So I must admit that I am loving ceramics class.  Yesterday I was able to set this cup on the shelf for its first firing.  Once it's bisque fired I'll be able to glaze it and then it'll be "high fired" and ready for enjoyment!

I talked with our instructor for a while about glazes also.  I expressed interest in glazes that crackle or look "dry" - and she showed me some pieces she has done with some amazing glazes!  I asked if we had those glazes and she replied quite quickly - "no, but you can make them!" - I attended her lecture a few minutes later about how to make glazes... the ingredients and their toxicity, percentages not to exceed for certain elements, good and bad combinations, and a demonstration of the process.  It all appears pretty simple, really - just messy - as she put it, "like making a toxic cake"... we are ordering one element we need to make a glaze I fell in love with, and when it arrives, chances are I'll be dunking everything I can find in it!

I also continued to prep my giant head sculpture - it's in the kiln room ready to be fired as well - I had painted white then light blue and pea soup green on the clay - after it dried I scrubbed it all off (almost) -

it's a "buddah" head that somehow changed to a very calm looking Jewish guy... I have been into the whole Judiasm imagery in my artwork lately... ceramics is helping me to slow down and be patient - the process takes a while... (this giant head will probably be done in late November or December!)

Happy Halloween everyone... stay safe and be good! :)

What can I say... I am not liking it at all... I was frustrated yesterday in class and started to redraw with white paint... I am not happy with the flat blue sky (which would get more help anyway) and I don't really like anything about the composition -

Watch for drastic changes to this piece probably this weekend.  I can't decide what it wants to be... but chances are it'll get more and more abstract - I'm thinking of covering the entire surface with canyon wall instead of having the sky in it at all... we'll see what I come up with...

I went with a friend from school to an art supply expo in Pasadena on Sunday.  There were probably 100 vendors there, selling brushes, paint, canvases, and all kinds of neat artsy stuff.  We hung out at the Golden Acrylic booth and learned about OPEN - their new acrylics that stay wet for a day... (instead of 10-40 minutes!) - we also went by Duho Studios - a company that was making exotic wood panels for painting - BEAUTIFUL - I bought some goodies at a few booths, including loading up on pallette knives and mediums and gels at the Liquitex booth.  I discovered white ink there also - which I'm excited about and think I may use in a project very soon!

When I got home, I did some messing around on the abstract landscape - I added some texture with string medium that I tinted with inks - it's the consistency of honey and drips in neat long strings... I also put on some crackle medium and some medium that has a type of sand in it... To be honest, I'm not overwhelmed with this piece quite yet - I don't love the way it looks and have no clear direction as to how I will finish it.  I WILL say, however, that after visiting all those booths and reviewing some of the literature I brought home, I am looking forward to working more on it tonight. 

in knitting news, I continue to work on the striped sweater I am test knitting.  The more I work on this the more I love the pattern (and idea) and the more I dislike my color combo.  I just don't know if I'll wear it because the colors are soo bright... but I am not giving up; I wanted to do this more than anything and I'm clicking right along with the pattern... I will reserve final judgement when I try it on...

I will say this though... I am already trying to decide what the next color combo will be for this pattern.... I might use neutral beiges, or different greens (now THAT's a surprise coming from ME!) - or possibly if the gauge works out different skeins of noro kuryeon... we'll see; I don't want to get too ahead of myself - let's focus on finishing this one!

I finished the quilt painting this weekend - 36" x 36", the object was to demonstrate a number of different color theories within the panels.  The canvas was to be divided into 16 separate spaces, with a pattern or motif in each one. 

