

Original Art Doll

Featured in Art Doll Quarterly Fall 2009 in the article 'Don't Box Me In'
'Her Heart was Ready to Fly'
By Clarissa Callesen

6 ” x 3” x 4.5'
Ready to hang
Signed on back
This sweet doll was made for an article I wrote for Art Doll Quarterly magazine. She is a reclaimed doll that sits in a small house. She is being cramped and confined in her little home and is sharing her confinement with a leashed bird. She speaks to all the ways and times that situations start to limit and confine us and how that affects our lives and those around us, but there is hope in her she is strong and reaching out from her cramped space and getting ready to fly. Don't miss this unique soulful piece of artwork.

Junk Bird by ClarissaCallesen on Etsy:

Junk Bird- green
Mixed Media Hanging

By Clarissa Callesen

6 ” x 6”
Ready to hang

This whimsical little bird can't help but make you smile. He is created by salvaging a terribly tacky dollar store ornament and giving it new life. Colorful strips of recycled fabric, feathers, and bits of rusty metal make this adorable fellow. Hang in a window or in your kitchen or from your rear view mirror.

this listing is for one bird, the green one.

ArT tAlk aT oLyMpIA TiMbErLaNd LiBrArY

2010-05-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

I was invited by Kelsey Smith quite some months ago to come a do a short talk and answer questions with an another WA artist at the Library in Olympia. I will be bringing a selection of my current artwork with me and I will be talking about "my artistic process". (You know the magical process of wandering around the studio, talking to yourself, picking up pieces of junk and trying to make them stick together) I did a fair amount of public speaking when I was a kid, so I am not without skills, but its been a long time and this will be my first "official talk" about my artwork and I have to say I am a bit nervous. If your in the area stop by and make faces at me.

(Official info below)

“Who’s Your Dada?”

Artists discuss redefining the doll at library event

Two Washington artists, Bellingham’s Clarissa Callesen and Olympia recycle artist Ruby Reusable (DianeKurzyna), both featured in the book “Who's Your Dada?Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media,” will discuss their artistic process at the Olympia Timberland Library on Thursday, June 3 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The library will be open only for this after-hours event.Drawing inspiration from the Dada art—or anti-art—movement of the early 20

th century, the dolls in the book are created from found or constructed items that would usually be discarded. Copies of book, by Linda and Opie O'Brien, will be available for purchase and signing. The presentation is sponsored by the Friends of the Olympia Timberland Library. The library is at 313 8th Avenue SE, Olympia. For more information, call (360) 352-0595 or visit http://www.trl.org/.

AuDiEnCe ChOiCE

2010-05-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Clarissa:

I'm delighted to let you know that you have won third place visiting artist in the audience choice awards for best in show. Congratulations!

Audience Choice

Visiting
1. Allan Teger, Buddha, Farmlands, and Seagulls. Vero Beach, FL
2. Chi Lum, Passion. Los Altos, CA
3. Clarissa Callesen, The Ultimate Mistress and Sagrado Shrine, Bellingham, WA
Honorable Mention: Art Tickle, Take One and Take Two. Los Angeles, CA
Honorable Mention: K Leo, Move Me Over - Part One. Chicago, IL

Your name will be added to our Wikipedia page and highlighted whenever possible. A gallery of photos of the 2010 Festival have just been posted. We'll be adding to this in the coming weeks.
Again congratulations and thanks so much for participating in this year's Festival

Anna

--
Anna Hurwitz, Director
Seattle Erotic Art Festival

SaGrAdO- (sacred) mY FirSt InsTalLAtiOn

2010-05-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

So I went from creating small intimate pieces of art not more than 8x10" on an average, to creating a 4ft by 7ft shrine installation for the Eighth Annual Seattle Erotic Art Festival. Wow! what a ride!

I have been fascinated with Shrines of all kind for all of my adult life. Road side memorial shrines, the amazing eclectic Voudou shrines in New Orleans, Dia de los Muertos shrines, Catholic shrines, and personal shrines of all kinds. Within my home I always have a main shrine in my bedroom with images, statues and words of the things dear to my heart, and then I also am realizing that a lot of the vignettes spread around my house are really just small shrines as well.

