Wearable Art for the Artist in you
Grenville lives in the forest. He is seldom seen as he hides away when humans come near. If he is surprised he stands very still and is often mistaken for a tree. He protects the animals in the forest and is the only dragon known as a vegetarian, he loves to eat mushrooms and often digs for truffles.
Spent a lot of time away this past year, but we are back now. During this time I came across some books by Naomi Novik and Anne McCaffrey wonderfully inventive stories featuring dragons. These dragons are able to talk and communicate well with humans, and seem more like the folk lore we read from Asia, where the dragons are good luck and help humankind. These books have inspired us (us being my husband Robert and me) to use polymer and other materials to make some dragons of our own. Hope you like them.
First snow this morning, heading to the gym it was cold at 6:30 a.m. It always looks so lovely, but I wish we could only have snow at the end of the year, and perhaps a little in January, then Spring. I have been experimenting with different shapes, some necklaces and have now just begun to work on a small dragon. I still love the dragons, but they take quite a long time with all the multiple firings.
Texture and light, blues that glow and reflect the light. This morning was cool, a beautiful fall day. Sunlight streaming in by my windows, early morning sounds, so familiar.
The polymer polka expresses the movement I see in the pieces, I especially like to have my work a little off balance, not exactly in line. Movement always fascinates- the leaves rustling in the trees, water flowing and tumbling over the rocks, the swish of skis in the snow, and the movements we make to the rhythm of music. Art also has its own rhythm, the time of day, the sound the material makes in your hands, the rasp of sandpaper, the whir of the convection oven while my pieces bake, all are music to my ears. Sometimes the music is very good, and if it becomes discordant I file the piece it in the trash and start over.
Being an artist, and living with an artist makes me feel very privileged. I spend each day doing what I love to do. Every morning brings a new thought, a new form to work on and new colors to mix. It keeps my mind and my hands busy all day. At times my studio is so messy it is a wonder I can find anything, when I am working hard I seem to leave stuff around, but finally I clean it all up when I am starting a new project. Its a great way of life, suits me!
This past summer I was lucky enough to take a couple of workshops with Kathleen Dustin, one of the foremost Internationally known Polymer Clay Artists. I took the Unusual Purses, and Large Hollow Beads. Quite an experience, with 25 fellow artists from all over the U.S. and Canada. Four intense days, I came home impatient to try out what I had learned. Below my two purses I thought it would be easier than it was, but I did survive! Interesting how a room full of creative people feed off each others energy, especially with Kathleen Dustin pushing us on. This year Kathleen is showing her purses at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Next year she is coming to Montreal to give two workshops sponsored by our Guild. 
Spent most of the day yesterday working on a necklace with a very large focus piece, and made many small beads to complement it. Looks okay, but haven’t had time to photograph it yet. The piece below is about 3″ wide by 2″ high, and is one of the latest pieces I have been making in the Corners and Curves series.
It was so hot yesterday that I was happy to be working in my basement studio, stayed lovely and cool. Had to chase a spider out the window and clear off a web before opening the window. Earlier in the morning when watering the garden I tried to wash down a web on our garden swing chair, it wouldn’t break, had to use a stick to remove it. Too bad they haven’t come up with a way of using spider webs for a strong material.
I changed the title this morning, but left my tagline, I think that wearable art is a good tag line, as that is what I create. It amazes me to see how many colors can blend and change in my hands as I work the clay, much more interesting than other materials. Guild meeting this evening, we will be discussing the schedule for the coming year, lots to do after such a wonderful summer.
