Kathman-Worthy

NICE!

Look at that mold!

Man, it's almost perfect. Perfect like the molds Lesli makes when she is churnin and workin the plaster. Proud. Man, was I proud when that puppy came out from the Legos. I couldn't believe that after 2 years of struggling with moldmaking (and having success with the INSIDE of the molds) that I FINALLY...FINALLY....F I N A L L Y....made a somewhat decent looking mold. Man, it's something I could actually store gracefully and neatly in the storage room. Its somehting to write home about (and I did!) and I'd even go as far as saying.....yes, its Kathman-worthy. I pulled out my perfect and beautiful Kathman stock horse mold and let it sit next to it. It sat proud. I made a nice mold. My teacher, Lesli, would be proud. If it werent for Lesli taking the time to explain a few simple things to me about plaster and mold making a few years ago I would still be floundering about the pavement.


Oooo-kay

Of course, there is also Joanie B's words floatin around up in my brain. Wow, how they are whippin about today. "It doesn't matter what it looks on the outside....its what comes out of it that counts." And, as you can see, there aint NOTHIN coming out of this pretty, perfect pristine mold!

Nothin!
Back to the drawing board.

What's up

Peasant Stomper in silver bay

Hello!

Well, this week came and went fast. I've been trying to get online and get bloggin' for days now and it just hasn't happened. Every time I tried I was interrupted. Also being without my little pocket camera has made capturing images rather difficult, which, in the end puts my desire to update the blog at an all time low. I really need to get a new battery for that camera. Jump starting the dead battery with a 9-volt didn't give it enough juice to make it work properly.

China painted porcelain egg

As you can see things have been movin' and groovin' in the studio. From commissions to painted porcelain pieces I've been rather busy. I guess not being online is a good thing in retrospect. Anyhoo, the Peasant Stomper was a commission. I ruined one side of his magnetic base and decided to create a nice wooden one for the owner. I just felt badly that I ruined the original base. I rather like the way he looks on his new ground.

I've also been working hard on china painting. I began experimenting with my little kiln "Spanky" (the Quickfire from Paragon) and I LOVE the results I'm getting when I china paint small things. I can fire up in 15 minutes and the colors stay. The blending is smooth and nothing comes out with a matte look. It's all shiny like it suppose to be. From these kiln tests I was also able to begin testing some new painting techniques that feel more at ease with my illustration style. I honed in on a water color look and feel this works very well for florals and organics. I just love how this teapot is coming along. My idea transferred perfectly from sketch to porcelain. From here on out I'll be doing more sketching before I approach a larger piece of porcelain. Having that guide was totally beneficial. I know better than not to use a sketch but some days it's just easier to skip this step. Lesson learned.

Sketch for porcelain painting

Painting on porcelain teapot for one

The Harvest

China painted Harvest piece
Currently for sale: $65ppd


The harvest....

Can it really be upon us already? Can Thanksgiving and the whole holiday hullaballo really be right around the corner already? It was just January wasn't it? A good friend asked what goals I had accomplished for 2009 and what I was thinking to accomplish in 2010. The question made me stop and think. Then I said aloud, "IS IT REALLY ALMOST 2010 ALREADY!!!!"

My art and mind has been pulled in many directions this year. At times I had difficulty keeping up, but I believe that every success and every failure taught me very good lessons. From Raku firing to building a pit kiln (which I never did use) to sculpting just a little bit better to china painting a ton of things to watching my son grown just a little more into his own little person, its been an incredible year of mostly good things.

In this last month I'll be focusing on lingering commissions. I'll be creating new china painted pieces for some wonderful repeat clients and hopefully watching Lil Pumpkin become a resin reality. I'll also be participating in my church's Christmas Fair again this year. I'm all paid up and trying like MAD to get a 8 foot table filled with pottery and beautiful raku things people will want to purchase. Again, all good things. Although it's so hectic it's all good. The end of 2009 watch out...I'm flyin down the hill top sPeED!!!

Recovery....Slow

Morgan Mare in buckskin

Recovery from the horse show has been slow and dare I say, difficult. I feel like ever since I came back from PA my feet, hands and head have been stuck in mud....and not the "turnin on a wheel kind" of mud either. LOL

This week I made a serious effort to settle down into my studio and work hard on tidying up any loose ends and prepare for my church Christmas Fair. There were several distractions including meetings at church, phone calls and a disaster of a house to clean. Oh, and the worst distraction of all.....finding the chicken coop missing yet another chicken and feathers everywhere. Not difficult to put two and two together and come up with an answer on that one.

