Commissioned Oil Portrait - The Happy Couple

Meet Regina and John.  They commissioned this 20"x24" oil portrait.  I have learned quite a few new lessons in commissioned portraits on this one.  I definitely worked my butt off.  True, I didn't have much of a butt to begin with, but whatever I had, it's off now.  I'm in the process of finding it to put it back on.

Enough of the butt tangent... 

Here's the happy couple!

"Jean and John" Commissioned Oil Portrait, 20"x24", by Heather Clements, 2012

Progress shot!

Aaaahh, it's finally finished!


Want to commission a portrait or any other art?  Contact me and I can give you more details.

Small Leaf Paper Cuts

More leaf paper cuts!

To me I think having one of these in your house would represent your personal awe of nature.  It is a piece of art representing how beautiful you think this world is.  My inspiration came from my backyard.  Some of these leaves are from so-called "weeds" which I think in the plant world would be like a racist term.

Here they are!

Leaf Paper Cuts by Heather Clements, 2012

"Dark Leaf" is $40.
"Green Leaf" is $35

This is the smallest leaf shown in my small hand.

"Small Pointy Leaf" is $30.

"Turquoise Leaf" is $40

The first cut leaf sold just an hour after I put it online, so if you would like one contact me soon!

Red Leaf - New Paper Cut Display

I have mixed feelings about framing artwork.  Sometimes visually they work, but often I feel like they simply distract from the artwork.  Even if it is the best possible framing choice, I'd rather simply see the art.  I change my mind on this often.  I used to be a custom framer so it makes it that much more difficult to say 'no frame!'  And obviously, with certain art, especially flat paper art, framing is more than necessary.  With paper-cutting I have needed to frame because of the nature of the medium.  But I have come up with a new system for displaying paper cuts!  It only works for uncomplicated, smaller cuts, but I think it is simple and sophisticated.

"Red Leaf" is displayed floating over a piece of wood with small pins.  Don't you love it?!  I do.  And this little darling is only $35!  (When I save on framing, so do you.)  So contact me if you would like to purchase it.

"Red Leaf" hand-cut paper and wood, 3.5" x 4.75", Heather Clements, 2012

"Red Leaf" hand-cut paper and wood, 3.5" x 4.75", Heather Clements, 2012

"Red Leaf" (side view) hand-cut paper and wood, 3.5" x 4.75", Heather Clements, 2012

*UPDATE: This piece is now SOLD.  Thank you!

I plan on making more of these and they easily lend themselves to commissions of similar pieces.  You could request a certain kind of leaf, a certain size, with a certain color for the wood.

So let me know, do you like this new kind of display for a paper cut?

"Empathic Stranger" Paper Cut and PRINTS FOR SALE

Holy crap I went a month without paper cutting!  I guess that's what happens when you take a bit of a stay-cation with visiting friends, and then work for a few weeks on finishing a studio.  So it's finally finished???  Not quite.  I will definitely post photos when it is.

I finished this little paper cut last week.

"Empathic Stranger" by Heather Clements, 2012. 8"x10" hand cut paper.

"Empathic Stranger" (detail) by Heather Clements.

 It is for sale for only $175!  Contact me if you are interested in purchasing this little lady.

Here is a quick (very quick, most of the video is sped up 20 times) video of some of the process:






NEWS! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: I am offering prints of my art for sale.

I'm still not sure how I feel about selling prints of my art, so if you would like one, you better act now before I come to my senses.  I am selling them through Blue Canvas.  My profile is at www.bluecanvas.com/heatherclementsart.  You can order prints in quite the variety: print, framed print, canvas wrap, card, poster, and skins for your iPhone, iPad, and more.  All of the prints are available in a few different sizes.  I do think the iPhone thing is pretty cool.  You can play with cropping and rotation, so you could have and iPhone that looks like this:

Or this:

Pretty cool, huh?  Check it out: bluecanvas.com/heatherclementsart

"HHH" Recepción Numero Uno

Here are the photos from the first 'Heather, Heather, Heather' reception at CityArts Cooperative!

LOVE this photo of us behind Heather flowers taken by Margaret Webster! Left to right: Heather Parker, Heather Clements (me), Heather Hay.

Artwork left to right: Heather Hay, Heather Clements, Heather Parker.

That's me playing the musical saw. 

That's a lot of people watching me play musical saw.

Did you miss the first one?  Man, you really missed out.  If only there was going to be another one... but wait!  There IS!  The second reception for 'Heather, Heather, Heather' will be Saturday, May 19th, 4-6pm.  The exhibit will feature:

• Art, duh.
• Food, yum.
• Musical saw and keyboard music, mmm.
• Everyone gets to be a Heather for a day, yup.
• A collaborative art piece that only Heathers can work on, which means EVERYONE can work on during the reception (since everyone can be Heather for the day,) yeah!
• 10% off exhibit art during reception, woo!

Check out the event on Facebook here.  Invite your friends!  I look forward to seeing you there!

Clear Cut - Paper Cut

And last but not least.... The last paper cut I made before the "Heather, Heather, Heather" exhibit!  I do enjoy working with the black paper, partially because it is much thinner than all the other paper I have worked with, so it is much easier on my poor hand and wrist.

This piece is called "Clear Cut."  Get it!?!?  Art is allowed to have dorky jokes, too.  Or perhaps it's not dorky...  No, it is sophisticated.  'Aaaah, the title, "Clear Cut" refers to both the destroying of forests and the actual material of paper cutting itself.'  How clever.

All joking aside, this piece represents our interdependence with nature.  So often people think of humans vs. nature.  But humans ARE nature.  When we destroy the planet, we inevitably destroy ourselves.

"Clear Cut" hand-cut paper, 16"x24", by Heather Clements, 2012

"Clear Cut" (detail) by Heather Clements

"Clear Cut" (detail) by Heather Clements

In other news, I have been working on another portrait commission and my studio is still in the works, but still needs shelves and a table built.  Stay tuned to see the results of both the portrait and the studio!

Thanks so much for reading, and as always, your comments are welcome and more than appreciated.

Leaf Secrets - Paper Cut

I finished this piece last month but waited to post it until after the reception of the "Heather, Heather, Heather" exhibit at CityArts Cooperative.  It was my third cut with black paper.

"Leaf Secrets" paper cut by Heather Clements, 2012.  12"x12"

"Leaf Secrets" paper cut by Heather Clements (detail)

"Leaf Secrets" papercut progress

I really love the fragility of this medium.

I haven't blogged much lately for a few reasons.  Here are a few:

• I was waiting to post new art until after the HHH reception.
• I had out-of-town friends here for a week so I took a mini-vacation with two awesome people.
• I have been working my butt off to finish my studio for weeks now! 

But fret not!  I am somewhat back in action so you can expect more in the near future...

Coming Soon to the blog:

A finished Studio! The past two weeks have been spent tearing down shelving, putting in insulation, walls, floor trim, ceiling trim, window trim, and painting all the walls and trim.  Now all that is left is to build shelving... I will blog the before, progress, and after once it is all complete.  No, I don't know when that will be, I'm trying!

'Heather, Heather, Heather' Exhibit and Reception. The show looks beautiful and the reception was wonderful.  I need to gather photos from a few different sources and then I will share it all right here on the blog.

'Clear Cut' paper cut.  This is another black paper cut piece I finished last month before the HHH exhibit.  I will post images soon!


So stay tuned, and thanks for reading!