Jewels are my Latest Creation

 Here is the latest of my creations in a series I sell called "Jewels". It is a beautiful short necklace, with handcrafted, porcelain beads and real turquoise decorative touches. I made a matching pair of earrings because I like to keep it easy. What to wear? Voila.   

Now the different aspect of this creation is that I made, by my own hands, each and every tan bead. I use high fire porcelain, stained with that lovely red iron oxide we see in the red rocks of Sedona, AZ, where I live and work in my studios. Each turns out a one of a kind color and design.

 First step is to my clay studio, where I create the beads. They have to be sponged clean, so each is smooth against our lovely necks. After the beads come out of the kiln,  I go to my " clean," calligraphy studio which doubles for my jewelry assemblage. the word Clean is open to interpretation,  I suppose. 

There I look in my magic boxes of stones and beads and find the perfect turquoise, including  a lovely turtle. I like  these creatures.  Kind of like me, I guess. They might move slowly, but they  don't stop. Slow and steady,  but there is always something new to inspire. Enjoy. 

What are your thoughts?

Turquoise Touch to a Sedona Creation

Here is the latest in my Large white bowl series. It measures @ 12" across and @ 3 1/2" in height. As with all handmade art , it it is not  is completely uniform, but then again, neither am I. What makes this so unique are  the decorative touches of  real Arizona Turquoise. It doesn't go in your oven or the microwave, but it is fully functional for food or decoration.

 This glaze is actually totally clear. Fired to a temperature over 2000 degrees F, it is food safe and very strong.   What you are seeing is the white porcelain clay beneath it. I intentionally leave the outside with a rough exterior , so I can decorate with the iron oxide that makes the  Sedona rocks red in color. I like the juxtaposition of the smooth inside with the rough exterior. Kind of like life I guess. Comments?                          

A Mug That is Really a Cup

I just completed these porcelain  mugs that have no handles. So would they be called cups?
I think so. Japanese tea cups traditionally have no handles. This is the shape and design of my high fired   mountain mugs that have handles. My turquoise glaze and hand carved design of the  red rocks I see outside of my studio are my trademark.  The stain is the same iron oxide that makes our hills reddish in color. A true Sedona experience. 
The  client  request was to have no handles. This is someone who likes to feel the warmth of  the liquid within; who  wants to be a part of the enjoyment of the drink they are having at that time. 
I like to make a round, organic shape when I am throwing this style vessel . I do want the hands to fit around the cup . Feel, as well as shape has always been a factor in my clay work. I do a lot of hand building but this is really my wheel thrown style for the mug/ cup. So it was a fun adventure to make a mug that is really a cup.

Rainbows

Rainbows. What images they bring to our minds. There is the coolness of the rain, which is really appealing now that it is summer here in the desert. The dictionary defines a rainbow as " The arch of prismatic color formed in the sky opposite the sun and caused by refraction, reflection, and the dispersion of light in raindrops falling through the sky." The red rocks of Sedona appear different in this magical light.
Sun, sky, rain...what a series of images they evoke in our minds and souls. 
The  use of color is something we always think about as artists. I use watercolor, or the opaque form called gouache, in my calligraphy. Even one color in all its tones and hues and density can create a  rainbow effect. The  sheer power of which colors we choose to place  near, next to, or touching each other, can evoke a whole other mood or impression. We have to plan these effects. Mother Nature seems to just get it. And in this picture she did it twice!
 I look forward to that  summer rain and the magical first glimpse of those gently rounded shapes of color that peek out from the clouds, just  before it  come out in full rainbow glory. 
  Any thoughts about your personal rainbows?