Magic in the Park

I've been pretty busy lately.  I would like to say that I have been super, crazy busy but I don't think that I am being that efficient with my time.  Either that or I have unrealistic notions of just how much I can fit into each day.  Or it might be that I spend too much time surfing the internet.  Hmmm...   Anyway my grad school applications are coming along nicely and I have gotten the worst part of it out of the way.  I have been making work to add to my portfolio and I have been editing images so that I can update my website. Since I have been spending a lot of time in either a dark room in front of the computer or in my basement studio I decided that I absolutely HAD TO get out of the house and out from under the trees and get into some the wide open space with sunlight.  Of course I had to grab my camera just in case.

I headed up to Upper Bidwell Park which is one of my most favorite places to go.  It always holds some kind of magic for me no matter when I go.  But this time was a special treat.  I'm not sure that I have been there before when the leaves are changing.  It was absolutely gorgeous there this afternoon.  Everything had that special glow about it.  I really felt like I had entered into some kind of fantasy realm.  Everything was entrancing. I was only going for a short drive through the park but it ended being a three hour walking photo shoot.  It was very relaxing and inspiring and now I feel like I need to go back everyday, all day.  Sigh, too bad other things have to get done.  Maybe I'll bring some of these colors into my work?  I have to justify more research, you see.

Oh the enchantment of it all.  I'm kind of lazy when it comes to writing creatively although I do have my aspirations.  This makes me want to sit down and write poetry.  I love the images but they don't recreate the smells and sounds like the hawk talking or the owl hooting or the silent, delicate flight of the bats skimming over the lake.  I didn't want to leave but the sun was going down and it was getting dark and colder by the creek so I decided I would end my adventure and try to get back home and back to work.  But this is what I found when I got back to my car...  And that meant I had to stay for another hour.  Smile.

 

 Yes, a truly delightful day!

Fall Pottery Mugs

Fall is finally in the air here in Northern California.  We went from 98 degrees on Saturday to 78 degrees on Sunday.  My hands, nose and toes are cold as I sit here typing.  I could put on a sweater but I am kind of reveling in the new sensation.  It is supposed to go back up to 90 today so we are still in the fluctuating stage.  Leaves are falling from the trees and things are just beginning the change from green to oranges, reds and rust colors.  To celebrate the season I am listing new mugs to my Etsy shop.  Enjoy!

Another Etsy Treasury

 

I have been getting into a lot of Etsy treasuries lately.  This is a really nice fall themed one by Caitlin Sainio.  Besides playing around working with my Etsy shop I have been busy getting ready for BFA open studios the end of October.  I have about 4 or 5 different projects underway.  I have slip cast pieces, platters for decoration with terra sigillata and mishima, and thrown forms to assemble into sculptures.  Right now I am working on how to get them all to look like a cohesive body of work which I think I will do using the biomorphic imagery that I am so interested in.  Keep your fingers crossed that i will remember to take my camera so I can get picks for everyone:)  Have a great hump day!

P.S.  My piece is the Tomato Red Vase,  just in case you were wondering.  Peace.

Fall Chestnuts

 

Well, you know fall is here when the chestnuts start popping out of these ridiculously menacing seed pods.  I dare you to pick one of them up!  Ah, the squirrels are so happy.  All the nuts, pecan, almond, walnuts are ripening and the critters are harvesting for the winter.

 

Here are my slip castings in progress.  Right now I am making a bunch of forms and storing them damp so that I can decide how I want to put them all together.

Here are some of the forms that I did bisque before I decided to wait on that.  I have been moving them around in different configurations to see how I like them.  These have wholes in the back so that I can mount them to the gallery wall.  I will be using these for my BFA culminating exhibition in the Spring.  I'm a little anxious and a little excited all at the same time.  Wait, make that a lot anxious and a lot excited!  Phew.