Season Plates

Four plates together

This weekend I worked on laying out the last three illustrations for The Four Season plates. I love the way they all came out. I'm letting my eyes rest a bit before I start adding paint. Once I start adding paint things really start to change. I should scan each one properly in case I mess up something in the painting stage (like I did with Clytie's hands a few weeks ago). Once I paint over the drawing I'm lost for a spell.

Winter

Summer

Spring

"Fall"

Pencil drawing of "Fall"

A quick technical sketch has turned into a 4 part project. I've decided to name this piece "Fall" and am going ahead with three more pieces that will illustrate the three other seasons. I didn't expect this sketch to inspire three more but sometimes that does happen. The recent portrait sketches I did have now found a home. Spring will be a woman and child and winter and summer will be represented by male figures. I'll probably start "Winter" tonight while "Fall" is drying. The bottom left portion is very mangled with the corn stalks and color but it will make sense once everything dries and things are allowed to pop.

Watercolor and acrylic layering

Adding oil paints for details

Sketches and notes for the
other three seasons.

Home...

Traditional Leaf shot

Home...

There is nothing quite like going home to relax and readjust. This visit to PA was spectacular. Not only did I get reconnect I had a most wonderful walk in the woods with one of my childhood friends whom I haven't seen in well over 25 years.

It is strange to think about how much time has passed between us yet how easily we were able to catch up. It was as if no time passed at all. Our personalities have pretty much stayed the same throughout our respective journeys and sitting and talking with my friend for hours that early Sunday morning was not only truly uplifting, it was spiritual. I am looking forward to hiking and talking with her again soon.

Of course, what hike wouldn't be complete without some photos? Just a few of the shots I took on the trail in the mountains of PA. I sorta consider this my backyard.

At the very top of the mountain

Cheeky little bugger
Can you see him?....

Of course packing up and coming back to the city was tough. Every time I return I find something "odd" has happened. Either a pet has run off or they have died or something crazy is in full steam and I walk into it. This time around I found the religious statue of Mary I am currently painting (cause if you are an artist and are Catholic you KNOW you'll be painting everyone's statues) covered with worms. I have no IDEA why or what these things are, but they certainly have a sense of humor. It definitely lightened the reality of being back here in this city.

Mary with her Man-stash

Wax & Deadlines

Waiting for finish

After I finished blogging my thoughts yesterday I decided to pull out almost everything I had started sculpture wise, but neglected to finish. When piled together, the lot is fairly large. I believe some mice are missing, which doesn't surprise me. They like to scamper about the studio and they multiply quite fast in wax.

One by one I am determined to finish them and I will start with the easiest sculpture to mold. Molding is a real issue in the studio. In thinking of the new year that is quickly approaching I feel a very good goal coming on and that is to become more proficient in mold making. I will do this. The four legged horse Ophelia will be cast in porcelain. I promise, as will little Leela with her twists and turns and out stretched leg. I will do this.

Pulling these unfinished pieces out so soon after visiting The Met has sparked renewed interest in all the pieces. I want to see them finished. I want to feel them in clay and paint them up in pretty colors. That desire is pushing me to finish. I love when that happens. No matter what the outcome the spark is there and that is half of the battle.

Get my good side dear

Of course, all this spark must be contained for a day or two just until I finish my Just About Horse deadline. There has been so much happening here both studio wise and family wise I only had time to finish one side of the project horse. LOL This time around we are helping artists explore painting the dappled grey. It should be running in the Jan/Feb 09 issue. I took a TON of photos and there are new techniques I'm using and I will be discussing them this time around in the magazine.

More beautiful leaves to share

Lastly, the pear tree in the neighboring yard has finally let go of its leaves and I couldn't resist sharing two more beautiful finds with you. I love how the colors are shining like lightening through the black of the first leaf. Almost as soon as I took these shots both leaves turned brown and lost their brilliance forever.

Oh A Customer!

Hot outta the oven

Did you come here for a pie?

Sit yourself down. Tis a bit wet out there today. Hasn't rained in weeks and today, the day of the Halloween party, it rains. I believe I'm the only one rejoicing. Not only do I love the rain. I think it's a PERFECT backdrop for my Mrs. Lovett costume. I'm fully prepared to carve pumpkins and whoop it up with family in costume. I'm bringin extra ale and my camera.

If you are wondering about how I made the pies, it was really very easy and fun. Here is the recipe if you want to try it yourself or with your children. It's safe and you can cut it in half if you don't need that much dough. I did and it worked out just fine.

Fake Bread Dough
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp. instant coffee (heaping)

Mix flour and salt together. Drop a heaping teaspoon of instant coffee in warm water and mix well (will give your dough color). Add the water/coffee mixture to the flour and beat/knead till dough forms. Bake in an oven at 300 degrees for approx. 3 hours. If you half the recipe it takes about 1 1/2 hours for the bread to cook. After the bread has cooled you can glaze more color on using watered down acrylics. FUN!

With that I am off. Enjoy your weekend. See you all on Monday. Hopefully with a ton of cool pictures from the party! ENJOY!

I'm callin' it the cobra leaf
Coolest one I've found so far.

Nobody...

....does it better than Mother Nature.

