I bet you’ve been wondering what all I’ve been working on lately.  I know, I haven’t

Fold Formed Copper Bowl©2009 WTEK

posted much new work recently.  The truth is, I was busy getting ready for and doing my Fall shows, and then I just lost a bit of my steam.  Contrary to my Foo Fighters post, I was staying away from the studio for the most part.  I just wasn’t feeling it.

But now I’m back!  I decided to try out a theory I had for fold form raising a bowl.  It kind of worked.  In other words, I got a bowl made, I really like the outcome, but it wasn’t what I expected the outcome

Inside of Fold Formed Copper Bowl ©2009 WTEK

to be.  I still don’t know what, if anything, I will be doing with this bowl.

Then I decided to make an eyeball-esque pendant (or maybe brooch, still undecided about that, too).  It kind of fits in with both my bean brooches and my medallions, but is still it’s own thing.  I’ve been in an eyeball mood since AEDM.  I guess this kind of crept up from my subconscious.

Eyeball - Nickel, Brass, Pyrite ©2009 WTEK - notice the line in the stone and the line on the pendant

I’m thinking about the chain.  As I mentioned before, I’ve been stuck on chains lately.  If this is indeed a pendant, I want the chain to be handmade and fit in with the main design.  After finished working on this for the day, I got that excited feeling, that “I can’t wait to get back in there and finish this!” feeling.

This eyeball needs some rivets!

A fitting theme for today’s rendering might be Angels in Our Midst:

Watercolor and Gouache "Angel" Theme Pendant with Blue Satin Cord

I confess I wasn’t exactly in the mood to play a Kinderkonzert yesterday afternoon, in addition to playing our Saturday evening Pops concert.  Playing so much holiday music at work during this month (and then hearing much of the same music being piped across the speakers at Walgreens), is a recipe for an overdose of holiday “spirit”  in my book.  But my cynicism was firmly put aside when Santa, to the great excitement of the kids in attendance at the concert, made an appearance in the hall.  I’m still oddly touched when I see little kids even in the highest balcony, raising their hands in hopes that Santa will ask them what they want for Christmas.  And while a few kids’ responses such as, “I want a cellphone”, got a laugh and rolled eyes from the audience, there were the true charmers who piped up in tiny voices, “I want a toy”.

I was totally taken off guard, though, when one little girl asked simply, “for my Dad….he is in Iraq”; I confess my eyes welled up with tears.  And, when Santa was making his departure as the orchestra got ready to play again, a little boy with his younger sister in tow, left his seat coming forward to approach Santa so he could put in his own personal gift request.  This was the exchange that followed:

Santa:  “Hi!  And what do you want for Christmas?”

Little Boy:  “My sister wants a necklace.”

Santa: “A necklace?”

Little Boy (gesturing as if pulling on a necklace at his chest):  “Yes”.

Santa: “Has your sister been good?”

Little Boy:  “No.”

And so it goes.  Sometimes the simplest human interactions remind us most deeply of what is important in life.

nodoi.net

Somehow during the posting of all the new mini art a few weeks ago I never posted this image of a new, full size art piece.

(untitled) mixed media, 21x12, $395 (c) 2009, Lynne Medsker

I picked it up from the frame shop today and realized it had never made it on the blog. I’m in the process of readying lots of small items that will be used to make larger art pieces with.  Seems like it is take FOREVER but once they are finished I know the assembly of the larger pieces will go quickly.  I’m excited to try some new media as well as some familiar techniques on new objects!  Look for updates and new images soon.  In the meantime have a wonderful weekend!

Full steam ahead,

Lynne

When my husband suggested today that I design some jewelry around a “holly” theme,  what instantly came to mind was images of Santa sweaters and Walgreens’ jingle-bell earrings.  So, I decided to overcome my resistance and embrace the challenge.  I’ve actually come up with two holly-inspired designs, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see Variation #2…

As usual, I started by sketching in my sketch book.  From here I transferred the design I liked to vellum:

Pencil on Vellum - Holly Brooch Design by Joana Miranda

Then I rubbed the back of the vellum with silver pencil, placed the vellum right-side-up on a piece of black Canson art paper, and traced over the design again to transfer the lines to the black paper:

Silver Pencil on Black Paper - Holly Brooch Design by Joana Miranda

It is hard to imagine that the above line drawing could come to life with just a little watercolor paint, but here is the finished rendering:

Watercolor and Gouache Platinum, Diamond, and Ruby Cabochon Holly Brooch Rendering by Joana Miranda

I recieved my costum made branding iron in the post yesterday, and since getting it I’ve gone branding mad, branding anything I think will brand. I even considered branding my shoes at one stage.
The branding iron head is 20×70 milled brass. The branding iron is a 250watt electric branding iron. I also got a tempeture control unit and an industrial voltage converter. Just got to make more furniture now so I can brand it.

