Ever Shrinking Art

Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things. -Vernor Vinge

On Saturday, I taught my "Ever Shrinking Art" class at Quilters Quest in Woodridge, to a great group of women. Joy left before I took this photo. I think they did great! We started by making postcards then moved to making ATCs and finally inchies.  I remember thinking that I could never make tiny pieces of art and now I just love it! And I love that I can now get other people to love it too. I hope that I gave my wonderfully creative students an avalanche of ideas and inspiration.

My small group that did trades has disband so I decided to join the Artistcellar ATC Facebook swap. I kept it simple. The only rule was that you had to use an Artistcellar stencil so I wanted to make sure that my stenciling was apparent. Lisa Cousineau, the owner, lives close--Wheaton, but we have never met. I do love her "Art is Not an Option" bag that I use all the time. Isn't that a great message.  I am trading 5 for 5 so obviously I made an extra. I'm keeping the "love" one because I tried using paint with the stencil and while I like the look, it does not look like the stencil. It will become a Valentine. Cannot wait to see what everyone else has done.

Tonight I am off to give my first clay presentation--"Gone to Pot: a Little History and a Few Technique" at the Lemont Artists Guild. I am bringing different kinds of clay for everyone to touch plus a whole bunch of pottery to show including shards that I dug up at an archaeological site (with permission) when I lived in Aruba. I feel it is important for me to continue to do things that push my comfort zone. What are you doing to get outside your comfort zone?

One Just Doesn't Know

I find life so interesting. The very first piece that sold during my part of "Calumet" at ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Center's gallery was a piece that I considered not including. I had gathered the goat bones used in the piece when I lived in Aruba. It was time to use them but I was not at all sure that I could make it happen. This piece was made more than a year ago when I was truly clueless (now I am just moderately clueless). The challenge (given to myself) was that I would create a three sided vessel and figure out the shrinkage (not an easy task even for a veteran) so the bones would work. I remember the day day when I put it together and it worked. I danced around the block. A couple bought this for their daughter. How cool is that! And I get to meet her! Life remains interesting.

Too Many Ideas

There are too many ideas and things and people. Too many directions to go. I was starting to believe the reason it matters to care passionately about something is that it whittles the world down to a manageable size. - Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation: The Shooting Script

I was flipping through an old journal and came across Charlie Kaufman's quote and my thought on having too many ideas. This seemed perfect for this collage so I wrote the quote on the side and moved the shell buttons to the top. It's mounted on canvas. I am happy! Another collage done and ready for a new home. Of course, it is titled "Too Many Ideas," some that definitely influenced its creation.

Several people wrote me to ask about my torso (you touched my heart). If you look closely at the photo you can see it. I cannot tell you how relieved I was when the kiln was opened and my torso was there intact.  I so admire potters, they have so little control because of all the variables- firings, glazes, interaction with other pieces, etc. This was true for me too. I purchased a matte black glaze which ended up being shiny and slightly green. I am now working on expoxing the pieces together- crow and wings. I promise to share the piece when she is complete. I also strongly encourage you to explore an art form that is unfamiliar to you. You learn more than you can imagine and I promise you, it will open your world and your art.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt

If someone had told me that a year after taking my first pottery/ceramics class that I would be creating sculpture, I would have looked at the person like he/she were crazy. It is still a work in progress but I wanted to share with you what I have been working on for the last two months. I think I have convinced my teacher that I don't need three detailed drawings to create. 

There will be a broken heart hanging inside the hole and a white crow on the shoulder. It is two pieces and will be epoxy together once it is all done. There are wings too. They are on the shelf waiting to be fired. They are bird like instead of angel like.) It was created in two pieces (newspaper separating them right now) so it will fit in the kiln. 

The piece is autobiographical. It deals with a lifetime of not being seen or heard by people who claim to love me. It also deals with coming to terms with life and finding flight. It has been an interesting experience and I will be creating another sculpture that deals with loss. 

Why clay? It is just another tactile experience, another creative outlet. I think pottery and quilts have more in common than one would think. There is the kaleidoscope of forms, colors, textures, sizes and function. There is traditional and contemporary. All I know is playing in the mud feeds my artistic soul. 

What feeds your artistic soul?

Patron Monster of Fear

Be bold and might forces will come to your aid. -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

There was talk on the QuiltArt list about perfectionism. While teaching, there was talk of fear- fear of failure, not being good enough, wasting material, etc.  It got me to thinking which can be dangerous. I got an idea and ran with it.  I would make monsters that dealt with different fears using the fabulous colored erasers I bought years ago. Each piece will have a favorite quote or saying of mine on the monster as a reminder. Goethe's quote seemed perfect for fear. I am going to add a tag to each one too so people who only see them will have some understanding of what I am trying to accomplish. Fear can make small things in life seem big. Hold this guy in your hand or put him on a shelf and you have one less fear hiding in your heart. These monsters will hopefully erases your fears or in the very least cause you to smile. Got to have more fun!

