Cookies, Sculpture & Progress

Yummy cookies!!

Don't those cookies look yummy? I was so enamored by Rebecca Turner's new medallion sculptures that I just had to order them so I could stare at them in person. I also wanted to paint them, but now that they are here I feel they will probably be more beautiful without my paws about them. I feel this way about a few Eberl pieces I own. I just can't bring myself to touch them with paint cause I feel my work will ruin the integrity of the pieces.

~My Ophelia Sculpture~
I love when sculptures inspire and excite me. I was so jazzed by these pieces that I dove right back into two sculptures of my own. I feel a renewed sense of desire to finish what I started on this little Ophelia sculpture.

She is just a little pony walking. Don't worry, I won't be flooding the MH market with her. I can hear a few saying, "OMG that is horrid!!!" Well, yes, right now it is and perhaps when she is done she will still be unsightly, but an artist must move forward with inspiration. Even if it seems to be cruddy to others.

My little pony named Ophelia

I had always envisioned a pretty little porcelain pony with this creation. A few in resin might be nice to see in person. I'd love to paint her up with cold paints. But, I'd only have a handful made. And in handful I mean how many can I physically hold in my hand? Whatever that number is then that is the number of the resin edition. The rest I can see in porcelain.

I changed her legs a bit as I kept thinking she had issues with her lower half. She looked awkward and as soon as I shifted her legs I could see some improvement. I made some adjustments with undercuts too for china production. I'm now even more excited to see her finished.

~In Progress~
Blanks waiting to get painted this week

A few other things that are developing in the studio are a "Galina" resin and an "Oberon". I have quite a few of this little guy and want to try him out in a few different colors. For now I'm feeling "roan fever" coming on. Because I'm dying to paint roan I'm truly bursting to start the Valentin that is visiting me on commission.

Hole-y Mole-y!!!

The owner wants to see him in a roan and I'm totally on board with that color choice. Unfortunately, HE isn't on board with any of this painting non sense. He is a hole-y nightmare. Old Eberls are just nasty to prep and he is living up to that reputation. In this photo he has been prepped 3xs already. THREE!!!


~The Alborozo Dilemma~
Last, but not least is the Alborozo that stands on the other side of the studio waiting for me to make a decision about him. I am terribly tempted to paint him and I believe I am the only on on the planet that has one in hand right now.

Alborozo awaiting his future

What a golden opportunity. I'm just dying to see him in dappled buckskin going grey. I'm just DYING! I am really torn about painting him though. He's the prototype and to boot, a rather nicely painted OF copy. His hooves though, suffered damage from the JAH cover photoshoot. The botched hooves alone would totally make him a painting prospect, but alas, he waits amongst the many, many vessels I've made in the past few weeks. He and the vessels are becoming kindred spirits. I can't decide what to do with any of them! Perhaps a nice cup of coffee and apple pie ala mode will help with the decision making?

Dive Bomber!

Bug suicide...never a pretty sight

Some days no matter how careful you are, accidents happen.

It's been a while since I had an annoying painting accident, but now that the warmer weather is upon us dive bombers hungry for a chemical "fix" are something to contend with while working and spraying out doors.

A fly in the gloss wouldn't be so upsetting if it happened on my resin and not on someone else's. It also wouldn't be so troublesome if the bug suicide happened on a horse OTHER than one going golden champagne. The lighter colors in pastels are, in my personal opinion, tricky and require much more time to finish than a bay or chestnut. A black fly on a lighter colored horse has only one way to go...OFF and when you pick anything out of goopy liquid its a pure mess.

Spattered legs

The bug body came out, but not without a fight. Legs remain on this horse's neck. The only action to take right now is to sit and wait for the piece to dry fully. He's been drying since last night and by late afternoon he should be ready for some sanding and scraping. I'll let you know how the repair goes.

Yep! He Loved It!

