Orzos on Metal

Early in the year I was still making Orzo pieces and working on backgrounds for future orzo-ing.

I cannibalized a less-than-satisfactory piece to make a new thing.
I picked off most of the first draft of the re-do anyway.

I decided to stick with one color of vinyl for this one after a few starts with more.

Atmospheric Splendor
vinyl on painted aluminum
30 inch diameter

I globbed on many layers and colors, scraping, sanding, and watering down as I went, and using whatever I had on the brush from one piece to start work on the next.  This is how you can tell they're related.  We had a few nice enough days in February for me to spread out in the backyard and fling color safely.

The lineup.

Finished backgrounds...

36" diameter

24 x 24" cannibalized

Remember how I cannibalize my pieces?  This is one.

36" diameter

Super thick paint, sanded and watered down, and done again a few times...nice and dimensional.

After prepping several surfaces, I didn't do anything with them...or I haven't so far.  It's not abandonment, it's waiting for the right time.  For this artist, that could be years from now.  If you've seen my collection of things (not a hoard), you can understand how I can work like this.

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.

Kansas City Artist Coalition art auction

Give Me One Prairie Day!
18 inch diameter
vinyl on painted aluminum

The last party I went to was the annual KCAC art auction...back in February. After over three decades in the City Market, they relocated just a few blocks from my house in Midtown. 

I donated the above piece to the live auction, and it was bananas!  We all had so much fun and it sucks that we won't be able to get together this year in person.  But the event is going on virtually with just as much gusto as ever!  Bonus...wear your PJs and don't worry about how you're getting home!

This year, you can bid on one of my Orzo pieces included in the Kemper Museum exhibition Women to Watch | Metals 

Spark
36 x 12 inches
vinyl on painted aluminum

On the wall of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Be sure to follow KCAC on Instagram and Facebook for updates and support opportunities!

It's 2021 I guess

 So, okay, I basically skipped 2020.  As I'm sure most of us can say, having a lot of time in a new way does not always give us the motivation to do all those things you've always wanted to do.  So, I'm going to share what happened in my creative life over the last year here in the new year.

Mostly I rediscovered drawing, took six months off ceramics, biked, and looked at flowers.  I also ate a lot of ice cream and frozen custard.  Oh, and I opened an online ceramics (for now) store in December.

We're all playing catch up and looking back at a weird time...and looking forward to a new, better normal.

I had a few pieces in a show at Inter Urban Art House.

Worked on some orzo pieces early in the year.

Started incising and adding flowers to ceramics.

Grew many flowers, like this cosmo, in my yard.

Collected flowers on my bike

Arranged Bathroom Flowers TM

Drew flowers on ceramics.

Drew some very big flowers on paper.

I'm going to try to have a new post up every Tuesday, because that's when the internet said people are most likely to read and share...Looks like I have myself a New Year's Resolution. 

Online Sale

Hey, folks.

It's cold now.  The end of the year is nigh.  So I am FINALLY putting together an online sale.

It's old school (as far as internet shopping goes).  I've grouped together ceramics and hearts in some folders on Facebook. You message me with what you want and we work it out from there.  I take PayPal online, but if you don't use that, we can figure it out.

Also, FREE SHIPPING, AMERICANS!

CERAMICS SALE CLICK HERE

HEART SALE CLICK HERE

barnacle vase

bowl

bowl

soda fired vase

bowl

vase with cocklebur stamp

soda fired planter

planter

Remember What's the Deal with the Hearts?

Contact me through Facebook, my website, or email deswar14 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

You can also pick up some cat head planters at the Kemper Museum Shop when you check out the incredible shows they consistently have in this gem of a museum.

Back on the Wagon

It's been A WHILE since I've put paint or vinyl to aluminum.  There are a few reasons for this, but this post is about DOING not NOT DOING.

I took my least favorite small piece and decided to cannibalize it...it just never brought me joy.

Meh. I tried.
24 inch diameter

I put some paint on it.  Then more paint and dragged through the paint while wet to make a texture.

Yum.

Then I put more paint on!  And the magic happened when the sandpaper met the surface, revealing the ridges...

Magic.
I like that you can see some of the old piece in a ghosty shadow.  It is the foundation of this work, after all.

Time to add orzos.  It took some work to figure out exactly how it needed to terminate.  I added and subtracted several times.

Subtle changes, but it took some walk-aways to think it over.

I think it's finished.  Feels great to have a new piece I like.  In 2020 I'll have a show at the Johnson County (Kansas) library, so I'm going to polish some old pieces.  But, honestly, I don't actually NEED to make more work, because I OVERFLOWITH.

24 inch diameter, as yet unnamed 

I'm looking forward to choosing a title, going through my on-going notes of phrases and poetic bits I find here and there to make a perfect match.

More of the day to day on my Instagram!

Studio Sale

Over the second weekend of September (already three weeks ago?!) I had my first solo studio sale (that wasn't associated with any organization).  It was great!  It was exhausting!  Here's a look back...

I'm prolific--can't stop with the making--so my inventory is vast.  

My shed housed mixed media work from my salvaged wood days.

Turned my shed into a display room.

I had surprisingly few wall clocks left.  I was able to get several out to new forever homes!  Hurrah for aluminum, it doesn't degrade!

Clocks are dwindling...

 These little dudes were hanging out in my closet.  I still love them all and was able to share several with customers!

table toppers

 The biggest part of my sale was the ceramics section.  You can make a lot of work in just a few years if you keep it in your basement most of the time.

So. Many. Ceramics.

Love these faces.

I still have plenty left, so I'll be having an online sale through Facebook and/or Instagram.  Stay tuned!

I had a lot of help from friends during the set up and break down process, and seeing all your lovely faces and meeting new people from the neighborhood was awesome.  I might make it a yearly thing! There's certainly enough making still to be done...