In One Basket

Eggs are an ongoing theme in my work. There is something unsettling in the question "which came first?". So, I use eggs to express some of these feelings of doubt. In this case, it's about risk and taking chances.

Is it a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket? I'll never know the answer to that one, just as I'll never know which came first. But I will keep blundering along - taking chances and wondering.

The mask is stoneware with mid-fire (cone 6) glazes and engobes with a final firing of gold lustre. The eggs in the basket are raku fired porcelain.

Birdgirl's Prize

I've done a series of "Birdgirl" pieces over the past 6 or 7 years. This is the latest entry and one of my favorites (it seems that the newest ones are always my favorite!). Birdgirl happens to be one of my alter-egos and the series represents the dreams and flights of fancy that are possible.

The "prize", in this mask, is meant to be something like building material. What will you or I feather our nests with? I hope it is something special.....

Blue Queen

What can I say...it's about the blues, and I've had plenty of them! I often tell people at shows that I try to stay away from "the dark side", but all is not sweetness and light. Anyway, this is the lighter side of dark.

With this mask, I'm combining several factors: My love of Medieval art, the idea of myself as the Queen of my own universe and the reality of my day to day existence. Working alone in the studio every day does have its upsides and its downsides. I guess that makes me upside-down!

Postponing the Inevitable

This is another of the "Hungary" pieces. I was feeling a bit old while working there! Many of the artists and students at the time were young (at least, younger than me) and, as always, I felt a need to fit in and to keep up. The mask suffered a "raku accident", so I decided to make the best of it. Sometimes, the accidents are upsetting, but I feel that this one actually benefits. The fact that it is broken and repaired highlights the fact that no matter what we do, the end result is the same.

Well, I'm officially back in the studio...but I'm taking things slow. Been researching and mulling over some new ideas-it's kind of like weeding the garden!

If You're Going to San Francisco

Being a child of the 60's has left its mark on me and, though the times were turbulent in many ways, I remember them fondly. It's the rose colored glasses I suppose!

This mask is my ode to those times, and if you remember "the song", you'll understand. As time goes by I feel a need to look back and commemorate, in my own way, some of the important passages of my life. It makes me feel less alone knowing that others might have had similar journeys.

Denial

This is a stoneware piece from last year and is one of the original masks for the "Leaf as Metaphor" series. The title is "Denial". I'm in denial about so many things that it's hard to give an explanation of the piece! It is more about a feeling I would like to express that I hope is universal. Does the leaf know that it is falling from the tree? Does it care to know?

I was fortunate to find a good home for "Denial" with my good friend Sally Ryan. In return, the queen got some new clothes made by Sally's talented hands. Ah, the joys of bartering with talented pals!

Just a Little Piece of My Heart

This is the offering for today - it's "Just a Little Piece of My Heart". The New Year seems like a good time to share this mask since it's all about beginnings....or is it about endings? I don't know, but I do know that it is about sharing.

I made this piece during my second residency at the International Ceramic Studios in Kecskemet, Hungary (May to July 2008). Of course, it is Raku - as was most of the work I did there. I'll be showing some more of these as the days go by. It's always inspiring for me to work in another country as I get ideas that I don't think I'd get at home in my studio. Then too, I bring away thoughts and images that will affect my work for years to come.

Right now, I'm gearing up to get back into the studio in a serious way. I never seem to get much done during the holidays - so many distractions. And these days, I'm easily distracted anyway. So - Here's to the New Year!!