Doodle to Design

All my school notebooks had doodles down the margins.

It wasn't that I was not paying attention; actually, I could remember what was being said by looking at the doodles.

I took notes too. I don't mean to say the doodles were the ONLY thing I did while in class.

Some doodles grew into pictures or expanded into design.

This little doodle is about 3 times larger than the original. I liked it so much I cut it out and glued it on a larger piece of paper so that I wouldn't loose it.

The first time I used this design was on a large slab of clay rolled out with the intention of cutting it up. But when I looked at the shape, I liked it so much I coaxed it into a large platter, smoothed the edges and fired it. The "Angry Cat" was done over the iron glaze with thinned oxide.

Every time I've used this design, I've sold the piece.

Kiln opening

The kiln opening went fine with the exception of one teapot. I was attempting a bas-relief of figures on the sides and one side popped off onto the shelf. Hammer Time. Next time, I will sculpt the sides and join them when they're leather hard. Trying to form the figures on the side of the pot after it's put together causes too much difference in the dampness of the two operations. I suspect that's my problem, anyway.

Live and learn................................Live, mostly.

My other pieces came out really well.

While I was unloading the kiln, I kept hearing scratching sounds. The studio is in one finished double garage; the kiln room is another attached unfinished garage. There's a door between. I had left the door open since my storage shelves for bisque are in the studio. My dog was snorting his brains out and when the noise finally penetrated my brain, I began to wonder what was going on.

I walked into the studio and was almost eye-to-eye with a red squirrel running around the ceiling on the garage door rails. I don't know how he got in. Maybe he snuck in the door when my back was turned. He can get into the attic--much to my irritation. I keep thinking we'll finish the spaces out and I'll eliminate that problem, but seems like everything else comes before that.

Anyway, I panic because I have a lot of work standing on shelves all over the place, the dog panics because his heart's desire is within reach, the squirrel panics because he's a squirrel.

He jumps from the door rails to a shelf, runs along it behind the bisque, across to the corner where my glaze materials are stored, back behind two shelves loaded with some of my prize pieces. He's just dancing on the open support strips, runs across two window sills. All the while the dog is barking and jumping. Yee gods! I grab the broom, open the garage doors, shut the adjoining door and try to chase him toward the big opening so he can get out of there. In the process, I run into a major spider web (they're moving inside because cold weather is coming) get web all in my hair and have a spider running around on my shoulder and arm.

Meanwhile, the squirrel runs back across a window, the back behind the shelves of prized pieces, across another window, back to the glaze stuff; the dog jumping like he's on a pogo stick. Every time he barks, the squirrel gets a little crazier.

I wave the broom, block him from the adjoining door and try to chase him toward the open garage door. He finally gets it, makes a mad dash down the wall. (How'd he do that!) and out onto the driveway, the dog in hot pursuit.

That little devil. I've tried to catch him with a Hav-A-Hart baited with everything I can think of. He has an abundance of pine cones, so he's not interested in sunflower seeds or peanut butter. I'd love to take him for a ride.

"Busy"

"Busy" is an old dog. She was named "Busy" because that was what she was, busy. We'd say, "that little dog is so busy." So, that became her name. She was the only puppy of the litter smart enough to escape from the barriers the breeder had set up. This was a big mistake.
Busy is smart. And busy. She understands a large amount of English words. Sometimes we have to spell in front of her. (She also knows, Owner puts on lipstick; Owner is going somewhere. Sometimes Busy knows owner is going somewhere even if owner just Thinks of going somewhere.)

Busy is now 12 years old. And Busy has her routines. She is the timekeeper.

One of which is, No matter when the peep of dawn comes, Owners Must Be Woken Up.

Another is: Owners must be accommpanied at all times. No matter if you move from one chair to another, Busy must get up and lay within a radius of 3-5 feet. This applies to bathroom visits as well.

Owners must be reminded of when to feed Busy. (This is a very tiresome task. You'd Think they would have gotten it by now.)

When Busy goes out the door;
Busy Barks.
(Doesn't matter if there's something to bark about or at, Busy Barks.)

And finally, Busy's In and Out routine goes like this:

Busy Drinks Water;
Busy Goes Out.

Busy Drinks Water;
Busy Goes Out.

Repeat every 2-3 hours during the day.


Simple enough for ya? Sheesh, Humans are so DUMB.

Arfs and Crafts

Later on this year, a gallery in Tacoma called The Art Stop will sponsor a show and sale of dog and cat related works called "Arfs and Crafts". Aritsts make bowls and donate them to the sale. The proceeds go toward supporting the dog training program at the State Women's Prison in Purdy, WA. The women train them to be guide dogs. It's a really worthy cause which I've supported it for some years now.

So, the other day I got my head into a really funny gear thinking of an idea along the same line as the cat plates, etc. Yesterday, I made a tile by rolling out some clay, creating what looked like a note pad and added 3-D cat paws just at the bottom of the pad. I will write a message on the clay pad that says, "If you ever want to see Binkey again, leave 5 opened cans of Fluffy's Favorite outside the cat door--- or else!" The 'else' will trail down to the place where the paws are. And they will be made in such a way that you can put a ball-point pen in them.

I'll make two; one for me and one for the gallery. When I finish, I'll add a photo.

Of course, this kind of mind-kink brought on more funny stuff, like a tile that shows a stream of water at the bottom and at the top, the title, "The curse of a mind that never shuts up." Word bubble coming out of the water reads: "Help! I'm drowning in a stream of consciousness." And this one:
That's gotta be a tile.

Calder's Cat

So I got a message from my gallery saying that over the Christmas holiday, both sets of my "Cat Plates" sold. I'm delighted. They were a lot of work, but so much fun to make. I love to let my whimsey run wild.

It all started many years ago when I was working at Seattle University in the Fine Arts Department and having a conversation with one of my favorite people, Roupin Shakarian, about Christo's work and how draping fabric over landscapes and buildings created a whole new image. I dashed off a quick sketch of a cat all wrapped up like a mummy and labeled it "Christo's Cat".

Some months ago, I was going through a file of old sketches and ran across it again. The idea still made me laugh and, since I had learned lately how to draw with underglaze on raw clay. (I had been wrestling with learning how to throw plates and the two ideas came together instantly.) I began to develop a whole collection of different artists' cats: Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Michelangelo, Dali, Henry Moore, Georgia O'Keefe. Christo & Calder. After many, many plates, I finally made two sets I was happy with.
The only hiccough has been that one of the buyers thought the Calder plate had a bit of fuzziness on part of the banding and would like a replacement. I explained that it would take a good while before I could have one ready, since it would have to be thrown, drawn and decorated, bisque fired and glaze fired--all to be included with other work in progress in the making/firing cycle. The gallery owner said that they were okay with that and understand the process. That's great. So, I've been in the studio making many Calder plates because it wouldn't be wise to only make one and think that it will be perfect...not going to happen.....I have to hedge my bets. Also have to make enough stuff to fill the kiln. This is going to take a while. In the meantime, I'll develop drawing on clay further with more pieces and ideas.