New Painting

I started this painting last week. It was my set up for Mom and Dad's lesson. It's not finished but I am waiting for some drying time. I like the way the colors and light are coming along. Some of the angles are bothering me though and I will have to see how the whole thing comes together in the end.

A brain to eat?

Will teaches a class every couple of years where the students are required to watch an autopsy video. After which he brings in this chemistry jar with a brain floating in it. It never fails that one student will ask him to eat the brain and then of course, Will obliges...much to the horror of the students. This is the brain before Will took it to school. It was made with peach jello and condensed milk and a super cool jello mold that can be purchased at 1-800-autopsy. I have to say that it is a pretty real looking brain and it is slimy and shiny. I still get grossed out looking at it.

Late night music

This is what happens when it is late at night and the music is blue grass and you simply cannot stop playing your trusty mandolin. You just lie down and play.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I have been trying to finish this frame for awhile now. Me and Dad had decided to go into a joint venture of making mirrors with really cool painted frames. Well, he upheld his end and I was the slacker. Then I was thinking about what to get him for his birthday and decided that this would be a good present. This picture is not finished but it's close. Happy Birthday Dad and happy spring to everyone! This frame is actually based on the idea of spring with it's noisy peepers, and all of those frisky birds rushing around preparing to make babies.


***note...I changed out the pictures and this is the image of the finished frame****

Nantahala

This past week me and Will and his 2 brothers went to western NC for a trip to the Nantahla Outdoor Center for rafting guide school. http://www.noc.com/I know, I know, it's cold and all but we lucked out and had a week of 65-75 degree weather. It really was great fun and even though I don't want to be a guide, the boys probably will end up doing some raft guide stuff in the future. We went down the Nantahala river and the French Broad. I fell out of the boat, or more like bounced out of the boat, twice and went in voluntarily for a drill. The water wasn't that bad. It was cold but you just don't think about it that much. We had a beautiful cabin up the hill from the river that was right on the Appalachian Trail. I took Wednesday off from school and hiked the AT for about 7 miles. It was so amazing. The beauty of the mountains always astound me and this day I was awe struck. I also was blessed to see a piliated woodpecker on the top of one hill as he flew off to a neighboring tree. I also saw a bald headed eagle soar above the French Broad River. Sigh......

I have been making these basket forms for the last couple of weeks. Really taking myself back to the beginnings of my clay days when all I did was coil handbuilding. I actually thought making pots was stupid...I was a bit arrogant at 20. Anyway, when I start any process the first things I make become the test subjects for glaze. And this one is was the tested for this turquoise glaze. It was supposed to be a light turquoise but alas, as with most glaze recipes what I think is light turquoise is not what the author thinks is light. I do like it though but it is not what I had in mind....so back to the drawing board.

The knitting bowls

I have finished 4 knitting bowls. That is the good news. The bad news is that I am having some weight distribution issues and this is causing some cracking. I am fixing the problem in the new knitting bowls but the sad thing is I have these 4 lonely, beautiful, except for a few small cracks, bowls that are sitting in the studio. I thought I would let the friends of THK aka Miss Grey or Mouse as I like to call her, try them out for me but I hate to give anyone a piece that is not pretty perfect. I guess my point here is if you would like to try out a knitting bowl that has some small defect, pipe up and I will work on getting it to you. The only requirement is feedback and lots of it as I plan to make many of these for a gallery in Virginia. Miss Grey, you have first pick if you want one of these but I really want yours to be perfect and it is already in the making.

Yeah! He's coming to town!

The easter bunny is coming to town and here is my little bunny helper named Fred. I made him yesterday for my front porch and he will sit with a basket of bright colored eggs...a la Penland......Mouse remembers. I think THK has a bowl of eggs in her den from days gone by, if I remember correctly. I am so excited about the eggs I have made at least a dozen and can't seem to stop making them. Can't wait for the glaze.

Marie a's new look

Here she is. In her new dress and her windows. I think the windows will all have a lightly painted crow in each pane but the darn thing requires more waiting time. But with all the heat and fires in the fireplace it shouldn't be long before I can actually finish her and move on to the next painting.

New Knitting Bowls

Here are some newer Knitting Bowls!
I hope that they turn out well in this weeks firing. If all goes as planned Miss Grey and her fellow knitting fanatics should be trying them out by March.
Wish them luck in their toasty oven.

Eve

This is a new sculpture that I have been playing with. It is exciting to be building bigger objects to fire. I love doing big fun sculptures and can't wait to glaze this one. I will update when she is finished.

