Oh how busy I've been!

So I've been preparing for my BFA show next month.. and have been working around the clock... aahh! haha

In my head I thought it would be really cool to do large pieces on wood panels... ya know... really engulf the viewer... but putting that into reality is a lot harder than I thought. I looked into buying big panels and about cried with how expensive it was... so.. I decided to make them! I am so not a wood worker, and decided to look to the master... youtube. I searched people making wood panels for art... figured it out.. and decided to do it! 

First I had to get the supplies... so I went to Home Depot (which is so much better than Lowes... be warned) with my husband, Austin, and his dad, Curt. We were there foreeeever! But man was I glad that I brought big strong men along.. they knew what was up. I spent as much money as I would have spent on one pre-made panel... and I got enough materials to make five. Not too shabby :)

Once we got back and unloaded the truck... we looked at all the stuff we had and suddenly I was so overwhelmed. I had no idea what I was doing... aaahhh. Curt had the brilliant idea to ask a guy in our ward that was a wood worker to come help us... and man am I glad he did! He had all these fancy tools and made them look so professional. Yay :)

After they were built we had to spackle (I don't even think that's a word... but that's what I have been calling it?) and sand to get all the nooks and crannys nice and smooth. It was my first time using a fancy sander thing... it was awesome.

Up next was priming them with gesso! I bought a huuuuuuuuge gallon of gesso and an awesome fat brush to do the job. I set it up in our living room because these are too big for my art studio... which I wasn't too sad about because I got to turn on Netflix on the tv and chill with the dude. :)

Now to the art... with each piece I am approaching it differently. I have some finished work on large pieces of paper that I am going to mount to the board, which I did with the big greenish blue one. Then on others... I am just going to get all crazy and paint directly on it. Just whatever I am feeling :)

notice christmas tree still up... aahh

I'm pretty sure from now until my show... my kitchen, living room, art room.... lets be honest.. our entire house is going to be covered in artsy goodness until my show. Sorry husband :)

Yay for art!