so.. yeah. um.... it's been five and a half months

do you think that i will ever get into this regularly?  because i would very much like to.  

not to mention.... i was going to do a give-away when i hit 50 followers, and now i am at 63.  which is great!  except i haven't done my give-away yet!  grr...  so today i will gather a couple of goodies together and draw a name and we'll see who we get!  it will be good to cross that off the list!!

it was a crazy insane summer leading into a doubly insane fall.  the tea house is a busy place that consumes much energy and resources... and that is wonderful.  it also makes it a lot harder to be in the studio for any regular hours, and so my ability to work on artful things is pretty cramped and hindered by other responsibilities.  i don't say this to complain, but only to help me keep things in perspective.  like this blog :o)  i want to write regularly and i see it as something that will evolve....  but i need to be understanding enough with myself to see that there really hasn't been an opportunity for it to become a part of my routine yet.

Anywhoo...  i babble. 

when i have been in the studio, it has been great.... and as always i have so much fun working with the materials- whether it is clay, or paint or wood....   i was spending a lot more time painting through the spring and into the summer than i had in years, and that was feeling really good.  I am working with a friend on a book of prayers for   children, featuring my artwork, and it has come along really nicely.  hopefully we will get it fine tuned and off to a publisher soon.  We have a thumbs-up for the most part and now are just waiting to get it completely polished.  That will be fun to share with you when it is available.

Other than that, i spend time with my true love--- CLAY!  making lots of dishes and serving pieces as well as jewelry and buttons galore.  i have so many pieces to photograph and list on etsy and have been so busy running in different directions that i haven't had a chance to photograph and list them.  I just keep renewing items that are already there so i stay visible in the category... but i need to get listing some new items because i have so many fresh pieces just waiting in the wings!

Okay, well, i must get back to my house-cleaning - which is the task of the day (and much neglected of late.  the dust bunnies have morphed into something more closely resembling cattle, and i fear that my small children may be trampled if i don't take care of them)....  but i will leave you with a couple of photos of this and that...

hope you are all having a happy, cozy sunday.  i and i WILL be back again soon.  i promise. 
pinkie swear.

this is a painting/ clock that i did for a fundraiser held last moth for G-CAPP and an even that was held at Ikea here in Atlanta.

here are some of my leafy tapas plates getting ready to go out for a custom order.  i have some left that i will be listing as sets and individually in my etsy shop soon. 

magnetic bud vases-- all of these have been listed- chARiTyelise.etsy.com and a few of them are already gone... but there are some still for the taking.  They make such great stocking stuffers and teacher gifts, that i really need to get making more so that i can have a bountiful selection for the rest of my holiday shows.

okay-- that's all for now.  have a great day!





















  

bloggety blogging.....

...is so hard for me!!  but i really want to get better at this!!  ....  i am so inspired by people who post regularly- and interesting, thoughtful things....  i feel like i spend so much time running around like a chicken with my head cut off, that sitting down to write about it seems like a waste sometimes.  but i really want to cultivate the regularity of it and make it a habit for myself.   so- don't give up on me y'all!  i have a lot to say..... i just need to remember what it was!!  hehe.

in other news, i got out of town for a few days last week.  it was a much needed and very appreciated time away from my day to day, and a renewing and invigorating opportunity to be with other artists and people who appreciate the arts, at a wonderful conference in Pensacola, Florida.  The conference is called, "Wings to the Spirit", and aims to explore, among other things, the relationship between art and our spirits.  There were a number of wonderful presenters and workshops...  One of my favorites was a talk given by a wonderful, and very well known Canadian painter named Sasha Rogers.  SashaRogers.com  who also happens to be the daughter of another painter who i love named Donald "Otto" Rogers.  Her work is evocative of great landscapes and expansive vistas, but none of it is painted from landscape....  she talks a lot about her work describing the "place-less" and as an exploration of light and the spaces in between....   this is a terrible summation of her work, and she describes it all so brilliantly and articulately....  (you can read more about her work on her wonderful website).  I was inspired, not only by the works themselves, but the way she spoke about them, her process and the things that are the most rewarding about others experiencing her work.  The people who buy and live with her enormous, incredible paintings, often come to her telling her that they sit with their coffee in the morning and look at the painting... and that it is sort of a meditation for them that helps them start their day in a wonderful way.....  or that, when they come home and sit and experience the image that it calms and soothes them; helps them to find peaceful places within themselves.  She said that this type of feedback is the highest compliment that she can receive.

