Faerieworlds 2012

 

 

Just went to Faerieworlds a couple weeks ago and had a wonderful time. I created an extra large pair of fairy wings specifically for the visit, both for the love of wearing them and as promotion for my etsy store. 

 

Once I fix them up a bit they may end up for sale on Etsy, we'll see.

Maroon

Maroon Fairy Wings available at TruWings on Etsy

Purple Fairy

Purple / Pink Fairy Wings available at TruWings

And the list goes on and on...

Pink & Lilac Fairy

Pink Fairy wings available at TruWings

Yellow Fairy

Yellow Fairy Wings available at TruWings

 Because I just never stop.

Halloween Wings

My favorite pair yet.

Fairy Wings: More & More

I'm gearing up to hopefully sell many pairs of wings this Halloween season through my etsy shop TruWings. In other news I'm also in the process of updated my portfolio website.

Never Ending Fairy Wings

Yup, they just keep coming. More and More coming available soon.

This pair now available on Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/daniellehurleydesign

Faerieworlds: Fire Fairy

FaerieWorld

I've a friend at work who runs a festival in Eugene OR : FaerieWorld. I plan on getting all decked out and going for at least a day. That is - if I can find the time to finish the costume. At the very least I'll have a great big pair of wings to show off. The wings above are about 3 1/2 feet tall, the the whole ensemble will be about 6 ft.

Fairy Wings: So Many!

I've been making wings, so many wings. The first three pair posted to my etsy store, TruWings, last week have been sold and these two are now available. (They're on sale this week only though so they're going fast) I've about 7 more in the making though. Hopefully they will start showing up online next week.

Fairy Wings: On Etsy!

I've now begun to sell small fairy wings on my store: TruWings by DanielleHurleyDesign on Etsy!

Fairy Wings: Got It...Just About

I'm fairly certain I've got it worked out the way I want now, just need some minor adjustments. I've figured out how to make the wings perfectly symmetrical, having a metallic iridescence when front-lit and a vibrant jewel tone glow when back-lit. The only thing is I'm only really finding iridescent cello in green/pink or blue/pink. It would be ideal to find a silver toned cello so that it reflects pure white light but also allows light to pass through when back-lit.

Fairy Wings: Good Blots

Now this is more like it. I’ve figured out how to successfully blot the painted layers on the fairy wings – so long as I’m not going for detail. Turns out they look better when the paint is really wet and blurry since there is so much detailed being put into the veining instead.

Even this blot turned out to work just fine. I thought it was a failure; that there wasn’t enough alcohol in the wash and the colors were too harshly separated. But when I added a layer of veining over it everything came together.

I’ve also been finding that if I don’t plan anything out but just work freehand and do everything on the fly then, the pieces turn out much more interesting. This is true for both the paint wash layer and the veining.

Fairy Wings: Almost but Not Quite

Fairy Wing Sample

I'm getting closer to the intended effect using alcohol inks for the fairy wings. This sample is almost there, but not quite. There are still a lot of adjustments to be made in my process. At least I think I have the materials right now, and this is the right idea.

Fairy Wings: Rorschach

Failed Rorschach Blot - too dry

It is essential, in my opinion, that if I'm going to make painted fairy wings they must be symmetrical. It would just be odd to imitate any sort of insect wings without symmetry. The only solution I could come up with for perfect symmetry on hand painted plastic was to do a Rorschach blot. Simple enough - except it turns out to be quite tricky with alcohol paints which dry very quickly.

Alcohol paints can be blended with denatured alcohol; too much makes everything a soupy mess though and dilutes the colors, while too little doesn't keep the paint wet long enough to blot. The blotting process itself has a tendency to destroy any detail if there is too much paint or too much alcohol. I'm finding it very difficult to get a complete transfer and detail, so I may have to settle for less detail.

Fairy Wings: Paint on Plastic

Experimental Fairy Wing Layers

Because angel wings simply aren't enough...

There seems to be quite a market for fairy wings. I figure while I'm already on a roll with getting an online store for angel wings I ought to add fairy wings to the collection as well. I don't plan on doing what's so widely available online though - which is bent wire frames sandwiched between layers of iridescent cellophane. This method of fairy wings making is beautiful but it's been done, over and over. Not wanting to be limited by the colors of cellophane I can find easily I decided to add paint to the mix.

So right now I'm working on the fastest, easiest and most repeatable way to make painted fairy wings. The trick will be developing an method for achieving symmetry since everything is hand painted.