Charles Reid Workshop Day 1 and Seattle, WA

I have started my week with Charles Reid. The class if full of artist who are great painters. I know from other workshops, that I will struggle with the listening, learning, applying and remembering. So, I don't prepare for any masterpieces. Workshops are not for those with fragile egos.

Mr. Reid did a demo this morning for three hours with breaks about every 20 to 30 minutes. During the break, I went outside to see the bay. Beautiful.

We painted for a couple of hours and I made mud. He was kind enough to show me how he would approach the black and white photo I chose. I didn't realize how complicated mine was. Silly me.

During lunch, I met an artist in the class, Lynn Powers, who received an award in the Watercolor Society of Oregon. This show was recently in Brookings, Oregon at the Manley Art Center. She painted a nice piece as did the other students.

The pictures you are seeing are Charles Reid preparing to start a demonstration, a closeup picture of his completed artwork and the other pictures are of the surrounding bay.

Giant Statues and Stinky Seals

We went up the Oregon coast this weekend and enjoyed being tourists. My husband and I both get a kick out giant statues. Here are some pictures. Also, we stopped at the Seal Caves and I think I still have the smell of seal poop in my hair. It is stinky but worth the time. There were so many seals. We went down 200 hundred feet into a cave to view them. I didn't realize that until the couple in the elevator started to count how many feet we had traveled. I then saw we were dropping 200 hundred feet underground. Well...I was okay for about 2 minutes and then decided I had seen enough of the cave with a large amount of tourist and stinky seals. I couldn't stop my mind from thinking about earthquakes, tsunamis, tons of earth over my head, fires, elevator breaking down, and breathing at the same time.
We then headed to Depot Bay and ate at the Sea Hag. Notice, the startled picture of my husband. We were starved. Suddenly, the Chicken Dance song came on and the bartenders began to play the bottles and bar top like a xylophone. It was hilarious. They each had xylophone mallets and were very good!
What a fun day.

Visiting Gallery on 101

My husband and I stopped at a gallery on 101 and it was such a great experience. I met the artist, Angela Haseltine Pozzi, who designs sea creatures and more. She encouraged us to touch her art and to explore her underwater design. It was magical and fun! Check out Angela's website, www.seathingsart.com, to learn more about her art and projects.
Read her community work. She is an inspirational and giving person.

Raku and other pottery - SOLD small vase

So,today I am doing glaze testing with the help of Jeannie Gordon. Both of us will be at Feather Your Nest this weekend. I have several 5x7 framed, original oil paintings, cat tail pins, and raku pieces. Jeannie will be selling her highly sought after buttons. Our prices are very reasonable.
I decided to raku a few more pieces for the Memorial Day art events. Here are the results. I am very happy with the pacman glaze and the borax glaze (white). Yes - that is a humpback whale on the borax piece. I loved how it came out. Raku is so unpredictable.
The pieces are porcelain and omega stone. Great stuff.
The small, brown bowl is the result of glazes testing.
My new field easel arrived today, too. I am not sure if I like it yet. I will test it out.
By the way, I sold three paintings to a wonderful friend and artist at the last Brookings art walk. Thank you for your support!!

Workshop Preparation and Bright Shiney Things

I am preparing for a Charles Reid workshop so.... I have been distracted. I also have a few thrown pieces that are fresh out the kiln. An artist's work is never done. Today, I will test several glazes to see how they interact with each other. I am also working with some new watercolor paper to see if I like it.
I hope my new easel arrives today. If not, I will be lugging around my heavier one and poor old back just can't take it.
I also cleaned up my acrylic painting area in the garage.
Oops - I was distracted while typing there for a minute. Looking at my nails. If you want to be a potter, you need to get over how your nails look. I have to keep my pretty short.
Okay - enough scattered thoughts. I just saw another bright shiney thing and I must chase the distraction.

Fired Up!

The kiln is on and I am doing a low firing today. I will post the pieces when they are done. In the meantime, I will glaze a few pieces for a raku firing.

I was going to paint today but it as overcast

I didn't get any art done today but my son made homemade baklava. I wish I would have taken a picture before I cut it open but it smelled so good. Tasted even better.
He made a spinach pie that all his friend ate. They ate all the baklava, too, so this was a second batch.
My son, the culinary artist.