Off into the sunset

I am so happy to report that my son LOVED his pony ride! Of course, I think he looked great atop the little pony. He sat so straight and smiled the entire time. He's already asked me if he could go riding again and I am happy to oblige that request! :)

I am also happy to report that both Sucre and Rasam are coming along very well. I have about an hour left on Sucre's production and then she will be up for sale. I have taken a new photo for you all to view. You can see a bit more detail on both.

Better shot of the two Arabs

The Rasam is wooing me to stay here in my china cabinet. I am sorta getting swayed to keep him. I am still undecided about it. I will say I was very happy to be painting horses again. I guess I just need to keep juggling many different art projects in order for me to stay fresh.

Bitten by the Fleabite

Sucre and Rasam

It's a fleabite party here in the studio! I couldn't help myself last night when I was painting the little Sucre. I grabbed the Rasam resin and went to town giving him fleabites too. The blur on the right hand side of the photo is a fingerprint. No, not mine, my son's. He wanted to take some photos at the communion party and had a ball. Next time I'll check for sticky hands before handing over the equitpment. LOL

Off to another party today. This one is a birthday party down at the barn. Perhaps Francesco will be brave and hop up on the pony. It will be his first time if he does.

Typical MO? Busy, as Usual

Huge party

Every weekend I seem to mention a party or family get together of some sort. These functions completely shut down my studio. I can't even think of popping my head in after the affair either. In a way it's hard to explain how very involved our weekends can be here if you've never experienced it first hand so I took a photo this past weekend of a first holy communion party we attended. This is just one of many functions we have for the spring/summer. Yes, the never ending lights you see are not an illusion that IS how large the room was. Awesome party! Really awesome. We all had fun and after working hard all week it was just what we all needed.

Studio wise the China Buffet Show medallions are complete, packed and getting ready to be mailed tomorrow. I'm excited to see how the showholder glazes them. She chose to glaze them herself.

China Buffet show prototype

I did get to glaze the first one for the show holder to view and approve. I'm very happy with the way it came out. I love the little horse head. I'm thinking of popping it off the backing and using it for my RESS article on mold making for newbies. It's small enough and compact enough to help create a competent article.

My "Sucre" resin arrived on Saturday. Packages mailed from Lynn's arrive so fast. I have to be honest, I LOVE having these resins in my hands before the general public. Getting that little "edge" on things has been really awesome. I can't thank Lynn enough for including me in her "Painter's Program". "Sucre" is lovely. Just a beautifully feminine Arabian mare standing with the breeze blowing through her mane. Bloody shoulder IS going to be gorgeous on her. I'm bursting to start her.

Well, our cookies are baking. Time to check them. Nothing like the smell of cookies in the air with an excited toddler about! Pure happiness!!! I love it! :)

I See Floor!

A clean stock room! Yeah!

I can see my floor once again in my stock room!

On Friday morning I had to gather up some boxes and foam and wrapping paper in order to prepare the little first holy communion box for transport and hand delivery on Saturday (today). I was so disgusted by the condition of the stock room and annoyed that I didn't have what I needed at my fingertips that I just started ripping out EVERYTHING in that room!

It took the entire day to clean and organize my stuff, but it was so worth it! It feels great to be able to walk inside that room and not trip or not have to tip toe over junk on the floor. I even put up shelves on the one wall (left hand side, not in the picture) and gave my resin stock more room. I had actually forgotten about a few of the pieces I had! I'm excited to maybe finish the one little pony whose face I shaved off. I forgot all about her!

Well, the communion party is today and unfortunately I won't get to see the recipients face when they open up the china painted box. All presents will go in a pile at the party and will be opened later. Seeing people's faces when they receive these china boxes is the best part. Perhaps I'll get word that it was received well later in the week.

Mush

Porcelain Painted Box


Mush...

That about sums up my wheel throwing this evening. Everything I did turned into mush. I think I may need a break from the wheel for a few days. I am happy to say that I was able to trim up almost all the vessels I threw the other day. I'm centering (for trimming) much better now. I even made a little tea cup for my son. He watched me trim it and thought it was cool to watch the wheel going round and round.

We are coming up to another busy weekend here. One of the events is a first holy communion party. We decided it might be best to make a gift and then add a beautiful store bought rosary to the gift.

Inside box

It took about two weeks to china paint this piece. The most difficult part of this box? The little girl's name. Took me over an hour to get it just so. Write it down, view it, shake head, wipe and repeat. That name in particular is tricky. So many loops! Hard with a crow quill on porcelain.

Finishing Up

HA Arab commission in dappled grey

I haven't been too chatty this week. I'm really just busy finishing up a couple of deadlines and working on the commissions left in the studio. I know I've put them off for my pottery wheel long enough. I was always more disciplined than I have been recently. I can only say that I love how it feels to be working on the wheel. It's very mediative for me and relaxing. It's also wonderful to create art in a matter of 15 minutes or less.

This was probably my most favorite vessel from the "Mother's Day" batch. It unfortunately cracked when I pulled it out of the kiln for the horsehair process. I heard it pop twice and saw the crack running up along the edge. A most disheartening sight and sound. I've decided not to use this technique on any of the low fire clay vessels I've created. I'll use it only on the stoneware and porcelain pieces. I suspect these clays can handle the changes in temp. much better.

Horsehair vessel

But as you can see I am still working on horses. I'm scheduled to paint a Fraley "Sucre". I can see her in bloody shoulder and will most likely have her in my hands by the weekend. Lynn always ships so promptly. I love that. I also managed to snag a Scarlett. I promised myself that I would cool it on resins, but since my studio is fairly clean of unwanted resins for now and the urge to paint one of these lady's hit me recently I decided to jump on the email when it came through from Tumlinson.
I'm thinking roan perhaps?

Hopefully somewhere in all these color decisions and new pieces I'll get the urge to finish up a few pieces I started like my second Smittyn resin and, of course, the Stormwatch. Unfortunately for all resins involved I have to physically pass my wheel in order to get to my work station. LOL

There Is Something....

Horse hair tea cup

There is something utterly dreamy about the smell of a horse. I suppose you have to be a horse fanatic to understand. I've had a hunk of horsehair in my posession for a while now. Smelling it from time to time is just something I love to do because it reminds me of my trips down to the barn. On a really down day that smell can even take me as far back as when I was nine just waiting for my neighbors to arrive to feed their horses.

Today I got to experience its smell in a new fashion...burning on a hot piece of pottery. With tongs in hand and saftey gloves I dove into my little kiln, plucked out a porcelain teacup and began adding hair. The smell was atrocious, but the result was fabulous. I'm now totally dying to try this technique on more pottery.

Well, tomorrow it's back to the grind for me. I let myself wander enough here with my pottery and dreamy smells. If I dont get things mailed out and a few projects completed customers will be coming after me with pitchforks. And you know, I wouldn't blame them in the least.

Here...just occupied

Rice bowl in blue and brown

I'm here. I've just been a bit occupied with family and with clay. There were several days where I logged on but just didn't have the urge to participate any where or answer emails. I suppose I needed a break from all things technical cause it sure felt good to be alone at my pottery wheel these past few days.

The cutest little fingers

The other day I even felt the urge to get really muddy, or rather dirty, and plopped my hands right in with my son's and finger painted with him. My once bare studio walls are now alive with colorful paintings of little hands and squiggly lines. It was great to get lost in that childhood activity.

I've also been on a roll with the clay work. The pieces felt great when I was making them and they don't seem half bad on film either. I'm very happy with my progress. I was never able to make such nice vessels when I was taking a ceramics class in college.

Well, its late and sleep is all I can think of now. I'll leave you with quite a few shots of my most recent pottery pieces. Enjoy!


~Newest Pottery Pieces~


Sake set



Tall vase...too tall for my kiln actually.

Larger vessel

A geometric style vase

Just completed tonight

Coffee mugs waiting for glaze

The "love" vase