Incised Ceramics I

 I went on quite a streak of trying a new technique at the beginning of the year--incising ceramics.  I was inspired by this cute metal vase I saw at Urban Mining and a Vasily Kafanov plate I came across online.

I don't even know what those are supposed to be.

Vasily Kafanov
h/t Worthpoint

This even preceded my bigger drawings, and now that I think about it, I'm sure was an early step in producing those.

A friend gave me some cool porcupine quills...they were sitting near me so I used them to dig into the soft--but not too soft!--surface to make some lines deep enough to hold underglaze and make a crisp line.

Carved with a porcupine quill.

Fired to cone 6 with underglaze and clear glaze.
Decorative wall plate.

pinch pot

yes, please.
cone 10, b-mix, underglaze, copper wash, glaze

This is my favorite early one, but I haven't been able to recreate it.  Instead of underglaze in the lines, I used copper wash. Copper reacts with glaze and the different environs of whatever kiln fire it's in differently.  This was finished in February.

cute bebe cat planter

I began to think maybe just black lines with a touch of color could be a nice way to go.

no thanks

I also used copper on this vase and, although many of my friends actually really like it, I hate the way it came out, looking like bloody scratches with pink flashing.  If it was just a geometric or organic design not meant to be representational, I think I definitely would have run with this application.

Mini Collage Number Three

Class Reunion
painted magazine ad, found lady heads, book edge
4 x 5 inches

Guess which one of these women came from a hair dye ad.

Instagram!

Completely Random Things

I've been neglectful, so here's some random stuff!

Been listening to a lot of The Beatles lately.

This illustration is ridiculous.  Poor Ringo.

Experimenting more.

Salvaged wood, acrylic paint, fabric paper, vinyl, gel medium

5 x 7 matboard, used tea bag paper, paint, vinyl

Dreaming about a larger studio so I can more fully realize all my artistic endeavors.

This would be an adorable little backyard studio if it was
in my price range and my backyard was bigger...
Not a lot of room here in the heart of the city.

Prepping for the Loring Park show in lovely Minneapolis.

From last year's show in this amazing park next to the Walker Art Center.

Making lots of table top clocks.

I love making these.  I'm going to try to have a huge back stock for the holidays.

Eating a lot of ice cream, especially when I'm on the road.

Sweet glorious bowl of heaven from Des Moines's (Pleasant Hill to be more accurate) Over the Top.
Go there.  Go there now.

Made It: Experimentals & Flower Clocks

I've been tinkering around with many different materials the last couple weeks.  First, let's see some new desk clocks:

California Poppy

Field Daisy

Partridge-Peas

Thistle

Mayflower

I found a 1964 field guide to North America's wild flowers, and the images are just the perfect size to fit my mini table top clocks.  They're listed on Etsy.  I want to make a gazillion more, but I also want to make a different line of work that is categorized as "non-clock" and I'm really trying to actually plan this stuff out.  So I've been having fun playing around.

Here's some of the prototypes:

Large painted nails and string from the barn, leftover wood for the frame,
and salvaged painted wood as the backer.

8 x 10 matboard, early 1900s booklet pages, paint, vinyl.

5 x 7 matboard, painted hymnal page, vinyl.

5 x 7 matboard, 1970s seed catalog page, paint, vinyl.

I don't know quite where I'm going yet with the nail things, but I'm ruminating...I really like the TV and the skeletons, which will fit in with my small anatomical hearts...

But here's a biggie!
10 x 12 including frame; found wood, paint, "fabric paper," vinyl

I have many more painted papers to play with, so watch out!

I'm getting ready for a yard sale this weekend--my first ever!  There are two or three bins of old art I'm going to try to unload and maybe some clocks that just never sold but are fine otherwise.  If you're in KC, check out the Hyde Park Neighborhood Yard Sale on Saturday, June 14th (my half-birthday, BTW, in case you want to drop by some cupcakes or half of a whole cake).  Hopefully it won't be sweltering and/or raining...?

In the Middle of the Night III

Sometimes my occasional insomnia-riddled nights can be productive.  Last night was one such occasion.

