Lady with the Red Shoes On

I was looking through my photos and came upon this one of  a sculpture I created  entitled "Lady with the Red Shoes On". It made me ponder  that I really am attracted  to the female form to draw or sculpt. I also do like a bit of humor in my artwork. Here is this naked figure reclining on a satin couch wearing nothing but her red high heels. Is she posing in front of  someone? Waiting for someone? That answer must be up to the viewer. Aren't our opinions merely made up of our own experiences we bring with us when  viewing something? We can each look at the same thing and have an entirely different viewpoint.That is why each piece of art seems to have its own admirer. 

Certainly the female form  was sculpted with great realism back in Greek and Roman times.Also, many forms of  reclining nudes have been  painted throughout history. One of my favorites is the canvas titled "Odalisque" by  Ingres  in 1814, with the female peering over her shoulder. I also love Henri Rousseau's painting "The Dream",1914, where the nude on the couch is surrounded by animals peering out from the lush jungle.Were these my inspirations? I could not say, but certainly the images are  in a little cubbyhole somewhere in my mind . Perhaps they came to the foreground as I was building up, hollowing out,or working the clay in my hands. Hmm..creation is a mystery, isn't it? 

American Spirit

I like to portray the human form. This is a ceramic sculpture entitled " Native Spirit". Living in the southwest as I do, the Native culture is all around us.  I live next door to the Yavapai Apache tribe. I can drive to Navajo and Hopi villages.
 Is this figure a man or a woman? That is an interpretation I leave up to you.
Those beautiful blankets you can now  buy were wrapped around the body to keep warm from  harsh, high desert winds. Jewelry, well that was, and is,  something both men and woman  wear as adornment. That is nothing new. From the tombs of the Egyptians, to the villages of the ancient ones right here in America, we have always liked to wear beautiful stones. 
There are two words to this title, the second being spirit. Isn't that the essence of who we are? Our spirit; our energy; our inner core. What does that mean? Something different to us all I imagine. That is the part that I am most focused on, the person inside and how I relate to the outside world,  dealing with the good, the bad and the confusing.How to keep centered. As  when I am sitting at the potter's wheel, and  my body, mind, and spirit are focused on what is before me,  and so the clay follows. Focus on where I am going and what I want to create. Not so different from life. 
 I am heading out to my studio now to use the wheel. That will give  me a clue about where I am today, I imagine.
  How about you? Any thoughts on your personal journey?

The Art of the Story

I was talking with a wise woman yesterday, and the topic of " the story" came up. No, Not the one you read to your children, rather, the ones you tell yourself. In the world of the artist it might sound something like this. " I will never succeed at an artist ; my sculpture is a total failure; that gallery owner doesn't like me and that's why I didn't get accepted ".

Are we feeling discouraged and that is projected out into the land of " forever ?" Could it be a fabrication, the little ego playing with our head and offering up a hook on which to park our uncertainty about ourselves today?

Here's the sad thing about the story. It means we are out there in the future and therefore not present. It blocks our heart to the joy of the moment. Trust me, I am not on a soapbox to preach to you, I am on the journey to stay connected to myself and live more in the moment. Really, isn't that all we have? I am not going to post a picture. Everybody has their own story up there in their head.When we can get out of our head , then chances are we can get into our inner selves more. Care to share your feelings about this?