art in the next generation

Well this blog is not meant to be about proud mom posts, but i have been thinking about art and kids a lot lately and so couldn't resist this photo of my daughter showing off one of her paintings (ahem, rather "mixed media" pieces), which she hung in a local kids art show.

some days it seems so hard to find time or desire for any art, and some times it is the most important thing (don't you just love it when the first your toddler asks at 7 am is "can i do some painting" or "can i make some clay"?). How to strike the balance with all the other great things to fit into a day (like riding bikes, cooking, reading, swinging, swimming, playing, gymnastics, napping, running, jumping, singing, dancing, hide&seek, sorting buttons, giggling, climbing, telling stories, looking for animals, watching boats, kayaking, picking berries, gardening....sigh).

as parents who are artists, we try to consciously bring art into every day life. sometimes that simply means having art on the walls (which my sweetie regularly rotates around the house to keep things fresh, and to see how long it takes me top notice). sometimes that means painting, gluing, sewing, sculpting, cutting, experimenting, getting messy inside outside & all around the house. it makes one think about how to talk about art, what to do with it, why we make it, how it shapes us all from the very start. I'm not trying to mould N into an artist, but do hope she has an appreciation for it as she grows.

on pondering why i've taken to reading blogs, one great reason is how many fabulous craft & art ideas i get from other parents out there. so many people sharing their great artistic ventures & processes. i am thankful for that. and while there are many many great sites out there, one good compendium is the crafty crow.

fresh from the kiln

well it's always exciting to be experimenting with new ideas, trying to push the regular work a little further.
these are a couple of pieces i made the week after my workshop at MISSA (did I mention how great MISSA is? check it out!)
it looks a little rough, but will sort itself out with a few more attempts. definitely will be adding more colour! enjoying the paperclay i bought for course, although i find it a little tough to rewedge when it's not super fresh & of course would like it a darker brown. so will try out making some of my own using my lovely chocolatey clay body.
so these are after thinking of picture frames & ways to make texture. did these two "frames" with wheels of one tricycle & one kids bike.
let me know what you think!

taking time

well, about a month ago i was blessed with the opportunity to spend a week at the Metchosin International Summer School for the Arts (MISSA). Wow! a whole week just to make new objects, learn techniques, play, and visit with others potters and artists - how luxurious!

the course was hand-building with paper clay with Cory McCrory.here's one of Cory's fun pieces

 

the absolutely best thing i came away with was using lino cuts for surface texture. and i had the chance to sculpt, which i never do! most of the class worked on mermaids. i made a mermaid in a bathtub. what a challenge, but great to have Cory walk through the various stages and the things to think about. as i make largely functional pieces and some wall pieces, thinking in 3D was really fun.

naturally, a few days in, i started pondering if and how i would use these ideas in my own studio practice. finally in the last hours, as i worked on a teapot, it came it me. at least a place to start. will post images in days to come of the first pieces i have made and fired.

in the mean time here are some pieces i made on the first day. raw, then with underglaze. still need to take photos of the final products...

and here are a couple of the mermaid, raw (still haven't painted her yet!)

trying to stay connected

when i started this blog i thought, sure no problem, i'll be able to get on there "regularly"...
than life took some unexpected turns with family & health.
but managing to stay afloat, just not online...so much.
working away in the studio, with my studio helper and inspiration.
took a week long class (will write more on this to come, just need to load the photos from the camera) at fabulous MISSA and having fun trying out some new ideas...

and managed to post some pices back up on etsy. will endeavour to post something at least once a week. trying to get myself out there, out there, wherever that maybe or lead...