New fine art by Carol Labashosky at Block Party Handmade Boutique

A host of new scrapboards by Carol Labashosky are being showcased at Louisville's Block Party Handmade Boutique. The Italy series continues with newly hung Venice Canal (left), comprised of photos and cement with pieces of building facade; Naples City Scapes (right), is made with blue paper, greeting cards and crackle maroon paint; and Burano Italy Lace (bottom on stand with green house). Burano is a small island off the Venetian coast where women handcraft beautiful lace. A lace handkerchief has been cleverly affixed to the scrapboard resting on ocean wave cloth material. "Old Louisville" -- hanging vertically at center -- is on sale, double matted and framed. Gold detailing strategically placed makes this a one-of-a-kind design. It depicts architectural features of an old Louisville home from the early 1900s.


 New fine art exhibit is displayed at Block Party Handmade Boutique by Carol Labashosky





Photo transfer brings mixed media to a new and exciting creative level

     Is it a photo or is it a painting? What, on paper? Hmmm. Equestrian dressage is captured here in my fine art photo transfer combined with acrylic painting. Learning a new artistic technique has opened my eyes to trying some new media methods. I participated in a workshop at Louisville's new Block Party Handmade Boutique on 4th Street, Louisville, Ky., taught by Photographer MickieWinters. Students learned how to transfer photos from Xerox paper (! how easy is that product) and special photo paper to wood, glass or even a canvas. The process combines a matte medium applied to your upside down photo positioned on the wood block. Then after waiting -- wait overnight if you can -- you peel away or scratch away the white photo paper. I failed my first attempt, but like the little engine that could, I continued to progress until I had a "live one." 
     This photograph was taken during the World Equestrian Games held in Lexington, Ky. Half the fun was going through 4,000 digital files -- those blasted thumbnails -- to find a photo I have always treasured, but never turned into a tactile object. Digital files are great, but they are fleeting. For me, a "Scrapboarder" used to working images with my hands, this look and method is nothing short of spectacular. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results. 
     Thanx Mickie Winters for sharing your techniques! And, to you folks out there, try photo transfer.
     This piece will be on sale at the Boutique in June. It's a five by five canvas preserved with several coats of Golden Gel medium for UV protection by Artist Carol Labashosky.

Resources for creating Kentucky Derby Fine Art: 

Churchill Downs, racehorses, run for the roses and dawn at the downs

Next week the city of Louisville will be in full swing for the Kentucky Derby. Artists -- such as myself -- have been creating and designing hats, art prints, mint julep cups and interesting handmade clothing. I've been hanging around the track admiring the horses.

My photographs of  racing thoroughbreds, horses being 'hot walked' at Churchill Downs backside and the paddock are available in all sizes, framed or unframed, and as fine art greeting cards sized a generous 4 by 6 inches. These variations of Derby fine art make wonderful mementos for friends and family or business associates. I use handmade paper as matting material, cloth or even a canvas frame upon which to mount or "paint" the photos.

My fine art piece pictured below is titled, "The Paddock with Roses," and it will soon be available for purchase at Block Party Handmade Boutique, 560 E. 4th Street in Louisville, Ky. The piece is in its final stages of development -- I will add some handmade paper, paint the frame with a wash, adhere some ribbon and assemble a few other embellishments to finish out the 3-D affect I strive for  -- that which makes "Scrapboarding" so unique. A thoroughbred 3-D racehorse will appear in the collage.

The fine art piece is 14 by 17 inches, framed and ready to hang. Large blooming faux roses are adhered to the archival paper for a full 3-D affect.  Professional sealants, glue and archival papers make the wall hanging one that endures over time. It is UV protected, as are all scrapboards. The second photo is a detail of jewel-toned sequins upon the cardstock mat. You can also purchase via my Scrapboarding shop on Etsy at:

 http://scrapboarding.etsy.com

Carol Labashosky's scrapboards debut at Handmade Block Party Boutique

The official opening day of Louisville's new 4th Street art retailer, Block Party Handmade Boutique, gathered together nearly 100 artisans and visitors to welcome Louisville's newest art destination. Scrapboarding fine art by Carol Labashosky is displayed among the glamorous merchandise. Scrapboarding is available for purchase in the boutique's rear gallery.

I created several new Kentucky Derby fine art pieces and greeting cards for the opening focused on the "World's Fastest Sporting Event"  --  held the first week in May at Churchill Downs.

Brian Labashosky admires the Scrapboarding collection on Boutique opening night.

Scrapboarding is pictured above. Sue Gay's textile baskets are below.

Kentucky Thoroughbred racehorse Bold Twice is featured in this 11 x 14 " scrapboard.

The Paddock is an 8 x 10 " handmade paper fine art piece coupled with a matching photo.

 

 

 The Block Party Handmade Boutique is located at 560 S. 4th Street, Louisville, Ky. The founder is Mary Levinsky.

Come to South 4th St. new retail grand opening; Scrapboarding at Block Party Handmade Boutique

Carol Labashosky's Cincinnati Fountain photo wins first place national award

The home-page photograph I took of the fountain at this website has just received a first place national honor by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The photo depicts the completed construction of Cincinnati waterfront's Grand Staircase Tiered Fountain.

Civil War Photography at Antietam Battlefiled (Sharpsburg, Md.)
Pen and Ink drawing by Carol Labashosky

I've always had an affinity for civil war photography by Alexander Gardner and Mathew Brady who photographed the civil war. Their efforts were to ensure the public saw the reality of the battlefield and the bloodshed up close and really personal; too gruesome for some. They had a studio in New York,

My fine art pen and ink drawing was rendered from a photograph taken by Gardner. The piece had sat unfinished in a closet for 12 years, and I finally completed it two years ago and had it framed. There is something serene about the drawing, but yet forlorn. At Antietam, both armies, the Union and the Confederacy,  suffered the highest casualties of the entire civil war.