Gathering Stillness: An Exciting New Direction

 "In order to accomplish an experience, you have to have a chance to dance with it. You have to have a chance to play, to explore. Then each style of exploration that takes place is a different manifestation, we could say. Nevertheless, it is all part of one big game." -- Chogyam Trungpa



It actually hangs on the wall! Not perfect but I am so happy.  The final touch was earrings I made using wire, a hand charm and two beads. It feels good to be learning, stretching and growing. Now I can't wait to make "Gathering Joy."

This piece is a combination of ceramics and fiber. It is part of a series that I am creating. It is 52" h x 12" w.  It was created to hang on the wall. Next in the series is "Gathering Grief." These pieces represent some of my goals (stillness) and what is happening in my life (loss and joy).

My contribution to Off the Wall Fridays!

Magic and Miracles Altar

As with my fiber work, I also have been setting goals for my ceramic work. It took me three attempts to create this altar which has a workable drawer. "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life," by Picasso is in yellow. Being able to create this alter was a real confidence builder.
 
Having it around is also a great reminder especially since I got a recall today on the mammogram that I had yesterday. I wish I did not have to wait until Monday for the follow up x-rays to be taken so I am thankful that I have lots of projects to occupy my mind and time.

The other day I realized why I like pottery so much. It is tactile. It requires me to use both sides of my brain. It puts me outside my comfort zone. It helps me create things that I could not make in fiber.I have so many ideas rattling around my brain.

I have also been asked if I now consider myself a potter. The answer is "no." I consider myself an artist who uses whatever medium works best to express what I have to say. Isn't just important that we create?

Is Limited Thinking Holding You Back?

I love serendipity. I have begun making some of my fiber masks into clay when Tom asked if I wanted to join him in the Clay Space gallery in September. Tom is a photographer who specializes in photographs of Civil War reenactments. His thinking was he would share his pottery and photographs and I could share my quilts and pottery. Perfect! Plus I had time to create pieces that I would be proud to display.

One of my frustrations with clay has been the unpredictable and somewhat limiting nature of the glazes. I went looking for other things that I could use and came across Baroque Art's Gilders Paste which reminds me of shoe polish. (It says it can be used on fabric too!) I had not finished the female Buddha mask when I went to class (ran out of time) so I brought her along and the three paste colors I had purchased. I was surprised that the veteran hand builder did not know about the paste. I was not surprised that none of the students in my class had any interest. So yesterday when I was working on the mask and still feeling that she needed something, I realized that my limited thinking was holding me back. I do not need to stick with glazes and I can certainly use my arsenal of supplies to alter my pieces anyway that I can! I glued the bead and fiber jewel to her forehead and used dimensional paint below her eyes. I was so much happier. I am not going to let my limited thinking ever happen again. I want to explore and push the limits. I want to be fearless!

Details: This is my interpretation of the female Buddha which I learned about while in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan use to be a predominately Buddhist country before the Soviets took over. Now it is predominately Muslim, but the woman who taught me was an atheist. Isn't life interesting? Anyway, the fiber mask is 8" w x 12" h and the clay mask is 7.5" w x 11.5" h.

When have you overcome limited thinking?

I have decided to make this my Off the Wall Fridays post. Thanks Nina-Marie for the option to choose any of our posts for the week!

Clay Feathers

As a reader of this blog, you know I love collecting and making feathers. Since I am now playing with clay, I decided to see whether or not I could make them. Here is my first attempt. I'm happy. When I picked them up at the studio on Saturday, it was interesting to me that the Resident Artists liked them and everyone took turns selecting which one they like the best. I found it interesting that the middle two got the most votes. Which one do you like?

On the plane ride home from Galveston, I was fortunate to run into Ingrid Thomas-Hooker a middle school art teacher originally from Indiana and now living in Houston. Being able to discuss art and clay with someone made the trip home a delight. I certainly hope that our paths cross again. She is someone who I think could make a great friend.

Moon Mask and Geeting Out of a Creative Funk

I am excited that I was able to create a mask out of clay that could also be embellished. My first attempt was broken before it could be fired. I learned a great lesson.  When the next sessions begins in January, I think I will attempt to make a few more masks. I continue to think about how I can combine clay and fiber. Hopefully an idea will come. My attitude concerning broken or unsuccessful pieces is that I am learning and that I can always create something else.  Tonight is my last class and while I am sad, I do know January will be here before I know it!

Over the weekend I had several conversations with friends about what to do when ideas don't come and when one is in a creative funk. This year has been such a highly creative year for me and I think several things played into this. One is attitude. Another is being kind to myself. I understand that periods of high creative activity are followed by a period of recharging.

