Whew

WOW! What a week! Or should I call that an extended week because it felt like the week before just rolled right into this past week? Semantics. Regardless of the tremendously chaotic week, I was able to accomplish many things J Here is just a snippet of what I got to do this past week(s)…

-carved more torts

-Advertised, completed and setup my installation project (twice)  into a dual art show. It was absolute fun and everyone seem to get the concept and remembered why they became artists/ or remembered what it used to feel like for them to create art! FUN & PASSION-not always money, money, money.

-Ran another bisque load and have begun prepping and glazing for a cone 6 fire.

-Worked a little bit more on the woodfire kiln

-Wrote a good sized research paper

-Attended two wonderful lectures by a visiting artist-YUKI! She was very informative and amazing in what she brought to our school demographic.

-Got more details worked out for the Fall Senior Show

-Went on a field trip for Art History to the Indiana University Art Museum in Bloomington and I even got to bring my offspring-We had a great time!

Well, that pretty much sums up my week (at least a little of it-yes, there was much, much more!) I also got to spend 2 whole days working on nothing but ART this weekend-very refreshing!!!

Until next week, don’t forget to feed the fishies and enjoy the snapshots…

 

Marching on...

This week has been long and next week, I fear, will be even longer!  No worries & March on!

I got to employ child labor this week for the building of the kiln J My son had to come to classes with me because he was out on break from his school (I wish I could get a fall break >.< ). Either way, we all had a blast!  However, I will not ‘shuffle scoot’ a cart of firebrick that is practically as tall as me again!  QUITE DIFFICULT-not to mention painful for this aging woman!

I have also been carving millions and millions of torts-it’s neverending! Why do I get myself into these situations? Bright side: I got another bisque load done and will be glazing this week to run a cone 6 this coming weekend J

Oh!  My installation show is this coming Thursday!!  In the Spacelab (KV-042 IUS) @ 4:30-be there or be square! (I just dated myself didn’t I?)  Oh well, come check it out-it will be much, much fun! The title is COUNTERPLAY. There will be good food and great company. So, I expect to see everyone there! ;)

In the interim-I have still been working on my ritual project and stuff for the woodfire, plus both of my senior shows…busy, busy, busy.

Until next week! Don’t forget to feed the fishies!!

For your viewing pleasure…

 

Yep.

This week has been eventful to say the least :/  After a pretty rough beginning, it is now, thankfully, beginning to smooth out.  A HUGE thank you to those who helped me through it (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE-and you are AWESOME!!)

Moving on.  I have still been pushing out numerous torts for hand carving J  To this minute, I have made 80+ torts and have hand carved approximately 1/3 of them. 

I have also been working on the finishing prep for my ‘Nature’ mandala and my ‘Mother’ piece-hopefully I will get to put the ‘Mother’ piece through its final firing during this upcoming week. I am also planning another bisque firing for the end of this coming week for the first batch of torts, the ‘Wisdom Clock,’ and numerous other pieces. 

Still working on my installation project and so far, it seems to be coming along nicely. Due to the concept behind this project, there will be no pictures until the installation has ended J It si going to be lots of fun!!

We took a field trip this week to see UofL’s wood fire kiln in preps for making a new one at IUS J It was very interesting to see a neighbor college’s kiln pad and studio.  It is amazing what lots of money can improve upon ;)  Anyhow, we took serious notes on their kiln and decided on some ways to improve upon it for our own.  I was also very impressed to hear that their kiln has already successfully fired over 40 times!  We can beat that!

With that being said, we got down to brass tax and begun building our own kiln of awesomeness this week J  We have marked the main measurements and laid two foundation courses in which to build upon next week.  Major construction engineering was had by all.  On a side note, it was really great to be able to work on an outside kiln during a torrential downpour without coming out like drowned rats-way to go new kiln pad!

That is all for this week, until next week’s update-enjoy the photos and don’t forget to feed the fishies!!!