Leaf skeleton

Even in this grimy city Mother Nature manages to shine every moment she can. Every year around this time I really start missing my woods home in PA. The colors of fall are just not as brilliant here in Brooklyn, but I still look for the rare pretty leaf every moment I get.

Today is a very busy day and I prepared for the work I'll be doing in the studio by cleaning my desk off last night. It was very messy and when it gets too messy I find that my work gets messy. So, armed with a fresh clean desk I am ready to add more color to the Taboo resin I started and to begin the Commission Me Vixen that just sold. The buyer on the Vixen decided on the color palomino which I am thrilled about cause I have secretly been itching to paint a palomino for some time and just never got around to it.

Pretty color shifts

Lastly today, if time permits, I will be designing a new splash page for the new domain name I was finally able to snag! I was thrilled to find that jenndanza.com was finally available and I snagged it. The domain will just be a portal to my other sites....well, for now anyway. Enjoy your day!

A Great Night

Raffle donation #17 full of goodies

It was a great night! The Golf/Fall Outing dinner was fun and full of many participants, many of which were women who were tempted by my luminaries and candle donation. I peeked inside bag #17 and found a plethora of raffle tickets. Of course, the Victoria's Secret raffle bag was overflowing, but hay, they have had more time brand imprinting than Danza Ceramics. LOL

It really was a successful night for my little ceramics studio. There were many positive comments and compliments about the luminaries. One comment that was reiterated throughout the night was, "I never knew you made such items." I was happy to hear the comment repeated because my whole goal was to get people within my community more aware of what I do. It was highly suggested by the Christmas Fair organizer that I participate in the Christmas Fair this year because apparently there is nothing like what I make at that fair and she felt my work would be gobbled up. I like the sound of that and am looking into the fair. Honestly, it sounded like she wanted a commitment last night which made me feel very good. If I can have enough ceramic pieces by early December I may just set up shop for a day at the Christmas fair. If anything, it would be an interesting experiment into seeing what people like and what they dislike in my ceramics. It may also be a crash course in lots of hurt feelings too.

I have to admit that the best part of the night was dancing with my son. He LOVES to dance and even though they had background music playing it wasn't a "dancing" kind of night. To a 3 1/2 year old though, if they hear music and if they see open space near a podium it's a dance party! And when your little boy askes, "Mommy, can you dance with me?" you forget that you are the ONLY adult moving your body on the floor of a non dance party and you just enjoy the moment with your little one cause the sense that such moments are fleeting are strong. At one point, I got a flash forward to his wedding day and what a tougher dance that might be for me.

The weekend is just starting. I have both my boys here for the entire weekend and it started fantastically last night. I got to sleep in late today and am having breakfast made for me by hubby. Mmm...did someone whisper the word diet out there? Yeah...forget that this weekend! So have a wonderful weekend out there everyone! I'll see ya on Monday!

Cool Morning Hot Kiln

Lids fresh from the kiln

Brr!
The morning brought a chill into the house. Days like this make us want to stay indoors and cuddle up in front of the TV with a good movie on like Monsters, Inc. or Nemo while homemade chicken soup simmers on the stove. Chicken soup is definitely on the menu today as are some type of yummy tasting and smelling cookies. So comforting.

The kiln will also be on today. I haven't decided which items will go in to cook. Perhaps I'll finish the horsehair porcelain pieces. Or maybe I can get my tea pot to the bisque state. The tea cups that went along with the pot both cracked which put a damper on that project. I do need to finish it though as I am donating it to support our annual church fall outing. It will be the first time I will be presenting my pottery work in person to the public. I'm rather nervous and excited about this new adventure.

Little ones around a bracelet

So, with much enthusiasm and energy I head on off into the soothing morning sun to grocery shop. A necessary evil of a household. Afterwards, I'll make my soup and then settle into my thoughts on which items get to visit the kiln.
Perhaps I'll just finish adding some critters to the porcelain bracelet I forgot I had in my storage closet. Wearable critters! I love the idea!

Enjoy the fall sun!

Happy Fall!

Three little leaves

Happy Fall everyone!

Three little leaves were just waiting to greet my camera today. We don't really get a lot of color during the fall season here in Brooklyn. Vibrant yellow is about the extent of the display, but it is still very pretty because the yellow is a sunny, happy yellow. It's as if the leaves are going out with a huge smile on their faces.

So, as summer officially leaves today I smile and greet fall and all the wonderful days ahead of us in the studio and of course with family. Mmm...I think this calls for some pumpkin cookies or pie or something yummy like that. Or, perhaps my little mice should be baking up a storm in my sketcbook. Mmm..either way, bring on fall.

Chilly Air

The chilly air this morning sent my mind wandering on pumpkin patches, falling leaves, and the delights of trick or treating. I pulled out a few porcelain button boxes and let my imagination go wild. Just my thoughts of Halloween, a few mice and many costumes later and I present to you some fun new china painted pieces. Well, they still need color, but here they are before their first kiln firing.

Little ones ready
for a night of trick or treat

I love this time of year and as my son pours over a costume magazine trying to decide who he will be this year, I gaze over our family schedule and remind myself its going to be another crazy, busy season! But oh, what fun we will have. I love fall!

Quick sketches for the boxes