A group of shorter pots with painted glaze, inspired by the landscape of Iceland.
attachment sculptures
Once more, with clay.
Taking the shapes from my Attachment collages and translating them into ceramic. Sending 15 tiny mountain pieces off to the kiln this week.
Yosemite National Park sketches on site
tall glacier inspired vessels
My quest to put paints & glazes in dialogue continues with these vessels inspired by the Iceland landscapes.
Below are images of the process & final results, along with a couple shots from Námaskarð (an area of bubbling geothermal mud pools near Lake Mývatn).
glaciers in oil
I had some old paintings stacked in the studio that were hideous. Really, quite bad. But I couldn't bring myself to throw away a decent stretched canvas, so I scraped them down (a bit), layered on a coat of titanium white, and threw down some glacier inspired shapes and colors. This weekend I layered on some darker shades and some are starting to come together alright. In a few, the texture of the old painting underneath works. In others, it looks stupid; I'll probably end up trashing those. Going to let them simmer for a bit and then go in for a third round next weekend. Regardless of whether any of them make it through the month, it makes my soul happy to be working with oils.
attachments
A batch of glacier-inspired paintings wasn't working for me. I revisited them a few times but they were exhausted and so was I. In a final effort to salvage the lines and colors, I cut them into components and assembled them into new works. These attachments are working much better now.
more landscapes
A typical studio flow:
laying out a grid of surfaces and working on them at the same time.
Usually one or two turn out right.
Here are some from this weekend. I will probably rework these but in the mean time, here they are in progress...
glaciers on paper
Sumi & acrylic inks layered for depth with a touch of pencil and oil pastels
mixed media on paper 22" x 36"
more iceland
Iceland is beautiful. I spent ten days there in July and couldn't wait to bring the colors, the light, the textures, the stories back to my studio. Last weekend, I finally had the time to do some painting. Here is a little of the process & a few of my favorites.
Fun fact #1 This 30 second timelapse represents something more like two hours
Fun fact #2 This footage was captured by taping my phone to the wall #lifehacks
iceland glaciers / block print workshop
Came back from Iceland, completely blown away by the landscapes -- especially the glaciers. Dark ash created lines, accentuated peaks and dips. Brought these to a woodblock printing workshop with Karen Gelardi, Anna Helper, and Megan Brady at Waterfall Arts in Belfast, Maine.
Below are some process pics and pieces from the workshop.
started off looking at photographs I'd taken & sketching shapes -- first on paper, then onto wood
sharing a very professional woodshop with Anna (this might actually be a bathroom)
the results of my first time using a jigsaw -- still have all 10 fingers!
first run through...
and with a second layer.
visit to Waterfall Arts
You'll be able to find Waterfall Arts; it's the building with a giant banner on it:
The banner was installed as part of SEESAW -- a collaborative show by Anna Hepler and Karen Gelardi (who is also my sister). This weekend, I went up to Belfast to participate in an artist workshop with them and help take down the show. Fortunately, the banner will stay up indefinitely, so if you are driving through midcoast Maine, you'll be able to find the building easily.
In case you didn't make it in person, here are some pictures of the show.
My interview with Mama's Gonna Make
How thrilled I am to be the first Maker featured in Mama's Gonna Make's Summer Maker Series! Click on over to read our conversation about creativity and crafting:
Angie is one of the most inspiring, thoughtful educators (and makers) I've met in California. She recently moved to Nevada and, while I miss having her around, it's been thrilling to watch her build and launch www.mamasgonnamake.com.
Her blog chronicles her journey merging her passion for crafting and making, her knowledge and skills around Early Childhood Education, and her new role as "mama" to an adorable little human. The content is humorous, honest, and beautifully designed. A great follow for caregivers and educators of young children.
You can also find Angie on Instagram @mamasgonnamake and Facebook.