Well?

Well?
What do you use yours for?
LMOL.

Makeshift studio space in mudroom
while my puppy is being house broken

Traveling On

My most prized china
An "Excalibur" by Sarah Mink
Riding safely right next to me.

So the big move to the new home/studio came and went this past weekend and I survived. I survived driving a rental truck not only on Route 80, but I made it through the narrow streets of Brooklyn. I was in an utter panic when I found out I couldn't take the spacious Belt Parkway to the Verrizano Bridge. Nope. Commercial vehicles are not allowed. I had to travel under the elevated train tracks with the rest of the commercial traffic. I did it. I survived and didn't kill myself or the truck or any of the other drivers/pedestrians in the process.

My collection of fine china and artist resins also survived of which I am thankful because I really didn't pack most properly. I packed in a hurry and was very cheap with the bubble wrap. Murphy really could have had a field day with me but held back for whatever thankful reason. The only thing that did break was a beautiful hand blown glass vase my grandmother purchased for me the Christmas before she passed. THAT was packed properly and broke. I have decided to use parts of it in a mosaic project and I may melt some in future pottery projects.



I'm giving credit to all this good fortune in travel to my little kiln buddy "Blueboo" the kiln guardian who rode front and center the entire trip. Where ever the kilns are he is and with my main kiln in the back it was fitting he sit nice and easy in in the cab. Driving that truck sucked. He made it easier because he was a pleasure to look at during the long trip. Nothing like a familiar face to help ease a difficult transition. Speaking of familiar faces I cannot go any further here with my "trip experience" without giving a proper thank you to my adopted brother Tony whom I've known (and my family has known) since I was a teenager. He was the familiar face waiting at the house for me. He was ready, willing and able (and bearing gifts of fresh coffee) to help me unpack. From the bottom of my heart I thank him. God has placed some wonderful people in my life and Tony has been huge in the transition of my new life. Thank you bro!

After the long journey I noticed....
....yep, a heart on the ground.

But packing and unpacking a truck is only one part of the process. Unpacking the unpacked boxes is another and the urge to fill these shelves was great so the entire weekend was spent filling them. I'm actually rather shocked I've filled most of the shelves up already. I'm honestly not sure where I put all this stuff in the Brooklyn home. It's nice to see it properly set up in the new studio though. I'm very inspired seeing all of it in a new space. I want to use it all/paint it all now. I took a ton of photos to document the process. One day I'll look back and think how the hell all this managed to come into place the way it did. Here are some of the best shots:


Shots of the New Studio

Shelves for storing china wares

The main drafting table

More Storage.
PS...that is an unpainted factory finish and he's fs.

Resin storage

"Blueboo" in his new spot
quietly guarding the kilns

The perfect place for Emile.
Scared the crap out of my mom.
Hehee

Of course, the chickens also made the trip from Brooklyn to PA and were not happy about their journey or their accommodations....at ALL! They protested quite loudly and I am scrambling to make them a proper coop. I just couldn't fit their old one in the van or the car. Even after having taken it apart the boards were just too long and honestly, I was just too tired to worry about it at that point. The gals will get a nice new coop now. Until then though, I'm getting major stink eye from them. Some type of worms should soothe relations over.

I will not even
TOUCH the floor here!

All kidding aside, it's good to be home. Let the creativity begin. :)

Creative Roll

A newly finished Vixen resin

I'm totally on a creative roll right now. I'm finishing up projects and diving into the mold making process for these projects. After seeing Lesli Kathman's use of Legos on her blog I finally felt the little light bulb go on and realized that this mold making monster could be harnessed and controlled here in my own studio. I feel much more confident molding the more difficult pieces I've sculpted. I have no idea if I'm cutting the molds correctly, but I suppose I will learn through trail and error. All I really know is it really stinks not to be creating and I'm so very glad the holidays and sicknesses are over with because I feel lost without busy hands. I found the following quote by Pearl Buck in my travels recently:.

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them....a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create-so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off... They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating."

No truer words were ever spoken! Without art and creativity I think I would shrivel up and die.

