Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
My bestest friends
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Special people buy my work
Friday, November 25, 2011
Today's the day
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Crap, the holidays are here
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Pricing, packing and last minute details
My studio looks like Santa's workshop right now, with last minute details to glue and sand and file, and price. My car is all packed and I am ready to head to Raleigh tomorrow for set up. Very tired!
Surprise, look at me, I made the local newspaper!
Surprise, look at me, I got rejected for the Emerging Artist Grant from the Durham Arts Council. I give up on this fucking thing. I think this is the fourth year I have been turned down and I'm really not sure how long I can be considered "emerging" as an artist!
and so because I was tired and had an ego up and down kind of day, I had some Reese's Puffs in one of my very favorite bowls. Can you guess who's?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Kudos to you bloggers!!!!!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
But how do you really feel....
Do you look in the mirror and like what you see
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Pepper Spray incident
Chancellor’s office (530) 752-2065
UC Davis police (530) 752-1727
The officer who pulled out the pepper spray was Lieutenant John Pike. 530-752-3989
Finding my way
Friday, November 18, 2011
Last day with clay
What is waiting for you?
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
What's up with ornaments?
As promised for my raku pals, here is a good turquoise recipe. The one I was using has decided it no longer wants to work so I tried this one with pretty good results. If you leave it in the can for a long time you get beautiful reduction effects. Lots of golds. I was going to give you another recipe I tried but it looked like crap so I'll not bother!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Raku ornaments and old barns
Yesterday I went back to the barns and got some more tin and wood and I picked up a rusty toolbox full of rusty square nails. It was like what most girls must feel like when they shop at the mall! Can you believe this green tin? I can't wait to use it and I have plans for these old tool handles. I have so many sketches and so many things I want to make, just don't have time for experiments right now.
Yes, I will store this properly when I get some time....
My little studio looks so happy tucked in the woods. I built it in March when there were no leaves on the trees and I have seen three seasons in it now. I wonder how winter will be. Winter may be in my upstairs art room making something else! Gerry has put up weather stripping for me, caulked all of the gaps and finished framing the outside overhangs. It's as tight as it can get except for insulation, I'll get to that in January when there aren't a bunch of breakables in there. I'm still making stuff and there are lots of things that are crossed out on my to do list, but it is a very long list......
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Tinariwen
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Bourbon Virgin
Friday, November 11, 2011
Discount tickets
To Do:
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Mingei
It is my belief that while the high level of culture of any country can be found in its fine arts, it is also vital that we should be able to examine and enjoy the proofs of the culture of the great mass of the people, which we call folk art. The former are made by a few for the few, but the latter, made by the many for many, are a truer test. The quality of the life of the people of that country as a whole can best be judged by the folkcrafts.
The Unknown Craftsman - A Japanese Insight into Beauty, Sōetsu Yanagi, Kodansha International, New York, 1989
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Barns as Narrative
I feel so blessed to have these people come in and out of my life, it makes life rich and textured and adds so many layers, just like a work of art, isn't it? Thanks to all of you that check in on my blog, that leave comments, that send me wonderful emails, some that make me laugh, some that bring tears, but always add another layer to my life!!!!!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Peaceful start to the week
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Don't Frack with NC
In a surprising turn of events, Cuadrilla Resources, a British energy company, recently admitted that its hydraulic fracturing operations "likely" caused an earthquake in England. Predictably, this news quickly sent a shockwave through the U.K., the oil and natural gas industries, and the environmental activist community. And it certainly feeds plenty of speculation that the same phenomenon could be occurring elsewhere.
Speculation that would be well-founded, evidently. Right on the heels of Cuadrilla's announcement, news is spreading that the United States Geological Survey has released a report (pdf) that links a series of earthquakes in Oklahoma last January to a fracking operation underway there. Evidently, a resident reported feeling some minor earthquakes, spurring the USGS to investigate. They found that some 50 small earthquakes had indeed been registered, ranging in magnitude from 1.0 to 2.8. The bulk of these occurred within 2.1 miles of Eola Field, a fracking operation in southern Garvin County.
The U.S.G.S. determined that "from the character of the seismic recordings indicate that they are both shallow and unique."
From the report:
Our analysis showed that shortly after hydraulic fracturing began small earthquakes started occurring, and more than 50 were identified, of which 43 were large enough to be located. Most of these earthquakes occurred within a 24 hour period after hydraulic fracturing operations had ceased. There have been previous cases where seismologists have suggested a link between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes, but data was limited, so drawing a definitive conclusion was not possible for these cases
Friday, November 4, 2011
Raise your hand
I had an email from someone today asking about firing pendants and beads. The best thing I have found is this, one of my friends actually made these for me when we did the raku workshop here. They work really well and have held up great. They are just a thick column of clay with high temp wire stuck in while the clay is still wet, Then a handle is added on top for lifting out of the kiln with tongs (I use these for raku).
I also use baskets with holes for added reduction, although I don't like this as well, the backs of the pieces can end up with dots on them. If you have a better idea let us know. I have seen the metal square contraption thing online but I can't figure out how to make it. The bead trees you can buy from ceramic supply companies don't work for raku, they don't hold up to the thermal shock. Mine are cheap and easy to make. If you have recycled clay laying around use that!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
New favorite tools, new favorite houses
I made these houses after reading about the construction of slave quarters on the rice plantations in South Carolina. The art library at UNC has an amazing collection of books on slavery in the south. The African craftsmen made these houses out of clay and then later wood. Many of the large plantation homes are long gone while these well constructed little structures still stand. I love the thought of that. I love the way they are placed all in a line, the way they look so plain but yet they look so interesting. I can't get these little houses out of my head, and I am going to keep working on them until they say what I want them to. I think about the people that lived in these places. I imagine them being almost empty except for the necessary things. I think about the conversations that must have taken place in the nights by the fire after a hard day of work, I think about the fear that lived in these places. But, I also think that there had to be happy moments too, times filled with songs, story telling, sewing, hopefully some laughter. I want to celebrate the lives that lived in these spaces. And so I will keep working until I get where I want to go with them....