Shiny Objects

I think it’s safe to say we are in high-season of ‘shiny objects’. The sparkly holiday lights brighten early darkness and festoon neighborhoods and businesses with a magical effect. The excess of edible treats is abundant at parties, office gatherings, and annual religious occasions. Merchants bombard us with reminders to choose just the right item for our entire list of gift recipients. If you are like me, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

So what’s the best approach? It’s sometimes easier said than done. Overall, what I try to do is personalize my participation during this season of overload. I’ve found it’s okay to say no to outside pressures bombarding us to create the perfect memory for the holidays. What is best for me may not resonate with your own tolerance and desires. Take note of what you enjoy about the holidays and do that. If there are ‘shiny objects’ you don’t really like, you can eliminate them.

Donations are another way I override the excesses of this season. Gifts to a charity in the name of  a family member or friend accomplishes much more than searching for a present just for the sake of giving someone something to unwrap. These kinds of lasting gifts are meaningful tenfold.

As I finish up a prolific year in the studio, I want to make sure I thank all of you for your encouragement, ideas, orders, and overall support. It has been a great year of creativity for me. I am one lucky clay artist!

You Can Help!

My mother used to write a weekly column for The Washington Post in the mid-1960’s titled ‘You Can Help.’ Each column featured a story about a different charity in need of volunteers and donations. Listening to all the news about the natural disaster affecting Texas while I have been working in the studio has me thinking about what I can do to help.

First, I plan to donate some money to the Red Cross. Maybe you’ll consider making a direct donation to them or another charity to help the thousands of people affected by the relentless storm. Second, I’ll donate an extra $20 for each 'heartfelt' piece you purchase from me this week as an additional donation to the Red Cross. This popular shape was created to hold small notes of love, forgiveness, and hope. Buy one for yourself or share one with a friend. Together, we can contribute some love where it's needed right now. Click on this photo to shop!

The kiln has been running non-stop in the studio in preparation for upcoming fall shows, custom orders, and replenishing my inventory. I've been experimenting with some new clay shapes and color combinations for the fall. Here's another place I could use your help and feedback. Click on each photo to tell me if you like or don't like what you see.

New Rectangle Baker with Teal/Autumn Leaf glaze combination. Click on photo to comment.

Large pie dish with Turquoise/Bluebell combination. Click on photo to comment.

New Oval Baker with Yellow/Aquamarine combination. Click on photo to comment.

Yellow/Autumn Leaf combination. Click on photo to comment. 

Thank you for your help!

Remember The Golden Rule

Art class in high school was a haven for me. It was one of the first places I got to touch clay, explore other mediums including batik-fabric dying and drawing with pen and ink. I am still in contact with my high school art teacher Winnie Owens-Hart who continued her teaching career at Howard University.  Her encouragement helped spark my artistic voice that continues through this day. 

High school in the 1970s coincided with many social and political issues including the continuing struggle for minority rights, the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal and the Oil Crisis. It was the beginning of my awareness of the larger world outside myself. I participated in protests, listened on my battery-operated radio to the Watergate hearings as a lifeguard at a local hotel pool an entire summer, and sat in long lines waiting my turn to fill up my Volkswagen station wagon. 

I make clay art. It’s what I love and can do. So when the world around me feels out of control, I often head to my studio to sort out my feelings and find solace. I think about how I can affect a positive influence when so much conflict swirls beyond my own door. This weekend I hosted a FUNdraising Open Studio to help raise money for a local charity that feeds hungry kids on the weekends. Several people attended, shopped and helped me raise enough money to feed more than one child for a year. It feels good to know I can help even one person through my art. 

The election results have brought out strong emotions on every side of the political spectrum. For me, the overwhelming prevalence of hate speech is unbearable. It’s disturbing, unkind and divisive. It’s not the way I want to or choose to live. It's important for all sides to take a breath and listen to each other and then sort through a way to compromise and move forward. That is democracy. 

