Gus and Boomer, 12-2014

I painted a couple portraits of some family pets for Christmas this year.  I normally don't paint animals so this is a stretch for me, but I was pleased with how they turned out.  They are not part of my spirit paintings, but are fanciful, loose mixed media using watercolors, pen and ink and pastels.  They are both 12"x12" .

'Gus', 12"x12", mixed media.  Gus is a 4 year old German Shorthair.

'Baby Boomer', 12"x12", mixed media.  Boomer is a half black lab, half Great Pyranese and is 7 months old and about 80 pounds.

Spirit of Christmas 2--Cherry Tree House, 2014

This is the second of my Spirit Studio Christmas cards, marking the second Christmas in my studio.  It is dedicated to my wonderful husband, Charlie, and the sweetest grand children in the world--Jacee Marie-11, Reilly Josephine--11, Calleah Elizabeth--8, Lillee Celeste--6 and Trason Lee who just turned 6 last Sat., Nov. 8th.  Grampa built their Cherry Tree House this last summer and I believe it captures all the innocence and magic of childhood.  So this Christmas, I would like to honor those qualities in us all.  May God bless you with the innocence of childhood, the magic of the Christmas season, and the love and grace the baby Jesus brought to us all.  Merry Christmas and Happy 2015!

Since this captures the innocence and magic of childhood, I wanted the bright happy colors of a child rather than the traditional colors of Christmas or winter.  I hope this card lifts your spirits and opens your heart to the magic of Christmas.

Wall Pod Pots, 11-8-14

I am working on a series of wall pod pots....kind of a hemisphere with a flat back side that will hang on the wall and look like the outside of one of my bowls.  All will have organic or earthy textures and I will experiment with stain and glaze on the outside.  I will be documenting the process of making these.  Something new from an old standby!

2.5" pod with hammered and dot texture

4.5" pod with dot and fossil texture

6.5" pod with gourd texture

8.5" pod with rock texture

15" pod with worm wood texture

completed series ready for slow drying

All of these pots are in their wet stage and since they are very thin to keep the weight down, they will need to be dried extremely slowly.  There will be 10-20% shrinkage from the size they are when they are wet to their completed stoneware state.

side view of wall pod pot.  The flat bottom completely covers the back side of the bowl and wraps around the bowl's edge creating the pod look to these pieces and it adds contrast to the textured bowl.

The flat back of the pod is signed and dated and a slot is carved into this side for hanging.  This is done when they are wet.  When the pods are leather hard, these slots will be cleaned and an added notch will be carved in the bottom center of the slot to allow a nail head to be slid into the slot for hanging.

Watch for more photos to be added as the stages of the pods progress through drying, bisque firing, staining, glazing, and the final stoneware, cone 6 firing.

Completed consignment--8 pieces, hemisphere pods with complete back.  Each textured differently, stained with glaze accents. Largest piece is 15" across, smallest is 2.5" across.

Largest pod, 15" across.  hand built ceramic sculpture.

8.5", 6.5", and 4.5" pods

8.5", 6.5", 2.5" pods.

8.5" and 6.5" pod.

back of pod showing hanging system.

Colby Community College Workshop, November 7, 2014

On Friday, November 7th, 2014, Rebel Jay, art instructor at Colby Community College, hosted a workshop on creativity that I developed a couple years ago, based on my Spirit paintings.  Fifteen people showed up at 9am for a day filled with fun and creativity, learning how to let go of inhibitions and the fear of doing something 'wrong', and remembering what it was like when one was five years old with a new box of crayons and a piece of paper......the joy of creating filling one's heart.  Others came and went throughout the day as well as a few visitors how stopped in to see what was going on.  

Rebel Jay on left with several from the class at the end of the day.

Some of the group's work.

Sarah working on her backgrounds.

Marlene showing the class her technique.

Bev trying a print texture.

Jill was visiting from Dallas and decided to give the workshop a try.  

Marilyn tried all the techniques.

Deb with her finished piece.

Barry demonstrating his new scraping technique.

Suzanne trying the scraped acrylic technique.

Natalie with her completed design.

Ruthie with her completed background.

Barbara with her completed design.

Marilyn and Barbara watching three year old Jaya showing the class how to do it!

Jaya's completed design.

Spirit of the Glory of Fall

I completed a new Spirit painting today, October 14, 2014.....the Spirit of the Glory of Fall.  October is my very favorite month of the year so this is in honor of all the glorious colors, scents, textures and sense of well being that comes with this beautiful time of year.  A feeling of fruition, of a 'job well done', of celebration and thanksgiving comes with this time of year.  May you experience all the blessings of the spirit of this season.

Mixed media collage, scraped acrylic, acrylic detailing, pastel, hand made stamps, paper and cheese cloth collage, 16"x20".  

Detail of cheese cloth petals.

Hand Built Ceramic Sculpture 9-2014

I'm trying a few new things in my ceramic sculpture.  I am still retaining the simple, primitive forms, but I'm trying to make the bowls MUCH thinner...not always conducive to hand built ceramics, but when it works, I think it brings something special to the piece.  I'm trying a few new forms and adding some brighter colors just for fun.  Hope you enjoy the new pieces.

Large Bowl with Wood, approx 18" across pot

Large Bowl with Wood, view 2

Large Bowl with Wood, view 3

Small Bowl with Geometric texture with Red Accents, approx 8"

Small Bowl with Geometric texture with Red Accents, view of outside texture

Small Blue Bowl with Incised Detail, approx 8"

Inside view of Small Blue Bowl with Incised Detail

View of incised detail

Small Pod Pot on Wood, front view, approx 9" tall

Small Pod Pot on Wood, back view

Colored Spirit Ball, 3"

Hanging triangular bird feeder; stained textured outside, white glaze inside, approx. 10" sides.

Hanging pod pot, green smooth side, approx. 9".

Same hanging pod pot with textured side showing.  This texture was made from a mold I made of the texture left by elk's teeth scraping the bark off of Aspen trees in Colorado.

Mini hand built pot, 3" tall.

Mini hand built pot, 2" tall.

Pod pot on Slate, approx 5" tall.