Marie A. and the setup

These are all the great items I found to make mom and dads still life tomorrow morning. I plan something colorful and fun. We'll see how it turns out. I just liked seeing all the beautiful veges and flowers together.
****side note...I saw a raven today! What a lucky girl I am.







This is the latest progress on Miss Marie. I stole her glass of champagne and put her in front of one of those great windows in Versailles. The painting is still very wet but I think I can work on her tomorrow.

Marie A.

The beginnings of the Marie A. portrait. Not much here to talk about yet but I like to see the images on the computer. It gives me a chance to take a step back and look at the image in a new light.

Latest progress

Changes in this painting are subtle. I have spent a lot of time looking and not much painting. I think soon it will be done. I am beginning a smaller painting featuring Marie A. and cake, champagne and gorgeous fruit. Lovely pinks and reds and a gentle blue. All of these works are for the Art of Food show the first of Feb. Can you tell I am down to the wire? I am firing as we speak. Lots of cookie jars and ice cream bowls. Big serving platters featuring Hilda...my own Martha Stewart in her fifties apron and sporting a flip or sometimes a ponytail. Usually on pieces with Hilda there is the saying, "cook with your heart. "
I am having a good time doing this show and hope that it is a hit.

Progress on the Still Life

I have been working slowly on the this painting because the oil is really thick and I like to let each layer set up a little bit. I worked on it a couple of hours this morning and really like the way it is beginning to take shape. There is a lot more to do but I am looking forward to the push pull of the process. It keeps my imagination going.

The Art of Food

I am doing a show at the Marshall Gallery in Febuary titled the Art of Food. This is one painting in preparation of that show. I just started it yesterday so it is in it's beginning stages and as you can see from the shine really, really wet. I am thinking the colors will stay pretty much the same but the texture will increase quite a bit. I'm excited to be painting again even if it is still not as much as I would like.

My Bounty

I am a shell seeker at heart. There is nothing better than sitting on a beach, wind whipping at your hair, sun bearing down and looking for shells. I was lucky this time and found many scallops mostly pink and purple but all pretty. I also found some rarer shells that are harder to find like whentletraps, babies ears and some small conchs. The super duper prize this time was the 2 sharks teeth that just seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Our little crackhead

We went to the beach this weekend and had a fabulous time. It was at least 70 degrees everyday and we frolicked in the sun....well, we lazily walked and read books in tank tops and shorts in the sun. I actually got a burnt nose much to my delight. We also were lucky enough to have a fastly made friend our seagull that we just had to name Crackhead. He approached us the first day we spread out our blankets on the beach asking for food. We were quick to give up triscuits, cheese doodles, green peppers, etc....until Will got the crazy idea to feed the gull squeeze cheese. I was against this of course, because of the fact that squeeze cheese is not cheese and I was wondering what a load of chemicals would do to the poor seagulls stomach. Will pointed out that they eat do french fries and seem to be thriving.
Well guess what?
He loved the cheese! Who wouldn't? I love squeeze cheese!
Well the next day guess who was waiting for us? Crackhead. He got the name because of the voracious way he ate the cheese and then begged for more. He also made quite a spectacle of claiming us as his humans by chasing off every other seagull and bird that came within 50 feet. He even got hold of the plastic bag that contained the squeeze cheese and dragged it across the sand trying to get at the crack ( s.cheese).
Well here he is! In all of his splendor eating said crack.
**** please note that no animals were harmed during our stay at Salter Path. We said a fond goodbye to Crackhead and he was flying after some other gulls who thought that they could encroach on his territory.

Largest Bunny Slipper Ever

I wanted to make these bunny slippers for my mother-in-law but I think I will have to give them to my husband. They are the largest bunny slippers ever. I didn't use the yarn suggested but compared the yarns and they seemed compatible. I knew as I was going along they would be big but these could easily fit any man. I think the pattern is a little off somewhere (Denise warned me
that her friends had problems) but they really are super cute and the next pair are easily fixed as I can adapt the pattern. I think these slippers will be very stylish on Will. I hope that he doesn't mind the bunny ears too much!

*** a little update on these slippers. They were too big on Will! Way too big! I almost think that the only person who will be able to wear them is Shaq or Micheal Jordon. Well I guess if they don't fit the student I asked to try them on, off they go to Micheal. Since he likes Carolina I guess I should send them to him. If anybody out there has really big feet or knows anyone with really big feet that wants a pair of bunny slippers just leave me a comment and they could be yours!

Hanging on a wire

I have just started making these bird pieces with birds on a wire. I can see a group of mourning doves sitting on a wire right outside my window. They always seem to be talking about very important buisness and i'm always wondering what it is they are saying.

