Finished Masks...

Below are the finished masks.  I have plans for another with rabbit ears and one with moose ears.  I just need to get into the studio!  Especially to clean it up!!!

"Friends"
Sold

"Broken Rabbit"
currently hanging in a local gallery

Finished Wall Masks - coming soon...

I have almost completed the two wall masks I have in production.  Both have been fun to work on and I have plans for several more.

I present the finished commissioned mask to my friend on Sunday, after which time I will post the finished masks...

"Green" mask...

Honorable Mention 3D - (3rd place)

I won Honorable Mention - 3D in the Light & Shadow show at the PCA.  The artists reception was held on Friday, September 5th.  I got to the reception early to find few people in the gallery.  However, a few fellow artists offered me positive feedback about my work...  The 4th Friday Walk is coming up on September 26th which brings in more of the public to view the show.

Two PCA shows, two awards.  I am pleased...

Ap"pear"ently Wired

I am submitting this piece to a call to artist show.  It is called Light and Shadows.  The pictures below are it hanging outside on my garage.  Stucco is the best background for photos, but I wanted to show the "shadows".  I will know next Friday if it got juried into the show.

It's a bit wild.  When my neighbor saw it, he asked if I had been doing drugs!  LOL

Whoever Said Loading the Kiln Was Not A Challenge!!! Not me...

This morning I loaded the kiln for a bisque fire.  Now, I know that I have some very fragile greenware in this load.  I am doing very little underglaze work on the greenware because of this fact.  However, it is the set-up of the shelves that can be the problem.

After a slight a bump, I knocked one of the vases off the self and it fell into the rabbit mask below breaking the ear beyond repair.  So, the title for this piece is now "Broken Rabbit"!  LOL  I am no  longer upset about the breakage (mask and vase).  However, at the time, perhaps even my neighbors could hear the  #0%*#!$ I yelled!!!

Shelf one, but was later changed...

Newly arranged shelf one...

Yellow vase on top fell on rabbit ear before the orb was on the shelf (thank goodness!)...

Broken rabbit ear...

Top shelf and ready to go!

I really wasn't that fond of the work!

I attended a pottery wheel workshop last spring and the instructor said that every 5th throw should be a failure, otherwise you are not growing!  Well I guess I just had a growth spurt!  While cleaning up, I knocked over my fragile orb and it is beyond repair!
--------------------
This week I made a second "rabbit" mask and I intend to make a third.

This morning I stared a "flying pear" wall plaque.  I hope to use this piece (instead of the broken orb) to submit to the light and shadows art show.  It will be multi-media with the addition of some copper wire that will be the part of the piece that will create the shadows.  It looks a little strange at this point.

I am off to a "high tea" at a local lavender farm so I will have to finish the clay work later today or tomorrow.

Fragile, but Fun...

I am currently working on two large pieces that are somewhat fragile, but very fun!  The first is an "orb"  that will hang off of a wall hook.  It is being made for a gallery show themed "light and shadow".  Hard to shoot photos and I am trying to be careful not to break it!!!

The second is a commissioned mask that a friend requested I make.  She is a an animal lover, so this is reflected in the rabbit, raven, bird theme...

Both pieces will are greenware so they are in the very early stages...

UPDATE:  Only 30 minutes after this post, I broke off one of the orb spirals!  LOL

I Finally Got Production in the Studio Today!!!

It has been a long time since I was in the studio?  After my metal sculpture class ended in early May I had lots to do around the house before I could go on my 10 day trip back east.  And now that I am back from the east coast, I am catching up around the house, especially landscaping.  So, finally today I took most of the day to work in the studio!!!

spirals for a metal project I plan to make this fall

1 of 4 bird feeders I am making for the Master Gardener plant sale in July

Another crazy pot

a very fragile quail orb!

All greenware, but I need lots more before I can fire away!  :)

Time to Get Back into the Studio!

Just got back from my east coast family vacation and now it is time to get back into the studio!  Some tall grasses have inspired me to work in both clay and metal...

Before I left for vacation, I remembered a project I volunteered to do but had forgotten all about it!  The 6"X6" mosaic project for Yavapai Community College.  So two days before I was leaving I created this little canvas.  I can't wait to see all of the 230 created by local artist assembled.  Each piece is $25 and the proceeds go to the Yavapai Community College Art Garden.  The event is September 14, 2014