Alphabet Series - Pt. 1

With the baby coming, I thought "Why buy art when I can make it?" (Though, I often think that and it doesn't usually happen that I actual make the said item I decide not to buy because I figure I can just make it.)  That is what I am doing (hopefully!). I was hesitant to create too much of a theme in the room, which means no mural on the wall, and I want whatever ends up in the room to look like it belongs. I decided on creating an alphabet series. Since Scott and I love to travel, and I would love to inspire the baby to explore and be interested in the world, I decided on a world travel theme for the series. I also think that this will pull in a variety of colors, shapes, animals, etc. that I can play off of throughout the room. I plan to create 8" x 8" mixed media collages - collage paper on the background and paint on top. The canvases have arrived, and so far I have completed sketches for almost half of the alphabet.

As I was sketching, I realized that in some ways, this is turning out to be a study of the development of the dome through out history and across cultures. I have done 12 letters and already have 5 different domes! Thanks to all my art history teachers, starting with Georgia McCalmon at Elkins HS for including architectural history.

Here is the alphabet list:

A - Agra, India (Taj Mahal and peacock)
B - Bangkok, Thailand (elephant and temple)
C - Cuzco, Peru (Machu Picchu and llama)
D - Dublin, Ireland (round tower, shamrock and celtic designs)
E - Edinburgh, Scotland (Edinburgh castle and thistle)
      ...okay, I know it is technically the UK, but they really want to be independent, so...
F - Florence, Italy (Duomo)
G - Giza, Egypt (pyramids and sphinx)
H - Haarlem, Netherlands (windmill and tulips)
I - Istanbul, Turkey (Hagia Sophia)
J - Jerusalem, Israel (Dome of the Rock)
K - Kathmandu, Nepal (Boudhanath Stupa)
L - London, England (red double decker bus and Big Ben)
M - Mexico City, Mexico (Teotihuacan temples)
N - Nairobi, Kenya (lion and giraffe)
O - Oslo, Norway (Viking ship)
P - Paris, France (Eiffel Tower)
Q - Quebec City, Canada (fortifications)
R - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Carnival)
S - Sydney, Australia (Sydney Opera House and kangaroo)
T - Tokyo, Japan (pagoda)
U - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (yak and yurt)
V - Venice, Italy (gondolier)
W - Warsaw, Poland (art deco designs and Marie Curie)
X - Xian, China (Terra Cotta Warrior and panda)
Y - Yangon, Myanmar or Yaounde, Cameroon (I have no idea yet.)
Z - Zurich, Switzerland (mountain and skier)