Weekend Inspirations

"Bacchus" my new stallion

Did I mention that the summer partying was over? Hmm...well, I think I spoke to soon a few blog posts back. This past weekend we went to yet another cousin's party and boy, it was inspirational to the maximum for me. I'm not sure if it was the company, conversation, chickens or just that Jersey air, but I sure came back home to the studio with alot of ideas and the will to put them in motion like, ASAP.

First off, I finally finished my Lucas horse. The darned thing has only sat in my studio storage room for over 5 years. Probably more than that, but I've honestly lost count of the time frame. Time just seems to fly here and the more work I take on the less my own personal stuff sees completion. With "Bacchus" I started adding color to him and found myself getting picker and picker as the project wore on. This past week, after having a wonderful visit with cousins, I decided I'd stop with the picky attitude and just finish him. I'm very pleased with his color. Yep, he's a sun burnt black. As much as I love to paint appies and roans there is something so true (and difficult) about producing a good black colored horse. I wish you could see him in person. There is a strange softness to him that can't be captured on film. He's my new pet this week. I love-em.

Handmade "rose" box
Gift to my niece

Necklace made with raku beads

My other new pet project has been beads. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. Me...making ceramic beads in raku. What can I say? It's fun and no matter how odd the raku bead it sure seems to look damned good placed together on a string in the form of a bracelet or necklace. I'm currently making a ton of new beads. I'm rather excited about this pet project. It's a relaxing and quick way to get that raku "itch" satisfied when it strikes up and I don't have any ceramic pots ready for the fire.

Ahh...my other new pet project? Chickens!
I fell completely in LOVE with our cousin Jen's Rhode Island Reds over the weekend. They strutted around her yard nippin at bugs all day and were just so beautiful to watch. I won't even get into the fact that Jen's house butts up against the woods and not ONE of us got bit by a gnat or a mosquito all day or night.

I grew up thinking that chickens were dirty, smelly, hard to take care of/train and above all nasty. I mean, NASTY and none of that was true. Jen's chickens were just lovely. They loved being picked up and would stay under your arm as long as you wanted to hold them. They didn't peck or crap on any of us when held. I found my mind wandering on their form and color. The amount of color in their feathers was mind boggling to me. It was far too much information for my brain to handle at that moment. I literally had to walk away cause I was totally falling for the animal and had no idea what my husband would think should I utter the words, "I want chickens".

The ladies struttin' around the yard

I figured that once I was back home in Brooklyn I'd forget all about those chickens, but I didn't and spurted out those three little words to my husband. To my surprise he was into the idea. I guess less bugs and more eggs around the house was a super selling point. That evening I found myself eyeing up the old discarded dog coop in the back. No one has used it in over 4 years and all of a sudden it had HUGE potential to be something great. Before I knew it I was neck deep in making my own hen house out of that discarded box. Using other recycled materials from around our yard I was able to come up with something fairly competent. The physical labor has been a bit intense, and I still want to put a second layer on the coop, but the vision of chickens free rangin' in our yard has been the push and major inspiration in all that I am working on this week.

Smiling for the camera

Good start to the hen house

Cyber Monday

Odin peeking out from the RESS photoshoot

Cyber Monday is the official day I begin shopping for the season. I can peruse the stores at my convenience in my jammies with a nice hot cup of coffee at my side. No one pushing me about and no frustrations. I love Christmas because it is a beautiful time of reflection and tradition and I avoid, at all costs, anything that takes away that positive vibe. God, family and church are first and foremost for us and our celebrations are rich and rewarding. There are presents too, but its mainly about being with the ones we love and sharing stories of old and making new stories to tell in the future.

I hate crowds and most especially hate them when they are being nasty to their fellow human. It just goes against everything this season is suppose to be about. The reports on the news from this past weekend were a downright disgrace. It was enough to almost make me loose complete faith in my fellow man. Just because money is tight this year doesn't give anyone the right to act like an animal. Another blogger I like to follow wrote about the nastiness out there too and her story is just as sad. It's sad because all this horrible treatment of one another is over stupid stuff and it's happening all over not just here in NYC. Unfortunately here in the city it gets worse. Some poor worker lost his life this past weekend because people trampled on him trying to get into a Walmart for stuff. All for stupid stuff that no one will want next year. I find it odd that people will wince if they step on a cockroach, but they didn't feel a FULL GROWN MAN under their feet?

China painting a cat figurine

Everyone is bringing it down a notch this Christmas and I don't find that to be such a bad thing. So you can't get the kiddos ALL the toys they asked for and maybe you and your spouse forgo the gifts to one another this year. Is that such a bad thing? The season is about love and when we love each other we understand that these measures sometimes need to be taken. Sometimes we have to create new traditions that don't cost a thing. In most cases, these new traditions are remembered, not with hate in later years, but with a sense of pride. You say, "Hay, that was a hard year but we got through it." These old fashioned ways never hurt past generations. Heck, it undoubtedly made them stronger and made them appreciate what they had more.

Everyone is hungry for change and it seems as if people are looking to others to find that change, but perhaps it's time for us to look within ourselves and its time for US to be the change. We can start by just being nice to our fellow man. Something as simple as a smile and a "thank you" and being patient when we are out and about this season will make a small world of difference and not only is it truly infectious, it's free.