What Inspires Us

The last time I was at Goodwill looking for inspiration I found  this tall multiple metal legged candle stand, complete with leftover white wired lace woven all around that can be used again. Since I'm in a phase of making sculptures to which I can add a weave of wire and paper, these looked promising as a different take on the whole business:  in this case sculpture added to the "wire."

Drilled through the center so that the sculpture could be attached to the stand via bolt and wing-nut. In the photo below the small bowl on the left will be the attachment point and the middle twist a "cap" that will fit over the top of it. The ball and piece on the right will be counterbalance weights at the base of the stand to keep it all from being too top heavy.

Haven't decided whether or not to add some more wire and paper to the wire itself. Guess I'll wait to see how the clay looks glazed, fired and attached.

Another Day, Another Trip to FedEx

Stacking Sculpture
in Sunset Colors

Pottery sales tend to ebb and flow for me. For a few years I sold all of the "Happy Children" and stacking sculpture like this that I made. It takes quite a few pots to add up to selling a bigger piece. They help sales quite a bit.

Well, then the 2000s hit and I would haul these to fairs and haul them home. After doing that a couple of times it gets to be a drag -- especially since these are supposed to be my fun, spontaneous pieces.

Fast forward to 2012 and Sunset magazine reprinted some photos of Ketzel Levine's garden with one of my stackers in the background. A couple people managed to track down who made the sculpture. They contacted me, weren't too shocked by the price and commissioned sculptures for their gardens.

I've always used fairly light bright colors to show up in a Pacific Northwest garden, but one of the clients wanted sunset colors for her home in the San Diego area. Here's how it turned out. And yes, I cut the pole so the bird wasn't left high and dry before shipping. Just didn't have time to stack it all back up and take a photo before shipping it onward.

It would be nice to think that selling a few larger pieces again is a good sign that the economy might be picking up, but it feels a little ego-driven, small world-centric. And I wouldn't want to jinx anything. (smile!)

Is it a Series Yet?

Second Pod

I can blame the lack of production a little bit on the new pup in our household, but that would be wrong. It's really more a matter of not really knowing where these are going. The long lag time between making and firing and whether or not the glazing works out or not is being complicated even further by my desire to wire these up post-firing. That will certainly change their look and it's hard to know what it will be then. Unfinished work is so unnerving. Doesn't help that I kinda need a kiln load worth to be bisque fired at a longer and lower temp than my production stoneware.

The concept for the pod above came about on the back of an envelope after envisioning it strung with a spiderweb-like wiring that may or may not get papered.

Moonscape Pod

The moonscape pod was just a shape that turned into a moonscape along the way. Funny when that happens.

The pod below just came about and changed many times as it was being formed. Still a lot of finish shaping to do, but it's getting there. All three of these are a mix of sculpture and paper clay. The two pods on top have been layered with velvet underglazes

Shell-like Pod

Maybe after I get three of these finished I'll waste a little kiln space and fire them up so I can go to the next step.

Rainy Thursday Musings

When a gallery owner invites one to be in a show and has a special request for a certain type of work, I'm not one to turn her down. Show opportunities are too few and far between.

The challenge is how to put a NEW spin on an old form. My stacking sculptures began as a way to create some organic shapes, get out the bright low-fire glazes and brushes and just have fun with how it all came together. I've never meant for them to be art per se, but last year I did challenge myself a bit more with the forms.

Now I'm working on the first stacker for the show with the idea of making some crisper shapes and slightly more complex forms. Here's how it's going so far. The base flower shape reminds me of a cock's comb, so think a top knot will have to repeat it on top. Last year I made some interlocking shapes that have become more refined and will have centerpieces rather than interlock since shrinkage and warping didn't play out too well.

So many possibilities for stacker number two.

What Inspires Us

Ahhh, Europe. No matter which way you turn there is art staring right back at you. Cornices, bridges, on the floor, in the cobblestone, lighting up above. I got to spend two fabulous weeks having time to walk about new streets and sit staring at the clouds passing by.

Perhaps our own home surroundings are just as full-o-art but we just don't have the time to see it as we zoom by. I'll try and keep on the look out more now that I'm back home.

Photos Below:
Bug eating plant at De Hortus horticulture gardens, Amsterdam.
Bridge on the canal, Amsterdam.

"Gluttony??" Small carving on a pew at the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam.

Low-tech fancy lighting at an art show in Paris.

Floor of the Grand Palais, Paris, juxtaposed to some artwork at same show.

Ceramic Showcase 2011

Ceramic Showcase is a pottery mecca for three days every year in Portland. Not only is it a chance to sell some work, but it is also incredibly inspiring to see all the new work that our peers are making.

A few booths blew me away with incredibly clever displays (Brenda Scott) or outta sight work (Brad Mildrexler yet again). Sorry no photos... More and more wood fire is coming to the show. Glad that there more iterations than just "asian knock-off". Most of us are Amis for goodness sake...

Thoroughly enjoyed myself even tho still exhausted five days later.

First Etsy Sale

Something I've done since my first art fair is "prime the pump" with a purchase of my own as soon as I'm set up and ready to take sales.

Give a little to get a little.

So, finally after getting 14 items in my Etsy shop (which makes it look full at least on the front page of the shop), I thought it was time for me to make a purchase of my own.

While shopping I found a lovely silver crane necklace created to look like an origami crane. The perfect thing to gift the person who hand-folded almost 1000 cranes for our wedding. (People attending our party the night before the big day were able to whip up the balance.)
Then SURPRISE, this week my first sale came through after being on Etsy for less than a month. Three stars are on their way to Brooklyn. With the Etsy fee, the Paypal fee and mailing costs I'm just barely clearing 50%, which is my goal.
I hope to have time to read more of the Etsy blog posts about maximizing all the many tools there to generate sales. Coupons, specials, BOGO offers, etc. There is so much to learn. Some of it can be used in other areas of our art businesses, so it's well worth it to tune in.