So that is one part of my history, the other part is that I have always been an advocate and participant in the sex positive cultural movement. I believe that by removing shame, stigma, and judgement from one of our most basic human experiences (sexuality) we will all be happier and healthier. Last fall on a little mini retreat, it hit me that I had never seen an altar to Sexuality, an altar celebrating the sacredness of our sexual experiences in all it's diverse, messy, and controversial expressions. I wrote and sketched with lots of energy and excitement and then I closed my notebook and went home to work on production for the x-mas season, not thinking much more about the idea.

Then a call for installation proposals came from SEAF, it was there first year to promote and include interactive installations. I figured it was too much of a coincidence to ignore an opportunity from the universe that linked up with my inspiration so clearly. So I wrote up some artsy, big word sounding proposal and sent it in, not thinking there was much of a chance of being picked.

Well the committee wanted the installation, (YAY!) but.... they could not offer me any funding (BOO!) I knew it would be a fair amount of money in supplies(SEAF did end up compensating me for some of the supply cost) and A LOT of hours of my time, so it took some serious consideration to go forward. But obviously I went forward, I couldn't pass up this opportunity for experience and this opportunity to express something so important to myself and I felt to the world.

OK so how does a small scale assemblage artist become an installation artist in 3 months? Freak out... write lots of emails, explain to people that you need their panties, discarded sex toys, love letters, pornography in the name of sacred art not because your creepy.... Freak out... write more emails.. explain again... worry that I am not getting enough contributions... PROCRASTINATE... realize I just have to start... nail things to the wall of my studio... EPIPHANY... use the same techniques for a small shrine as a large shrine just more nails... dunk everything in instant coffee and throw some paint on it... be touched by the powerful objects and symbols people entrust me with..... shed some tears.... realize that visually shrines are about excess and flowers.... learn how to make faux Polaroids... be amazed and touched by the generosity of my friends and family... get the shrine looking just about the way I want and then realize I have to tear it all apart pack it up and recreate it at Seattle Exhibition Hall.... FREAK out... pack, label and bring half my studio to Seattle... spend 9 hrs recreating the shrine in the antithesis of a good environment for creativity... lets just say, LOUD thumpa thumpa music, full on smoke machine, flashing lights, and electrician in my personal space every 10 mins (they were testing the stage set up that day) LOSE MY BRAINS TEMPORARILY.... then finish it with MUCH thanks to my assistant for all her help and for keeping me fed, hydrated and marginally sane.

I did it! It was finished and up, now I just had to put on pretty clothes and comeback and schmooze with people. It was highly rewarding to watch people interact with it throughout the festival and to share it with my friends and family who were such a huge support!! The question that I got asked the most was what will happen to the shrine when the festival is over? I had been so busy creating I hadn't thought much about the after. I hope to find other places to display "Sagrado", I think it would be really powerful for it to be displayed in a more mainstream environment. Most of the visitors to the Seattle Erotic Art Festival are pretty sexually savoy so there was very few shocking or controversial responses. I think it would be a very different response in a more mainstream venue. Any one know a gallery that wants to stir things up? I have also considered reworking it structurally to take it to Burning Man in the future. But for now Sagrago is packed up safely in my storage space waiting for the next opportunity, and I do find my art brain thinking in a larger scale.

More pictures of the shrine including process and closeups on flickr

Seattle Erotic Arts Festival official 2010 pictures

WhAt i Am LiStEniNg tO....

2010-04-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Amber Darland's debut full length album "Truce".

Got it as a present from a dear friend at Xmas time and listened to it on repeat so many times I had to put it away for awhile. Just got it out yesterday and remembered how much I enjoy her voice and lyrics.