Even more pottery... before the burn

Here are two more pottery pieces that are terra sigged that are going into a pit fire. You can't see the small vase behind but they came out nice. The colors I hope to get are pink, beige, red and black.

Some of the ingredients in the pit fire will be wood, kelp, cow dung (yup, I typed cow dung), vegetation, paper, saw dust, rock salt and copper carbonate. The last two ingredients are called magic dust.

Art is fun! Oh - and dangerous. Wear protective gear included a mask when using the magic dust.

Sara Corbelli - a 7th grade artist and potter needs your support and prayers

David Bradley and other potters are donating their work for auction and raffle for the Corbelli Family Fundraiser. This is to support Sara Corbelli, who is in the 7th grade and is a potter, artist and loves music. Sara was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2008 and a tumor was removed from her arm. She underwent 21 rounds of chemotherapy in 2009 and now they have found spots in her lungs. I have scanned in the flyer so you may read the story and help out.
The fundraiser is June 6th at the Sacramento Horseman's Association, 3200 Longview Drive. Sacramento, CA 95821. There will be music, dinner, silent auction, raffle, jump house, pony rides, face painting and more. Dinner is served at 5:00 PM
To find out more, please click on the attached flyers. Monetary donation can also be made to Corbelli Family Fundraiser at El Dorado Saving Bank.

Before the fire...

I spent 6 hours working on my pottery today. I learned to trim my vegetable steamer and lid. I made my chicken pot too thin on the bottom but Dave, the best pottery teacher ever, fixed it with a slab roller and lots of water.
I put terra sigillata on four vases I threw. This is a process where after each glazing, you buff the piece. This is done three times. They are going into a pit fire and donated to a worthy cause for a lovely artist who is 12 years old and has cancer. I will scan in the flyer and post it.
I learned how to throw plates, a chip and salsa platter and a cake stand.
I picked up my supplies to make my own terra sigillata. I will do a saggar firing.
Here are the pictures of my vases, the chicken pot and the vegetable steamer.

Oops

I had to reschedule my time to throw pottery due to a children's class in progress. I went to my advanced pottery class tonight and continued throw large cylinders using 5 pounds of clay.
No pictures. I will post them tomorrow.

More Pottery

I am heading out in the afternoon, tomorrow, for a few hours of private, pottery tutoring. Say private, pottery tutoring 10 times fast. I am learning to make functional pottery and baker-ware. I have my first order from my son, who wants a large custom thrown pizza-ware with handles and a two inch lip. He makes incredible pizza.
After that, I have Advanced Pottery throwing.

I will post pictures.

My son, Devin, is an artist in the kitchen

My son, Devin, loves to cook exotic dishes. They are out of this world with his seasonings and attention to detail when it come to a sophisticated pallet. My husband and I walked into our house to the most wonderful smells coming from the kitchen.
Devin made dolmades (tender grapes leaves) stuffed with lamb, herbs and goat cheese. He made tabbouleh with fresh feta, lemon, tomatoes and more. I do not like lamb nor tabbouleh in general... but I always go back for seconds when he makes this. He has learned how to keep from the lamb from being "gamey" by adding additional ingredients. There is no overwhelming taste of parsley in his tabbouleh. It is out of this world. His yogurt dressing is a perfect addition.
I think these photos show off his works of art! ( I am a proud mom). He said it wasn't complete without his homemade hummus, but I thought the completed dish looked beautiful and it tasted even better - if you can believe it!

Glazing Pottery

I am doing a test glazing on my pottery bowl with three glazes. Two are the concept glazes, dark papaya and dark grey. The other glaze is the Duncan Courtyard glaze Saddle Clove. Since I will fire this piece at a cone 06 - low fire- I won't being using wax resist on the bottom.
The entire piece will be painted with the Saddle Clove with at least 2 coats. I will then water down the concept glazes, put them in condiments bottles and drip them over the bowl.

That casserole dish will have the Saddle Clove inside and at the top of the dish including the handles. The side and bottom will have Seafoam Sateen. I had a successful firing of this combination and I loved the results.

