Viva la Art.... but not so much for the kiln.

Once more the kiln is out of commission. This makes the second time this year. The darn thing apparently won't "shut off" even after the kiln sitter has flipped down.

I know... I was confused, too.

Anyways, while I'm on hiatus, the board at the art league I work out of will be voting on using emergency funding to purchase a used kiln off of another board member's Aunt. I also inquired with this board member that if the board voted down the request, then I myself would personally buy the kiln and house it at the Art League for their use until I get my own studio. Win-win for them either way.

But, either way, they need one. I will be teaching some ceramic classes come spring time, as we have been receiving a lot of requests for adult clay classes.

I am excited for what the Houston House Arts Center will be doing for 2012. We're pretty much revitalizing the way we do classes, and are adding more events to our agenda in hope of gaining members, and having more outreach to the community.

There has been talk about one of the closer Arts Centers a county over possibly closing up shop due to lack of funding, which makes me extremely sad. I say, if you have to teach painting out of a shack, then do so. Arts in the community is so important, especially to children and young adults who cannot receive the freedom to express creativity with the watered down school art class agendas. Not to mention many schools have cut their art programs all together, because of financial issues.

I didn't mean for this entry to turn so sappy, or political, but I stand highest for arts, because promoting creativity in the young minds of today equals a future of innovation, and different thinking. It means the difference from followers, and creators.

The last thing I would want in life is to be stagnant, and be around stagnant people.

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Back to ceramics.... I have some really nice pieces made up from Mayco, which will be glazed this week! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to see the final product!

Down Time: Inspiration Time

With the kiln temporarily out of business. All you can do is surf the interwebs, and be inspired, but other’s works. It’s nice, because it gives you some time to prep for what you need to work on, and also learn new ideas to test out.

I have a lot of things happening this summer that are keeping me anxious. In July the husband and I will be adventuring out to the wide open West. Well, we’re going to Amarillo, TX anyways, to visit my Grandparents who are in need of a long overdue visit. This will mostly be a bigger adventure for my husband, who has really never been out west. I can’t say that the Vegas strip counts. So, he is in for a very, very, VERY long drive.

Since my Grandparents are so close to New Mexico we have decided to adventure over to Santa Fe, and up towards Taos for the week. I can’t really tell you how excited I am about this, because I don’t think words can describe. I hope to check out the Georgia O’Keefe museum, and the New Mexico Folk Art museum and Folk Art Market. I’m REALLY crossing my fingers that I can come by some cool day of the dead goodies to bring back home.

Though it’s not highly seen in my pottery, I have a lot of Mexican influences in my personal paintings, and drawings. One of my favorite artists is Frida Kahlo in which she can tell you so much about her life within one painting. I can only inspire to be like that, and it is amazing when you draw out your problems how they can bring so much closure to the soul. A painting is as if you are screaming out to the world what is bothering you, but it’s not in a sense so literal. I love the secrecy behind it all. It is my way of coping with the knocks that life brings to me sometimes.

Anywho, I wanted to share some ceramic pieces from different artists that have inspired me in some way, or another.

Meredith Host-- Ceramic Art Daily's "2011 Best Emerging Artist"

Kathy King-- "Delicious Plate"

Kathy King-- "Home Stacked Vase"

Cary Weigand-- "I am really just the surface of a Grand Ocean"

Just reading how Cary makes her pieces is interesting in itself. She constructs some of the pieces almost like origami, and just attaches everything in small pieces until she reaches the desired mass she's looking for.