My favorite lyric is "with a little time this love's gonna learn to bend" Speak right to me in a very personal way and I do believe we have to learn to be flexible with our love. Loving and relating to other humans isn't always easy but I have found it worth the stretch and bend...

some other lyrics that jump out at me... "our egos like watchdogs on doorsteps keep us in"

How many things do our egos keep us from doing? from looking silly... from trying something new because we are afraid of being bad at it.... from forgiving...

and then a happy sunny Saturday lyric... "so kick up some dirt and be glad to be alive with your feet on the ground still so ready to fly"

Local Bellingham singer song writer that I have been enjoying for quite a few years now in coffee shops and at the farmers market. Check out her website or myspace.

aRtFeSt 2010 A pHoToGraPhiC ReViEw

2010-04-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Artfest 2010 was amazing as always! So good to see old friends and reconnect. It was good to recharge my artistic batteries as well. So much creativity and such a beautiful place, Ft Worden continues to be one of my favorite places in this world.
Visited friends in the Officers quarters for some chatting and wine drinking. This is like my 6th or 7th Artfest, I have lost track, and I all this time and I had never been in an officer's house. Wow! did it make my dorm room look pathetic. I think I may have been converted. Who want to share an officer's house next year?
So I have been spending hours playing around with Photoshop Elements relearning what I had forgotten because I don't use it very often and learning some new things. I also found some silly application to turn your photos into Polaroids... So on with the show

Artfest 2010 a Photographic Revue

NeW wOrK

2010-04-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at some of the new works I have been making this spring. Most all was made with Artfest vending in mind, which was very successful (thank you to all my supporters) but plenty of pieces came home with me. Which I will hopefully get some more stuff up on my etsy shop and I will have a good start on pieces to take with me to the

University District Art Fair on

May 15th and 16th in Seattle, Wa.

I really am still very attached to the art doll form. It just has so many options and different techniques used in one creation. I am upcycling or recycling cheesy porcelain and plastic composite dolls I find at thrift stores. I am primarily using paint effects to age and texturize the dolls but I also have recently started using gut (sausage casings) to cover and in case the dolls as well and I am really liking the effect. I learned about gut from a great teacher and friend

Melissa Manley.

Freedom

Available

Sold

Ice Princess

Available

Flower Girl

Available

BaBy cHiCks

2010-03-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

Oh!!! I have deep love for feathered creatures. One of my best experience in life (literally) was raising three baby sparrow who's nest got blown down. It was quite an experience hand feeding them every couple of hours until they got big enough to eat on there own. They survived and learned to fly in my house and then slowly reintegrated back to the wild... I miss them...

Well, this spring my mom (Letha) decided to raise a small flock of hens at her new home and I got to help pick them out and get to play chicken aunty! There are six of them; Hannah, Helga, Irene, Red, Sasha, and Fiona. They were so sweet when they first came home. I was under a lot of stress and I would go over to house for chicky therapy. I would wrap up all the babies in a towel and lay them on my chest and we would nap together. I think incubator baby chicks really miss the warmth and pressure of a momma hen sitting on them . They are now growing so fast and quickly looking like gangly teenagers crossed with road runners.

Baby Sparrows I raised Romeo, Juliet, and Ophelia

Fiona and Helga

Red and Hannah

Red and Hannah on the kitchen table

Hannah, Helga, and Red

Chicken Aunty Clarissa

NeEd YoUr PaRticApAtiOn

2010-03-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have been participating in the Seattle Erotic Art Festival for many years now, as a juried artist , with items in the gift shop, and as appreciator of erotic art and performances. I believe strongly that sexuality is an important part of our lives, a part that is often disregarded or shamed. Events like SEAF give us all an opportunity to celebrate and explore the diversity of our human sexual experience in all of it's faces be that: profane, beautiful, messy, scary, sweet, profound, and mundane. I invite you to hold your judgement, explore, and participate?

This year I have been invited to create an interactive installation as well as exhibit my largest assemblage piece to date "The Ultimate Mistress". The installation project is dear to my heart, it both thrills me and keeps me up at night. I am creating an interacting public shrine to celebrate the sacredness of our diverse sexual experiences, with it being named simply "Sagrado".
The shrine is inspired and influence by the lavish details found in El Dia de los Muertos shrines, voudou shrines, and roadside shrines. In particular their profound connection with the individual person and everyday life.

In my effort to represent as much diversity as possible I am looking for contributions far and wide. So participate please and pass the word... (offical info below)

Sagrado Installation for Seattle Erotic Arts Festival 2010

Our Culture has a tendency to trivialize, stigmatize, and exploit one of our most sacred experiences. The visceral human experience of sexuality.