Friday morning, time to clean up for the studio sale!

Today’s selection of new pots is below. Email sequoia@sequoiamillerpottery.com if you’d like one. Not sure what will happen next week. I plan to post some work here, but not every day like I have been. And maybe my new site will be live…

small yellow bowl, 5″ dia, SOLD

a sweet companion to the RJ bowl from yesterday and the tulip bowl from earlier int he week.

altered shino bowl, 6″ l, SOLD

really it’s a cylinder not a bowl, but who else worries about this but me??

altered yellow jar with flower, 7.5″h, $110

it’s yellow, it twists, rather graphic, hollow open knob – what more could you ask for?

large black bowl, 10.5″l, $275

this is a pretty large bowl, entirely carved on the outside, with a wee patch of white/grey along the top of the long side. these bowls are killing me with joy, even when they’re vampy like this one. I think it looks a little like Marlene Dietrich, no?

posted by SHELLEY BRUCAR

Finally, there is a new, non-aerosol product available to protect fiber from fading and sun damage.  The former, widely used product contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer while protecting fabric , and I have refused to use it for that reason, preferring fading to ozone depletion.  It is my understanding that, due to federal regulations, aerosols in the US can no longer contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).  However, they still contain hydrocarbons and/or compressed gases which do contribute to global warming and asthma-inducing smog.  This is not exactly good for the air we breathe.

The new product, which I found at JoAnn Fabrics, is called ForceField UV SunBlock.  It comes in a simple spray bottle.  The directions state that it is to be used outdoors or in a very well-ventilated area.

To test for effectiveness, I have cut a piece of hand-dyed fabric in two and sprayed one with ForceField, not the other.  My plan is to place both pieces of fabric in direct sun to see if the protected piece holds its color, and I will post results.   Here is how the “ForceField test fabrics” look today:  Now I just have to wait for the sun!

And here is my newest completed piece.  It can be seen until 12/20 at Simply Chicago Art, Evanston.

Moonlit Forest 49″ x 49″, (c)2009 Shelley Brucar fiber art

Watercolor and Gouache Designer-Cut Blue Sapphire, Gold, and Seed Pearl Earring Rendering by Joana Miranda

Tonight’s rendering was inspired again by one of John Dyer’s designer-cut gemstones – in this case, a 2.26 ct fan-shaped Kenyan sapphire.  To complement the richness of the blue sapphire, I chose to use yellow gold together with the warmth of a slightly peach-colored seed pearl tassel.

In rendering the gemstone, I was reminded again of the need to toss away rules and render what is in my imagination.  I feel like my best renderings tell a story that transcends jewelry.  Maybe fitting is this quote by Betty Smith, an American writer who lived between 1896 and 1972:

“Look at everything as though you were seeing it for either the first or last time…then your time on earth will be filled with glory.”

Let’s call it an “installation.” That makes me sound like a professional modern artist.

That’s an overstatement. I didn’t even install it myself. But that’s because a ticket to Alaska is just too big an art expense, and I wouldn’t have enough paint anyway.

Yeah, Alaska! I was commissioned to design a sign for a subdivision that is nearing completion.  Credit for the actual crafting and building  of the sign goes to the sign-makers. But the pretty colors and all were my idea. I’m crazy proud about this.

It’s named for Fred Machetanz who was a well-known Alaskan painter. He was 1997’s Alaskan of the Year. And also American Artist of the Year for 1981 by American Artist magazine.  His work is totally stunning and you can see some prints here.

So who wants to go with me to have dinner and eavesdrop on the other customers? I happen to know they have a nice Pino Gris.

Today’s pots! Email sequoia@sequoiamillerpottery.com if there’s one you’d like.

