Touching Art

The Desert is a Woman

Sleeping Giantess--Mesa        36 in by 24 in                 $1500

The story of this painting begins in Colorado. My family and I were driving to Durango to ride the Durango and Silverton Railroad. We entered Colorado from Utah in the northwest corner and dropped down into Grand Junction via the backroads, some unpaved. The landscape was bony and golden. A road kill mountain lion was the only wildlife other than buzzards we saw. We detoured to Aspen and wound our way through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It was my turn to drive as we topped Red Mountain Pass. The descent into Durango on US550 drops from gray rock and forested foothills into the golden bones again. Spectacular landscape and harrowing roads at every turn.

When I got home, I went to the studio  which I shared with other painters. The model was lying down  in the pose you see here. All I could see was the spectacular landscape I had just visited, so that is what I painted

Purple Iris Time

The purple Iris are blooming in the front of the house. For years I'd make at least one Iris painting. I always paint them outdoors still living on the stem. Maybe in the rain, maybe blowing in the wind, always with blackflies biting me and getting stuck in the wet oil paint. I hope to paint an iris again this season. Meanwhile, here are some Iris from years past.

Grande Iris   oil on canvas    22 in.  x 28 in.                    $1250





Iris in  Waterford Vase    oil on canvas  18 in x 18 in       $950

New work

This morning I opened the kiln to find new bowls and new silver pendants. The silver is fired and awaits polishing. The bowls are bisque fired and the glass is slumped. They are now in a glaze firing which will bring them to Cone 10. I'll show you everything again when it is all finished. I am working with a spider theme this week. Bisque spiders, porcelain spiders, silver spiders.

I can't wait to see what they look like all finished.

Tart Queen and Silver Clay

It is already tomorrow, and too late for a long story and the cast of characters.
Here's what I made  Sunday:

Pear Tart, with organic pears from Hope Orchard.

And here is what I made Monday:

Precious Metal Clay Pendants. Right now they are in progress, and are a pasty sticky goop. In a couple days, I'll show you what they look like finished. You'll be amazed!

Goodnight!

How I Do It, Part 2

Remember a long time ago I posted a series of pictures showing how I make a Breast Bowl?    The beautiful bowl sat unfired  for a long time until

  I created enough of my tiny Love Charms to fill my tiny electric kiln.

Then I fired the bowl to a temperature of 2345 degrees F (cone 10). The fired Porcelain bowl sat for a few months longer while I worked on other projects, made special work for a show, completed the commissions. Finally yesterday was the day:

I brushed a Cone 5 glossy clear glaze onto the fired bowl, arranged some glass shards on the surface.

I loaded the top shelf of the kiln with some other pieces ready to finish and a couple of tests, and fired to Cone 6. (The dark areas on the shelf are left over from my PMC firing. I'll tell you more about that another time.)

Here is the kiln opened after firing. I typically overfire my glazes and glass because I like the luscious flow of the glaze and glass together on the surface when they sit with the heat for a little extra time. I discovered this by accident when I made a mistake in programming my kiln firing. I have done many experiments with firing times and temperatures. That mistake turned out to be a shortcut to the effects I want.

Is there a metaphor for life here?
Give thanks for our mistakes. They may be shortcuts to what we really want.

Here is the close up of the finished Breast Bowl. I am very pleased with this sculpture.

What I did this Week

I accomplished a lot this week, and I took pictures to prove it.

After my rant earlier about cutting wood being a major distraction, I had to keep doing it. Wish I had thought to take before pictures-- see here the result of my work:

  Notice the ice that flowed under the back barn door. That's what we are working with. Special thanks to Richard for sharpening the chain saw, Ian for helping fell and move more trees, and Nanney for the extra long heavy duty extension cord.

Wednesday before I went outside, I spent a few hours preparing almost finished Love Charms for firing. And I fired them, flawlessly!

   Gorgeous, aren't they? Next is glass and glazing.

All this effort was a lead up to the Full Moon Women's Sweat Lodge I hold every Month. This month the Full Moon rose over Maine in Eclipse, an extra powerful full moon, in Pisces Virgo. I am Pisces with Virgo moon, so I claim this eclipse for my very own. I was not able to take pictures but you can see magnificent pictures at the Spaceweather website gallery.

Friday, Maine received a huge blizzard, over a foot of blowing heavy wet snow and sleet. Saturday morning, I had just a few hours to dig a path through thigh-deep drifts, and dig out the lodge and fire pit. Thanks, Jen, for coming early to help with the massive digging and wood moving. And thanks to the other women who came to pray with us, in the great healing circle of women.

Thanks also to Grandmother Spider, who blessed me with another spider bite (she bit me last August too). Now what are you telling me, Grandmother? Am I to focus on my creative work, and make more art. OK, I will. I rested today, and tomorrow I will wake up to art, and nothing will stop me.