Step Stools are Done

Three of us met yesterday for some wine and appetizers to celebrate the completion of our stools.  I turned them in this morning and the auction event will be on May 2nd.  I hope to attend...

Thanks Mary Kaye O'Neill and Linda Scott!!

When I turned the stools in this morning the two women accepting them loved them all.  One said she thought her 6 year old would love the dragonfly stool! 

More pics of my stool: "Dancing Dragonflies"

You can see the rough plywood surface in the close up photo, which made fine painting almost impossible.   Although I put more hours into the stool then I originally thought I would, it was fun and for a very good cause.   

Pressure to Post...

With my 2015 goal of posting every week, I am under pressure to get one out today!  But, it is a good thing...  It should get me into the studio!

Well, I never did get into the art studio today!  Instead I spent the day building a frame and sub-floor for my small resin shed.  I had to clear away some of the manzanita bushes.  Then leveling the ground, adding pea gravel and finally footers to set the frame on. Why does everything take longer then one first anticipates???!!!  Tomorrow I will attach the resin floor to the wooden frame and then assemble the resin shed!  Yeah!

I purchased the resin shed at Sears, on sale and with a $50 coupon! Yeah!  It is not that big, but I needed something I could handle alone.  My neighbor helped me remove it from my car as the box weighted nearly 100lbs...  I will have to be very space efficient with my gardening supplies! LOL

PS This shed replaces a wooden shipping crate Melinda & Walter gave me for my birthday.  They modified it so I could use it as a garden shed.  It held up quite well, but it was starting warp and was often difficult to close the door.  Thanks you guys...

Step Stool Project

Four of us got together on Monday and added the base coats to our step stools.  We each used different color paints, but oddly enough the colors all go together, hmmmmmm... In between coats we chatted, drank wine and nibbled on snacks.  Now that's what I call creative art-working!

I continued working on the my stool today and put in quite a few hours and I still have many more to go!!! Painting on plywood, not so much fun...  I am thinking I will give it an "antique" coating once the detailed painting is done.  The stool is titled "Dancing Dragonflies".

Field Trip

I am off on a field trip with my neighbor Linda this AM.  She is taking Printing I at Yavapai College this semester.  The class is visiting a local printer at his studio today.  I am not sure what to expect, but I always love to see other artist's studio.  I will take my camera and if he allows, I will take some pics and post later (updating this post) if they are at all interesting...

It rained last night and the pollen counts are a little lower today, so I plan to work in the landscape today and not in my studio.  Soooo much to do!  LOL

UPDATE:
The tour of Skyline Type Foundry was very interesting!  This guy, Scott, has acquired very old printing machines and refurbished them.  Although he has many printing presses, he mainly creates the metal font types.  Apparently there is a niche market for type set printing these days.  Everything retro...

This machine liquefies the metal and drives it into a "matrix" chamber to form the metal type. It is automatic once the operator sets up the spacing etc. which can be different for different letters and fonts.

I was very excited to see the all the old machines.  It brought back good memories of my career as a manufacturing designer and engineer!  I really did enjoy that work.  (Hmmmm, maybe that's why I enjoy the metal welding so much?!?)   In addition to enjoying the tour, I needed two photos for 16" X 20" prints on metal, only $9.99 Groupn from Print Pix!  I had purchased the Groupon in December and it was ready to run out in two days!  Below are the two pics I used.

 

PS Didn't work much in the landscape, by the time I got home and had lunch it was 2PM!  Shortly afterwards it began to rain again!

PSS Monday is our first session to paint the step stools, so look for a new post about that event...

Smaller Poppies

I made a few smaller poppies.  I like both sizes, so I think I will continue to do both sizes. In the picture the two on the left (they are a little lighter gray since they are drier) are the large flowers and the three on the right are the smaller flowers.  Actually you can't tell much difference in size from this photo.  LOL

I also created a wall figure that I had sketched at my recent workshop when I was bored...  It is my rabbit-raven combo.  Both animals are iconic in our area.  I am not sure what to call it.  I have several iterations of this figure I want to make.

I am using high temp wire on the raven 'beak mask"

First Poppies - Greenware - Completed

Yesterday I made 7 poppies.  I want them to be over sized from the real thing, but these may be too big.  Of course drying and firing will shrink them some.  However, I think I will make some smaller ones today to see which I like better...

I used my new hole punches for the first time and I love the size consistency I get!  I have one hole for the metal rod poppy stem which will be JB welded in place and a second hole for water drainage.

Speaking of poppies, the pollen counts are BAD!  On a scale of 0-12 below is the current and forecast.  I guess I will be spending more time in studio and less time in landscape!!!

My allergy testing showed that on a scale of 0-13 I am a 13 when it comes to juniper!  Ouch!

Finally in the studio!

Today is clean up and get ready for "lots of creating day" in the studio!  My cold is waning and I am beginning to get my energy back :).  I have lots of projects in my sketchbook!

In addition, I picked up the 4 step stools for painting on Monday, so I have to get the group together and get started.  They are due April 15th.

After this last winter storm, spring is in the air and temps will be in the low 70's soon.  Mid week the nighttime temps were in the low 20's so I had to blanket my already blooming fruit trees.  I will leave them on a few more days until the low's creep into the mid 30's.  And no doubt the local rabbits will be out to devour all of my new spring sprouts.  So a little rabbit fencing is in order too!

I will also set two new outdoor posts this weekend on which I will attached two of my found object sculptures.  I will post pics when they are done...

A Winter Cold...

Well, a winter cold on top of my allergies has kept me out of the studio!  However, I am feeling better and I am off to Marjon Ceramics in Phoenix on Saturday for a clay hand building workshop with Sandy Luehrsen.

After the workshop, dinner at sister Melinda, Walter and friends Lisa and Phil.  Then I will leave early Sunday morning to get home before the worst of a winter storm!  Lots of rain then snow Tuesday & Wednesday...  With the three weeks of 70 degree weather in February (above normal!), my poor fruit trees have started to bud and we will be down to 17degF next week!  I have to figure out how to blanket my small trees to prevent damage.  Always something to do and it if often not my art!!!

Making the poppies - The Tower of London Remembers

I first saw the Tower of London poppies installation on the Ceramic Arts Daily website.  What an amazing project.  At first I did not realize the purpose of the installation or that each poppy represents an individual who died in. first world war..



I have been inspired to create my own (much smaller of course) poppy installation. to install along side my live wild flowers.  I will use the native California poppy  which is orange and has a slightly different pedal configuration.  I will use two rows of two pedals instead of three.  In addition, I think I will spray paint instead of glaze.   I am hoping to get started this week.