Frida Kahlo

I am deeply inspired by the legendary Frida Kahlo. To me, she is not just a painter, but also iconic to the Mexican culture. She was a powerful woman in a very machista society. She was very strong, suffering far more than I can ever. She represents a lot of things, to me. I find her to be my greatest inspiration.

Por suerte, me encontre esta blusa en etsy! (La compre aqui) Support the arts!

Anywho, this bag has been one of my greatest accomplishments. It came out much better than I imagined! :) So, this is how I made my bag. I was deeply inspired by this frida quote that I came across. She was quoted saying this in her diary:

"Pies, para que los quiero si tengo alas para volar"

To make my super rad Frida bag, I used:

- Blank canvas bag (I got mine at Michael's for $5, I think)

- Acrylic paint and brushes

- Mod Podge (This was an initial test to try this out. I honestly love Mod Podge, but it failed to do the job, here. Instead of the Mod Podge, I suggest a fabric medium. You live, and you learn! :) )

Based off of This self-portrait, I sketched her face on the bag. Then, with the paint, I painted her face in the style that I wanted. After drying, I blotched on layers of Mod Podge in the hopes of sealing my artwork! Over time, however, it begins to crackle off and the paint goes with it. The sealant also gets a little sticky when wet, and can easily be washed off in the washing machine. I highly suggest using a fabric medium! I know this, now ;)

(This is when I put the Mod Podge)

The project initially began as a test for the Mod Podge picture transfer. It was a total flop, for me. I tested the butterfly inside, but the whole thing just came off. In the end, I painted over the sticky mess with paint and redid the butterfly :)

This last picture was taken by my lovely, talented, and totally rad friend, Liz :)