In response to this I am creating a public interactive shrine to debut at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival 2010, that will celebrate and exalt our diverse and sacred sexuality.

The main stay of the shrine will be evidence in the form of stories, objects, pictures, and specimens.

Please join me in celebrating the sacredness of our human sexuality by participating in Sagrado.

How to participate:

What represents your unique sexuality?

What offering would you put upon an altar to the sacredness of your sexuality?

Words?

Pictures?

Prayers?

Objects?

A hand written naughty note from that lover so many years ago, scraps of the t shirt cut off you in that crazy scene, the one lacy stocking left that you wore so many times to seduce your husband or your wife, those hot nasty anonymous pictures you took late one night, a beloved broken sex toy that seen so many hours of fun, a prayer for our world to have more sex and less war, the shame of hiding your sexuality for so many years expressed in a poem, secret sexual longing expressed anonymously, scraps of a soiled bed sheet, discarded condom wrappers or misc garbage left from sex, or….

I am particularly interested in objects that have history and meaning for you. I am also really invested in representing as much diversity as possible in this project. Be that body size, skin color, gender expression, differently-abled, age, cultural, sexual expressions... etc

All submissions will become property of the project unless other arrangements are made, and alterations may be made to objects in order to create artistic continuity. Any submissions that contain bodily fluids need to be packaged carefully in a sealed bag and labeled so they can be dealt with in a safe manner.

Mail to: Sagado

C. Callesen

Box 2516

Ferndale, WA 98248

Or email : sagradoevidence@gmail.com

Deadline for submissions April 15^th

WoRk tAbLe GeTtiNg ReAdY FoR ArTfEsT

2010-03-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

Spending lots of hours making new stuff for vendor night at ArtFest Friday March 26th.

Continuing to work with the doll as a major source of my inspiration.

A SpRinG TRiP tO SaN FrAn

2010-02-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

A little inspiring get away to celebrate the birthday of one of my favorite people...

Shopping...

Ocean...

Mission District...

Golden Gate Park...

Chinatown...

and mixed media artist heaven Scrap (Wow I had heard good things... but holy wow!!)

there are no pictures from Scrap... sorry I was too busy stuffing things in bags... lol

BiG... LaRgE... gRaNdE...

2010-02-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

So I have been stretching my comfort zone in honor of this new year... If you are at all familiar with my work, you know that I have a certain love of the tiny and detailed. Sometimes even ridiculously miniature. It's scary and uncomfortable and I am still not sure how I feel about it, but I have been working in a much bigger format. I just finished a life size assemblage figure to jury for the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival. There was whole new challenges in working in that size. More intensive construction needed to deal with added weight. Finding space to comfortably work on in and see it, and then we won't even go into the challenge of photographing the damn piece... But I did it! I made a large piece of artwork, I think my first since art school.

SaNcTuARy

2010-01-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

What does the word "sanctuary" mean to you?

Calm... Safe... Protected...

Those are the first word to my mind... I tend to think of holy or spiritual places. Beautiful ancient cathedrals filled with altars, candles,and the evidence of so much history and human spirit.

But I also think of the larger than life blue, blue sky while laying on my back in the sand, filling my complete vision and humbling my tiny humanness. Then there is the safe cave of my bedroom filled with art, cats, and love.

Where do you think of as sanctuary?

I made this piece in Nov for the X-mas season and it was a favorite of many. Sometimes when I am working I will start a piece with a specific word or phrase in mind, but often the piece will be almost finish before it tells me what word it want to complete it. That was the case in Sanctuary.
I really enjoy working in a very limited palette and exploring all the nuances of white, cream, and sepia. The base was a small wooden plaque from the goodwill turned backwards, so the back of the original piece became the front even including the original hanger as a decorative element. I enjoyed the pretty "Victorian" or "shabby chic" aesthetic in this peace with lots of buttons, lace, and vintage paper.

This piece found a new home over the holiday season, but I am sure there will be more like it in the future..

Peace and calm, Clarissa

iTs A nEw YeAr!!

