my art

How My Chaos Designs Come to Life It All Starts With My Splats Creating one of my Chaos designs is a wild, colorful process—just the way I like it! Every piece starts with pencil outlines, mapping out each splat (I seriously can’t get enough of those curvy, flowing shapes—they bring so much movement and dimension to the whole thing). From there, I dive in, painting each splat a different color—always paying attention to how the colors play together. (It’s like a big, bold puzzle where everything has to vibe.) Then comes the main design in each splat—the “headline act,” if you will. I work on every splat one at a time, making sure I don’t repeat any big elements right next to each other. Gotta keep things interesting! After the main design, it’s on to the next layer and the next layer: new colors, fresh details. I go splat by splat, obsessing (in a good way) over how every new color and pattern works with its neighbors. Some may only have 2 layers, some may have 5. I don’t want to go too crazy! lol This is honestly where I lose track of time—making sure everything feels harmonious and nothing clashes in a bad way. And then, finally, it’s all about the tiny details. I break out my smallest brush and fill every single little area with its own mini design. No blank spots allowed! It’s meticulous, it’s a little bit bonkers, and I absolutely love it. Here are pictures of a Bombay chest in stages as I painted it. FAQ’S Do you use Markers/Paint pens? No, for me, it feels a little like cheating and I wouldn’t be able to say I “painted” the whole thing. It would sure save me some time tho! Where do you come up with your ideas/designs? I was a big doodler when I was younger. So for me, these are like big doodles that all play together! I like to tell people, “Welcome to my brain!” haha It looks easy, how long does it take you? It might look easy, but trust me—looks can be deceiving! I’m constantly second-guessing: Does this color work here? Should I add another detail? Is this the right design for this spot? Honestly, it’s tough to say exactly how long one piece takes. I did time myself once on a simple table (just the top and four legs, no drawers or shelves) and it took me about 35 hours from cleanup to sanding, priming, and finishing. I try to keep track for every piece, but let’s be real—half the time I forget to turn the timer on (or off) these days! How many colors of paint do you use? Hmmm…how many do I have or how many does into each piece? lol I have and use different paint from different manufacturers so I think I have over 200 colors of paint! Some are very very close in color but I do see the little teeny tiny difference sot honestly, it could just be using a red that’s a tad lighter than another, even if they look almost the same! What kind of brushes do you use? Ha, what kind DON”T I use! haha…I think I have more brushes than paint! I’m pretty hard on my brushes so I don’t like to spend a lot on them. They would just sit there and look pretty cuz i would  hate to ruin them! I use the middle of the road ones…and I tend to keep them all.  Maybe one day I will make a multi media art piece and use all the old brushes? Now there’s a thought! haha If I want a piece painted, can you use my furniture? Of course! Wait, I said that too fast…Instead let me say, yes, more than likely BUT there are pieces that just can’t be painted (like plastic/acrylic pieces or ones that have laminate on top). We should talk once you send me a pic of it and then go from there!   How do you pick the furniture for commissions? Very carefully! lol I use only second hand furniture. I love to take old, not wanted furniture and turn it into a piece of art.  All bright and shiny! So I look in those places. Once I get the description of what the customer is looking for, I go to town! I never get tired at looking at furniture, or anything really, and imagining it in Chaos! I send pics of what I find and they either like or we keep moving. It normally doesn’t last that long to find the best piece for them!   Have a question I didn’t answer here? Just ask! I love talking about all things Chaos.

Debbie did indeed tackle the Skyline, and what a twist of fate it was! The creative business name ‘Debbie Did It!’ took on a whole new meaning when I captured the essence of the Dallas skyline. At my inaugural Art Show, a visitor made the connection, exclaiming in surprise, ‘Wow, you DID do Dallas!’ As a novice to the art scene, I wasn’t accustomed to discussing my work, so I feigned ignorance, asking, ‘whatever do you mean?’ His observation that I had PAINTED the Dallas, TX skyline was spot on—I had indeed ‘done’ Dallas! The laughter that followed was genuine and shared. I explained that it was a tribute to the time my brother lived there, a purely innocent homage. The incident was a testament to the power of a great business name and the memorable impression it can leave, much like a distinctive logo can define a brand’s visual identity. I am working on a New York skyline as well…so it would seem to be in my best interest to get that one added to my collection so as not to bring too much attention to Dallas!! This is a 30 x 15 x 1 1/2 gallery wrapped canvas named: Chaotic Skyline: Dallas, that depicts the Dallas (TX) skyline…debbie style! Debbie

Ever go to a gas station after (or for that matter, during) a rain shower? Ya? Ever look on the  ground to see those puddles where gasoline is swimming on the top of the water? if you did, then you will understand where this style of painting originated! 🙂 As a girl, (yup even then I loved bright colors!) I was delightfully amazed at the colorful designs swirling on the water after it rained. My “Gasoline” style art is inspired by those puddles of water…kinda gross when you literally think about it..but hey, we artists sometimes get inspired by the weirdest of things…am I right? NOW, the name of this painting is a whole other story… 🙂 My bf dared me to name one of my paintings something totally off the wall that had nothing whatsoever to do with the actual image. I agreed and said he could come up with the name and I will paint the picture..and voila! I actually hid the name in the actual painting to make it more legit. Now when asked, I can say that the writing is in the art! 🙂 (this is painted on 4  12″x 12″ Wedge canvases..which I thought were way cool hence the side shot!) Hey, ya gotta have fun once in a while…. 🙂 Thanks for reading.. Debbie debbiedidit.com Tags:

I know, I know, what the heck does that have to do with art, right? Well it has come to my attention that I’m saving all types of things “to use for my art …somehow”. For example: my son finished a container of FLUFF recently and before he could throw it out (oh wait, he’s 17, he doesn’t throw things out!)let me rephrase; when I took the empty container out of the cupboard, I thought it would make a great …fill in the blank here _________ (water container, paintbrush holder, something to pour resin, a holder for my little things sittin on my art table, etc). Case in point with my big yogurt container too…hey it has a lid, I’m sure I can put it to use somehow! AND so it begins….bags, containers, heck anything that can hold stuff…I seem to think I will find a use for it. OK, let’s call it recycling  (because, really that’s what I’m doing..saving the earth and all that, right?! Yah, Yah, let’s call it that instead of hoarding..sounds so much better!! Now, when my family complains about all my “STUFF” I can tell them I’m helping to save the world. That should shut them up! 🙂 Sorry, I went off on a tangent there huh? In this new year, I have been obsessed with organizing everything (hence leading to my revelation of “saving the earth”!) I rearranged my art space, updated and created spreadsheets of my work, replaced some pics with new and improved versions and some other stuff that I really needed to do. Boy did it feel great! While I was experiencing a little “artist block” this brought me right out of it! Oh the new techniques I have thought of to make my work be the best that it can be…it has really been pretty exhilarating to say the least.   With all that said, I guess I should talk about the above painting now huh? haha This is on an 18×18 wood panel (gosh, I love those!) with 8 layers of resin (ya it’s a little heavy but oh so worth it!). It’s titled “I Heart Chaos”. I just love the depth of these paintings…it’s hard to tell in a picture (so I guess you will have to buy one to see what I’m talking about *wink*) but trust me. Pretty awesome (and I’m not breaking off my arm to pat myself on the back either 😉 it’s just a cool process..really.   Well, I think it’s time to go and clean up my art space now…it’s still snowing out (already have about 10″) so it will be another “hang in the house” day tomorrow. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of the pieces I started today! Stay tuned..more to come soon!! G’night Debbie