Sunken City,Website updates, Art fair and a dready update

Summer solstice was so green this year! it might always be super green in Oregon around this time But i find it all to be almost intoxicating with its lush trees and berries beginning to ripen on the vine everywhere you look! It was a rainy weekend with lots of wind, very fast moving clouds. Danny and i are budgeting ourselves- so instead of spreading our resources thin we stayed home and worked on all of our various attention starved projects. I feel good. we got so much done.
I worked on the background piece for my mermaid warrior painting. I hope to place my mermaid amidst a sunken/glowing city. This is what i have so far for the background:

This is a 16"x24" acrylic painting on stretched canvas.
My next step will be to project this illustration of mine: onto the background painting. Once i have the mermaid positioned correctly i will white out her form and then trace over the projected image lines with black. Once i have the outlines in place i will begin to build up her form + adding color. I am thinking i might reverse her horizontal direction and expand upon her tail and her hair more. not sure though. I struggled at first while creating the sunken city. Depth perception in oceans is interesting and light/glow spreads a lil more mysteriously underwater then it does in air. When i finally let me self relax and have fun with it i really enjoyed coming up with various shapes for buildings and things. Danny happened to be watching some older batman cartoons and i was certainly inspired by the various Gotham cityscape shots in the episodes. I'm a little apprehensive to put her ontop of this underwater scape painting because i feel it has a certain charm by itself. But we shall see how it turns out. i am eager to begin experimenting with backgrounds in my paintings. However i wonder if this particular approach to background work is a bit too heavy? Perhaps a more subtle approach would work well? we shall see how it turns out i suppose.
As far as Danny's weekend projects went, he made some really amazing progress on our website's look, functionality and content. Have a look at the progress : Lucid Optic Lab.com our website is modeled off a vintage book and Danny has made it so that when you click to go to the gallery the book of the page turns! We now have a gallery page. He also added all sorts of yummy ink splatters and drawing doodles here and there to add interest. I really like the direction we are moving in with the website. Danny still has a lot to do and it will be very interesting to slowly watch the progress unfurl.
Meanwhile- Danny and i are getting ready for this month's Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta St. in Portland Oregon which happends June 25th. I hope to be offering a few more of my illustrations as prints and have some more mini canvas paintings avilaible for purchase. Also, if you happen to be roaming around at the artwalk near 20th and alberta st, be sure to look for our booth and my Face and Body painting sign:

This will be my second artfair where i will be doing face and body painting! I had a really wonderful response from the first time i did it. I also loved meeting so many interesting people and cute kids. There is something so magical about body painting that really makes people feel festive, joyous and beautiful!
We were really hoping to have a fresh new batch of tie-dye to sell at Last Thursday art walk, but our budget has been pretty tight and hasn't allowed us too much freedom as far as buying needed materials goes. By next month we aim to have a new tie-dye batch and may even begin selling tie-dye at the local farmers markets around town! So stay tuned for new tie-dye...its on its way just in time for summer!
And now its time for another Dready Journey Update!
Annie from DreadieWorld:Dreadie World online shop and gallery sent me some more dread beads!
Thank you so so much annie! I am in love with all of them.
My new ones:
She made me two out of prints of some of my paintings! Which turned out to be perhaps one of the coolest collaborations ever and has now turned my mane of dreads into an art gallery!
here is a close up of them:
She also gave me an OCTOPUS BEAD!! Which, i think may be my most favorite because the lil guy is so cute with his googly eyes and mischievous tendrils. Check him out:
Here is a close up:


I can feel these beads shining with love- the love that bursts forth from handmade creations!
If anyone is interested- Annie makes beads by request and can do custom orders + she has some ready made beads that will really wow.

....so yes. my locks are very happy indeed!
last weekend i went to the coast and while i was there i dipped my head into the water. Oregon oceans are freezing! but the water seemed to really really help them tighten up, they even shrunk a lil. when i washed my hair it was insane how much sand i had collected in them, but i had managed to get it out fine. they are feelin pretty good now- i kinda wish i had filled a water bottle with some ocean water so that i could rinse my head in it from time to time.
Also- on last Thursday danny and i went to see Midnite play at the crystal ballroom and it was a holy experience. im reluctant to wash my dreads after the concert, for i feel the essence of the music within them! what a charge. it was my second time seeing Midnite. it was the first time they have played in Portland Oregon. i hope they come back sometime soon.
....So as one can see, there are many simmering pots, new potential energies and projects in processes right now in my life. I am enjoying this full burst of summer life, feeling my inner tempo quicken.
Happy summer solstice everyone!
Much love, always
-Chelsea Rose