 

 

QUICK REVIEW

 

I am a busy woman so you are getting a quick recap of this past week J

·        Made my first mold

·        Made the first piece in “Speaks Through Me” series

·        Mandala Sphere Experiment failed multiple times-back to the drawing board

·        Began Multiplicity project- MANY hand molded & carved torts underway (25+ so far)

·        Bisque fired ‘Elemental Light’ and ‘Motherhood’ plus other pieces

·        Test fired, bisque stage for my Brown Eyed Girl clay body recipe

·        Finished ‘Wisdom Clock,’ ‘A Trí ’ and ‘Focused Light’ mandalas (greenware)

·        Collected supplies for installation project

·        Wrote this blog

Enjoy the photos & feed the fishies!  See you next week…

 

 

Rough Week

Had a fairly rough week, but I was able to get some things completed.    The setbacks of this week included an unsuccessful search for materials needed to conduct an experiment with my Ritual project, finding that I did not have enough brown stoneware to begin another project, and I had a brutal battle with a piece of equipment in the clay room.

The good points of this week: got the supplies I needed for Ritual experiment from storage FOR FREE, an awesome friend gave me some of their brown stoneware to begin my project and after almost 5 hours of battling the clay mixer-I have some of the reddest clay known to man! Take that!

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that we found our show space last week! BOOYAH!

On the agenda for the upcoming week: I will attempt to finish up my Ritual project, continue with my Installation project, Begin my third and fourth project for class AND continue work on my Spring Senior Show J

Here is to hoping that this week goes a heck of a lot better than last week!  Pictures to come-one of them does not really need a caption-for it is pretty self-explanatory…NO LAUGHING! ;)

Tortoise Mandala Clock

Fall Senior Show Space (sneak peek-you have to come to the show on November 22 to see the rest)

 

The jury is still out on the winner of this battle!

 

DON'T FORGET TO FEED THE FISHIES!

BOOM!

GOOD GRIEF!! Here we go again. ;)

Welcome back!  Thank you for joining me for the beginning of my last year in college J I am confident that it promises to be an eventful year. Only 245 days to go until graduation!

According to my preliminary calculations, I will have approximately 4 shows and 10-12 projects to begin, complete and present within those 245 days. WOO HOO! This means I will get to breathe and sleep again in mid-May, ha ha ha!

My first project is to create a body of work that encompasses a form of RITUAL.  For this, I have chosen to create 4 (possibly 5) mandalas. These mandalas will be representational of some of my own life rituals.  They will (have begun to) be heavily nature influenced with possible elements of time.  “Why nature?” you may ask.  Nature is very prevalent in my life and I have found that I ritualistically incorporate nature into my daily life.  Whether it be through meditation, maintenance, consumption, etc., Nature is a major part of me and my rituals. Time is involved because I have observed that in some form or fashion everyone, myself included, has the ritual of tracking time.  How often do you check the time throughout your day? I would imagine that your answer would be “frequently.” There you have it, yet another time reference…get the point? ;)

I have included some beginning production photos for my RITUAL project below this post for your viewing pleasure J  Also, I have begun working on another project that will culminate into a fun piece that I would like to have a small presentation of later this year.  If I am not able to present it in its solidarity, I will be more than happy to include in within the scope of one of my upcoming shows.  I have also included a photo or two as a sneak peek.

Well, I don’t wish to let all the “cats out of the bag” just yet and I will know leave you to your own devices and imagination…Go forth and create!

~Until next week…

I love using a jerky gun!

 

Oooh, coming together!

 

Beginning texture.

 

Texture complete (Close up pic next week-stay tuned!)

 

Sneak peek is going to be fun :)

 
 
 
 

Amazing Video & AWARE Reminder :)

An AMAZING video !! 

 

Please check it out :)

 

www.mesothelioma.com/heather

 

 

Also, there are less than 8 days left before the closing of my art exhibition and fundraising campaign...AWARE...

 

We can show that we care! — feeling hopeful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many more colors and styles available at http://www.facebook.com/kg.creativity?ref=tn_tnmn

Check them out in the ALBUMS :)  Low prices for a great cause!