It's Been a Busy Year

Oh boy...It's hard to believe so much time has gone by since the last post. I've been painting, building a chicken coop, traveling and having a wonderful time.  I'll post three photos of artwork that was accepted into a student show at American River College. Not necessarily a high-ranking venue, but then, I've not bothered to enter competitions for decades. 

Hot Winds - 9"x12" oil

Ride a Cock-Horse to Banbury Cross -
11"x14" Mixed  Media Collage

Wasabi - 6"x5"x3" Ceramic

So, art, chickens, travel. Spent a week down in the Palm Springs area twice this year. It's what I think of  as a "girl week". Leave the husband at home, go down to paint and reset my batteries.  I come back recharged and inspired. Additional bonus: artwork!

I'm also teaching a basket class for a woman's group. It's about time I did some more basket work. 

I'm teaching them to make a basket similar to this one, with a round wooden base. Confession time: I'm having a ball.  Maybe I need to think more about this teaching stuff. Hmmm.  

So, the weather is fine, I have six (6!) house guests arriving next weekend and will have to do a cleaning blitz. The garden needs a ton of work, and so, off to do so. Coffee first though...

Music Rattlin' 'Round my Brain

A memory wandered around my brain... music that I couldn't find in my CD pile, and then I remembered it was old old old... and on cassettes. I no longer have a player, but I still have a whole box of cassettes. Go figure...   I dug through these dusty little plastic boxes, and uncovered the one I wanted: The Travelling Wilburys.  

For those of  you who don't know about these guys, they are actually Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. Just jamming and having so much fun, they  made a couple of albums. (Vol 1 & Vol 3.... no # 2).  I'm going on line to buy them... but am enjoying the sounds linked here.  When I get back from San Diego, I'm going to be dancing to it in my studio.  It will be delivered and ready for me. It's happy music. 

The First Teapot

The first teapot came out of the glazing kiln. Mostly it is a success, but it will never pour tea. :^(   The glaze flowed down and filled in the pour holes. I like the color and the shape, and now I know a method of building teapots that I will utilize next semester. I wanted this one to function as a teapot instead of a plant holder or brush stand. The lid works, the handle feels good, the glaze is interesting. Ah, well, the kiln gods have spoken. 

 

Ceramic Tile

This is a bas-relief tile, about 8x8. It's stained with a dark manganese stain, to bring out the contours. I think I am going to just put a clear glaze over it to see what happens. I have a mold for it, and have pulled several of them, so I can experiment with glazes.  This is "Energy from the Sun".

Plein Air Work & Other Items

 What happened?  Time just flew by, and this blog was neglected for other projects, and ceramics classes. The studio has been recharged and re-arranged, the garden has some work done, and at last I have some painting to show for these months. My niece started her own blog, and I realized I have almost forgotten how to write. 

The old Chevy in the iris field was done just last month, at the end of April. It's pallet knife work, and its a small piece (10x12) I think.  The palm tree (that's oil pastel) was done in January down in Palm Springs/Indio. I have a few dates coming up to join some other plein air painters and should have more work to show. 

Glass work featured in American River Review

Whoa, I'm published!  Two of my jewelry pieces are featured in the annual art publication of the American River Collage @ Los Rios.  (The American River Review)  The Hand is one of them, and "Dude" is the other.  What fun.