2010-01-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over and I feel like I can breathe again... Now I am bursting with too many ideas about what I want to do next, and I swear I sometimes exhaust myself by just thinking too much... Anyone else do that?

but First off ... THANK YOU !!! to all my patrons that helped support my art work over the holidays, with out you I couldn't do this plus I would be drowning in artwork literally...

Been doing some cleaning, purging, and reorganizing which feels great but never seems to end either...

Planning on scheduling a class soon... any requests? Art journaling? Altered doll in house?
Winged creature assemblage?

New Years non resolution.. I want to blog more regularly but sometimes really struggle with mental blocks around it and would also like to promote/ get more visitors to my blog... Any thoughts or suggestions????

OK It seems I am kind of chatty and looking for a conversation..

Hope the New Year finds you all happy, healthy, and peaceful..

NeW ARt dOllS

2009-12-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

Oh How !! I am loving altering porcelain dolls! I just can't seem to stop and the ideas keep on coming... my next inspiration is to play with plaster on top of the dolls... stay tuned...

All dolls available at Allied Arts Holiday Festival, except for "Why" and she is sold already...

aLLiEd ArTs HoLiDAy FeStiVaL

2009-11-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

Allied Arts Holiday Festival opens this Friday!!! It is the 30th year for this event with over 100 different artists. The festival is being held in a new fabulous location this year, with great lighting and LOTS of parking. 3548 Meridian St - next to the Country Feed Store, The new location in the Squalicum Corporate Park in the old Cascade Furniture building, known to some as the old Michael's building. The location is just south of Bellis Fair Mall on Meridian across from the Bellingham Golf and Country Club.

The festival will be open weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 6pm.

I have a double booth again this year with lots of new strange and wonderful stuff. Mummified junk birds, Light bulb ornaments, Art dolls and more Art dolls, Pottery hangings, New jewelry, and so much more. Shop early for best selection of original pieces and check back often I have lots of work still in progress and will be bringing in new work throughout the month.

Save the date for Friday, Dec 4 - 6:00-9:00 for the Meet the Artists - Gala!!!

Stop by and say hello and ask me questions about this crazy art I make...

aLL dOlleD Up TrEaSurY

2009-11-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Its just a few days past Halloween, but any time of the year you have to appreciate a good collection of creepy dolls! And this Etsy Treasury includes one of my favorite dolls this year..

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=91999

Treasuries are not up for very long so go check it out..

ArT dOll QuARteRly ARTICLE!!!!

2009-11-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

So a precious package arrived in my mailbox last week, all carefully sealed in plastic was the fruit of alot of labor. My first instructional article published in the winter issue of Art Doll Quarterly! "Don't Box Me In" by Clarissa Callesen. I am very pleased with how it turned out, the layout and the photography are impecable. It is still strange to see my words in print and I definately still struggle with the concept of me as a writer, but over all I am pleased. Thank you so much Jana Holstein and all the other staff at Stampington and Co, and special thanks to my personal editor Layla.

It should be on the shelves at Stampadoodle here in town or at your local Barnes and Nobles as of Nov 1, or order directly from Stampington and Co.

BlAck HoLE oF PRe ChRiSTmAs

2009-11-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

I have been sucked into the black hole of pre-Xmas production.... Sorry to have not updated in so long. Transitioning to the shorter days and darker stormy weather always prove challenging for me in the realm of socializing and communicating. I just want to stay home, watch movies, and eat pumpkin pie. But alas, life must go on and there are hundreds of Christmas ornaments to be made, new art dolls to be finished, and other strange and wonderful things to be constructed.. So hello again and I welcome myself back from the black hole...

EtSy LiStinG sTrAnGe ClOth DoLL

2009-10-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

DaMn! I need to start taking before pictures of my Upcylced/ Recreated Art Dolls! This doll was spectacularly awful in her first incarnation.. She was the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forhead complete with gingham dress and rosy round cheeks. " and when she was bad she was awful" But nothing some walnut ink and face transpant couldn't fix...

She is looking for a good home!

NeW wOrKs On EtSy

2009-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

I love Etsy and I admit... I hate it as well.

Its a great source for connecting with unique handmade artists from all over.

