Bowl Update

Probably thinking I have given up on this project....NOT! I set the eye in the "hand" today. After a little struggle and a small amount of the paint scraped, it is sitting pretty. Almost all of the painting has been accomplished. The steps to come are to have the skeleton climbing over the side. His head fell off so he is in a neck brace right this moment reattaching his head. The curtains to hang on the four poster are sitting in stain, antiquing them a bit..then,...they go up. After I have made the skeletons bones more aged, I think I am done. Pictures will come soon.

Book

A new book arrived, "Living the Creative Life" Rice Freeman -Zachery. This book is good!. I think it should be in all the classrooms. Not about techniques, and I love those books too, more about getting your imagination going. Great examples to give students for projects to get their imaginations kick started. I can't put a picture like others do onto their blog but, I can direct you to www.amazon.com to go look at it for yourself. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Dachotah Prairie Museum Booked

I am very excited to announce, I have been invited to return to the Dachotah Prairie Museum in Aberdeen, SD to present my work.

This invitation will include all mediums, not just glass. She wants 4 new panels to represent the glass venue. No theme. We are keeping it eclectic, with maybe small themes within the display.

This is an honor for any artist.
Being invited to show at a museum is a thrill in itself.
Being invited back is a staggering accomplishment.

I am extremely honored to be presented with this gift of acknowledgment.

If anyone reading my blog does happen to travel through Aberdeen in August of 2008, please stop in and have a look.

Ingredients

In this bowl you can see the coffin has been set. Since this picture was taken I have begun building the platform around the base so eventually it will look as if the coffin has risen from the dirt. I added 4 rusty nails to each corner. It is a 4 poster coffin.

In this picture you can see the wooden caster wheels. They represent the gurney of a morgue. They became the feet of the bowl. They still spin and everything.

This picture shows the ingredients that will become the eye resting in the coffin. The little heads will be embedded in the "dirt" around the coffin and decorate other places, they are small. The tongs will hold the eye. The marble mushroom is the eye.

Paper Mache/Assemblage

I have been working up bowls recently using a revisited technique, Paper Mache. I am so glad I revisited this procedure. In addition to its low costs, the possibilities are endless for the creating process. Know this though, it is not a fast process. Each layer needs to dry completely. One bowl in particular we shall chat about. It is approximately 20 inches diameter. After the initial shape was formed of paper mache process, I used plaster to continue its layering to give it a stronger weight and what I felt a stronger presence for my plan. In the center of the bowl I set in a box (made of paper mache) to be referred to as the "coffin". Yesterday the sculpting gel finally arrived. I plan to use this to build the platform around the coffin so it looks like it is coming up from the 'ground'. I may have pillars, to lend to that 'resting' feeling, not sure yet. In the mix will be skeleton heads. I found an old set of ice tongs and a small mushroom made of marble. These items will become the hands holding an eye and rest within the coffin. Crawling over the sides will be a skeleton corpse, but he hasn't arrived yet, I expect him any day now. I found a set of really old wooden casters, to represent a rolling gurney, they are the feet of the bowl. Using cheesecloth, because of its gauzy texture, I layered the inside and out to help lend to a creepy eerie texture. mmmmmmmmuaaaaaaaaaawha stay tuned, pictures will be uploaded soon.

Storms

We have been having terrible storms lately. I haven't neglected my promise to myself for journaling. The last 2 days I have spent decorating pages for journal purposes. I have also made the coffin for the bowl I am working on. When that is completed I will post it. I ordered an Ann Baldwin CD, in hopes she might help me with my problems I am having finishing and correcting my mistakes on the Buffalo project.

Great Inspiration

I finished reading all the cards in Wide Open by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts ***** stars excellent!!!! She is very encouraging and inspirational...GET JOURNALING! I am going to make sure I journal everyday ...even if I just have a brief thought to put down. She is absolutely right ...why wait? WHAT are we waiting for? Is there A perfect moment to begin? How will people remember us if we give them nothing to remember? I do believe it will help to loosen me up so, here is to day 1 journal keeping. I will post pictures periodically...I think right now I need to focus on finishing up my projects but if my time allows for a art journal entry I shall enter that way...otherwise I am going to try and be diligent and enter in my bedside journal. We all need to give concentrated effort to journaling more. Pens and brushes...onward HO.