The art of hand made dishes has been coming up in my creative life recently. I like making them. I always tell people the food tastes better on my handmade dinnerware. The coffee or tea is spicier, and the food is more appealing on a pretty plate.Very important is that you Know the ingredients in my glazes are totally safe.Since it is all high fire, these dishes can go in the oven , even the microwave, and the dishwasher. Convenience matters in our every day life.
This is a set I had done a while ago, and recently sold .Not even sure this is a glaze batch I can reproduce, but I have other colors I use now. I always tell people when you order a set from me, rest assured, each piece will be unique. The colors will match, but the size and glazing style will be slightly different on each piece.You know you are getting handmade dishes. People seem to like this one of a kind styling they get from me.
The dish as an art form.
I love butterflies. Here I am at the butterfly farm on the faraway island of St Martin, in the Caribbean. It took a while, but I finally got this trip for my Birthday present.
I had to sit very still until one decided I might be a nice place to light. I have noticed with most creatures, if you are still, they may seek you out from curiosity.
I guess that my be my lesson in "life imitating art". When you are still, ideas often come. I was recently looking at a series of ceramic wall pieces I have had for a while. They are unfinished.The more I stared, the more ideas came to me. I had to go to my boxes of goodies and see which colors and decorations would capture the vision . No, I haven't done them yet, but it will become clearer as I start to work. Much like the butterfly which undergoes its metamorphoses.
After mating the female butterfly lays her eggs on the host plant. When it hatches, the caterpiller eats that plant. Shedding its skin often, it suspends itself by silken threads and sheds one final time to reveal the chrysalis, from which eventually, a new butterfly will emerge.
So it seems with art. It often has to go through phases of creative hatching. Finally it will emerge, like the butterfly. There are over 17,000 species spreading their unique beauty throughout the world. Like artists.
Here was my latest calligraphy job, creating name tags for a family dinner. Of course I had to fly 3,000 mile , carrying supplies, not having seen the tag itself.
My sister said red, so I packed up minimal supplies, hoping I had chosen correctly. I chose 2 small tubes of watercolor, hoping one hue would do the trick. The brighter red worked. The calligraphy pen had a 3.5 nib, another word for the point, which is a good size for small writing. I took a small cheap paintbrush to mix it. For a palette, I threw in a plastic yogurt top, knowing it would be left behind.
I like to write on a slant board. Better perspective on the letters, as well as easier on the neck. A couple of books under a Masonite and I was set.My preference is to write on a light box, with lines, to make sure I am accurate. Without those options, I was writing free form. Of course, 4o years of doing this, gives one a bit to fall back on.
The reality is, we can bring our skills to whatever life presents us, whether far or near.
My sister was happy; I observed some guests taking their name home with them; and I thought they turned out well myself.
Our creativity is always with us.
My sister surprised me with this lovely gift you see on the table before me. My family had gathered together for an event, which happened to be on my birthday weekend.
I was asked to come over to the table to see what was inside this lovely wrapping. I wished I had been the artist to have created this out of clay. Alas no, it was an entirely edible and delicious cake! Turquoise icing with a big white sugar ribbon.There was chocolate and raspberry, and white cake in layers. Boy did it taste good.
Art comes in many forms, and the mighty baker who made this had certainly taken the art of making a cake to a new level. Birthday cakes have been around a long time.This is the new cake. Alas, I had to get on a plane, and leave a bit of it with those who stayed behind. That's O.K. Art needs to be shared.
Just unloaded the last firing of the year, and out came these two small, blue bowls.
I love the look of this glaze. It is a warm blue, a shiny glaze, which the porcelain clay I use shows off at its best. This is different from the turquoise mat surface that I most often make. I feel I can fall into the mirrored surface of these bowls.
They are smallish is size, about six inches wide and three inches tall. I always like to add some distinctive decorative touches. Here are coils on the outside, and circles to add some distinction to the rounded edge. There is also the contrast of the rough iron oxide stain compared to the smooth, sensual inside. Everything here is totally lead free. As I always say about my ceramics , " it makes the food taste better".
My sister once said to me" you have a style, you always like to add something to your pots." I guess she is right. There is my blank slate just waiting for just a small intimate touch to make it mine.
The bowl is a lovely use of clay to my way of thinking. It is an ancient form. It can be a container and have a function, or simply the graceful circular form we can relate to. My goal has always been to take something we think we know all about, and make it special.
Here is a side of this Sedona artist you might not have known. I am learning to play ping pong, also known as table tennis. This picture was taken recently at the USA National Championship, held in Las Vegas.To enter you must belong to this organization, which I do not. I was there with a friend who loves the sport, and enters different events.
Open only to citizens of the United States, players compete in different events throughout the week, based on their skills and desire to play with people who cherish the sport as they do. Events are focused on which type of racquet used, as well as the player's rating. I am learning on a sandpaper paddle, shown in my hand. There is also hard bat, and the more popular called sponge.
Competing in these events earns the player a numerical standing. Events are based on these numbers,as well as the type of racquets played. There are a lot of hot shot kids, and northern California is a center for instruction. Since ping pong is taken very seriously as a sport in China, it isn't surprising there are many very proficient young Chinese Americans in this sport.
It is a different world. I am a novice, but watching the good ones hit is like a ballet. Also, as in the world of art, everyone is trying their best to win.This doesn't always happen, but how can you know unless you try?
Here I am making my latest book project, which I show in the picture below. Made of fabric, both cover and pages are rolled up into a scroll form when complete. Rolled books are a very ancient form of communication. We see examples in ancient tapestries and literature. Back then I am sure the pages were hand sewn.
Being in modern times, I used fusible lining and a hot iron. Always this is a learning process. I chose a thick denim, and transferred words of poetry right onto each "page" of material. I can see how this would be a fun vehicle for my original calligraphy.
The weight of the fabric made it hard for the denim to adhere. Using steam helped with the joining. I may go back and add a few stitches, for security's sake. This is still a work in progress for me.I guess it could hang up on a wall in its open form. There are so many paths to follow in this wonderful world of book arts.
