Lots of Projects from Ceramics II—My Novel Freshman Experience

Lots going on in the studio this term.  Let's see...leaf plaques, a book bookend, made my own clay mix...

I made 39 quilt tiles...it took forever to glaze them all! 

And a chicken mug which was not a success.  I used a chicken rolling pin, but the birds got lost in the glaze.

Birds and tree mugs...I can't wait to see the mugs glazed!

 The first of the quilt tiles came out of the kiln...the rest are going in the gas kiln.

And my first glazed Santa.














 More birds and a Santa...and the start of the mug.

The top Fuhrmann plaque was made by my FIL.  I based some of my Santas on his as well.  I came close to recreating it in clay.







More birds.  I'm getting better.  And this Santa isn't based on my FIL's...he's my own design.  A lumberjack Santa.  I'm pretty pleased with his maul.  (I have my own, btw!)

The start of another bird and a very rough bunny.

A tree Stump Mug.

Tree branch spoons. I wrote a story inspired by them!  Spoons: A Love Story

 These were some of my first tries at faces...
They turned out odd, so I made them goddesses

 Here are the clay quilt tiles...and more spoons.

 Faces and hands were my goal this term.  Someone said these looked like Dementor hands.  Uh, yes they do.












The middle one is my FIL's Santa...the other two are my attempts to replicate it.

Another face.  Still odd.  So I made her a sun goddess.  Yes, in my mind gods and goddesses have inhuman faces.

 More spoons.

 More birds and Santa.  This one's my own design.

 A bit tree plaque.  And I loaded my first kiln!

Here's my first batch of greenware.



Acorn palooza...different scoops.

Lots more in the work.  My theme for this term was Folk Art.  I figure even my not quite human faces fit into folk art.  LOL

Thanks everyone who's been following my journey back to school!

Holly

These are my "Butt" Santas, based on ones my FIL made.  The kids all want one!

The Art of Writing

I went to a wonderful lecture about quilting tonight called Earth Stories at the Erie Art Museum with Susan Shie.   I've made a few quilts.  Not good ones.  But I made them with enthusiasm.  The family favorites are jeans quilts.  They're super heavy and warm.  But tonight's presentation was by an artist.

When I started writing I kept hearing about "the rules of writing." (Susan Gable and I have done workshops together called We Don't Need No Stinkin' Rules...so yes you can imagine how I felt about those rules.  LOL)  One of the rules was no writers or artists heroes/heroines.  Pip in Carry Her Heart was a writer, and Lexie in Just One Thing was an artist, though she didn't think of herself as such.  I think what fascinated me last night was both storyteller and artist so tangible in Susan's quilts. She mixes quilting, sewing, painting, writing, journaling into something beautiful and memorable.

I wrote about My Day Of Beauty a few months ago.  It's rare that I take a day off from work and family obligations but that day inspired me then and now.  Well, tonight inspired me as well.  Like Lexie in Just One Thing, I feel presumptuous saying I'm an artist, but if writing is my art, then words are the medium with which I express it.  And I loved that I put art into Just One Thing...blurring the lines a bit like Susan Shei's quilts. She takes both cotton, thread and paint and weaves words into them, producing something hybrid and unique. 

Oh, it was a lovely night.

By the way, as a remembrance of My Day of Beauty, I took another shadow picture as I walked back to the car last night!  I love that art can be found anywhere and we all have the opportunity to become part of it.

My life has been crazy again lately. Writing and life keep bumping into each other and I have to scramble to juggle it all.  I found an hour for this lecture and am so glad I did.  Sometimes we just need to take a moment, surround ourselves with beauty and just breathe.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Holly