Monday, June 15, 2009

I'm so exicted I can hardly sleep!

I've seen some gorgeous enameled pieces lately and this is a class I seriously wanted to take. Torch-firing seemed like a 'too good to be true' thing since I really didn't want to add one more piece of equipment to my collection and [duh] I do have torches already. When this basic class was offered at The Lux Gallery in Lincoln, I jumped on it and boy! am I glad I did! This sweet little skill set will open up a world of color to my work and I can hardly wait for the UPS man to deliver my little box of enamel powders.

You can tell by this photo that I'm clearly bad at it at this point. Really bad. However, now that I have a few of the processes in mind along with a couple of textbooks coming soon, I can start working on refining my techniques and getting a bit more consistency going. A LOT more consistency.

Too, I cannot wait to work this enamel into my designs. The color possibilities alone are mind-boggling not to mention the little twists and secret stuff. Those of you who already know how to work in enamel have my admiration!

I wish I'd taken photos of some of the other practice pieces that my fellow students were working on - it became apparent that even though we were all being taught the same thing, we all brought a different 'artist's hand' to the process. Neat stuff.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Breathing room . . .

The banner for Midwest Market group on 1KM inspired me to post this pic of the view from my backyard. Without a doubt, I think this part of the 'fly-over' areas of the US is the world's best kept secret. Typically, I don't like to read artists' statements that describe how they're "inspired by nature" in their work because I think it sounds like something they think an artist ought to say. A bit pretentious and contrived.
For me, it's simply breathing room.