Needless to say, I went into a real funk over loosing a chicken to (most likely) a stray, mangy cat. Yes, I said mangy. I like little cute beady eyed critters and I love wild birds so naturally my affections for cats are (sorry cat folk) very small since they like to gnaw on cute beady eyed critters and birds. I grew up with cats and that was fine, but they were always breaking things. Our cat Cricket loved to break porcelain. Every chance she got she would break it. We decided to hide all of it after she broke a 100 year old basin.

"Chicken"

Despite the sad setback I still have four lovely hens who have all grown very fond of me and affectionately sit on my lap anytime I go into the garden when they are free ranging. They have grown used to our Collie being out. She patrols the yard and is getting fat with all the treats I have been giving her for her good work. I never thought I'd gather such joy from a chicken, but alas they have inspired me in new and exciting ways and have brought such a sense of calm and peace to my daily life. I have become very protective of them and hope to sculpt something "hen-like" in the new year. That is, after I have completed all the lingering 2009 projects.

Happy Halloween

Our Jacko-lantern...spooky!

Happy Halloween everyone!
I hope you had a fun filled day. We celebrated the holiday in full festive style with pumpkin carvin' in the morning, treat prep in the early afternoon and dressing up for our walk around Brooklyn in the afternoon to gather good memories and candies. I stayed fairly low key dress wise, but did have a weird lookin tiara on, and I painted my hair grey and pulled out my rattie Cinderella to enjoy the festivities. She stayed around my neck and shoulders and hung out. Oddly enough, no one even saw Rella. Odd. Overall, a great day that ended with homemade clam chowder and a really good bottle of port.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Where To Start?

Wins from the Pocono Ponies Live show

Hmm...

I'm not sure where to start. I think my head is still in a fog over the great time I had at home visiting my parents and attending the Pocono Ponies Live show this past Saturday. There is so much going on studio wise here that I think if I stop to process it all my head will explode. I really don't know how I'm going to get ready for the December Christmas Fair or even if my mind wants to wrap itself around this concept now two days before Halloween, but alas, next week my hands will be deep in the mud making useful items like mugs and creamer sets for Christmas. I guess the best place to start is to just run down all that I am working on so you can get an idea of what is coming down the pike.

Kiln loaded and ready for firin'

1). Little mice on more porcelain boxes.
Yep, at this very moment I have quite a few offerings cooking (hopefully for the last time) in the kiln. Little mice (and one lonely bunny) either dressed for Halloween or waiting the harvest is in there cookin. There is even a miniature pitcher and basin in this bunch. I was hoping to unveil everything yesterday, but I'm thinking a weekend sale will be more realistic.

2). The new Christmas ornament for 2009 has been cast and the plaster mold is currently in the warm, dry boiler room drying out. I'll begin pouring molds in about a week and a half. I "may" have a handful of resin copies for sale. I'll definitely be giving one away. Not sure where I'll do that though. On my twitter page....or on my blog. Hmmm....

"Lil' Pumpkin"
my newest original sculpture

3). Ahhh....Lil Pumpkin my pudgy little backyard pony is now fully complete. She came with me to the show and I had alot of fun showing her off. She will remain a very limited run in resin and she will also be offered in china. I have been enjoying her finish this week because soon her little self will be encased in silicone so a copy can be obtained and that copy can be sent to the caster. I will, as I have in the past, use Mountain View Studios. They do a beautiful job casting. Im excited to have a few copies to try out a ton of colors! I can taste a appy Pumpkin!

4). The Hedgie family was also encased in silicone this week and a successful mold was made. I am currently creating the plaster mold for this family. They will be a china only production. Im not sure if I'll make them realistic or if I will paint them up in fun colors like lavender and pink. What's your view? Realistic hedgehogs or something fun?

5). Other sculpts in the works are: "Chilly" the little mouse with a scarf, "The Sleepy Little Puppy" who will come complete with a ball. Each puppy will be a OOAK, "Big Pillow" is a mouse on a big pillow. Each will be a OOAK and lastly Leela and Ophelia are well on their way to finish.

Good gracious there is more but diner calls and homework is in need of completion. Homework for my son that is. He actually likes doing it now so bonus for me the mom.

Keep a watch on my twitter page for news flashes and if you haven't joined my ceramic news group please head on over and join. Any china production will be announced here: Danza Ceramics News Group

Here But Swamped

Goulashes and Umbrellas

Swamped...

That about sums up what is happening here both studio-wise and personally for me. I came home from the Pocono Ponies Live show (which was fantastic) to a very dirty and completely unorganized house. I practically ignored all my house duties while trying to get ready for this show and those chores have become monsters this week.

So...this week I've dedicated myself to getting the house in order. If the house is out of sorts, so is my work. I'll have a full update about the show with photos AND will have LIl' Pumpkin's final studio shots and all the new studio developments very soon.