Getting Away

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

For half a week I really tossed and turned over the idea of just dropping everything and taking a mini vacation. An invite was extended and the pressure was on to make a decision. Fresh from moving, with boxes lying just about everywhere in the house and commissions being held at bay on the shelves, I just couldn't see the logic in going. There was just too much to do. But then I saw the pictures Francesco was drawing. They weren't his normal happy drawings. They had a touch of melancholy to them and way too much black grey and blue color to them. It was at that moment I decided that everything could take a back seat. It was apparent both Francesco and I needed a break and some time to laugh and just enjoy, so when my adopted brother Tony suggested I come down with his friends to enjoy 2 days at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, I finally accepted.

I don't think I've laughed as much and as hard as I did this past weekend. Honestly, I think I was a teenager the last time I laughed so hard and for so long. Every day brought hi jinx and laughter for both me and Francesco. The sand, sun, waves and smiles on my son were just what I needed to rejuvenate my spirit. Of course, I never go anywhere without my sketchbook and there were so many interesting bodies to draw at the beach. I was in overload. These were some of my favorite from the vacation:

Sketches on the Beach of Rehoboth

LOVED his belly
and loved the fact that he was eating

Fun angle to draw

She was rockin' these
huge sunglasses

Loved the hat/glasses combo

All in all, it was the right decision. We had so much fun and I am personally ready to tackle everything in the studio and the house. I'm even ready to do battle with the push mower again.



That one totally
snuck up on us!

Workbench & Sketchbook

View from the side
of the lake at Francis Slocum Park

Today I visited Francis Slocum Park with my son and good friends. It was nice to get out and be with people and just flesh out a few surroundings. I was only able to get a few sketches in the book. Seemed rude to just sit there and draw all day but I honestly could have if given the opportunity.

I seem to remember drawing this same view over 20 years ago when I went to Marywood College. I may have to try and find the old sketchbook I think the view is in. It would be fun to compare how the view has changed artistically for me. There were many people fishing today too. These two intrigued me and I tried to flesh them out discretely.

Love the belly
That was fun to draw

Heafty arms...fun!

Work has begun in the studios once again. Felt good to be back at the drafting table. I have several pieces being worked on at once but was very excited about painting bay so I started both the Telsa and the Working Girl resins. Both will be bay (or bay with white patterning.) All in all, work is going smoothly and I'm very happy with the new studio.

Working Girl resin
Will be bay tobiano with wild cat tracks

Telsa resin
Will be bay

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. :)

Folded, Boxed....Ready....

My kiln guardian waiting
patiently for the move

I never noticed how much noise the fluorescent lights make in the basement until tonight when everything recognizable in the studio was packed and folded and either pushed to the side or taken to the hallway. It was so empty without my stuff. I sat in the middle of that basement completely exhausted and thinking that despite the overflow (on a monthly basis) from the sewer I did manage to created many beautiful pieces of art in this basement. Now a new basement awaits and I am anxious to get my stuff in the new home. Friday truly can't come soon enough.

Everything folded and ready

There is one thing I will miss. I will miss my china cabinet. It was a lovely antique but sadly there is just no way to get it out of the house so I will leave it and hope something nice comes along for me to display my show string. Which, I must admit, was quickly placed in two crates. I plan on keeping them with me in the front seat of the truck. Hopefully they will arrive at their new home unscathed.
Bye china cabinet

The Reality Of It All....

I know....more wrong doings....
I know.

The reality of it all is packing up 2 studios and a life.....stinks. I'm trying my best to not crash as commissions keep coming in and work waits. I keep trying to hold it together as boxes give (as do crates with very expensive resins) and am thinking that after next week all should be well. All will be in place and I can finally rest for good in my new home in PA.

Of course, all this moving and shifting hasn't been without damage. Leaving all my "soon to be cast" wax sculptures in the hot car for half a day was a very, very grave mistake. Every single one melted. The worst to suffer was my Ophelia sculpture. I made such good progress on her and was excited to see her come to fruition later this summer. She is nothing but a lump now. It's gruesome to look at and best to scrap what is here and just start over to be honest. All that work....all gone.





Squished all around

But there have been some very quiet and rewarding moments in all this transition. Laundry blowing in the breeze seemed to satisfy on many levels today. Not quite sure if it were the multitude of birds flying around the yard, the laundry itself that pleased or the baby bunny who was very entertained watching me as I hung these curtains out to dry that brought a simple but happy calm. In any case, I'm taking the good with the bad and looking forward to next week when I'm in the new home and PA bound for good.

Classic
White on white in a sea of green

More Odd Finds....The Wetbox.

He's really furry now.

As I continue to pack up the basement studio I continue to find odd things. Things like the wetbox I forgot about. A wetbox is a covered box filled with a bit of dried plaster which is kept moist and is used as a holding station for ceramic pieces waiting to be cleaned or waiting for parts, like tails, to be added to them at a slightly later date. The box keeps everything moist. Turns out I let all these pieces wait a little too long. Two years two long I think. This is apparently what happens to porcelain when it's left in a wetbox and forgotten over a couple of years. They get strangely furry. Ahh well....

Would have been a cute dumbo rat sculpt.

Wetbox complete with dried up pieces

In any case, I had to toss everything in the trash. I tossed, but didn't look.

On a happier note, I have finished the "Oliver" resin and wanted to share him with you. This is the third Oliver I've painted and I can't seem to get enough of this little one. He's quite a lot of fun to paint. My new favorite resin to play with.

Sales item coming soon.
Sale announced on both Yahoo and
my official Facebook page.

Video: Quick Head Study

(More video as I get many requests for this.) One studio is completely packed and ready for it's new home. The other studio (basement) is taking a bit longer to pack up as it served many purposes for me including photo studio, sculpting studio, ceramics studio, oil painting studio, and all around model horse industry studio which catered to chopping, hacking and an all around mess anytime I sat down with a horse. I took a break today and decided to shoot a quick video of a horse head. Many supplies are already packed so I grabbed whatever was closest.

Quick Fjord head study

Strange

THE desk without anything
inside is creepy.

It's a day of strange here.

That is the word to describe the feeling of seeing my well worn desk without it's paints, brushes, pens, pencils, crow quills and endless pieces of inspiration taped to every surface. Strange. I can't look for too long cause it starts to upset me. I need to get this desk in it's new home quickly. That will happen this weekend thankfully.

Stranger still was the fortune I got when I opened the fortune cookie. All I can say is, "Universe, yes please, with sugar on top."

The cookie knows....lol