Only Tuesday

"The Winner" medallion
fully hand painted

It's only Tuesday and I'm neck deep in a ton of projects. Above is my donation to Breakables Live this year. I was honored to have been asked to donate and to be included with the other fine ceramic artists in our industry. I'm very pleased with how this piece came out. The shading is subtle as I envisioned it and the colors are bright and not muddied. I've been extra careful to keep all my brushes clean during the china painting process.

There is more, but time is limited today.

Half the Week....GONE!

Basket of award medallions

Wow! Half the week is almost over already and I've hardly blogged!

My main focus this week has been my son. We have come to a crossroads and have felt that he is ready for school. He talks about going all the time now and after meeting with the principal of the school I want to send him to, have decided it will be most beneficial for him to be social and involved. He is so excited about starting on Monday. I'm not as excited. Even though I'll have studio time again during the day my heart sinks. He is really growing and I never thought this stage would be here so quickly. It's here. I need to keep tears to a minimum on Monday....and today...and for the rest of the week.

Ornament from my Secret Santa.
I LOVE this ornament...the drawing,
the color and that touch-o-bling...perfect!

Work will keep the sappiness from invading me totally. Seventy award medallions for the Midwinter's Night Ball have been keeping me on my toes. It took about six firings in my little kiln Starbuck to get the job done. More and more I'm coming to realize that I truly need a new kiln. I need to breach this subject in 2009.

Best steal of the holiday. $2 at the local Rite Aid

The house will also keep me focused. The Christmas tree comes down today and I get to hold and admire my favorite ornaments one more time until next year. Normally I leave the tree up long after the celebration of the Epiphany, but this year I want everything Christmas out of my life. Except for a few new ornaments I acquired this holiday, the actual holiday was awful. I want to forget it.

I'll be back tomorrow with photos of all the sculpts I'll be focusing on next week. For the rest of this week I'm being held captive by a JAH deadline.....hopefully this will keep sappy thoughts at bay too.

The Egg & The Horsehead

China painted porcelain egg

Today I'm adding just a quick blog entry with images. I've been working non stop on this egg and for the most part I am very pleased with the way it came out. I was shocked at how easy it was to paint humans on porcelain. I loved the way the paint felt going on and my brain and hand were one. That usually never happens on bristol or canvas. I love things smooth and blurry almost and one crit I continually received on my paper work was that it was too smooth and "dreamy" but on porcelain its ok to explore such techniques. Of course the house and my son have been patiently waiting for me to return and tidy up and play

So that is the plan today to dust very quickly and then play. Late tonight I'll be at the fashion show watching them auction off the egg. I hope it is received well. I'll leave you with a few more images of the egg and a new medallion that was also completed in the studio this week.

Close up of Madonna and Child

. Egg slightly opened to show inside

New medallion

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! :)