I decided to do a quilt pattern which ties into my southern history, and designed a panel that features a Star of David (hinting at my partner's Jewish history)... within the piece (it's not easy to see here) you will find bits of letters from my grandmother and father, a masonic symbol in my dad's honor, a Jewish morning prayer, etc.  Among other things, I also included fingerprints from me and my partner (in different triangles) - and added texture with mediums, gels, etc.  The entire piece is coated with glaze and seems "finished" although critique is coming up tomorrow (Tuesday) and after that I may glaze on top of it to "age" the piece a bit... I also was thinking of painting stitching around each triangle (like quilting) - but didn't have time to do it before class so I didn't start.  I have no problem doing it but don't know for sure if it'll add to the piece or not... if I DO paint the stitching on the canvas, it won't be stark white paint - it'll probably be some sort of glaze or mixture of white with another color so that the stitches are there but not as obvious as you'd think.  What do you think - should I "quilt" the painting?  (all 768 triangles on the canvas)? 

we are still safe, but eek - I make one lousy post about preparing for disaster - and talk a tiny bit about how it's important to be prepared... then fires erupt all around us... (this is the view looking from our house across the street; fires are only a few miles from us in the hills you can't see because of the smoke)  We are keeping safe and remain prepared (I was a cub scout for exactly one day) - if anything else happens near us I'll let you know :)

This is really just a "for instance"... Let's say an earthquake... or your car broke down on the way across country - middle of nowhere - your cell phone isn't working - you need to just make it through the next few days.  Thankfully nothing bad really happened... but if it did (or does) I want to do my best to be ready...  I talked with my partner and he updated my kits a few weeks ago - I thought it'd be good to share with you--

I'm preparing for the trip up just north of San Francisco from Los Anglees for the Men's West Coast Fall Knitting Retreat (Nov 7-9) and decided it was time to get our emergency kits updated.  This is what is in my "car" kit:

Hand Sanitizer (individual packets)
Manicure kit (tweezers, fingernail file, small scissors, etc)
Flashlight and Batteries
Bottled Water
Lighter(s)
Toilet paper
Collapsible Travel Cup
Elastic Bandage
Facial tissue
Baby wipes
Pad of paper
Pencils
Pencil sharpener
Chewing Gum
Chapstick (I have Carmex because it comes in a little sealable container that is less likely to leak)
Antacid (Tums)
Plastic Silverware
Raincoat
FM Radio (with batteries or crank up style)
Heavy duty gloves
Latex Gloves
Bar Soap
Ready to Eat Food (I have hard candy, canned soup, etc.)
Polyester Rope or cord
Hydrogen Peroxide
Disposable Camera
Duct Tape
Cooling Headache Pad
First Aid Kit (Bandages, dressings, alcohol prep pads, whistle, etc.)

I know most of you will tell me I need "emergency knitting" in my bag also... but what else is missing from the bag?  I want to post about the kits at the house as well (I have one for work also) but I'll do that another day when I open it up and inventory it...

I hope this will prompt even just one person to get a little kit together - keeping in mind their climate and what they might need - it just might save your life or the life of someone else! - Everything I listed fits in a duffel bag and stores nicely in the back of my car... and it's there... just in case. 

On another note, I have completed more cards and I'm adding them to the shop tonight - please check them out and if you're interested in any, please purchase - remember, the proceeds go to Living Free Animal Sanctuary - and they'll thank you!  I usually have at least 5 of each card made up - so if you want larger quantities, please let me know. 

OK so it doesn't look like much yet - but it's my abstract landscape painting... I stretched the canvas myself - I believe it's 28" x 50" - strange size (deliberately because I had to stretch it; why would I stretch a "standard" size?) - at this point, it's just a basic wash in colors, and I started to apply some old photos torn in bits and pieces - trust me; I have an idea.. I just hope I can make it work :)

right now, it's feeling pretty flat... but give it time... this is what it looked like after the first session...

I'm working on another yarn bowl - and I like this one - I used little letter stamps on it - on the sides (outside) it says knit knit knit knit ... and inside it says tink tink tink tink (knitting backwards) - simple and cute!  It's being fired this week :) - I have made a few other pieces as well - they're all being fired this week -- I like how these handbuilt bowls are not "perfect" - I do look forward to getting to play on the wheel at some point though - I bet I can make some neat bowls on there as well!  And for those of you who have asked - YES I do intend to sell yarn bowls - if you have requests, please let me know and I'll try to accomodate...  

We worked on slab cylinders on Saturday - I made a few of them and I like the way they turned out as well - once they're all glazed, etc. I'll probably post them again :)

Painting class is moving forward - with 2 paintings in progress now.  (nothing to see yet) - I hope to work more on that this weekend -- which leaves [you guessed it!] very little time for knitting! 

Have a great weekend!!