Cancelled Plans

I was invited to visit the Tamara de Lempicka show at the deYoung Museum today, but one of my friends had to work. He was probably pretty sad about being on duty during the busy holiday weekend. I felt bad for him the entire day. So, we're all going to go later, during my school winter break.

I used the day to make wall boxes for some members of my creche sheep family. I had a good week off from school, and made some woodland themed work. Looking forward to spending time with Grant, Susie, and Tamara soon!  

 

Busy Working.

During the past couple of weeks, I've been busily making with wet clay. Despite the cooler temperatures in the clay shed, I've been able to get work done. Now, here's hoping that the work will be able to dry completely, in this damp weather... The donuts and pills are for my medicine cabinet. The birdie boxes are replacements for damaged boxes. I've also made some candleholders. Fingers crossed for the weather to warm up a smidge!

 

Holiday Wall Plaques.

I worked on these at the end of the summer. But, I'm finally getting around to glazing them now. The prototype had a salmon colored glaze on the exterior. I changed it to gray after the salmon had been fired, and I like it much better. Some of the salmon is still ghosting through. But, during Thanksgiving Vacation, I can try to get cooking on glazing all of them. 

Maybe if I get a few glazed each evening before Winter Break, I'll finish, and get them mailed off to friends and family. Fingers crossed. 

 

Ouch.

This particular kiln firing had some peculiar results. I was quite pleased with how much of the work fired. But, the tree stumps vitrified a bit too much on the exterior bark. Also, the small stump that was supposed to fit under the glass dome didn't shrink enough. It doesn't fit. Off by a whisker.

I like the way that the pills turned out, and now I'm mulling over coating the capsules with clear glaze. The donuts vitrified weirdly too. So, back to the drawing board. I only want the frosting to be glossy. The part that vitrified stuck to the kiln shelf. And, while trying to sand it off of the shelf, I split my index finger open quite deeply. My kitchen looked like a crime scene, because it bled a great deal. I only have novelty bacon bandaids, so they had to do. Today, the finger is still sore.

 

Stick a Fork in Me.

Well, the election is over. A criminal is now our chief law enforcement officer. I can't be an art teacher, and a felon. But, it's different when you're the president.

Here are some things that I will be doing:

1.  I will no longer watch any news programs, except for "A Closer Look". I have already eliminated most news related posters on Instagram and Facebook.

2.  I will no longer look at or listen to our leader.

3.  I will work to figure out how to help immigrants, when he sets up the internment camps. I will protest, and will actively protect those people facing deportation.

4.  I will no longer recognize myself as an "American". That label no longer serves my interests.

5.  I will think of my house, and my tiny plot of land as my own country.

6.  I will listen to music in the mornings, instead of to the news.

7. I will cultivate my creativity through using a sketchbook, reading, listening to more audiobooks, and making art.

8. I will boycott companies that enabled this presidency.

9. I will meet up with others, to work on resistance.

I have been busy making art in my classroom. This portrait is done in the Fayum style. And, I've been busy exploring what it means to get older. My medicine cabinet was going to be just for donuts. But, now I've expanded it to show dental issues, painkillers, and pain ointment. I'm looking forward to firing the glaze kiln tomorrow night! The neuropathy, arthritis, vertigo, and joint pain continues on...