Here I am at my opening night as the June featured artist here in Sedona. It is the at the Andrea Smith Gallery in Tlaquepaque where I sell my ceramic masks.
There is an art to these openings, and also a lot of behind the scenes work.
First comes creating the work by the artist. I always like to make new items for a show. The masks at the top with the horsehair are my latest creations. I am condensing this into a few lines. Translation, months of hard work!
Then the gallery has the job of displaying your work in a inviting presentation. Ana did a great job. They have refreshments for the evening , because gallery going is hard work!
Not to be left out is the importance of the publicity. I worked online with the gallery's publicist, until we got a flyer that was representative of my work. Dawn was a real pleasure to work with and she listened to my input.That matters to the artist. Next is getting the information into the papers and online.
I once had a newspaper man tell me that articles are used just because they fill a space requirement on the page. A bit of the luck there. Anyway, my name made the Gallery openings, and they spelled it right.
This is just a bit of all that goes into the art of the opening.
Finally, here I am all smiles and ready to meet and answer any questions about my work to the visitors .
The world is our canvas. How do we fill it? With our thoughts; our fantasies; our imagination.These words of Henry David Thoreau, who lived and wrote in the first half of the 19th century, caught my attention. I valued this quote enough to use it on my calligraphy bookmark. Loving books myself, I enjoy making something this practical with a bit of magic for the reader.
I like to experiment with handmade papers, seeing the natural borders that come with tearing, rather than cutting the edges. I almost let the paper dictate where I am going with these small canvases. That creates the background for the black Italic lettering on a white paper for emphasis.
Since it is handled, put in and out of a book, I encase it in a clear plastic covering. Sticky fingers cannot mar this wee marker of where we left off in our reading.
I saw this quote and said to myself :" I think I have been there before." This is worthy of creating a collage for one of my card series. A miniature five by seven , that can be reproduced in a fine quality, and therefore possible to sell affordably. It is part of my " ripped torn" series, where using handmade paper, I purposely leave the edges rough. I wanted bright colors to catch the eye, and red certainly jumps out.Then comes the white strips with the words in calligraphy.Finally, touches of gold watercolor to tie it all together.
I love doing calligraphy.Perhaps I thought by writing the letters in my finest Italic style, it would bring home the irony of the message to me,as well as fellow readers.
It is hard for me to wait. Yet here I have chosen a career where rushing the process, such as not letting the ink dry before going on, can be a disaster. Life, now that is a different field of play.
Patience is a goal of mine. Often, time brings a better solution than forcing an issue. But there is that tiny bit anxiety to know the outcome that stays with me. Being able to check something off as " finished" gives me comfort. Alas, when dealing with others, there are whole other peoples time frames that can really change an outcome. So wait we must. I still say patience is a goal for me, but this card always makes me smile.
I choose the words to use in my calligraphy from their impact on many facets of my being. This came to me on the front of a card and I cherished it, because it is so much what I think a real vacation embodies. This is worthy of putting in a permanent form.Cobalt blue letters, brushed onto the white porcelain clay plaque seemto make it real. Ready to hang on a wall, to inspire and smile.
I so rarely do nothing, unless I take myself away from my lovely studio here in Sedona.
I know. We all move here thinking it will be hikes in the red rocks , and drinks with friends in the cafe. Doesn't often work that way I notice. Creating and running a business means there is always some affair to handle. Always a new project to complete, or even the mundane, like cleaning the studio.But I can look at this summer calligraphy, which now hangs in a gallery in town, and dream about those lovely days of doing nothing. I think I have to rest now.
Here I am on the beach in San Francisco. I know, the sun never shines in that city, but it did last week when I was there. A heat wave. The sand was actually hot as I ran toward the cool Pacific. I brought all my warm clothes, but pulled those out earlier that week, while staying around Santa Barbara,where the cold winds were blowing.
The sun was shining while driving up Route One, along the Ocean. Past Esalen, where I loved to sit in the hot tubs overlooking the crashing waves at night. Stopping at the formerly quaint restaurant, Nepenthe. Very upscale now, not like when I used to have breakfast along with all the flower children in the van heading up to San Francisco to hear music, and hang out.
Things don't stay the same, but how glorious are my memories of California back in the sixties and seventies.
I am grateful for those days. I know somewhere seeds of creativity got lodged within me, to bloom later.
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I have been working on a new style of mask. I am remembering how difficult this creative process can be. First is the visualizing, building a vague idea of what I think I can invent. Then comes planning, and actually figuring out how to make it happen. Shows are often the impetus to try a new direction, and I do have one coming up in June.
Anything new and different is incredibly challenging, mentally, physically, and yes, emotionally. Here I am starting out with a fuzzy concept that I want to make into a reality. As the vision gets stronger, it gives me a clearer road to follow.
But let's be real. I am dealing with materials that also have a mind of their own. Often the clay, the horsehair, or any of the numerous elements I am putting together will not always do what I want them to. The nerve of them!
Days have passed as I assemble; undo; go to a store to buy a missing product; reassemble. This morning I found I had messed up the way it hangs, so I had to start over and correct my mistake. It has to be right.
Finally there is the time to just stop. Completion.
Now please, let there someone out there who thinks they must own this new creation of mine!
This is the jewelry I wore in the gallery today. It is made of high fire porcelain beads that I make individually.This color I call Moss Green. I also make these styles in Denim Blue and a brown hue I call
Earth Brown .Since it is spring, I put on my green pants and top, and of course, my matching jewelry. I like to wear shades of one color. Less confusing. Today seemed like a good green day.
Being a clay artist, I like the thought of making my own adornment.
People often ask me, what is it made of? Bone, they will sometimes think. Wearing it shows off my line and can often help the client envision what it looks like on themselves. Plus it pleases my own sense of style.
Each one is made from the white porcelain, impressed with a design. The clay must be rolled out very thin. A heavy or rough surface doesn't fit my skin or my aesthetic sensibility.Cleaning each one with a sponge is necessary.
I began by selling wholesale to beads shop. I didn't get very much. I started having ideas about how I would create with them. I like a long necklace and dangling earrings. The pieces of cut crystal give a light and translucent feeling. The decorative stones add color and texture. So began my adventure of making my own ceramic jewelry.
