Glaze test Friday

I thought I'd show some of my glaze tests today. I use these to test my engobes and glazes and to try out different ideas. I don't always make bigger pieces based on these, but often I get new directions from the results. These little guys are some of the latest out of the studio and I'm thinking of making this a regular Friday feature. Yes, I've got a lot in the works!

They do have names also:

top - A Rosy Outlook

middle - Bewitched and Bewildered

bottom - Simon Says...

Till Monday, adieu....

Just a Drop in the Bucket

Sometimes I feel so small. When I consider how big the world is, how many people there are and how much wonderful art has been created (among other things), my own insignificance whacks me upside the head. We're all just small drops in a very large bucket. When the bucket becomes full, the hand of fate tips it to allow so many more drops.

So many tests in the works this week. I may show some here soon - if all goes well!

What Goes Around.....

...comes around. This is a concept that usually puts me a bit on edge. I mean, really - haven't most of us done things we're not proud of? It is those "things" that inspired this mask. I spend a lot of time thinking about the best way to get an idea across using the face as a medium. Of course, some of these portrayals are more successful than others and this mask is, perhaps, a little on the obscure side. Without the title, the viewer might just be clueless!



I like the idea of a wind driven existence, but must keep in mind that the wind could change direction at any moment.

Sapling

While working on this piece I was contemplating growth and beginnings. I've used the tree as metaphor so many times now that it has become an essential part of my artistic vocabulary. Originally I had intended to have only the driftwood pieces as arms....but after attaching them, I felt that something more was needed. Thank goodness for putty epoxy! I was able to sculpt the small hands and blend them into the arms - Voila!

This small sculpture has been in the works for some time now. I finally finished it a few weeks ago in time for the Contemporary Crafts show. It was the first thing I sold and, now that its gone, I'm thinking about the piece and its own journey....

In Sheep's Clothing

In a way, all of my masks are about disguises and subterfuge: this one in particular. I was thinking about appearances and how deceptive they can be. It seems one must be ever vigilant to find what is beneath the facade. And yes, I think we all have them (facades, that is).

This is another just finished piece - the newest addition to the Devil's family tree. Now I'll need to make another Angel themed mask for balance and harmony in the studio!

It's All About the Journey

This is an idea that I firmly believe and the falling leaf sums it up perfectly in my mind. We're all travelers and, like it or not, there is an end to the journey. Personally, I choose to make as many side trips as possible, filling the journey with all the knowledge, enjoyment and goodness that I can. When my travels are finished, I know that I will have "grokked" them to the fullest!

Since I don't have another show until July, I'm working on lots of experiments in the studio. Hopefully soon I'll have the groundwork laid for some fine new work!

Going to Sit in the Corner...

Here's a piece I really relate to. Of course, it's about punishment: the corner can be anywhere, including the mind and the hat is a symbol of the Dunce. After being out in the public last week, and making all kinds of verbal faux pas, here I am in a corner of my studio with the dunce cap firmly in place. I'm just about ready to forgive myself and get on with talking to me, myself and I. At least I won't offend any of them!

Between Comedy and Tragedy

Isn't that where most of life happens? Here again, I'm confounded by the space between opposites. Sometimes, I think about how much easier life would be if I knew which side of the fence I was on at any one moment. I guess that is the nature of opposites and, at times, the difference is a fine line!

I've been making a number of smaller pieces lately and this is one of them (6 1/2" x 4"). The economy being what it is has pushed me into doing some more "affordable" work. I'm sure hoping that things improve soon so that I can work on some more complex masks....not that I've stopped - it's just that they're not the main focus right now.

With Open Arms

This mask is almost fresh from the fire - it had its public debut at the showing last weekend. I had been wanting to make some "hopeful" pieces to express some of the high hopes that are gradually spreading throughout the land. It seems like a good idea to focus on the posititive and to welcome change with open arms!

Of course, the next step for me is to explore the idea a bit further - perhaps adding a touch of irony .... I'm already planning a similar piece with arms hinged at the elbows.

Camouflage

This mask is about blending in...it's something I've never been very good at! In social situations, I usually think how nice it would be to have some sort of camouflage suit. Since that's unlikely, I'm becoming a little better at disguising my words and thoughts so as to appear normal. Working alone in the studio for 30 years has definitely taken its toll on me.