If only there were more hours in the day...

What our Art Collections Teach Us

Like many of us, I have artwork treasures I’ve purchased, traded for, been given and accumulated from my own making. Day in and day out these pieces bring joy and beauty to our home life and I tend to take them for granted. But several pieces have called to me lately and have given me pause enough to look closer at all the rest. (My apologies for a photo of only one...)

“Exit Stage Left -- the Lovers” is an abstract painting I purchased from a friend’s fundraiser sale for cancer treatment. Sid‘s wild abstract lines, images, colors and energetic treatment of the paint seemed totally foreign to my way of thinking when I first became acquainted with her work -- chaotic and troubled. It was a piece I could afford from those being offered, had a great title that I could related to, and we could support my friend with our purchase. I liked it but didn’t know why.

For several years a lovely Glenn Burris abstract glazed tile piece was hung next to it because his piece seemed to be an ordered “simple” abstract next to a complex one, and yes, the colors related. After I moved the Burris abstract to a new location Sid’s painting seemed to come into focus as a very systematic grouping of character types. I remember how she used to apply the paint with such energy and speed, yet how organized and harmonic the finished painting. Is this just a function of my brain persisting in making order of chaos until it gets it? Or was its simple layout there all along? She knew when to quit.

Many of the pottery pieces we have are styles I could never begin to do or master. Pieces with hours of decorative work, or special glaze effects requiring years of trial and error are prized possessions. During my teaching years any particularly interesting contruction method was acquired as an illustration for another thing for the students to try and gave me a fairly good excuse to support many potters.

Above our stove is this Wally Schwab platter with a lively dotted decoration that would be mind numbing glazing for my taste. Under Wally's mastery it comes alive. This plate called to me from an entire booth of similarly decorated wares--many larger and brighter glazed than this one. Wally chose to place the hanger so the glaze drips are going “up” rather than the “down” as one might expect. Sometimes I wonder at that as I stir or watch a pot. It causes a yin/yang dialogue in my brain of whether or not it’s hanging “right” that tickles me when I realize I’m thinking about it for the hundreth time.

As potters, many of our works are treasures because of the maker as much or more as the pot. Time and use have taken their toll on some pieces. When a favorite plate got a major chip knocked off, I superglued it back so I could still use it because this potter no longer is doing pottery. Some of our pottery pieces have just the right heft. Others are fun to use on special occasions. All are reminders of the super greater arts community that I belong to.

Studio Sale Post Script

We couldn't have asked for better weather for a backyard sale...sunny and warm but not too warm. Our cooler spring meant more was blooming in the garden at the same time than ever before: peonies and rhodies at the same time the dogwood was still pinkish. Thanks to the fertile mix added to beds in March everything seemed to be just a little more lush. All those April and May showers probably helped with that, too.

People came! A good rush of new faces and familiar awaited us when we opened our doors.

The stacking sculpture that greeted everyone out front had been in the Edible Garden at the Oregon Gardens for many years so I was happy it went home with a friend who liked its weathered look. Thanks to a recent Portland Monthly photograph, got to name drop the fact that one of these is in Ketzel Levine's collection.

Thanks to all who took the time to come by to visit and help support we three artists. The little video walk through was done by journalist and budding videographer, Gail Oberst, pottery sale helper extraordinaire!

Art in the Garden

Studio sales are a bit like hosting a party and a bit of... "I should've had my head examined!" A lot of work, but can be a lot of fun and rewarding, too.

The past 18 years I've had an outdoor studio sale in a garden setting. This means not only do you have to have a lot of artwork, but the garden itself can't be the beds of neglect that begin appearing as the summer progresses--at least at our place. We were hosted at the beautiful LeBlanc gardens Harold and Cathy so generously made beautiful and loaned for 14 summers. For the past 4 we've had a Spring sale so people come to my house before everything in our yard has plopped. I team up with Louie Gizyn (mixed media sculpture) and Jerri Bartholomew (fused glass) so there is more than just pots to see.

Since we're in the outdoors there are worries about the weather (wet or boil-o), what will be blooming or not, how to get the garage in shape enough to have people come through (cover most of it up with cloths!) and where to put all the artwork to best show it off. Will people actually COME once we've gone to all of this effort?!? And just now I remembered that I need to get REFRESHMENTS! Add it to the list...

This year's sale is tomorrow, May 15. 11 am - 4 pm.
We usually do this two weeks post-Ceramic Showcase in May if you're in the Corvallis, OR area.

New Versions of Old Favorites

Since I was glazing a kiln load of plates and bowls with the new green version of my drippy Alberta Slip glaze, decided to just spray the rest of the lot with the same glaze. This was the result. This watercan, basket and "tulip vase" all have a fresh look, and one that will stand out from the darker blues and browns of my other work when I take it all to Ceramic Showcase next month.

Dinnerware Commission

Fired most of the dinnerware set over the weekend. All the plates and a couple of larger serving pieces got in, but the bowls just didn't make it.

Haven't fired that many plates all at one time and tighter stack and extra shelves changed the way my kiln fired a bit... Everything came out a bit darker due to be reduced* during the firing, but I think the darker color will look nice with food. Waiting to hear from the family who ordered them before I begin the boxing/shipping process.

*when the kiln is starved of oxygen the fire seeks it from the chemicals within the claybody, giving stonewares a darker/richer hue.