I have lots of found fabric scanned, and love the old-timey patterns and color combos.  Since I can't sew, and really don't have time to learn, I decided to keep digital images to be used later and put the fabric up for sale so it can fulfill its destiny of usefulness (as seen in my posts on frameables and fabric).  This has worked pretty well, with many pieces of my kins' scraps scattered throughout the country, and even across the pond!  I have kept a few pieces that are just too beautiful to let go, and perhaps someday will be able to use them in their actual capacity.  But until then, it's digital and handmade collages for these guys!

I just came across a new box of scraps, and there are signs that these were saved to become a crazy quilt.  It was like Christmas when I opened it up!

Smells just like I knew it would.  Old and musty!

Retro kitchen goodness!

The blue gingham background and yellow with white flower hair fabrics
have been sold off to Portland and Kalamazoo, respectively.

 I already had the black images saved and have used them in vinyl form, but, as I mentioned before, I'd like to do some prints/reproductions of some work this year, and this is a step in that process.  I've also been using A LOT of scraps and fabric-papers (I don't know what to call it...reproductions of fabric on paper, anyway), so I had some leftovers to play around with making collages the old fashioned way.

Papers from the early 1900s to the 1970s and fabric papers from this year.

I just have to keep telling myself that there are no rules and it's a process.  Being a little out of it in the middle of the night doesn't hurt to loosen up a person, that's for sure.

I'm really excited about this new stuff and lament that there just aren't enough hours in the day to make art and live a life that includes running errands and not being a hermit constantly.  It's a good problem to have, and I feel very lucky.

Happy Groundhog Day!

January is for Experimenting

Although I don't feel like I have enough time to really really experiment as much as I want with new materials and mixes of media, January gives me a few weeks of relative quiet, so I try to put some time in at the "lab."  This year I'd like to add reproductions to my repertoire. (Commonly called "prints" by the layperson--and myself until a few months ago.  There's a difference between printmaking and reproducing work that is not made by printmaking.  Okay!) My aversion of technology and spending money intersect in this endeavor, and that is why I've put it off so long.  But I'm researching local companies and will not settle for something less than perfect.  I don't want it to look like I just printed it off at home on lightweight paper.  My peeps deserve quality!

Here's a little behind the scenes...

Found lumber and a stain made of acrylic paint.

I just started painting whatever I could find so I didn't waste any stain.

I flipped over the green one since I'm just experimenting...

  And here's a little of what happened after a few hours with my scrap paper, scissors, and adhesive...

This is why I keep everything!  So I can use it.

Pulled out the old paper punches...

What's this going to be?! Not sure yet, but I'm excited to find out.

Add a little Zevon to anything and it makes me happy.

The flip side of a small block of unfinished wood.

Tiny 3 x 2" scrap of MDF left over from the table top clocks.

So...more playing around and maybe some fun stuff to come.

Meanwhile, I'm working on applying to shows and padding my inventory for the year. 

Made It: Sheet Music

My newest product line, table top clocks, have been doing pretty well.  They're small, easy to ship, affordable, and of course, ADORBZ.  But I had no idea that using sheet music was going to be the key.  Over  half of the sold clocks have been decorated with antique sheet music from either a hymnal or kids' music book.  And as it turns out, people love gifting these to their kids' piano teachers (at least three have sold for that purpose).  Way to love your teachers, people!

Here's some behind the scenes footage!

Reminds me of this.

After the clocks I moved on to experiment with how I can incorporate the material into wall art.

Rubber cement on back, then I ripped the pages into strips and...

laid it down on matte board.

Added vinyl flowers and sprayed it with clear lacquer.

Shiny!

I love the old books' natural state, but I wanted to try color, so I watered down some acrylic paint and sprayed it in a thin layer on the paper.

And then I had to try it with non-clocks, too.

Put a cat on it!

I'll matte this up and see what  happens.

Here's a new set of clocks that I have for sale at this weekend's open studio.

Line 'em up!

Find them on Etsy, too!

I can't wait for this weekend's sale...I've been making and baking and hanging.  It's a party with some art involved!