However when I have been stuck, I do know that doing anything creative always helps me even it it means making a tote bag. I think collaboration is another way to jump start creativity as well as joining a group that does trades. Another trick I use is to do something physical--go for a long walk, mow the lawn, clean my house. Writing in my journal which always seems to involve painting, drawing, etc. and keeping lists also work for me. Taking up something new like pottery/ceramics has certainly fed my creative spirit. I think the part I has excited me the most is the problem solving/learning that has occurred. What have you done to get out of a creative funk?

Feeling Blue- Indigo Dyeing and Spirit Rattles

Created with sea shells collected from Aruba

 While researching cameras, my dryer died. It was only three years old. No fun. Good news is I have my sewing machine back and I did not have to sell my first born. Still haven't bought the new camera so I'm using my son's tiny  Olympus and am finding the colors not quite true so bear with me.

I have had a love affair with indigo for as long as I can remember. I think I was in junior high school when I learned a little of its history. I learned more about the dark side of indigo from Merry Silber. I encourage you to read the Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories interview that I conducted of her and see her wonderful indigo quilt. She was a collector. She died not long ago.

Anyway, I had been meaning to try indigo dyeing for years and decided that there was not better time than now. Dyeing with indigo is a little different than regular dyeing. There is a "flower" on top of the dye that must be preserved. It's removed during the dyeing process and replaced once you're done. The vat of dye can last 2-3 days and you have to have a lid. You can't let the fabric sink to the bottom which meant holding the fabric in the vat. A tad boring to say the least but it was so much fun watching the fabric turn from green to blue (takes about 20 minutes). It is also important to prevent oxygen from getting into the dye which means squeezing the fabric bundles. I was successful most of the time. I do know that next time I am going to be better prepared (have all my folding and rubber banding done ahead of time. That said, I try to strike when the spirit moves me and I am not disappointed. Now I have about 2.5 yards of fabric in various sizes ready to use in my next indigo quilts! I used both PFD (prepared for dyeing) cotton and dupioni silk.

dupioni silk folded, small piece of wood rubber banded around the bundle

I am becoming a better potter. Still not great on the wheel but I am improving. I can't believe there is only two more classes left. Next session does not start until January. I think I will suffer some withdrawal! As I shared before, I love hand building and here is a couple of my Spirit Rattles. The white one has been bisque fired and is ready for glazing. The blue one is ready and waiting for a new home.

Letting Go of Perfectionism

“[Conscious] femininity is taking responsibility for who I am – not what I do, not how I seem to be, not what I accomplish. When all the doing is done and I have to face myself in my naked reality, who am I? What are my values? What are my needs? Am I true to myself or do I betray myself?” ~Marion Woodman

Learning something new requires me to become once again a beginner. This is what I love about taking on pottery/ceramics.  One of the things that I have learned is that I love hand building. These are my first "pods" which I now wish had also been made into rattles (my "new" thing).  I am noisy. I love to laugh. I love to dance when I finally "get" something. I want joy in my life. I want the freedom to explore. Saturday at "Open Studio" came the realization that I am now a member of the Clay Space community. I cannot tell you the joy this made me feel. All my crazy explorations are being embraced not by all but enough people to create wonderful sessions of sharing. I love sharing. I don't want to keep secrets. Art is to be shared and I share it with all my being.  This is not to say that the ceramic community is any better than any other community. I will be so happy to stay outside the politics. I just want to play explore, create, stay true to myself and most of all grow and share.

Panic and Something New

I dropped my sewing machine off today to get what I am calling "an attitude adjustment." The tension is off so it simply isn't sewing well. I've put this off as long as I could. I am feeling the loss already as several ideas popped into my head. And no, I don't have a back up. I think the only thing that might save me as I wait 2-3 weeks for my machine to be returned to me is the ceramic's class that I am taking with my friend Barbara. We had our first class on Monday night. I love pottery but was never particularly good at it. Amazingly, I do have a piece that I made in high school. I lives out in my yard.  My teacher wanted us to make molds of our faces and almost everyone was scared to do it, but not me!  I lost quite a bit of my bangs which got stuck in the plaster of Paris. She didn't mix enough so the tip of my nose was not part of the mold which always bothered me. Anyway, it was interesting to be once again doing pottery. It's been a while since I have felt so awkward and uncoordinated. I think this is a good thing!  I have had to keep telling myself that this time I will be a good potter. I just need to practice and be open. The class is 10 weeks so we shall see. I did manage with the help of the teacher to make three small pots. My friend Barbara did a much better post on our experience.  Check it out and you can also see the great piece of pottery she inherited. When was the last time you did something outside your comfort zone?

No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world.  ~Frances Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle