Well...about those eggs

Duck

Duck

GOOOOOSE!

WEll....
I can't even begin to express my disappointment in discovering that "Penny" my *cough* hen wasn't developing more rapidly because of grabbing more of the treats. No. She *cough* was developing her comb and waddles so fast cause she's a HE!

I'm now down to 3 egg laying hens and have found myself in one hell of a pickle. No one anywhere wants a rooster and I really didn't sign up for this. I was guaranteed all hens from the company. They apologized and offered me a free chick next time I place an order with them, but in all honesty, I can't order from them again. I know nothing about sexing chicks but others I know who have had day olds never had this "sexing" problem from their suppliers.

I'm sure there is a lesson wrapped up in here somewhere. I can't help but feel like I'm really missing it and I also can't help but feel like I've wasted ALOT of time here. I'm frustrated. Hopefully "Pennington" (thanks Karen!) will be able to find a fine home other than in our tummies.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas....

Kiko waiting patiently for her gifts

On the fifth day of Christmas I find myself reminiscing about how wonderful this past season was for me and my family. No one got ill this year. No one whined or argued. Everything went perfect. The food was perfect. The laughs were right on and perfect and the gifts given and received were exceptional this year.

Me and daddy

Speaking of the studio I'm trying to stay on vacation from it, but have already found myself rummaging through the clay. I pulled a few pieces the other day. I just had to get those out of me. They are out and drying in the boiler room now. Hopefully I can stay focused on being on vacation. I will take this time to slowly get my house and life in order. Wish me luck.


Yummiest of all gifts.
Looks good in my bowl too I think!

That Time of Year Again

Mmm...what diet?

It is that time of year again. Time for pierogi and kielbasa and oplatki. All good traditions passed down from my Polish grandma. It is with great joy I use my creative juices two days before Christmas to make our family tradition of cabbage, potato and prune pierogi. It's probably my favorite all time dish next to sushi. I only make it once a year and I am actually the only one in my family who knows how to make them. The thought occurred to me today that if my son shows no interest in learning to make them the tradition will die with me. So, I make them with joy and earnest and watch my family devour them. Out of 70 or so pierogi there will be maybe 5 left after the dinner is through. It is the highlight of our Christmas Day fest.

Runnin' on Dunkin'

Our squirrels run on Dunkin!
...and by the looks of it...
his plumpy little butt is hooked on the lattes!

A month of running on Dunkin is over!
The deadlines are DONE!
Let the Christmas festivities begin...NOW!

YEAH! I have never been so happy to begin decorating the house with my Christmas decorations as I am this year. This month has been really crazy and it flew by in a flash! I'm just so happy to have finished my very last deadline today and am ready to party! I'm ready to wrap presents. I'm even ready to make 100 periogis for the Christmas Day dinner table.

First though...a good, strong and soothing cup of java! It's relax time. One last Dunkin' Date. ;)

Three Pots

My favorite three

With everything that is going on in the studio and with family life being super hectic this time of year, the very last thing I probably should be doing is adding on more work, but I'm having a hard time letting go the fact that I want to enter some of my pottery in a show. The show is for small pieces (nothing above 5" tall) and will be judged on the 21st of December. I've sectioned out the pieces I'd like to enter. Just the act of entering will be a feat because I've never done anything like this before and it is scary venturing out for the first time.

Although these are my absolute favorites there is hesitation. I want to be in the game though. I want to just do it for me. Just to see what might happen. You never know. The best thing that could happen is I get a really good crit and I can make adjustment on my following pieces.

So, with a positive heart I charge into new waters!

Boxes....Everywhere!!!

Parrot sketch for china

Boxes...they are all around me. The are even in my sleep.

I'm near the end of the "boxes project" and I will be happy to put china painting to rest for a spell. At least until sometime in January. I'm seeing boxes all around. I can't look at a magazine without thinking how that centerpiece in the shot will be nice reference for the roses around the dog or the parrot. Everything I see, if I'm not paying attention, turns into a china painted piece in my head. Sorta like a video or movie that happens inside there. I see paint smooshing around and forming images. It's both cool and annoying at times when I'm tired.

First layer of china paints

When this happens I know I've reached the end of the project and it's time for a break. I hope to have the very last piece of this box project done by Monday and I can reveal all the pretty pieces that were created. I'm actually really happy with most of them (there are always one or two that never come out as planned) and I feel I made huge strides in color application and rose formation. I just sorta figured it all out of a need to complete the project.

Now though, time to become human again and help decorate a Christmas tree. Of course I won't go without my sketchbook and brand new ceramics book to flip through! I mean, there is only so much tree trimming I can take before my mind starts crying to be fed more art.

Box Mania

Assorted boxes I've just finished

It's box mania here.

I received a rather large order for china painted boxes in late November and I've been working steadily on them since. It's truly crunch time now and the more difficult pieces are getting completed this week. From Dachshunds to Calico kitties to a portrait I've been bookin' to get it all done before Christmas. It's all I've been working on. I'm happy to say that this major diversion from model horses is always good for my painting skills both on and in the MH industry. Everything art truly feeds off each other.

This work comes after many months of working clay and glazing. I'm honestly sick of playing in clay so I am happy to be china painting and working the illustrations. By next week I will be fully satisfied of this job and looking forward to working on horses again, or maybe finishing the mold production of Lil Pumpkin. In any case, I find that having many things juggling at once is the way I like my studio running. It suits me.

First a drawing
Crow quill drawing on porcelain.
First fire

Of Fairs and Erasers

Table at the fair
on the first day

My friend Sarah has a wonderful entry on her blog pertaining to erasers and how she was encouraged to use hers as much as she wanted in order to further her drawing abilities. Her take on the eraser is fresh yet very foreign to me. I was taught in my freshmen year of college to throw mine away. It was seen as a dirty little crutch. Something that would hinder development and so I threw all of mine away and just struggled with line and form and wasted ALOT of paper.

I'm not sure which theory is more correct, but the entry brought back many odd memories of my personal struggles as a young artist. I tend to think that both methods, with much practice, get a struggling artist to the same place of satisfaction. But it's in the practice and the many mistakes that we truly grow.

This past weekend I had to experience some hurtful growing pains. The fair went well, but my presentation really lacked character and pizazz. I guess I was just plumb tired from trying to make pieces to fill my table that I forgot to really think about how I wanted to present my work.

New white cloth

An hour into set up I decided that I HATED the new black cloth I recently purchased and I hated the pieces I had made (except for the porcelain bowls with birdies). Thankfully I was at the fair for two days and early the next morning I got there before they opened and changed up my entire set up to something more pleasing and feminine. A total "erase" if you will. I bugged my fellow vendors out with the change. They were confused, but I was more satisfied and felt I was able to sell better with the change that had been made.

Newest china painted pieces

Close up

Things sold well, but after all was said and done I decided that I really need to rethink my marketing all around. I also need to hone in on exactly what it is I want to do with my clay creations. What do I want to be making and why? I guess you could say I need an "artist's statement" and some definite direction. I'm not really sure what that statement would be since up until this point I've pretty much been the "Horse/Rat/Chicken loving gal playing with clay".

So, I have quite a bit to think about I guess. I'm on the verge of an explosion I feel and I need to reign in my thoughts and desires and erase the unwanted and the clutter. I get the feeling that action is going to be a tough one for me since I'm not all that used to using that eraser.

Countdown...

New china wares getting painted

Countdown...
to "40" in 10, 9, 8...

Mice on a seesaw

Ornaments and De-stressing

2009 Christmas Ornament
For sale: BOUTIQUE

I'm swamped.

Plain and simple. During such times I like to de-stress by enjoying (and catching up) on some blogs. I found this one today and have been enjoying the simplicity of the project. A little bit of fun and love being sent out there. Gotta love those positive things.

Mysterious Letters

First Day....

Fine English Porcelain bowl
with little blue bird

First Day of December!

It's hard to believe that soon another a year will have come and gone. November was a very busy month for me. It also provided me with much work and new ways of working. Some good, some not so good. The last days of November also found me thinking (with the help of a good friend...thank you....you know who you are) on the word "bigger".

So my mind has been stuck on that word and exactly how to bring my little world out into the big, "bigger" world. How? Hmm....I haven't figured that out yet but my mind is wandering, exploring, and solving issues. My mind isn't resting and I find that it is thinking even when I don't want to think. It is trying to solve this problem because this "bigger" problem solves many other "issues" here in the studio and household. It is in one word....well....big.

I go on thinking....

Brown bird bowl