On the road again...

On Saturday I hit the road again bound for Gatlinburg, Tn. where I am attending Arrowmont School of Crafts for a week. I am taking a class from Jason Walker a Seattle area based potter known for his narrative sculptures in porcelain. I was torn about which class to take here, but when I saw Jason's work, I was completely blown away. My latest goal with my pottery is to bring more of my painting onto it and when I saw Jason's work it was a no-brainer. A I mentioned in last weeks post, one of the things that I enjoyed with painting once again was the ability to tell a story in a painting. Jason tells a story with his clay both in construction and surface painting. I am so jazzed to learn his techniques this week! We had orientation and a mini class tonight and so far I think it's going to be a swell week. He seems like a very communicative and supportive instructor and a generally nice guy.
I drove down to Gatlinburg, splitting the ride over two days. Cruising down Rte 81 through the Shenandoah Valley all the way is such a beautiful ride
. Surrounded by mountain ranges on both sides  with breath taking views at some places and best of all being able to do it with a 70 mile per hour speed limit is just awesome! The highway is also nicely paved and the truckers even obey the speed limit and stay to the right, making this a dream drive.

Just before hitting Rte 81, I gave myself a chance to enjoy the scenery and a little wine at a winery off Rte 66. It was about 5 miles off the highway and had a beautiful view of the mountain range. The tasting room was a really nice building with a great deck and umbrellas outside, but you were only allowed to sit there if you were buying their food. If you brought your own, (which I did) you had to sit down in the buggy, sweltering "picnic area" with no shade. I was a little pissed at this because I have never been to a winery that treated people that way and felt that my $12 glass of wine should entitle me to sit wherever the hell I wanted. 

Anyway, I needed the break from the road and sat down with my cooler of road food and enjoyed the view and the wine.
About 3 hours later, my next stop was at my hotel, my halfway point in Salem, Va., nice Comfort Suites affording the same magnificent views of the mountains and a much needed hot tub for my weary bones and sore back.

Painting Again….

Three years ago, I learned the magic of spinning a ball of  clay on the potter's wheel and and turning it into a beautiful vase, bowl or object of my imagination. I have been having a total love affair with it since then. Any potter will tell you that once you put your hands in clay and start making things, it quickly becomes an obsession. At the time I started making clay things, I was in need of a new challenge. I felt pigeon holed in my painting as it seemed there was an expectation for me to produce a certain thing- cow paintings mostly, and for those, I was losing my love for creating them. Making clay came around at just the right time. I needed the change and my daughter was leaving for college and if working with clay teaches you anything, it is how to let go- as your work can go horribly wrong at several points along in it's creation. So for all intents and purposes, I had mostly turned my back on painting for the last 3 years. I produced the occasional painting when I taught, but beyond that, I was giving all my love to the clay which is a very demanding lover indeed.

I wanted to create new work for a show of my paintings which I have hanging this month at Paradocx Vineyard. I have to admit that it was hard to get started. Once I did, I started to remember why still I love painting. Painting on clay allows me to decorate. Painting on canvas affords me the opportunity to create a visual story. I didn't realize how much was lying dormant in my head when images kept popping in there when I gave myself the prompt "winery." I finished a few new pieces and probably would have done more if I didn't run out of time. I have painted hundreds of cow paintings but lately, since I live with 4 of them, cats have been creeping into my work. Here is a little pictorial of the process of painting "Bottle Baby" which is in the show.  If you are one of my cow lovers, don't worry there are plenty of those in the show too!

Miniature Cat Sculpture in 3 Easy Pieces

Hey,

 I am on vacation this week so I am reposting this cool video showing how I make a minature kitty with clay.

 I often use these kitties to top my lidded jars and  garlic keepers.

Berry Season

One of my great joys is designing and making new berry bowls to use and enjoy during berry season. Right around March I start to get really excited because the sweetest strawberries start showing up in the grocery store. I don't know where they come from but it seems at that time of year is when they are really ripe and really sweet. I love strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Blackberries- eh, not so much. It's not that I don't like them, they're just not that great to me and don't warrant the price that you usually have to pay for them.

One of my favorite things to do with strawberries is to sprinkle them with a little basalmic vinegar and sugar and let them macerate for a bit and then add a little mint (in my case, chocolate mint which I have  growing in my backyard).

I love to put it over vanilla ice cream or even cottage cheese and it's absolutely fabulous.

I also recently discovered the stuff called Brooklyn Cream in the grocery store in a little package near the mini cheeses and the butters. I'm on weight watchers and this is  a fantastic discovery because it adds just enough creaminess to my fresh berries to make me feel like I'm having whip cream without all the points. (In this case 1 WW point)

I had to make two turbo sized berry bowls to keep on my kitchen counter because my husband and I love to have fresh berries, grapes and cherry tomatoes readily available to pick at.





 Most of the ones that I make and sell are smaller and hold about a pint like these new ones that  I designed with flowers around the holes.

Handmade Berry Bowls $30

This years berry bowl designs

Here's another berry recipe from MyRecipes.com that sounds delicious and I really want to try...

Breakfast Polenta with Warm Berry Compote

Ingredients

COMPOTE:

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of ground cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) bag assorted frozen berries

POLENTA:

3 cups 1% low-fat milk 

1/2 cup dry instant polenta

2 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

PREPARATION

To prepare compote, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add honey, juice, cinnamon, and berries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.

To prepare polenta, bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in sugar and salt, and cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve with compote.

Have a berry recipe you'd like to share? Please post in comments!

