Sunday, June 30, 2013

Salvage Day

Waiting impatiently for the first summer firing to cool...


"My great concern is not whether you have failed but whether you are content with your failure."

Abraham Lincoln

Repeated repairs on faux bois backing have not worked...
Salvaging smaller pieces...
Salvaging apricots near the backyard shard pile...
Glazing bisque shelf months-old hold outs...
Paper clay repairs on bead holes...
Glazing the last of the vases...
Throwing away bisque pieces that aren't worth glazing...
Washing the pet urine out of a rug...






Friday, June 28, 2013

Goofing Around on a Hot Day

Stopped by Amy's work to make a delicious jam trade...


The main drag in Pacific Grove...


Moorish tile in Carmel by the Sea...


I love it when different clays and glazes meet...


A painting in the window of my favorite gallery...


A long hike to find a parking spot...


Finally, home to the hot cement box...



A belated birthday present for Miss Jordan... 



Thursday, June 27, 2013

Flora vs. Kids

Studio Lifesaver

At the beginning of the week, it was rainy and overcast. Suddenly, this mild weather changed and became quite toasty. Frankly, neither weather is optimal for working with clay. Rainy weather makes sticky, unforgiving clay. But, I prefer it to hot weather. When the sun warms up, the clay shed becomes a blast furnace, and slab edges harden too quickly.

I am planning to tell two different stories for Open Studios. First, I am going to work on some flora projects. I will be completing some plates with floral imagery painted on them. And, there will be some shrines with floral offerings inside. The other story is a kid story. I spend a great part of my life with children, so I'm hoping to celebrate that with my work. There will be plates with kid artwork superimposed on them. And, I will have some shrines that relate to children. 

Floral Imagery

Dandelions

Alicia Animal Drawings

More Genius Animals

Plates with Floral Stamped Rosettes

Plates with Small Sunshine Stamping

Kid Shrines

Shrine with Army Men to Show Scale

Small Stage-like Shrine


Monday, June 24, 2013

Spain & Karen: Our Second Anniversary


Another year has passed, and it's time to celebrate our second anniversary. This year, I'm thinking about specific places that these photos conjure up in my memory. The first photo is of one of the many Pueblos Blancos of Andalusia, a town called Setenil. Unlike the other Pueblos Blancos, Setenil was constructed in a low valley, along a river. Some of the buildings were built underneath enormous rock overhangs. During siesta time, we toured the city on foot, and got completely overheated. Eventually, we stopped at a cafe and had a refreshing beverage, while noting that the ceiling of the cafe was made entirely of rock. The roads narrowed as they descended towards the river, and became cobbled alleys. But, I noticed as we roamed, that there were many tiles covered with fauxbois glaze patterns.



This is a photo of another of the famed white cities of the south. It is Ronda. Because of it's location, set on either side of a tremendous limestone cleft, it was one of the last Moorish strongholds. It finally fell to the Christians in 1485. Six hundred years later, we had a wonderful, late night dinner there. Darryl asked the owner of the cafe to bring us her favorites. While we were lingering over our meal, a bell was ringing, as evening mass was letting out at the church on the corner of the small square. The next day, we stood near the bridge of the city, watching swallows dart into nests along the rocky cliffs. There was a local flamenco guitarist, serenading the viewers.



This is the edge of the hill leading up to the Alhambra in Granada. The Alhambra notwithstanding, one of my favorite things that we did in Granada, was to visit the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella. It felt like a very sacred place, and the sculptures on the tombs looked so serene. The crypt underneath was kind of creepy. While at the Alhambra, I sat down for a moment of exhausted solitude. A French mother and daughter sat down next to me. They, too, were completely worn out. Somewhere, they had purchased large ice cream bars, and were taking a moment to talk about the Alhambra. It was wonderful to eavesdrop on their conversation, while sitting on our bench, overlooking the gardens of the Generalife.



This is the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares in Sevilla. This is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. EVER. Forget the fact that it housed a phenomenal museum, full of explanations of many of the arts and crafts practiced in Spain. Sevilla was a marvelous place. The Real Alcazar was a revelation. One memorable evening, we walked along the outside wall of the gardens of the Alcazar, which was lined with bougainvillea. It was dusk and the extreme heat of the day was ebbing. It was so delightfully shady. We had breakfast each day at our neighborhood croissant/ice cream cafe. One afternoon, we ran into one of our waiters in an alley, while walking back to our hotel room. He smiled and waved. Sevilla is that kind of place: the climate is warm and the people are even warmer.



Ah, Cordoba. My favorite memory there was watching a wedding taking place in the side chapel of the Mezquita. This is a mosque that was built twelve centuries ago and it's also a cathedral built during the sixteenth century. Imagine uniting two lives in a building where two of the world's most powerful religions historically struggled for control. We had many great experiences in Cordoba. One of them was being part of an all-night flamenco festival. We had the best tapas of our entire trip at a restaurant near the Torre del Alminar, the bell tower which was built on the site of the original minaret of the Mezquita.

Okay, I left out thoughts about Barcelona. But, you get the general idea. I will be returning to Spain. It's only a matter of time...















Saturday, June 22, 2013

Rio Del Mar at Sunset

Rapidly Incoming Tide

Motorcycle on the Pier

Sunset Towards Santa Cruz

Perfect Balance

Super Moon Rising

Navajo Wheel Clay

Some favorite pieces from around the house...

Large enough to shrink to normal size when fired...

Two days ago, I made my first trip to the clay store in quite some time.  I decided to purchase a couple of bags of Navajo Wheel Clay.  I love the color of the clay when it's wet.  Also, it is kind of soft and malleable.  Unlike Terra Cotta Clay, it doesn't dry out quickly when you handle it.  So, I've been making some work that looks kind of like it's made out of fudge.  A lot of my favorite pieces in my home are made with dark clay.  I tried using it a few years ago, and really liked some of the finished pieces.  I also bought some bags of "the usual".


Shrine pieces drying to leather hardness...

Putting the shrine together...

Corner view...

Chocolate bead pole beginnings...





Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Classroom Move Progress Report

Old Classroom Large Entrance Panels

One thing that I'll really miss about my old classroom is the three happy dudes that greeted me every morning. The outside of my room was boring, so I installed these panels that I painted in my kitchen. They have been on the outside of my classroom for four years. They are a constant reminder to me that learning should bring joy.

Today we tie dyed shirts. The fence outside of my classroom always makes a handy drying rack. I'll miss that! Tomorrow, we'll take all of the rubber bands off, and see the splendor of our t-shirts. I love watching the students unbundle their shirts. They can't begin to imagine how the shirts will look, and are always delighted when the pattern is revealed. It's worth the expense for the shirts (for the ones that don't bring their own) and the dye, just to see the looks on their faces. They are completely gobsmacked! 

After the kids left, I was able to hang two large Mrs. Rains quilts in my new classroom. They look fantastic, and now that they are in place, I can start putting bulletin boards up around them. When I was literally dying of thirst, my new neighbor shared a sparkling water with me. Only a thousand more heavy things to move, and the new room will be all set! Oh, did I mention that my new classroom is the place where everyone's extra textbooks go to die? Who, I mean WHO, is still using volumes of an encyclopedia from 1987? Hopefully, all of those books will find a new home...


Preferred Beverage of Classy New Neighbors

Exhausting Day Ending in Tie Dyed Shirts

Local Produce Quilt

California Flag Quilt Finds a Home

Other People Junk is Piling Higher

Birthday Ice Cream Cone Arrives