Here’s my Open Studio card too – this Saturday 10-4! Btw there are loads of pots in the studio that won’t make it online until after Saturday, not to mention the cooling kilnload.

small bowl shino bowl, 4.5″ dia at rim, SOLD

This is a total copy interpretation of a Randy Johnson bowl I have. I intended to write abut it, and may still, but for now it’s just a bowl.

long altered box, 8.5″l 3″w, $125

Thrown and altered beyond recognition. Color is a little off (yellowy), but I’ll make myself crazy fiddling with it.

small altered vase, 3.5″h, SOLD

five sided box, 9″h 8″at base, $275

On YouTube.com

or on Vimeo.com

More to come from Mark’s shoot. In the meantime make sure to check out his website at MarkSallingMusic.com and on iTunes as well.

Download your Wing's Art Christmas Wallpaper

Original Pencil Sketches

Add some sparkle to your desktop this Christmas with my holiday themed wallpaper!
You can find it here>

Enjoy!
Wing.

A rose is a rose is a rose…

Watercolor and Gouache Rose Gold, White Diamond, and Pink Tourmaline "Rose" Pendant Rendering by Joana Miranda

When Gertrude Stein wrote the poem Sacred Emily, which begins with the first line (A) “Rose is a rose is a rose”, the first “Rose” she was referring to was the name of an actual person.  I find it a fitting line for my Rose Pendant rendering above.  My first rose is the rose gold metal.    I love that the pinkness of the gold needs little more embellishment, save for white diamonds and one pink tourmaline, to convey the color of the bloom.   And, like Gertrude Stein’s intended meaning, this pendant is what it is.

Handprinted Wallpaper

Here are todays new pots for sale, yeah. I’ll be again posting later today with words and thoughts, but for now enjoy the pots!

One big correction: opening reception for my show with Warren at June Fitzpatrick Gallery in Maine is TONITE, not Thursday as I had said in my emial invite. June has not updated her site yet, apparently this is a preview rather than the actual opening of the show on Friday.

Email sequoia@sequoiamillerpottery.com if you are interested in a one of these. Scroll down for previous days’ pots still available.

set of 6 sorbet bowls, 4.5″ dia, SOLD

Goodness do I live these little bowls, it’s about all I can do not to bring them into the house. Matte yellow with a black rim, and a slight gap in the black on each.

shino box with onion, 6.5″h, SOLD

The onion wraps around two sides, and there are two onions. Now you’re surrounded.

black hut jar, 9.5″ h, $120

This jar has my new favorite combination of the black and yellow glazes. The lines are thin and irregular, a little melted out. And the black has a greenish cast to it. Yummy. Is this hard to read for non-native English speakers?

long vase with three openings, 10″l, $140

Just as a reminder all of my pots are wheel thrown – including this one. It was a bit of a struggle to get this shape, but here it is. The image doesn’t give loads of information: are three square openings along the top with cut edges, the pot is narrow (3″w), and the openings are a glossier green than the body of the vase. There is a dogwood motif painted on it as well.

square yellow teapot, 8″h, SOLD

I have been saving this teapot for something special – and that something is you, darling! Here I decided to stretch the form up, which gave it a back handle (rather than top), and narrowed the shoulder which then called for a cap lid rather than an inset lid. Ah, form. The painting here is of the woods right outside, heavily edited. There are these bushes that late in the fall loose most of their leaves, but the ones that remain are bright yellow, and it’s impossible to see where they are attached to the stalks. I’ve tried to photograph this, but it just looks like a messy forest, that is it’s hard to see the bushes for the trees.

i’ve been posting a lot of black and white work lately so i thought i’d add some color to the blog.

here are some recent photographs from a trip out west this past summer.

all photographs © 2009 m. dominguez jr.

"wall sculpture #23" metal/recycled parts 25"x12"x5", $295 (c) 2009

The last time I posted images of the metal art that my husband, Mark, and I were creating it consisted mostly of cute, crazy critters made from used machinery parts.  We also create “serious” (playfully serious, anyhow!) art – some functional, like tables, lamps, and candleholders, and some more decorative like these new wall sculptures.  We had a request for three pieces of metal wall art and thought it was the perfect excuse to dream up something new.  Since we can go long periods of time between making items the process always seems to start off slow but it wasn’t long until we were arranging pieces on a large table then getting them all cut, cleaned and prepared for welding.  Once we get in a groove it seems to flow well!  We started with the piece shown at the top of this post, it’s hard to see in the photos but the four pieces in the center of the outer circles are angled out & away from the base. Wall sculpture #24 (below) was our next creation – I love the shadows it creates on the wall when lights hit it from different angles!

