Melody's Musings

Andrea Kowch won a top spot during a global artist search sponsored by SCOPE New York. The painter who combines Goth with an Old Masters style was selected as one of the top 100 emerging artists in the world by SCOPE NY last weekend.

Kowch’s paintings depict scenes that might have been staged if Alfred Hitchcock and Andrew Wyeth had ever collaborated. Kowch’s paintings are distinctly her own–powerful, moody, narrative and heavy with symbolism.

http://hamptonsarthub.com/2012/03/18/andrea-kowch-scope-art-fair-winner/

Realistic portraits by Kris Lewis

Kris Lewis, a prolific oil painter living and working in Los Angeles, originally grew up in New Jersey and studied illustration at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His inspiration is drawn from his own Latvian heritage and his portrait work conduces love, conflict, beauty, and tradition. Guys, make sure to keep you eyes open while scrolling through

(Source: cruzine.com)

Ricardo Sanz - Spain

(Source: tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com)

Penny Floor Mosaic

This is the installation I get asked them most about. The idea came about one afternoon while talking to my husband about covering our living-room walls in copper sheeting. We joked that it would be cheaper to cover it in pennies. That joke lead to a conversation about what we could cover in pennies… because it was just too cool of an idea not to! We had been wanting to redo our kitchen floor for a long time, but funds & a lack of really good ideas had prevented us from doing so. Within 5 minutes, we decided that it would be my newest project, and I couldn’t wait to run out and get some rolls of pennies & start!

I generally got $20 worth of pennies at a time from the bank. I worked on the penny floor for about a year… on weekends, rainy days, and here and there between raising a family, and working full time as a mosaic artist. I used Weldbond Glue to adhere each penny, individually, to my floor. ALL wax was removed from the floor before I started. To be just a little crazy, I made each penny heads up & facing the same direction. Here and there, I would throw in a dime…. and when I found a cool penny (like a wheat penny), I put them tails up. It gave everyone something to look for. :) As I finished a section, I grouted them. I used a black, sanded grout. This kept dirt from finding it’s way into the cracks, and I think gives it a really finished look. 

 I didn’t start to seal the floor until I was almost done. I wanted the sealant to have a smooth, consistent look. I went off to the hardware store and picked up a polyurethane floor sealant.. the same kind you would use to seal any other kind of floor. Using a wool brush, I applied 3 coats. It protects the floor, protects the pennies, and makes it as easy to clean as any other floor.

In total, there are approximately 31,140  pennies. We’re thrilled with how it came out, and would LOVE to see any photos of your penny or coin creations if you decide to tackle a similar project! To read an article that appeared in the Portland Press Herald, about our floor, please click here.

(Source: mandolinmosaics.com)