I started to glaze some of the work for a show in April. Yet, it's with trepidation. Curse you, Covid. Do I think that the show will actually happen? I need work in case it does. Then, there's the other question. Will anyone want this work? That, I can't afford to worry about. I never know what people will like. I can wonder, but I can't worry (for long). So, I started digging in, and glazing these wall plaques. There is a lot to do. The next kiln load is full of more bisque, and pieces with the first layers of color. This firing will set the initial color. And, it will also bring more work to "colorize".
Today, I made some wall boxes. Just trying to stay busy! Just trying to stop thinking about the insurrection. And, I received a surprise present from the lovely McDougall family.
There is a show in April at the Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery. It is the amazing "Takeaways" show, where patrons can purchase work, and take it with them. If you've ever bought work at an art gallery, you know that that's unusual. Normally, art pieces get a red dot sticker, and you cannot take your purchase home until the show has properly ended.
Hopefully, we'll have Covid on the run by April. Hopefully, I'll get all of this Winter Break work glazed in time...
I tried to keep my mind off of current events, by getting out into the shed to finish off my shrines. I really wanted to curl up into a ball. But, all of the boxes were firming up after being built yesterday. There was no choice. Work. Make.
You know how I feel. But, I want to clearly state that if the president and his enablers (including the senators and representatives who challenged the vote certification) get through this unscathed, then our democracy is doomed. There have to be consequences. As a classroom teacher, I can tell you, that consequences have to be enforced. If they aren't, the undesirable behavior will continue. And, not only will it continue, it will escalate.
I listened to an interview with a Turkish journalist. She said that she had witnessed many coups, and attempted coups. She said that no matter how ridiculous the people wearing buffalo horns, and waving confederate flags looked, they must be dealt with firmly. I am currently writing to my representatives, expressing my firm desire for impeachment. And, I'm trying to block out the image of Lindsay Graham, clutching his pearls, after having telephoned election officials in Georgia. This is a huge wake-up call, America.
Thank you Mitt Romney for your comments last night. Truth is the way. Also, thank you Seth Meyers. I have survived this past year because of "A Closer Look".
I've been working on several projects simultaneously, in order to stave off worries about our democracy being dashed to pieces. My utility/mud room has needed a fresh lick of paint. It's the last room in the house to get the upgrade. Unfortunately, it's a room with a lot of artwork. There was a great deal of spackle required, and prep work. Thank heavens for Winter Break!
This morning, I woke up worrying about Ted Cruz at about 4 a.m. So, I got up and started finishing some paintings that have been languishing in the study closet. But, I also needed to start some shrines for an upcoming show in April. Maybe tonight, I'll get the Laundry Lair put back together!
I had a fun day, playing around with some more wall plaques. I made some cameo plaques. And, I noodled around with more dimensional forms. Tomorrow, I will put the rim around the backs that will hopefully prevent cracking. The rim also holds the wall hanging wire. Today, I listened to a new book called "The Indigo Girl" by Natasha Boyd. It is a fictionalized account of the life of Eliza Lucas Pinckney. When I read that George Washington requested to be a pallbearer at her funeral, I knew I had to know more...
This was the first day back in the clay shed in quite some time. I finally finished listening to "Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens. Today, I was listening to "Inside of a Dog" by Alexandra Horowitz. Winston hung out in the shed with me, as usual. There was a lengthy discussion about dog breeding, and about wolves. Also, the hostility of dachshunds was mentioned, much to my amusement. So, I decided to make some dog wall plaques. I also made a few more of the holiday plaques. Maybe they can celebrate Valentine's Day. I wanted the doggie and kitty plaques to look childlike. I will glaze in the details later. I was inspired by some brooches that I've been seeing lately in my researches. I hope they turn out!
My dog, Percy, was sprayed by a skunk again the other night. And, this morning, he went outside and rolled around in the skunk scent on the back lawn. After spending the afternoon in the clay shed, I can definitely say that the skunk sprayed all around it. It smelled like burning piles of tires. I keep washing the scent off of Percy, but he seems to enjoy it. I think that a good rainstorm might be in order!
I think that one of the saddest outcomes of the past four years is the idea that everyone deserves to "speak his or her truth". I work with children. They are the only ones with thoughts that interest me. When they speak their truth, it is amusing. They have no filter. A nation of adults has been unleashing "truths" for several years now. Let's put the genie back in the bottle. Let's rekindle the mystery.
You don't believe in science, that doesn't matter. Weigh in anyway. Tell everyone about vaccines. You want to insult complete strangers, go for it. It is only fair that we all know exactly what you're thinking. Let your racist or sexist flag fly.
The notion of civility is in tatters. We have listened to continuous lying for so long, that honesty seems refreshing. I contend that lying is disrespectful. But, I contend that unbridled honesty can also be disrespectful. I remember when my dad referred to a woman at church as a "bag of wool". My dad was a shepherd as a young man. He thought that this woman's figure was pudgy, and felt that he needed to comment. Guess what? He didn't. An elderly man insulted me on social media yesterday. I looked him up. He was a former soldier, proud of his military service. Supposedly a highly disciplined individual. I wondered if he would have said the same rude comments to me in person, if we were face to face. Probably not. The anonymity of social media seems to breed the worst kind of behavior.
We can bring back civility as a societal norm. We can be more thoughtful. We can treat strangers with kindness, despite their political leanings. It is not our place to judge our fellow men. We never know the whole story.
When someone does or says something stupid, I can choose to ignore it. And, I can hope that the same courtesy will be extended to me for my stupidity...