So what can one person do to counteract the vitriol? It’s hard to know. Stay kind. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated. Listen to opposing views. Stand up for others who are marginalized. Don't participate in the hate. Spread love.

The Golden Rule is paramount in my family and is a good reminder to bring back empathy which is lacking in our discourse today. Coloring by adults has become 'a thing' these days. One of the reasons I like making art is that it gives me time to think. I invite you to copy this image, fill it in with pencils, crayons or markers and remember its positive message. Then, send me a photo of your drawing. I'd like to add it to my own collection of art!

"Just Make a Mark..."

I recently completed an art project for a local fundraiser sponsored by my favorite shop in Frederick, Md – The Muse.  It’s a once a year event. Local artists and ‘Muse’ patrons purchase an 8 x 8 canvas to decorate and donate for auction. Each time there is a different theme and charity recipient. 

This year the collected monies will go to COIPP (the Children Of Incarcerated Parents Partnership). The inspirational theme is a children’s book called The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. In the story, a young artist doubts her ability to create art. Her teacher encourages her by saying “ Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”

Want to see more of the art collected for this worthy event? Here's the link to The Muse's Facebook page. Scroll down and take a look at the nearly 100 entries. And you don't have to live near Frederick to see the art in person or place a bid, no worries! Call The Muse to make your own mark -- the art can be shipped to you!

As is often the case, the lessons of a children’s story can resonate with us adults too. Shaking off self-doubt and the ‘I can’ts’ by taking a small step toward a goal is brilliant advice. I use this method when I’m stuck in the studio or tackling a daunting task. If I break down what seems insurmountable into doable chunks, the job becomes much easier. 

This week in the studio I’ve been chipping away at the various stages of clay-making on all sorts of projects. A kiln full of bisqued pieces were glazed and fired. I began creating a set of custom totems that will complement ones I installed several years ago. A surprise gift for one customer’s wife is now in mid-stage firing in the bisque kiln. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all of these projects, I’m grateful and have embraced every step of their creation. 

Why Angels?

My affinity for angels probably started while I was growing up. A print of Lauren Ford’s Guardian Angel hung in my room for as long as I can remember. It shows a little girl in a forest surrounded by animals and nature with an airy translucent angel floating in the background. I felt comforted by this image. This print currently hangs in my studio as an inspiration and connection to my past. 

Lauren Ford's Guardian Angel was created in 1891

Fast forward. I started creating angel-related clay art in the 1990s. My friend Patti was diagnosed with breast cancer. She faced the disease and the treatments head-on with her usual positive and happy outlook. At the time she was a recent widow and single mother of three young children. Unfortunately, she lost this battle and died in 1995.

I used the Raku method of firing to create these angels over the years. It was the start of my multi-media approach to clay. The first year I made these I used actual springs from the hardware store to create the hair. Then I discovered colorful wire and beads! Look out!!! 

Patti was the first of my friends and acquaintances to give Breast Cancer a name and a face for me. So I started creating a clay angel form each year to help me honor my friend Patti and the subsequent people I knew who were diagnosed. It helped me work through my feelings in the studio and do ‘something’ to help raise money and awareness about cancer. A percentage of my yearly proceeds is donated to a variety of Breast Cancer and Hospice charities. 

This angel candle holder series shows my love of texture way back when!

I have stayed in touch with Patti’s family off and on through the years. And this year, after connecting with her grown daughter on-line, I’ve just sent off a package of Patti’s-inspired angels to be distributed to her family throughout the holidays. It’s a full circle moment and makes me feel good. 

Angels have taken on a variety of shapes and functions throughout the years. Angel ornaments can decorate a holiday tree or become part of an art collection. The potsticker version can be used outdoors in the garden or indoors in a houseplant.

So here's the 2015 Angel/Patti-inspired clay item. It's a reminder that time does tick by and savoring our family, friendships and special moments is always a good choice to make. You can add one to your collection by clicking on the photo.