"wall sculpture #24" metal/recycled parts, 38"x22"x2" $375 (c) 2009

Our final piece (#25, below) I think ended up being a favorite for both of us.  We had made similar wall sculptures several years ago but they were painted in a variety of colors.  We’ve both become fond of a more “natural” metal look to our creations lately so it was fun re-visiting this idea/style with a different finish.

"wall sculpture #25" metal/recycled parts 26"x22"x8", $395 (c) 2009

If you are interested in viewing or purchasing any of these pieces they are in the caring hands of Doug & Teri at Broad Ripple Art & Design, feel free to contact them, they would be delighted to talk with you!

Until next time!

Lynne

Although art-making is serious stuff, it is also critical to approach it with a sense of play (proving my theory that  almost everything in this life is shadowed by paradox and contradiction!).  Working on the assemblages has offered an opportunity to play with materials that  I have been itching to use for years.  What a delight to experiment with putting unexpected materials together and be surprised by their chemistry (a process which supports another theory that art-making and scientific research are, in fact, first cousins)!  Here are two new pieces that come from play.

Quartet

Point

These pieces are at Astra Design, 3110 W. Marshall Street.  Tom and Louise will host a Holiday Open House at Astra on Saturday, December 5, 9:30 – 4:30.  Stop by to see new work by Tom and Louise and their group of guest artists.

In the meantime, make some time to play… you never know what you might discover!

Pencil and Gouache Engagement Ring Rendering by Joana Miranda

As a jewelry designer, I’ve wondered if I was born with a defective gene where it comes to engagement rings.  I’ve never been a fan of the “rock”, nor do I like prongs that elevate said rock so that it sticks up high above the band.  In my ring designs, I tend to gravitate towards little diamonds (lots of them!), bezel settings, and wider filigree bands.  Tonight I decided to put my efforts into designing a more traditional engagement band featuring a large center diamond. The result is my “twist” on the traditional.

Howdy readers,

Here are today’s pots! This was going to be cup day, but I found I have only one image of a cup I have here in the studio, so it’s a bit of a mix. Scroll down for pots still available from the previous days. No news on the impending new web site. sequoia@sequoiamillerpottery.com if you see something you can’t live without!

bottles, 6″ and 6.5″, $60 RIGHT SOLD

odd little bowl, 5″h, $48

creamer with lines, 4.5″, $50 (glaze tone is a bit lighter in person)

tall mug, 6″, $40, right only

personal teapot, 5″h, $110

Jeff! is not for sale, but he is my studio assistant, and here he is unloading the last bisque of the year, ready for me to start glazing straight away. These are my last few pots to glaze and fire this week and for the year! Hoping to fire tomorrow…

I’ve been planning these for months. I also made round ones, which are already done because cutting a circle with your handy circle cutter is way easier than cutting a weird ambiguous rectangle with rounded corners of indeterminate radius. Radii?

The best approach ended up being the most low-tech. I printed the images a little larger than the tin on glossy sticker paper, then traced the lid onto the back of the paper. Then I sketched new lines about an eighth of an inch inside those lines, and cut out the smaller rectangle with scissors. Worked like a charm. They all have [fairly] even margins of metal along the edges so that the resin can stick to both.

I’m totally stuck on that lace pattern! I’ve used it for the tins, for some experimental pieces of jewelry, for the signs I use at shows, the back of my senior show card…… We go way back, that piece and I. Not that far back; about a year ago, when my professor convinced me to try absorbent ground and I listened because I was desperate and was tired of having my soul crushed and devoured on a weekly basis. That particular piece came out very nicely but I didn’t like working with the ground. I’m going to take another whack at it at some point, but it struck me as being pretty uncontrollable and wasn’t too receptive to taking multiple layers of watercolor. (It looks like lace because it is actually a piece of lace, with watercolors on. The original painting was a mix of cobalt blue and burnt umber, which is magical. Other colors achieved with Photoshop.)

check it out!