a fish, a mug, and teapots!

The semester is over. What will I do all break without the ceramics studio? Paint? maybe, but I will make up for my lack in ceramics over the break with two classes in the Spring. There are more photos of new pieces over there----->

whoohoo, paintings!!!

Still working on my fish series, did a couple diptychs as you can see. I have one more in the works due on Tuesday, which will be another pregnant lady.

soon

I will have things to post soon...after i am done with everything...

Ah, serigraphy

Normally, I only create a post when I have artwork to post as well, because then what else to I have to talk about? I don't really want to talk about my personal life which leaves me to talk about my art life sort of personally. But, it is different when it comes to my art I suppose. So, I have taken photos of a few of my screen prints.

This was my very first one, very simple and clean.
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This was actually my third print and first try at a reduction print, I had many difficulties, but just took them as they came and went with it.

I will try and post my latest reduction, which was way more successful and I am now the master of screen filler. My next project in class will be a coloring book play on coloring book images, since I seem to enjoy printing coloring book images, I will make my own. After that it is on to t-shirts. But, this will be the busiest week of my life from here on until next Thursday, but after that I will enjoy a short freedom, including my birthday.

Happy Halloween

Salt Fired, B-mix vase

So, Fuego Friday was a blast. Michelle and I kicked some major ass working the Raku kiln, and got our asses kicked by it. We were tired, though not tired enough to not go out smelling like fire and brimstone afterwards. We managed to have three Raku runs, with only small glitches, as in me tripping over the bars to the cage a few times, and when Michelle and I were in the thick of Rakuing. We were put the glowing orange pots into buckets of newspaper, so there were flames all over the place when Stu walked by and stepped on the hose making it shoot water in our faces. I think both of us about jumped out of our skins, I thought I got hit in the face with fire, and apparently Michelle did too. But, alas, it was jut water and we probably just looked like idiots to our audience. Working the Raku kiln to an audience was interesting. Every time we lifted the cage of and people saw they pots hot red we got oo's and awe's. The boys were working the wood kiln nonstop, and were exhausted by the end of the night, but it was cool to watch. They deserve the badass award. Also, we got to shovel in salt in the salt kiln, which was interesting and we cooked some good s'mores. I enjoyed it and am ready for another.

The Iron Pour did not go as planned to due technical difficulties and they finally poured iron at about three in the morning when there was no more audience, at least the ceramics department has its shit together. I had so much fun.

Also, had a critique in painting today, went well...

Pregnant Seahorse Belly

Halloween tonight, as always it is cold on Halloween, and great.

Fuego Friday

The University of Oklahoma School of Art presents "Fuego Friday! Fire and Iron 2006" 4:30- 9 p.m. Oct. 27.

Raku Fired Bowl

Also, we will have a ceramics open house and have every kiln going, including the brand new wood fire kiln and our Raku kiln. Michelle and I will be in charge of the Raku kiln, and people can buy small pots to raku from $5-20. Hopefully we wont break any, but you never know with raku, plus there will be free food. It should be a lot of fun, plus you'll leave smelling like bbq and camping, who could ask for more? Also, since we will have the salt kiln going, there will be s'mores!!! Speaking of s'mores, Ande and I will be having a s'more party soon since we have been using our fire place.

I have just realized that this semester is coming to an end rather quickly as usual. We only have three more weeks of wet work in ceramics, I have a longass research paper due about the same time, I'm supposed to have a painting a week, plus serigraphy! which I assume we will have a critique about that time too since we just finished one the other day. I enjoy screen printing a lot, its fun. So, next semester will not be any easier, just as busy, just as fun. Well, probably more fun since I won't be in stupid Caldwell's class. (Who thinks that students are getting stupider, unless you talk to her face then she loves you, until you are away from her again then thinks your stupid.) I think she's crazy. And, I will be taking Asian Art, which I'm excited about, yay pottery and other pretty eastern things, I love eastern art. Oh, yes, I have plenty of pottery back...will post photos...check out the ceramics photo site--->

Pregnant Starfish Belly

More Bellys

Pregnant Fish Belly III

More bellys. I worked really hard over the past two weeks to get these done in time. I am going to try and average a painting a week for this semester, I feel so busy, probably because I am. 4 studio classes plus an upper level medieval art history class plus work is a lot for me. I'm tired and I think I will probably be tired until I graduate in two years and then grad school. But, at least I don't plan on working when I go to grad school. So, tired. At least, I have stuff to show for it.