It got me to thinking more about why i do what i do and make what i make.  It is not a new question that i posed to  myself, i think about these themes often...  but since i have been doing more painting of late, and was getting ready for an exhibition at the tea house...  i found myself thinking again about my artist's "statement"....  which i have never really formalized into something that is typed up and printed out for anyone to read....  i have always found myself sort of stumped by what to say, and feeling like what i make is too "all over the map" to describe or talk about in any kind of tidy or succinct way; so i always veer away from trying  to describe it too much.  Anyway, i have been thinking about it more and more and what i feel about it right now is that my own work is very much about joy.  Joy that i feel from the process of creating it, joy as the "stuff" from which it is inspired... and joy as the hopeful outcome and experience for other people.  For me, one of the highest compliments that i ever receive about any of my work is that it brings other people joy; that they are happy when they see it, or use it- or give it as a gift.  There are other ideas and themes that i like to explore and that i could talk about here, but i will save that for another post.... because what it all boils down to right now, as i think about it, is this theme.  JOY.

well....  that's all for now.  heading into the studio for a few precious moments to see what i can come up with.  joyfully!

yellow butterfly

one year ago today my best friend's father passed away.  He was like a second father to me and i loved him as if he were my own daddy.  (and i still do).  i was with him when he passed, along with so many of his dear loved ones.  For days we surrounded him with prayers and love- for him, for one another.... and with song-- one of the languages he spoke so well.  and our hearts broke and simultaneously rejoiced as he slipped from this life into the next; no longer plagued by his pain.... the spring trees were bursting with blossoms and the birds were singing with all of their hearts; yellow butterflies flitted between the trees and flowers and Danny's soul departed from his body as we sang him home.


I think about him almost every day.  His  life example inspires me and spurs me on to be better and greater, more patient, more loving, to work for unity and peace and create work which makes others happy.... which may, in some way, inspire someone else.  Thank you Danny for your love in this world.  i feel your spirit whenever the wind blows.

27 followers!

thanks guys!  yay! i am more than half-way to my first goal of 50 followers!  thank you so much- i appreciate your being here!  i am working on a few things right now to make part of the surprise package when i reach my first 50 followers, and i will post a picture soon of the actual contents of the box!  for now, it is back to the studio to finish up this mug order, glaze some earring components, work on some paintings, do some paperwork and catch up on some other orders.  oh- and list some more pieces in my shop  --like  this one 

 Have a great day all! thanks again for being here!

hi there!

hey there!  just checking in to say hello and that i have not forgotten this little blog!  i have been sick with the cold that never ends for a couple of weeks now and i am finally on the mend.... but nursing a bit of a head-ache today....  that, coupled with the gray and rain today sort of make me want to just drink peppermint tea and curl up with a good book.  Alas, i am fasting and there will be no tea for me until after sunset and i have approximately 19,000 things on my to do list, and so i don't have the luxury of doing much relaxing today. 

i pulled a fairly good sized mug order out of the kiln the other day and was so relieved to have it out of the way, as it had been hanging over my head for much too long.  The mugs were picked up and the check was written and then i got a phone call; "The mugs are too small".  all of them.  and so i need to re-do them all.  harumph.

but i did pull some other sweet things out of the kiln that are colorful and springy and now i need to take a bunch of photos....  but let's see if i can find a picture to share with you for now, before i head back into the garage to throw some bigger mugs.  ugh.

   totally unrelated to the post above....  these are some little magnets i made about 2 years ago.... i am thinking of making some more.....

and these little flower components...  because they are so bright and cheerful

and i am so eager for spring!

where have you been all my life?!?!?

OMG.  i never really say that.  but it kind of makes me laugh.... and it did seem sort of appropriate right now because i am sooooo excited!!  so- OMG!!!  PRECIOUS METAL CLAY--- where have you been all my life???  my friend Molly, of Rockwater Glass, here in atlanta, gave me a little package of this stuff to play with a couple of months ago... and then she fired it for me and it went for a little tumble in her rock tumbler the other day.... i used a silver tarnish on one set of beads- just experimenting, and the other pendant and beads i left in their super, shiny, fresh from being tumbled state--- and i am IN LOVE!!!  these photos aren't the best, because i have missed the best light of the day and am taking these in the office with very poor light--- but i was just too excited to show them off to wait for the correct lighting!!

i think i am going to have to keep these for myself.  Then again, i always say that, and somehow, i always end up selling the things i like the most.  I guess i will just have to make more!!  my head is swimming now and i can't wait to get  my hands on more of the stuff!!!

 

  

  

 

i can't wait to try something else!!  look out for these 

and forthcoming pieces in my my etsy shop soon!

woot!

so i am up to 20 followers now!!  thanks guys and gals!!  now that i know that SOMEone is reading this blog (besides my mom) i am inspired to write more often, share more information and do some fun give-a-ways and things of that nature!  SOOOOO..... i have set a goal for myself...  to get 50 followers!  of course, ultimately i would like more than fifty followers :o)  - but for the time being, that seems like a doable and realistic goal to shoot for in the next months.   When i reach 50 followers, i am going to do a fun give away....  a little care package of sorts....  a little jewelry something, maybe a mug and some magnets or something of that nature-- a little assortment of fun goodness!!   when the number reaches 50, i will print out everyone's names on paper and do a good, old fashioned drawing from a hat! (or maybe i will use a bowl-  but you catch my drift!)  and then i will announce the winner and send them their goodies! 