Me and Bob

I've been a big Bob Dylan fan since I was 10 years old. Many of his songs have served as a narration for my life and I have always appreciated his poetry. Believe it or not, he is also well known for his wild sense of humor.

Here are some songs that sum up my life in the studio each day:

All I Really Want to Do- every day when I step into the studio all I really want to do is make art  :0)(Another side of Bob Dylan)

Simple Twist of Fate- those happy accidents when I think a painting is going awry and something wonderful happens through no doing of my own. (Blood on the Tracks)

Everything is Broken-those heartbreaking kiln openings where things did go awry (Oh Mercy) 

One More Cup of Coffee- oh yes coffee, more coffee, please (Desire)

Don't Think Twice It's Alright-  those days when I realize that I'm just thinking way too hard I need to just let it flow (The Freewheelin Bob Dylan)

I Threw It all Away- sometimes there's just no going back and it does just have to go in the trash (Hard Rain)

Cry a While- what I do after I threw it all away (Love and Theft)

Blowing in the Wind- those days when I go in the studio and my mind is blank for new ideas. The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind (The Freewheelin Bob Dylan)

It's All Good-because it is. (Together Through Life)

What inspires you?

What is it that inspires you? What is it that helps you get through the day or to do things better? Is there something that inspires you to create things? I'm often inspired by the seasons, by nature, by events and by words. 

I wax the bowl design

There are quotes from the Bible that help me do things that I didn't know I could do, like, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13. 

Next I carve the words and design

Brush away the nubbies

One of my most favorite quotes which I became aware of in an artist coaching group that I was part of years ago, is one from Goethe. "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it, boldness has genius power and magic in it". That really helped to power me through my unbelief in my own work.

Fill the grooves with black underglaze

Paint the entire bowl black to create antiquing effect

 A bowl is one of the simplest forms that you can make on the potters wheel and was probably one of the first forms devised by ancient peoples to contain their food.

Bowls serve all kinds of functions now, including food service of course, but they can also be used as a planter, to keep your knitting in, drop your car keys, hold your paper clips on your desk or any number uses.

Add layers of colored underglaze over black bottoms

I started thinking about bowls and how they are such a big part of our lives. Who doesn't have a bunch of bowls in their house? So my thought was, what if those bowls could go beyond serving food and holding other items, but could also serve up food for the mind?

Enter my "Bowls of Inspiration" that do double duty as beautiful serving bowls that inspire you with quotes or sayings designed to lift you up while you eat your cereal. Or imagine serving the jelly beans at a sales meeting out of an inspiring bowl with your favorite company quote perhaps from Zig Ziglar, serving as a subtle reminder to all in attendance.

My bowls would make a great wedding gift with a few words from 1 Corinthians on it, or  even a pair of them to start the couple off with special words to each other. For graduation, "Oh, the places you'll go.", (Dr. Suess)  For that sales meeting, "There are no traffic jams on the extra mile."(Zig Ziglar).

For the Irish shop that just ordered…"May the road rise to meet you."~ (Old Irish blessing) 

Anything goes..

I have several available with quotes of my choosing, but as you see, my bowls can be customized and make great gifts for any occasion. Feel free to contact me about ordering . For pricing and more info, click here.

Artist and Mom-Have It All or Give It Up?

 I've been so blessed to be a mother. My husband and I managed to raise an amazing young woman who we are so completely proud of. She will be 21 in a couple of weeks. 

She will turn 21 in the faraway land of India on a study abroad trip. She's remarkable to me, because at that age, you couldn't of got me on a plane to go anywhere, never mind halfway around the world, but then, she's always been the bravest person I know. 

Pregnant Artist 1994

Big Baby

              

When she was born, the idea of giving up being an artist was not something that ever crossed my mind. Over the years however, I have met lots of mothers who, upon seeing my art, told me that they had given up their art when they became a mother. 

The Land of Pez (Kayla as a Princess Pez)

That is something that I really don't understand how it is possible. For me, making art is like eating. I have to do it. I wouldn't know how to function any other way. Art has been a refuge and strength for me throughout my entire life. It is the most powerful way that I know to express myself and so to silence my artistic voice would be to silence my voice entirely. 

When my daughter was a baby I used to get up at 4:30 in the morning before she woke up and before I had to go to my teaching job to paint.

Flying through Life Together

 I guess that's how driven I was to do it. After I made the decision to leave teaching and stay home with her, I continued to work and pursue artistic opportunities in an effort to show her that you can be a loving and devoted mother and wife and that you can also remain a whole person with dreams and aspirations and accomplishments of your own. 

Little Artist Girl

Can We Play More? 

Granted, I had one child and the luxury of being able to stay at home with her.  

Mother and Child Sunflowers

                                                            Needless to say, she has been the inspiration for much of my art.

Mother and Child

Empty Nest

Proud Momma

I am not judging other Moms who made the choice to give it up, I'm only expressing what is true for me. If I had not been able to continue my art and be a Mom,  I'm not sure I would have been a very good mother because I think I would've been pretty miserable.

She is now a very talented artist and writer and musician in her own right.  At 20, she tells me that there will be no marriage and no children, but I'm hoping that that will change and that when she does slow down to raise her family, that what I have showed her about being a mom and an artist will carry into her life, so that she might live creatively and happily and fulfilled in all facets of her life.

Singer

Musician

Kayla's First Place winner in County Wide High School Art Show

Kayla's Riot Girl Series

Making Clay

Encaustic

Self Portrait