Second hint

I wonder what those holes are for?

PSSST! Denise's first hint

This is Nese's tool for knitting and crochet.
This actually the back of it and I will be able to fire this weekend! So....... I might actually be able to have it finished by next week in time for a trip to the beach. On our way we will be passing through Raleigh and might be able to stop for a quick dinner with the infamous Miss Mouse....we'll see.
Hey Mouse make a guess!

Goodbye to Christmas

I wanted to put up a picture of our Christmas lights this year before we take them down. I have enjoyed them so much sparkling outside our window at night. I wish I could keep them up all year! But alas, they must go in their boxes for another spell until the Christmas time comes around again.

Secret Knitter's Present

I have been working on a secret for Miss Mouse's (aka Denise's) Christmas and birthday present and I have finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think as a prototype this will be a perfect addition for any knitter's tool chest...though it is probably too big to go in the chest.
I am making more for Nese's friends from the yarn shop to test. If they are liked and are something people think would be a hit I may make a bunch for different LYS's.
Have I got your curiousity up Miss Mouse? Well, you will just have to wait and see!
I may make it over to Raleigh to hang for a day and night if you want company in the next couple of weeks.
Until then.......

Fly Red Birds Fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Octopi, Flowers, and Porch

I am revamping some things in the house for Will's return and the biggest thing is the bathroom floor.
























I also repainted the porch railings and really like the way they look. I don't know if I should paint the top and bottom of the railing. Denise let me know what you think.
That's Henry our sweet black cat.

Lucy all tucked in a ready to go to sleep

Is this not the cutest picture ever?
Last night I tucked Lucy in and thought it was so cute I went to get the camera. Just as I snapped she yawned. She looks like a little fox in the bed. And the colors just show off her pretty fur. What a sweetie

Octopus

I am painting some octopuses...octopi on my bathroom floor. The inspiration is that beautiful yellow and blue french fabric called toile. I will probably paint two crazy octopi with their legs going up the walls in parts. I am very excited to see how it turns out.

Ball Tree

Outside the studio I have a crepe myrtle tree that I have started hanging clay balls in and I just love the way it looks. I also want to start a bottle tree in the front yard. The ones that they have in southern seaside towns that ward off evil spirits. They make the most beautiful sounds in the wind. Today I am off to my last show of the season and I am super excited! Yay for the end of a very tough season!

Carving Mitts

I made these mitts for carving. They are super warm and I just love the color.
I'm just excited I actually finished a project. I can't wait to try them out. They are perfect for keeping my hands warm in the cold studio while I am sitting and carving.

Lucky Lucky Potter

I went from making pots in my sweet, old, work horse Molly to.......




















being able to order this monsterous kiln twice it's size and with a computer to boot!
I am one lucky potter!

I
















See how happy this has made me. I can't wait to fire her. She doesn't have a name yet but I love her blue box. And she is so shiny and actually has a new kiln smell. I know there are potters out there who know what I am talking about. It is a lovely smell that hopefully I will be able to smell again in my life time.

Whooooo
Hooooooo!
I will be able to make twice as many pots!!!!!

Masks

I made a couple of masks for a donation to an arts auction and this is my favorite one. I am off to London today on this rain soaked day to see my love!
Will post from there.

Nature's Diamonds

On such a sad and unholy day I wanted to post pictures of nature at it's most wonderful self. Coming up with small gestures of beauty to surprise us just walking through the yard. Here, these mushrooms were behind a bush next to my mailbox. And the spider webs are on my bushes every morning when I wake up.

Jolly Roger

I am making the jolly roger sweater for Will for his London trip. This is the front of the sweater made in cheap polyester red heart yarn. I want to make sure the fit is exactly right before I use the lamb's pride yarn for the real sweater.
It is on order at the LYS anyway and hasn't come in yet.
I can't wait for him to see it. He is in Nanahayla for the week with some of his freshman students and I want to try and finish the sweater before he gets back for him to try on. I am taking the real sweater over when I go to London on Sept. 13th. SO....I spent most of today so far crocheting as fast as my fingers could fly instead of making pottery like I should be doing.
Tomorrow I am going to make the back and hopefully the 2 sleeves. I have to get into the studio today or my boss is going to kill me.

Dolls from Debbie Stollar's new crochet book

I recently was at Lake Ontario on vacation and made these cute dolls for my 2 little nieces Jayme and Kara. They loved them. Before I buy expensive yarn I always like to do a test in cheap yarn and these are made with the polyester red heart yarn from wal-mart. But I think they turned out super cute. And for little girls the yarn is perfect because it can go in the washer and dryer.