When you are a potter, Christmas comes often

Here are pieces that were fired to cone 5/6 using Amaco Ash Glaze. I love the results.
Also, is the altered, wheel thrown dish that has been bisque fired. Check out the handles. They were created will a tool called textured block set sold by Bill Van Gilder at Bailey Ceramic Supply. (Great prices). I am glazing this and another piece with low fire glazes tonight so they can get in line for firing.

My Husband's Favorite Painting

I framed a painting for my husband's cubicle yesterday and he called me today to let me know he had it hanging in his office next to another painting I did. I told him I would frame it, too. He brought it home during lunch and I took a picture of it.
This is a plein air painting from last September's group with the School of Light and Color in Fair Oaks. It is 9X12, oil on board.

Pottery Lessons

I spent the morning learning to throw pottery with David Bradley at Alpha Ceramics. He is a great instructor and will give one-on-one lessons on request plus he teaches classes through the Learning Exchange and at Alpha Ceramics. I learned how to throw a vegetable steamer, a chicken pot and a luminary candle. Included in the lesson was how to throw a lid and different types of handles. I am exhausted and happy at the same time. If you are serious about pottery, I recommend asking your instructor for the time. They usually have an hourly rate and it is worth every penny. Here are some examples how they should look when I am done. I haven't finished trimming and adding handles.

Steak, lobster and Ettores

My son took me and husband out for steak and lobster to celebrate my 50th birthday. We then went to Ettores - an European bakery. Rather than get a cake to celebrate our birthdays, we pick out several pieces of their decadent desserts. It is what heaven must be like because I have never known anything that good!
Included is a picture of my son with a gigantic Margarita. He is almost done with college finals. He has one more next week.

More Abstract Shapes and Landscape

I continued with the abstract shapes in landscapes.
8x12 oil.

Abstract landscape and loosening up

I did laundry and took care of my poor, sick husband. Then I headed off to throw pottery. I was happy with two of the vases and they are currently drying.
I then took all the left over paint from my oil palette and painted this abstract landscape.
I hummed away. This an 8X10 oil painting.

Practicing Art

When I travel, I like to stop and draw. Here is an in drawing from my sketchbook of Williams, Ca.
Also, I think I finally got the exaggerated color correct on theses oil painting.

Pottery Class

I worked on two small paintings, I read the beginning of Charles Reid's book, Watercolor Secrets, and then off to pottery. I had a difficult time throwing. I only threw two pieces.
I saw a demonstration on making and using terra sigillata.
It was good and answered all my questions. I forgot to take pictures. I need to throw several pieces and let them dry before I can use the terra sigillata.
Using this method, I can start doing barrel firings.

Happy Mother's Day!

I told my little family that I wanted to do something on Mother's Day. They all cringed until I said let's go to the shooting range and improve my pistol shooting. Afterwards, we went to Mexican food. We all got what we wanted for Mother's Day. I spent the day with my happy family doing things they like. I also got the best shot. My grandfather taught me how to shoot a pistol when I was a young girl.
Here are the photographs. Of course, they are shot with a digital camera and an artistic eye.
The two people are me and my son - who is my pride and joy. There is also a picture of my son sleeping. Still my little boy no matter how big he has gotten... 6'2 and 240 pounds. Love them and they grow.
Happy Mother's Day to the most hardest working people in the world - Moms.

What a Day!

What a day! I ordered all my supplies for the Charles Reid workshop I am attending soon. Then I went shopping at University Arts and found watercolor notebooks on sale. We went to an art show and saw nature paintings, hit the thrift stores, Kohl's, Fresh Choice, Trader Joe's and Blockbusters. Now I am done for a bit. I need to go for a walk.
I worked on a brush painting after I put away the groceries. I keep reworking this one. The composition isn't great but I am still messing with it. It happens sometimes with me. I can't let it go yet.

Oh - I also learned how to do lithography on ceramics. I have searched for this information for years.
3 parts linseed oil to 2 parts mason stain. Also, gum arabic, xerox copy,a brayer and glass to put it all on is the supply list. I can't wait to try it. Check out the video at http://ceramicartsdaily.org/