Pregnant Ocotpus Belly

Fish Bellys

Pregnant Fish Belly I

So, when I had my critque I felt like I got nothing. Pretty much 3 people said, more detail, more value, and that's about it. And, my professor is an idiot, he just waits until other people say things and then says what they say. So, he sucks and yeah, I wish I had more feedback on my work.

Pregnant Fish Belly II

more to come later...

Back to it

School is back in session and I can't be happier. I feel as though I am super lucky and that everyone else is missing out on my major. All I do is play all day it seems and learn about really exciting things and create stuff. I feel like I shouldn't be getting credit for having so much fun, when so many other people complain about their majors and classes and whatnot. Now, I do actually have to study for art history classes, but still, it is a small price to pay for being really happy with where I am and with what I want to do with my life.

Over the summer I took a one a week ceramics class at and art center and learned more and I am getting better. Its tough work really, and challenges me, and I get frustrated, but it is also calming and I feel as though I have accomplished something great.

I am taking a class where I get to see all the behind the scenes fun stuff and get down and dirtier. (Though I am always dirty after class) I think my ceramics classes will be fun and definitely challenging, so many projects, but it will be fun too.

long time no see

Its been awhile since I have done anything really. I needed a small hiatus, and have been stressing about money and whatnot. I am ready to start making art again, only a week or so until I start my pottery class at the Firehouse. I really needed to get another job, but then I would have no time for anything else, from art to time to myself to time doing nothing or reading. So, in a sense I truly need more money, but not at the expense of myself. If all I did was work, I would never get any artwork done. But, I have put up more pieces where my ceramics link is on the right, and I have completed my art myspace for now.

you've got it

Tony Tiger has said one thing to me that shows he might be more insightful than I thought. Maybe it was a fluke. Too bad it didn't come in time for me to like him or give him a good teacher review. He had given me a high B because I don't push myself enough. He told me that I've got it, I just never truly complete something and I could do more. This is a competitive world, and I've got what it takes, just not the drive I suppose. Which looking back on this semester of drawing is true. I have experimented more than I thought I would, but nothing more than that. I just wish he had told me at the beginning instead of the end of class. I can do another drawing and I will, this time actually trying. Though, not entirely happy about it I understand. I suppose I can't just glide through on not trying, eh?

last days

I have been creating and getting things back, I just haven't taken pictures of everything or anything yet. I think I will get around to that later today since I don't work until 6 with nothing else to do today. I plan on working on my drawing for drawing class, this time I am trying ink, I have tried something different everytime. Which is good, since I don't work with other mediums often. Only one more week left. I did purchase a few watercolors to play around with this summer. I hope to be catching up on painting since I won't be able to do ceramics, though I still hope to take a class at Firehouse, we'll see.

Octopus and Circus Pony

Octopus
Watercolor pencil, on paper, 16x20

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last day of wet work in ceramics was today, which is really weird. It always seems like it goes by so fast, and the end of the semester comes so quickly, especially for the art school, we get out much earlier than the rest of the world. I think I will miss it over the summer, maybe if there is a ceramics class at the firehouse I will take one. Plus, I don't want to get too rusty.

I've almost finished my drawing for drawing class, it was supposed to be on a theme with my other piece I did, but in the end turns out, I don't think they relate at all. Maybe they do, I have no idea.

