Work in progress- Libya

Here it is almost finished.   I just need to fill in some of the connections and finish the open area at the bottom.  Yea!

Work in progress-Libya

This work in progress is feeling a bit out of control at the moment. Yipes!

Finished Work- Photographed

Egypt

Libya

Unraveling

Unraveling

I am excited to get these new pieces photographed.  Thanks to Jay Jones.

Work in progress- UAE

I think the wet work is finally done on this one.  I just have to let it dry very slowly.  On to Libya.  I hope the building goes faster on the next one. This took a several days for the detail work.

Work in progress-Cartograms

I just started working on this series again.  This one is the United Arab Emirates.  The bottom image is a test drive of the surface.  I am hoping to finish the surface today. Wish me luck!

Inspiration- Santa's Hat Brownies

Aren't these just amazing?  I love how the red contrasts with the brown and white.  I might actually make some.  If you are interested here is a link to the recipe. http://daisyt13.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/santa-hat-brownies/

Inspiration- Weird Christmas card story

I love this crazy Christmas card and the story behind it is so wild.  Check it out here. http://www.bradmcginty.com/?p=1366

Finished Work- Love Bugs

Here are a few of the finished Love Bugs. Sorry the picture is not great.  I took this on the fly just before I dropped them off at the Gems show at Benicia Arts. I have 2 more still in progress that I will post soon.
I am also working on some tiny 2" x 2" foil and tape pieces which I am including in this post.  I am enjoying experimenting with the foil.

Work in progress- another Love Bug

I am having a slow studio month, but wanted to post this little bug.  I am going to have several of the Love Bugs in Gems: Exquisite, Intricate, Intimate Small Works of Art at Arts Benicia next month.  I have to drop them off Monday so I better get moving.  Here is the link to the show if you want to check it out. http://artsbenicia.org/events.htm

Inspiration- The beauty in honesty

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html
 Having been depressed a few times myself, I love how she is able to share the depths of the despair with humor and honesty.

Collaborations

This table is a collaboration between my friend Michael and I. I made the tile and he built the table.  I think he did an amazing job.  I get to see it in person this weekend.  I can't wait.

The SFSU Ceramic Grads at CAA 2011

I love this pic of all of us at the Ceramics Annual of America.

Tiffany, Jane, Jeff, Pancho, Gail, Bill, David, Shen, Me, Paula, Michelle, and Steve. (Where are you Tomo?) 

New Work in Progress- Love Bugs

These are fun little pieces. I am sort of obsessed with that rolled keraflex. Can you tell?

Inspiration- Diatoms

I love the shape of these diatoms.  Would they be possible to sculpt? I might have to try....

Keyboard Humor

I think most people can say that life has been more then a little hectic lately.  I have missed adding new work but have been busy installing, delivering, and showing work.  I can't complain about this but am craving some quality studio time.
I thought the cartoon above was a hoot. I hope you do too.

Micro Inspiration

http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/gallery

You know it has been a rough day when you eat cheese for dinner.  It was delicious, and I do feel better.  A special shout out to Trader Joe's goat's milk cheddar.

Finished Work- Unraveling

After slight disasters I think this is going to work. I am trying to glue it to the base with pc 7.  The southern ice in cone 10 oxidation is amazing (the base is a chunk of it).  It sort of glazes itself with a satin sheen. Yummy. The keraflex is fragile but hopefully it will glue and stay put. We will know tomorrow.

Work in progress- mucho Keraflex

Many layers later I think the center is finished.  I started a base tonight out of my last bag of Southern Ice. Sadly they are not importing that amazingly white clay to the US anymore. I think it will be just as white as the Keraflex. I hope it all comes together.  I fired a sample in a gas reduction.  It was sort of blueish, so I think I will stick with cone 10 oxidation. Whew!

Inspiration- Sloth

The Journal of Illustrated Science: Totem Animals: Sloth:

I love this drawing and read the post if you are interested in the unusual sloth/moth symbiosis. Fascinating! 

Inspiration-Microscopy

Bacterial root nodules

Cross section of a root

Tabellaria

Tabellaria

Another blog I love is botanist Phil Gates' beyondthehumaneye.blogspot.com/. The beauty and complexity of these microscopic images are my creative fodder.

New work in progress

Do you ever feel like everything is unraveling? Lately I feel this way pretty often. Not that it is a bad thing...it is just unsettling sometimes.  I have had this paper clay esque material in my studio for a while. I am using Keraflex porcelain. When you soak it in water it gets very pliable and feels like wet noodles. I love how it looks when you tear it.
 

Workshop results

I just finished a 4 week intensive with Scott Jennings.  It was so fun to be a student!  I love his work and think I can incorporate his techniques into my own style.  The glaze colors match the shirt I am wearing right now.  Too funny.

New images of finished work

Life Savers

Waving, Not Drowning (top view)

Waving, Not Drowning

Pollinating Democracy

Watching the Melt

Many thanks to my photographer J. Jones.  He is amazing and makes me look good!

Glazed flower

Well it did run like hell and I had to buy my studio mate a new shelf, but I think it worked out pretty well.  I am still thinking of putting a layer of pearl luster over the dark areas in the center.  The idea is to have it look like an oil spill reflecting the sunlight.  But... I am still not sure.

Work in progress-in the kiln for the glaze firing

Fingers crossed that this doesn't run like hell.

Work in progress- In the kiln

Today with my studio mate Bryan's help,  the flower made it into the kiln. I thought ahead and built this on a big kiln shelf.  The next step is drying it out at 110 degrees for several hours,  then we are ready for the first firing.  I am so relived that it made it all the way to the bottom with minimal damage.  Thanks Bryan!

Work in Progress-Flowers

I made some changes today.  I think the center works better this way.