Today, I'm packing up for the show this weekend and at the same time, I'll be working on my mental camouflage.......

Triptych

Before I started my "leaf as metaphor" series, I did an extensive amount of testing and experimentation with glazes, colors and techniques. Shown here are three of these glaze tests. If you've visited my blog before, you may have noticed the "glaze test" slide show at the right. I'm mentioning it now as a shameless promotion of my Etsy site: http://unmasked.etsy.com . Ya know, in between shows, I still need to eat and pay my bills!

Speaking of shows, I'll be at Fort Mason in San Francisco this weekend for the Contemporary Crafts show. So, if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by and see my work up close and personal!

A New Room in the Dreamhouse

I often dream of houses - many of which I visit over and over again. Every now and then I find a room that I didn't know was there and it's usually a wonderful discovery. I spend a lot of time in these new dream rooms exploring every detail and congratulating myself on my good luck. When I awake, there is the feeling that I've truly gained something. Since I'm not schooled in the interpretation of dreams, I can only guess at the meaning. It feels as if new areas of the subconscious are becoming available to me, and I await their manifestations in my work!

Down to Earth

She's on her way to being "grounded"... something I aspire to. Perhaps the wings will cushion the landing - or maybe she'll change her mind and head back to the stratosphere. Part of what I was thinking when I made this piece is about never being satisfied with where I am at the moment. There is always some place or some state of mind that is better. This way of thinking could be my fatal flaw....

I didn't get enough done this weekend and now I'm feeling some pressure. I'm heading up to Oregon mid week for a small winery show put on by my friend Nancy Adams. Whew, looking forward to the short getaway!

The Merry Prankster

Here again, my coming of age in the 60's is showing. I never was quite that "merry" but many of the concepts intrigued me and have stayed with me over the years. I like to think of the prankster as something that sneeks up from behind the persona and delivers a much needed dose of surprise and wonder. It is not so easy to dismiss the prankster because you never know when he/she will appear. The message is: it's important to keep an open mind.

Between Heaven and Hell

I think that this is one of my most dramatic pieces. I've done a couple different versions of this idea - but this is, by far, my favorite. I keep coming back to "choices", although I feel that this mask is more about acceptance! Most of the time we dwell in the middle ground until something happens to push us one way or the other. Anyway, that's my short and sweet interpretation of this mask. I usually hesitate to say too much about any of my works in the hope that there will be room for the viewers own interpretations.

The week is almost at an end and I wonder where the time went. Of course, I'm in full throttle right now with all the works in progress. Time really does fly when you're having fun!

Battle Weary

I sculpted this piece on my first stay at the ICS in Hungary (2006) and there it remains. While I was making it, there was a gathering of Hungarian ceramists working there to make sculptures relating to the October 1956 occupation by the Russians. Many of the artists had first hand experiences and the works created were full of emotional content. This prompted me to create something relating to my own struggles and emotions. At the time, I wasn't really sure where this piece came from. I'm even less sure now, but I do believe that it must have come from my heart! So many disappointments, so many chains - but hey, I'm a survivor and I have the scars to prove it!

It was a challenge to raku this work. The head, helmet and body were fired separately and assembled ater firing.

Power Play

Here is yet another mask that suggests struggle. Sometimes it feels like everything I do involves a choice....between right or wrong, good or bad, stubborness or complicity, etc., etc.. To my way of thinking, the devil/angel scenario says it all. Life is a constant battle between forces, but just imagine how dull it would be without the choices!

The mask is raku fired and finished with colored pencils and matte varnish.

I have a kiln going right now and am eagerly awaiting the results. I think most ceramists feel like it's Christmas morning when opening the kiln - I know I do!

Just Under the Surface

So many things are just under the surface - lying in wait to appear at opportune moments. This is one of the rare pieces that I didn't have a title for until it was completed. The idea suggested itself as I thought about all the ideas that are waiting inside me.

This is another of the last cast stoneware masks. I used a shellac resist to wipe away layers of the greenware and then bisque fired it. The mask was then painted with a white engobe and fired again. The final glaze firing was raku.