"Harriet" a hedgehog mate for Hedgie
and their little ones together

Large mouse on pillow

Flat equine medallion/plaque

Small medallion

Diving into mold making

Nineteen Years

A moment caught on film

Nineteen years ago on October 30th, 1989 I packed up a portfolio of about 15 pieces and headed toward NYC with my parents on my interview at Pratt Institute. There was no turning back. I was leaving my hometown and was determined to make a real go of my love of art. I will never forget that day as long as I live because it changed my entire life. Nothing was ever the same again. From the moment the administrator looked at the third selection in my portfolio (which was basically a huge clear bag since I had nothing else to cart all my over sized pieces in) and said the words, "You are more than welcome to attend our institution." my mind wandered onto what life might be like in the "big city".

Little did I know at that moment I'd be paired with the oddest roommates in my first year. One was a party gal from India the other was a rich gal from Beverly Hills who tested my character by leaving emeralds and diamonds about the dorm room. Her family owned gem mines in the south of Brazil. She said she decided to attend Pratt to see how the "other half" lived. After she felt my character was in order she became focused on finding me a rich husband. She probably should have just done her illustration work. I'm a very bad study in things of higher culture. I guess its the artist in me. I take pride in my paint stains.

On that day I remember the advisor talking to my parents, as some pigeons peeked at the window, about how safe Brooklyn was and that the town received bad press. Never in a million years did I think I'd wind up marrying someone born and raised in Brooklyn and never did I think I'd stay here. Years later I look back and wonder how I ever managed to live in such an isolated area of Pennsylvania. Heck, we only had ONE street light when I left nineteen years ago. Now they have two. LOL

Finished "Ed" medallion for RXR

During this time of the year I love to reflect back on where I came from and what I have accomplished artistically. The journey has been a wild one filled with lots of positive excitement and of course, many disappointing moments. Artists learn to deal with the disappointments and somehow they become sturdy footholds in the ladder. Looking back today I feel like I am only halfway up that ladder. There is so much more to do artistically. Nineteen years later I am more excited about art than I have ever been. It's the dream job for me.

KA-PAW!!!

"KA-PAW!!!" There goes "Hedgie!"
Please note: this drop was conducted on privately owned property.
The area was secure and clear for such an activity.

It was an emotional day for me yesterday when I dropped "Hedgie's" mold from the rooftop terrace. It was a bit celebratory too cause it marked the official end of his production. As I was picking up the pieces I felt a sense of pride in knowing that he was born from a blob of wax and cast all by my little ol' self. Not only was he cast in earthenware china and glazed, but was also cast in porcelain. My work in porcelain is something I never thought I'd live to see. My dream is to one day look back on my personal little porcelain Hedgie and remember the pride I had this day. Hopefully he will be sitting next to hundreds of other little critters I've created.

Inside Hedgie's mold


Every new owner will get a little piece of "Hedgie's" mold. I'm a sentimental sap that can't seem to get rid of anything in the studio. I hang on to things just cause, "you never know." But the studio can't hold another dust collector and this idea of giving a little part of "Hedgie's" origin was a perfect way, I felt, to commemorate "Hedgie's" creation. It also seemed like a more valiant end to a good mold than to just chuck it in the trash. I didn't have the heart to do that.

Now, back to work. I have a Eberl drafter I'm painting to a dark forest chestnut and I'm enjoying the process and craving to have my hands in dust this afternoon. I'll have pictures soon of him to share with you all.

I Want To Pretend

I want to pretend that wishes could come true in the blink of an eye. Just for one moment, let the genie come out of the bottle and grant me just one wish. Without a doubt, today I would wish that my father-in-law never had emphysema. That I didn't just see him laying in his bed, struggling to breath, respirator doing little to nothing with his wife by his side, her heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

My selfish little self doesn't want to let go. I want to hear him share one more story of Brooklyn as he sucks down his Friday night mussels. My selfish self wants to have just one more round of happy hour today with he and my mother-in-law. Its just about that time of the day when he would call up for me, my glass of wine in his hand and cheese and crackers on the table.

Eighty four years is a long time to live. It's a shame the good ones can't go on much longer. They make the world a much better place. My father-in-law certainly did that for me. Made my little world wonderful and taught me an immeasurable amount about life and business.

Something ominous is in the air. I sense this weekend is going to be a very difficult one.

If wishes could come true I'd pull that bottle open right now and wish....
:(