MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, May your new year be healthy happy and full of the best things.

Open Studio Sale

  I haven't had Open Studio Days, even though I bought the signs and planned to do so because the Studio is always in use and usually messy. It's the usual "work in progress" which is also a chance to ask how things are make and see new things.   

  

claythingsplus by Carol Janda: GARDEN SCULPTURE

claythingsplus by Carol Janda: GARDEN SCULPTURE

GARDEN SCULPTURE

30 inches tall stoneware garden sculpture  with my Art Nouveau Glaze  

graces my daughter's garden.  

Steeple Rock-Hurricane Ridge ONP

Watercolor Framed 16x20

Sometimes it is fun  to be very particular about a scene, sort of enjoying it in depth, studying  all its detail, trying to travel with the eye where the legs can't carry me.  Actually I think that's why I enjoy painting so much, it is like meditating on  a place, really seeing it. If I were a bird I would fly from top to top of these spectacular mountains.
      The road, wrapped abound the last turn before the top of  this birds eye, feels like the thinner air and the sense of  mountain majesty
that makes Olympic National Park such a  treasure.

New Glaze Shino Cone 6

 Learning about the behavior of Shino Gold
 over Plum glaze  is exciting .  It seems to be
 a stable glaze which isn't running
off the pot but does a modest melting
slide which brings out the texture.
    Wax resist and stencil design
 held their own with nice soft edges.

Some New Stoneware

This firing added some new work using my art nouveau  glaze
 with  17% copper carb as apposed to 20%  which seems
  a little paler and may have slightly less texture.
The geranium leaf press mold  connected by clay coils
 and pebbles provides more changes in depth for glaze
 to  increases the texture.
  The treatment of the foot is practical and enhances the vase.

Leaf Dish

I put a ruler by this to show its size, "Quality Paint" is my art nouveau glaze which 

has such wonderful texture  at cone 6 and it is "guaranteed" :)

Gardening all year Round

Shot weed  keeps me gardening all year long
 the first signs of the round little devils
 coming up in January. 

The Wall Flowers will reward me                             
when they start to bloom in February.  
I planted them from seed along the side walk where
they get warmth and full sun.  As they bloom 
out cutting them back seems to help. The plants have 
survived for three years and produce a lot of seed.
I find babies here and there so maybe the birds like them too.

This spring there are changes  in color and stripes in some new plants.




                                                                                                                                                                                         

I Love Watercolors

 It is like coming home to my self when I get back to painting  watercolors, especially seascapes and landscapes. Visiting a place I've enjoyed to recapture the pleasure of that day using sketches and photos.

 Last Light at Ruby Beach was accepted to the Sequim Arts Show 

Playing in the surf  seems to be the favorite children. 

 As a painting it challenged me to get the glitter of the surf on the beach.

New Work for February Show

Getting ready for a Featured Artist show involves a number of steps, -try to create something new-make it- dry it -bisque fire at cone 06 - glaze it-  glaze fire at  cone 6 and clean up any rough edges.
      I especially like the 12 inch  ladies,thought they could be inside or out.  The twisted tube pieces with birds are always a challenge in the glaze firing, just hope the birds will say put and  not take flight into a piece they were never meant for. The small 8 tiles puzzle, like so many things with clay,suggested itself with the left over clay from the other tiles.

                                                   

                 

The white sea gulls make her a tall sculpture

These are just 4 inches, I'd like the idea to make larger plates..

                                                           





                                         

Should we go outside or stay in ?

We might like to stand on a stick in the garden

15 Birds 

8 Piece Puzzle

Red Wing Black Birds

Featured Artist at Blue Whole in February

                                                Blue Whole for February First Friday.

 New stoneware pieces are to be bisque fired and glazed  this week .

Wish me luck!

Oil Monotypes

The process is fun even though it takes some  muscle to crank the press handle.  Paint is rolled onto the Beveled Plexiglass plate with a brayer which creates a very thin coating  to be transferred to the paper.  Some  oil is removed from paints if they are  very soft and oily and Liquin is added to speed drying.  A complete design or painting can be created on the plate or layers on color plates can be added after the first plate is dry.
     I like to layer because the glazing  creates color showing through or strongly affecting the second layer.  When areas are blocked out the first color is preserved.  The visual affect is not the same as mixing the same two color together,  the added colors play back and forth as transparent or denser overlays.
    Working this way leaves a lot to chance, allowing the image to direct its next addition, block out or changes.   Each additional color layer creates its own personality, mood and suggestions.

Often the image can be shown in all four rotations, each with its own suggestions, balance and impact..

The Landing Art Gallery

The Landing  on the waterfront in Port Angeles has a great commitment to art and artists, space for artist to work and an excellent gallery .  Mostly made up of local artists and a few from out of town, some local members help  with desk and other jobs, sort of a coop with a manager - Jeff Tocher.  I worked  yesterday which brought back lots of pleasant memories of the Waterfront Art Gallery when it was located in the same building.  Work is grouped, show in the atrium  and hall cases.

Pottery at Blue Whole

Some new work at blue Whole.

Ned's Demo

B

Draw with a brush ,get the shapes and colors with out the detail ..It was a beautiful day,  low tide at Salt Creek.

Just had a wonderful three hot sunny days Pein Air painting with the Ned Mueller Workshop and a wonderful group of painters.  Training my brain see value in the "open air" using oil was a challenge. Just being outside setting up and trying to get more paint on the picture and less on me was a project.
      The Fine Art Center Show which was much too short ,due to wet oil paintings returning home with their owners (impossible to ship them) was really inspiring.  Big  applause to the Fine Art Center and Susan Spar for organizing and bringing  plein-air to the peninsula.
 

Blackberries Blue Whole First Friday

    Blackberries will be shown along with Kalaloch Beach-watercolor,  Late Flight- mixed media semi abstract, Sequim Haying Time - watercolor, Continuance- oil monotype and Squawk on the Dock- watercolor will be shown at Blue Whole in September. Come enjoy First Friday.

Making an Owl Vase

First the shape is pulled on the wheel

The ears are pinched shut, an air hole is pierced  and the "owl" is left to stiffen

Feather -like texture , eyes, a beak and toes ate added. the bottom shaped . 

Green clay and finished Owl 

It is easier to make several at a time 

Each Owl has a personality and a shape .

Into the Blue Little Birds

It is always a challenge to present  window displays  at Blue Whole Art Gallery which include new elements or creative projects.  Hanging the birds from their drift wood stick was a strikingly fun  presentation.  Thanks to excellent help from other gallery members, the windows for May are a tribute to what a cooperative gallery can do.
       Coop galleries require a lot of commitment of time and energy to present their artist's work, in return for which friendships,  inspiration

, encouragement  and creative feed back are our rewards.