STILL HERE

It's been awhile since I've made time for my blog.

Almost a month I believe.

Life just got busy with senior letters of recommendations,

progress reports,

decorating, shopping & wrapping Xmas presents,

sickness and still going to work (and probably containinating my students),

Xmas parties & hosting,

engagement party for my son,

and our newborn grandson Anthony in the hospital for 5 days.

But we all are better and rested and I'm back to work.

Thank you all for your concern and emails.

I'm starting this New Year with illustrator and textile artist Grace Forrest.

You can find her under Artists I Follow and she is a frequent contributor to this blog

with her insightful comments,

and a great supporter of Whitney High's art students.

I teach with several of her works I have purchased over the years 

when I do my Slow Stitch and Art Quilt Units.

She moved from New Mexico to Northern California this past year

and just went thru that horrible Paradise Fire that came within 3 miles of her home and animals.

She took the time to write to me during this time 

to let me know that one of the things she packed into her car to rescue during the fire

was the special little ceramics pot she bought from my student Sarah Oh.

That touched my heart in such a big way that I wrote to Sarah to let her know.

She was as moved as I was and probably dropped Grace an email.

Last Xmas Grace had commented on the tiny Porcelain Plates that I had made & featured 

for my school staff and how much she liked them.

So what you are seeing is one of the two plates I had saved for myself.

I wanted Grace to have it,

 and I was able to get it into the mail before Xmas was here.

Included in the mailing box was a wonderful illustrated card I had gotten at Taproot.

It's how I think about Grace as she moves thru the forest with her animals.

I also wrapped the tiny box which held the plate with a bit of handspun yarn from Mohair goats

which I know are near and dear to Grace.

This particular piece was made with several of the cut off porcelain pieces from the other plates 

that I didn't have a heart to throw away. 

So I just kept stacking and overlapping them on top of themselves,

gave them a couple of rolls with a rolling pin,

and used my mom's antique pattern sewing wheel to decorate the surface with,

plus a tiny stamp I had made with a seed pod.

I love that Grace now has it among her treasures.

I'm guessing it measured all of 1 3/4" by 3 1/2 ".

Very tiny with a bit of ceramics watercolor and Transparent glaze over top.

Enjoy  Grace!

Happy New Year All! 

ONE MORE NEW ASSIGNMENT

I have often admired and collected other Ceramic artist's workss.

Last school year while visiting my son and his fiance',

they took me to a very special Native Plants garden in Sun Valley, 

called the Theodore Payne Foundation

where in their gift shop I found the most delicate nature inspired Porcelain plates.

Immediately I thought my students could make these.

Of course I had to buy one for myself  :)

They became a very popular new assignment for my Ceramics I students.

First I had them collect small dried leaves, twigs, bugs and flowers

 and press them into the bottom of clay stamps we made.

We weren't able to pull them out of the clay before I fired them 

because as the clay dried it shrink around them,

so I loaded the stamps into the kiln

 and the nature parts burnt away as the stamps went up to 1800 degrees,

bisque temperature.

In fact,

they were so much fun that I made a few myself for Xmas gifts for the staff in the office.

The largest one abovewas probably only 3" by 3".

The longest next to it 5" by 2".

A close up below.

I cranked these out one afternoon after school,

and needed about 20ish to account for breakage and chipping.

Plus I wanted to keep one for myself  (above right).

One of my custodians walked into my room when I was making them 

and put dibs on the center elongated one in the top photo.

The smallest,

 after shrinkage were these two end pieces above,

about 1 1/2" by 1 1/2".

I had so much fun working in the Porcelain,

 especially so small and with such thin slabs.

After they were bisqued fired I had the help of one of my talented T.A.'s last year,

Lynette Lee,

 who applied most of the ceramic watercolors in the center areas.

Then they were dipped into our Transparent glaze and fired to 2150 degrees.

Soon I will post the gorgeous pieces the students made,

so STAY TUNED!!