But damn I hate the process of posting things, and then it feels like a pretty slow hit and miss venue for selling.

So I am not as diligent about keeping things up to date.

But its a good day and I have some new larger works posted. These are two pieces that I am particularly pleased with the way they turned out and there looking for new home...

Punky Goth Original Art Doll

Carnival Bird - Original Mixed Media Painting

PuBliSHeD

2009-09-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago, my friends Linda and Opie O'Brien approached me about including a piece of mine in there upcoming book, Who's Your Dada, redefining the doll through mixed media. The piece included was a small art doll created on a wood base using a ceramic insulator as the main construct. The doll is part of Linda and Opie's personal art collection and I don't have very good personal pictures of her, so we all have to wait for the book. Who's Your Dada is getting lots of good reviews and conversations and is available now through Amazon and I am sure through other venues as well. I have not actually received my copy yet, but can't wait to see it. I will post pics of my spread when it arrives....

Who's Your Dada, redefining the doll through mixed media.

"Inspired from the Dada notion of making art from materials that would not typically be combined, and written with our sense of irony and humor, this book features the work of 40 artists who define a doll AND share their process with you. In addition, Opie and Linda offer step-by-step instructions for working with 5 very different substrates: a wood block - a two-sided canvas - tin - a book - and a box construction - and share our various methods of attachment and joinery and how we work with apoxie sculpt. There are variation projects from our students AND an inspiring gallery of mixed-media dolls from some of the best artists EVER plus a bonus visual progression project from the amazing Keith Lo Bue.This book has been described as a "must have" volume for anyone interested in found object art and the human form - but it is also a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the power, symbolism and cultural significance of dolls and representational figures -- and as is our style -- it's chock full of whimsy!"

uP In FlAmEs

2009-09-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

More pictures of the offerings left in the Temple and then the release of all of it to the universe in in flames. Does anyone else out there have experiences with the Temple they would like to share?

PrAyER fLaGS To tHe TeMpLe

2009-09-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

(The flags at home before there journey)

(My flag made for Father who died when I was 25. Its been really powerful to share my grief over him out in the open.

I have spent along time keeping it bottled up and in a closet)

(Some chose to work in other formats than flags, I wasn't sure how I would pull all the different pieces together,

but I trusted in the process and they came together beautifully check out end pictures)

To celebrate my 38th birthday, I invited my chosen family to come eat, drink, and make art if they felt so inclined. I had a very specific intent and place in mind for the art. The temple at Burningman. Two years ago I went to Burningman for the first time and the most powerful part for me was the Temple of Forgiveness by David Best, a most amazing artist of our time if your not familiar please check out his work. This is a beautiful video of him speaking about his temples. (Warning a kleenex may be needed)

For me the temple was a sacred place not attached to any specific religious path, but wide open and inclusive for all present on the playa. This was not a temple that you needed to put on your best dress to visit, or to speak in whispers. It was a temple of the people. David design and orchestrated this beautiful vehicle and then turned it over to the community, who in turn came to write on the walls, to leave their sorrows, their hopes, their fears, their wishes, and their wisdom. Then at the end of the week to gather together all 40,000 people and witness the burning and release of all those sorrows, hopes, prayers, fears, and wisdom into the universe. Definitely one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I left knowing that I wanted to contribute to the temple the next time I returned to the playa.

Now not everyone is up for the experience that is Burningman, 102 degrees in the day, white out dust storms, constant noise, and a complete abandonment of what we think of "normal" society. But everyone has sorrows, wishes, grief, prayers, wisdom that they would like to release. So I created a space and an opportunity for my chosen family to create art for the temple. It became my job to hold there stories and shepard them to the desert, hang them with love and tenderness, cry over them, and then witness their release into the flame. My experiences at the temple are hard to contain within words, and words are not my first language. So I leave you with more pictures...

cLaSs PhOtOs

2009-08-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

It was amazing to see what was recreated, upcycled, transformed from two simple objects. It was such a pleasure to share these techniques and passions with a small class of amazing women. I love the diversity and emotions expressed. Every one's work was outstanding
There were a couple of pieces that didn't quite get fully assembled in class so I don't have photos of them, but rest assured they were amazing as well.