Cupcake Boxes Redux

Hoping to find some time soon to clean up the clay shed...

I want to enter a piece into the show at my neighborhood gallery. The theme for the upcoming member show is "What Nourishes?" I'm hoping to get my pie tower in as a late entry. Curse you evil influenza. I feel like I've been missing deadlines and jumbling things up after being knocked about and ill for so long. I might be able to sell these cupcake boxes in the gift room of the gallery. If not, I can always keep them to sell for later, if I get into Open Studios.

I hadn't made these in a while. So, it was fun to retrace the steps, and to try to remember the construction techniques...

Stamping cupcake bottoms first...

Beginning the lids with flanges, and drying them...

Shaping a few plates in between...

Letting the plates become sun kissed...

The beginnings look a bit crappy...

The cups will come off tomorrow night...

Had a little Easter treat for luncheon...

Facebook Free for One Whole Week

Result from a color search...

 Well, I've been Facebook-Free for just over a week. I realize that all of our online activity is subject to data mining. I started to realize that Facebook was closely controlling what I saw. I kept seeing the same pages and posts over and over. And, I wasn't seeing much artwork. Also, everytime that I looked at political or news-related posts, they were chock full of troll posts and commentary. And, I would feel my temper immediately rise, as though being provoked.

It's nice to be gone. I've started reading more. I've started sketching more. I've started thinking harder and deeper. And, I've started binge watching a bit, in order to compensate for my lack of dopamine. I've started looking at more artwork online. But, the most important thing, is that I'm starting to focus, without multitasking as much. I think that we have so many distractions that it's difficult to be mindful. I want to bring the same mindfulness and "flow" to my personal life, that I have in my clay shed. So far, so good.

Although I miss the connection with folks all over, Instagram still keeps me tethered to the ceramics world. But, it's just photos, no rabid opinions. No oversharing. There is mystery there. If you want to connect with me, send me an email, follow me on Instagram, or better yet, send me a gorgeous hand-lettered snail mail letter, with a decorative wax seal... Luddites Unite.

Sometimes a blackguard has a soft side...

Death by a Thousand Projects

Helped my sister clean out some mom drawers on Friday...

Tried to salvage some parent meditation bowls...

Put together a tower of pies...

Added some epoxy to make the dowel hold...

Glazed my class hamburger trades...

One is traditional, and one is a sea burger...

Found some college era journals under the daybed...

Had to take this bed apart...

The new bed should arrive on Sunday morning...

Paper Clay Eases Nervous Stress

Made a wonky compote...

And, some experimental bowls...

As well as a sloppy vase...

The weather is damp and freezing...

Sat doing lesson plans in the twilight...

Second Round of Tasty Treats

A dog and a cone...

This is the second round of student work...

Instead of trading cups this year, we're trading food...

Each student makes two treats...

Then, they can keep one and trade one...

The Silvas gave me some fresh eggs today...

Elenah made some french fries...

There were lots of ice cream sandwiches...

And, the Sandovals made me some spice cake...

We were inspired by Betty Spindler...

Dioramas at the Palo Alto Art Center

Love these metal sculptures near the library...

They are like giant verbiage rocks...

Very dark ring around the rosie...

Fending off the wolves...

Hybrid man...

Apocalyptic beauty salon...

Incredible detail...

Cityscapes within vintage electronics...

Loved the moon and the motel sign...

Dark and murderous tiny bubbles...

Awesome kid work throughout the halls...

Loving their shard piles...

Using it as landscaping...

Open Studios Application

I've got to start looking through some photos to add to my Open Studios online application. Since the application is due in April, and I usually make most of the work for my show during the summer, it feels like a retrospective. It's nice to browse old work, and to pick out some winners, ignoring the not-so-greats. I hope that I get in this year! And, it's time to start thinking about what I'll be making this summer, whether I get juried in or not.