Circus Pony
Charcoal, on canvas, 16x20

papers and art

Right now I should be writing a paper for my American Indian Women Artist Seminar Class, but maybe I will be inspired to do that later. I am writing about an interesting lady though. Maybe if I talk about her a bit, it will inspire me. I have now realized that I am not as good of a writer as I like to think I am. Now, I can do the art part and all the interpreting and I kick ass at that, its just the filling stuff and the blahdy blah stuff, that baffles me. Plus, I am a comma whore, if you've noticed. David always edits my papers and I secretly think he is horrified. But, I have never had training like him in the art of writing, only the art of art and that is only recently.

Back to the lady I am writing about, I am writing about Kay Walkingstick because when I saw her paintings they intriqued me. She uses a diptych system, and juxtaposes images together, like a landscape image with a body. She uses these to show how two different things are related, be it biracialness, her body and the landscape, or whatever. She was painting during the women's art movement and during the time that Native American studies finally started in the 80's. You could not take a Native American Peoples class in college until the 80's. Which when you think about it is really sad.

On a differernt note, This is my latest painting up top, I haven't painted in a long while, due to that terrible painting class which the professor discouraged me from painting. Not by telling me that I am bad or anything, but because he was such a terrible teacher.
I picked up painting the second semester of my freshman year of college and I instantly fell in love with it. I pretty much was a hermit my freshman year and stayed in my room a lot, so I painted, on the floor. Before I started painting I had thought to be a english major, which is completely ridiculous to me now, I am terrible at spelling and whatnot. And, after my freshman year became an art major. I actually had to do a hometest and send in drawings which I did in maybe an hour. Luckily, I got in. And here I am today, a Junior, now in love with ceramics, although I still love painting. What I love about ceramics is that you can never control it completely, and it is always a challenge.

Back, to what I was saying about painting, that I had forgotten how I loved painting due to that terrible teacher, but I am glad to be back painting. I had been given that stretcher by a friend to paint over and finally did it. Its huge, well huge to me. What I felt when painting that, was actually peace and calmness, but determination and worry about all of the drippings on the floor and worry about my cat jumping in it. It's 48" x 48". I like it, and it definitly says hello in my tiny dining room.

Dodo Bird

This one is a low-fired white clay piece. I just finished firing it about a week ago.
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I brought home a ton of ceramic pieces today. Mostly small things I had made on the wheel, to practice. I think I am finally beginning to get the hang of the wheel. I say this and then of course I will do bad next time, but we all have good and bad days. Someone told me that a person has to throw for seven years to be considered not a beginner, which gives me hope. Lately, I have been doing asymmetrical tea bowls, which my professor says she likes asymmetrical, so hey. I actually like them too, but I would like to do symmetrical things as well. Next time, I will be throwing with way more clay than normal, so that should be interesting, and challenging. Though that is what I like about ceramics, the challenge, the fact that your favorite piece could go completely wrong in the kiln or with the wrong glaze, just the fact that you can only control so much, there is no guarantee on anything really. Makes things interesting. I have links up now, not all of my pieces are on there, as in, the ones other people have, but I hope to get those eventually as well, I'll just have to track them down. But, the link is on the right if anyone is interested.

art showing

Recently I entered two pieces in the 92nd Annual Student Ehibition at The Fred Jones Art Museum in Norman, and both of my pieces were accepted. This was the first time I have ever entered anything, so I was and still am very excited. They will be shown until April 23, if you have a chance to go up and see the students work, I recommend it. These are perhaps our future artists. This is one of the two I entered, this is a mixed media piece made with pamplets from my old church, fabric for the trees and acrylic paints. The title is The Church and its Words. My other piece was a ceramic piece, and I will put a photo up when I get one.

Getting into the art show actually inspired me to do more painting. After taking a class with a horrible professor, I had been quite discouraged. But, the fact that I had gotten both of the two that I entered has boosted my confidence quite a bit. I have started painting again, after not painting for about 3 months, and am glad that I am painting again. I'm slightly stumped in ceramics, though I know I will figure what to do next in time. I feel inbetween projects and don't really have a direction in mind. I need to sit down and think things through but am normally distracted by the computer and tv. I think maybe writing about it will help, even though I am on the computer, and hopefully, I will get back on track again.