In the next week or so, i will draw together the things to be included in the giveaway and then share some photos with you!  so, spread the word!  this blog is going to get bigger and better!  stick around!!

a little teaser.....  sample mug and earrings.....  

something like what you might get if you are the lucky winner!

piles of possibilities

i often like to take pictures of materials, tools and unfinished work even more than finished pieces!  To see the mounds of pendants, beads, buttons and other components grow before my eyes as they wait for their bisque firing is so much fun!  i thought you might get a kick out of seeing some of the yummy little things waiting to go into the kiln this week!  ...along with a big custom mug order.... that i need to get back to right now!  ...cause i am running late, and only 22 minutes left with the babysitter here!!  gotta run!

 

can't wait to see these bathed in color!

 

the lighting is a bit different here.....  

 

buttons, and pendants and earrings- oh my!!

front page news!

it isn't too often that i get featured on etsy's front page, so when i do, i do a little happy dance! (insert happy dance here!!).... check it out!

playing catch-up

The thing about having two full time jobs- in addition to being a mom to two small children, is that you are never, EVER caught up!  Work for the tea house- the fabulous- you must visit and/ or buy some tea- tahCha.com has been keeping me most busy for the last few weeks, and i have only been able to dabble in the studio....    yesterday i was finally able to get in there and do some much needed cleaning-- so at least this lays the groundwork to be able to begin working in there again!!  additionally, i took about 700 photographs (well, probably more like 300) and then uploaded and edited them on the computer.... (you can't sell your work online unless you take pictures of it!).  Today i hope to list a few of these newly photographed things...  but it remains to be seen whether time will allow.  The children will be back soon and then there is the business of feeding and bathing them.  i just made them dinner last night, for crying out loud!  why do they have to eat every night?!  (of course, i am just joking here.    mostly anyway).   Otherwise, the rest of the afternoon will be spent in the garage continuing to throw mugs and yunomi for custom orders, the tea house and my dwindling selection on etsy.

Here are a few pics of some of the things i was photographing yesterday and hope to list soon.

 

I just realized that i had not yet listed anything in my shop with this design...  People at my shows buy them all up!  

starting to get some spring fever i must say....  these pendants

are awfully fun- and so very springy!!

are you sensing a theme here?  i love the bright colors on these rainy days!

here are a group of them together.

Some of these little cuties will  be listed here soon--- so come and visit and check out what i have going on in my little corner of etsy! 

getting back to work

The holiday season, family obligations and the business and "busy-ness" of the tea house have kept me from being in the studio very much, and from being able to list new things on etsy.... all great reasons, but still a little frustrating....  largely because i have so many pieces ready to go that are just waiting to be photographed, or worse yet- have ALREADY been photographed and are just sitting and twiddling their thumbs waiting to be shared with the world!  not that there are too many people waiting with bated breath to see what's coming out of the studio....  but anyway....

so today, after a phenomenal business meeting with my partner and a woman with whom we may work in some capacity (more cannot be divulged at this point...  but it is exciting stuff), i picked up my littlest one, played on the playground a bit and then took her out to lunch.  That was a rare treat as we don't get too much one on one quality time any more, and she was delighted by the opportunity to be with mama for a little while before she went to her grandparents for the day.  i was delighted too!  upon my return home and after certain domestic chores involving dogs and taking out garbage etc...  i finally got out to the garage to work on some mugs for an order that i got a few weeks back.  I threw a few pieces but then had to take a break because my clay is not as nice and soft as i like it to be for throwing, and i wasn't coming out with forms that i loved...  so here i am; thought it would be a nice chance to check in with this blah-blah-blog and say hello.  maybe i'll mist the clay and wrap it up for tomorrow.  I have a couple of paintings in the works that i could spend some time on instead.

here are the first few strokes on a canvas that i worked on throughout my show last month

 color number two introduces itself... a nice warm ochre...

mmhmm... let's get some red in there...

bringing in the green...

okay- this is starting to get fun!

a detail of what is starting to happen....

now we're getting somewhere.

almost finished....

detail of almost finished painting

 

 

all done!

this and other paintings will be on display at tahCha tea house in an upcoming show...  i'll keep you posted with details of the event and the opening reception.

this painting measures 2 ft by 4 ft and is painted in a combination of acrylics and oils.