Laura McHugh Squared: Art Every Week in 2012

Sunday, April 8, 2012


use umbrellas in a piece was our challenge this week from my very busy friend Laura McHugh West.....


I thought why not use use the umbrella as the piece instead of in the piece....

just love the lines of the umbrella....

its a blank canvas to paint what you want on it.....


last year on this very day....my hubby and I went into NYC on Easter Sunday it was a Day just like today...so beautiful and spring like.....I wanted to get plain umbrellas to paint my own designs on...I did some research and found Pearl River....What a store, we were in there for hours...fun fun fun...check it out..... http://www.pearlriver.com/v2/index.html

I remember seeing a blog post of one of my favorite mixed media artists Alisa Burke http://www.alisaburke.blogspot.com/ a few years ago where she painted on a plain umbrella...so my search began... and ended at Pearl River.....

this is my favorite red bud tree....with my plain umbrella waiting for inspiration...


I love roses and since my roses aren't blooming yet I thought why not paint roses so that is what I did....I just freestyle painted hot pink roses with darker Fuchsia centers with cheapo craft paint on the umbrella...make sure not to use to much water that would ruin the thin umbrella paper... I painted leaves and quick free style vines in a tossed pattern all over the umbrella....

I love it......and it looks so pretty in my favorite tree....


and here she rests on where my colorful roses will bloom in a few weeks.....

what would you paint on a blank umbrella?????? I have one more waiting for another interesting pattern or design....

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I am Laura McHugh West. I am in Half Moon Bay California, which is about 30 miles south of San Francisco, right on the Pacific Ocean.

A friend of mine was reading the magazine Cloth, Paper Scissors and stumbled on an article about Laura McHugh East. She told me about it and after checking out Laura's blog, I decided to contact her. We have so many things in common. We've been "internet" friends for several months and thought an art challenge in 2012 would be really fun.

Try as I might, my work cannot be contained to a single medium. If I had to narrow it down, I would describe it as the delicate and loving expression of ideas on or with paper. I work with ephemera - found paper such as old magazine ads, postcards and photos. My favorite go-to is the Sunday New York Times magazine. I like the graphics and the weight of it.

I work in encaustic wax, acrylics, oil and watercolors and make one-of-a-kind prints called monotypes on my printing press.

I have done commissioned pieces for clients and they usually cry - joyfully - when they get their pieces.

I take photographs as a way of exercising my creative eye and also as a source for my other artistic interests. Participating in photo challenges is a way for me to improve my photographic skills. Click on my photo to be directed to my art website.

Hello My name is Laura McHugh East....I live in Matawan NJ which is about 37 miles south of New York City. I cannot get enough of art and like Laura McHugh West I can't say that I work in just one medium....I love it all and love to learn and experiment with them all....

I guess people know me best for my Jewelry making but, Painting and drawing was my first introduction into the arts. My parents saw I had a eye for drawing and quickly put me in every art class they could find. I continued enjoying and learning about art in school and studied and graduated from The School of Visual Arts in NYC.

I first worked as a colorist in the garment district and designed prints for the home Textile Market as well as the fashion Industry. I loved designing and creating and color was my passion. I started my own textile design business and was busy designing and creating for many top design houses both in the home market and fashion lines. 7 years ago I decided to stay close to home and stop with the crazy commuting. I wanted to be close to home for my 2 sons and husband. I became a middle school art teacher in my town. I love my job and only wish I had started down this path years ago....I love sharing my passion for art with my art students. I get to be creative all day long, and this helps calm my busy hands....I have to create some form of art everyday. Art makes me happy.

I had a very interesting and productive 2011 and I am hoping to make 2012 even better. I am so happy Laura McHugh west found me, and we were stunned by how much we have in common besides our names.... So I am hoping that you are interested in following us on our creative journey for 1 year and see where this artistic road takes us. Thanks for stopping by...wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2012....