Are We Having Fun Yet?

I've been having fun - going through photos of masks past. This one is from 2002 and seemed a good fit for a Friday that's arrived on the heels of summer. I used to do a lot more harlequins, and I still do make a few small ones, but they just aren't as interesting to me anymore. That is probably because I've done just about all I can do with them (for now). At the moment, and for quite some time, nature, nurture and dreams have taken center stage.....

Half Empty or Half Full?

How we look at things really does matter: it can make the difference between feeling good or bad, ascending or descending, too much or not enough and on and on and on. When I look around and see my life as half full, there is hope. In those darker moments, when I see it as half empty, I question my very existence. At this point, the choice becomes clear: half full is enough...

I pierced this mask all over to imply leakage - and this in turn implies that one starts out full.

Bored Game

The older I get, the less time I have for games. This mask is a manifestation of my lack of tolerance and a not so subtle statement about the nature of games. I know that we're programmed early on to be participants, but there comes a moment when you or I must say: Enough, already! I've reached that point and now must decide how to live the rest of my life.....

Glaze test Friday - 3

And so, it's Friday again and I thought I'd post a couple of tests from this week. Tests are about all I've been doing lately, but next week I must get serious about starting some full size pieces.

Inspiration

I think of inspiration as something that is always there, hovering just outside of consciousness. All that I need to do to reach it is to relax and let it settle in place. For, isn't it everywhere? And if it is (as I believe it is), then one must only have a receptive mind to find it. Then, of course, what we do with that which is always there is another story - and one that I will need to address very soon....

Out of the Woodwork

I've done many pieces with a face either emerging or blending in with a tree. I use the tree as a symbol for many things, including growth, hiding, vulnerability, strength and solidity. Here it is meant as a metaphor suggesting emergence - or shedding the exterior force that holds one back.

And so, here I sit....waiting for the branches and the bark to fall in a heap all around me....

Where Do We Go From Here?

This is the follow up piece to "Which Came First?" (shown a few days ago) and it too poses a question. Once we're here, then what??? So many choices, so many directions are possible - but what happens when you arrive at a crossroad? I'm asking these questions now because it's where I find myself and I'm puzzling through a load of options. I love making and sharing the masks, but it feels as if I'm working inside a vacuum: I've been sucked up and everything is whirling around inside. It must be time to empty the bag, but I'm not quite sure how to do that.

Yes, it's a difficult time, but I'm certain that it will pass - and soon, I hope......