Musings at Minkiewicz Studios LLC

Ready....Set....

2008-07-28T16:48:00.001-06:00

The Great Wall of China. Hadrian's Wall. Wall of Voodoo. Wallabies. Walla Walla, WA. Now to the great list of "Walls" we can add Wall of Vixen and Wall of Imp. One hundred little boxes all ready to go, to deliver their cargo to waiting new owners within minutes of ordering this Tuesday.

This new first come-first served cart system for selling my editions is a radical new step for us here. No more meandering down a reservation list as one would dawdle down a quiet forest path. We're on a freeway now, gunning it to a known destination to be there on time. Paid orders out same day, or next day, for all one hundred little Vixens and Imps---that's the goal! Customers won't have to wait anymore!

Hubby has been a gem helping me box, wrap, fill and tape up all these little white cubes of anticipation, making me giggle with his quips about "efficiency" and "precision" in my shipping process with his spot-on mock German accent, sounding just like Dr. Johann Krauss from Hellboy 2. We're both big fans of these films, and of Guillermo del Toro's other films and skills as a movie maker---lookin' forward to The Hobbit and The Hobbit 2! Anyway, one of the (many) reasons we like the Hellboy movies is the continuing theme regarding the choices we make, and having to rise to, or learn to live with, the consequences of those choices, both good and bad. Well...Abe Sapien certainly doesn't hurt the movies' appeal for me (I would feed him rotten eggs all day long!), plus Hubby and Hellboy are so similar in personality (except for the temper part), sometimes I swear my husband sprouts red skin, a tail and horns in a certain light. "Ummmmm.....nachos," is directly out of my husband's mouth.

This theme is rather apropos for my life right now, both with this new mode of selling my editions, over which I'm both excited and anxious, but also with the new direction our lives have taken: On Wednesday, Hubby left his place of employment of nearly ten years and is going back to school for two years to learn a new skill for a new job. Have we made the right choices here? They feel right, but doubt always creeps in somehow. Nonetheless, those gears are now set into motion and we must live with the consequences of those choices, for better or for worse. Unfolding uncertainty is always full of foreboding, but also exciting and stuffed with promise!

Another choice I have to make isn't so ominous, but pesky all the same: How the heck do I support this "sproingy" Arabian mare sculpture I'll be starting next month?...

Both Parada and Dar did the "Arabian boing" in turnout as often as they could, and I've been wanting to express this kind of equine joy for a very long time. It's a demonstration of animal elation that makes my soul sing. I actually started this piece right after my back surgery, as soon as my surgeon gave me the "hey ho" that I could start work in the studio again, as an expression of my gleeful freedom from grinding, chronic pain. For that reason, aside from artistic ones, it's very important to me to create a base that doesn't weight her down, or "stop" her motion. I want to maintain the airy, weightless feel of that "Arab sproing." While I have some ideas, I'll have to wait and see how they pan out because what might seem ideal in theory often faceplants in practice! Preserving the "feel" of a sculpture, or rather, the elemental essence of a sculpture, is often more difficult than the sculpting process itself. There are so many design compromises made to the media limitations that must be mediated to protect the energy of the piece, the raw vibrancy that first sparks in our mind's eye at the moment of inspiration.

Anyway, I'll be holding my breath on Tuesday to see if all goes well with the new method of selling my editions, and I look forward to the challenges life will present us in our personal lives, and me, in my studio. So if things seem a little discombobulated or scattered these next 2-3 years, trust that I'm trying to find balance with the onslaught of new paths breaking open here!

"It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny." ~Jean Nidetch

The Madness Behind the Method

2008-07-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

I've gotten some bemused questions as to why I've been sculpting so many foals lately, when they were previously such a rare subject in my previous work. It's a very good question, really, and I hadn't thought about it much until it was brought to my attention. Looking back, I think the fixation began when Ms. Lily was born, the first child of my good friend, Tina. We've been pals for...gosh...over 20 years, and it was through her that I met my Hubby. Back in college, I used to work summers on an Arabian breeding farm, SouthWind Ranch, located about two hours east of Boise in Jerome, Idaho, which is where we met and became fast friends. We have a long crazy history together, with many (mis)adventures that are definitely stuff of bar talk legend. You mix two crazy girls, horses, and living on our own as roommates, and you know things go haywire fast!

Yet when Lily came around two years ago, certain light bulbs went off. Then when Noah, a mini-mule foal born to a mini mare Tina has, arrived not long after, that light bulb got brighter. Many of my other friends about my age have kidlets, too, so that light gets brighter with each one. I also suspect that as I age, my mind tends to wander back to childhood as it contemplates mortality, then add to that the fact that I don't feel anywhere near 40, and well...I guess I'm reclaiming my youth through my work. I also may be reinforcing the idea of wide-eyed innocence in this day and age of strife and jaded beliefs, or perhaps I'm celebrating a sense of hope as we question the wisdom and sustainability of our collective futures. On the other hand, it could be much closer to home, as an affirmation of carefree idealism during this time of radical transition in my personal life as Hubby goes back to school. Or maybe I'm just having loads of fun sculpting them! Speaking of fun, check out the first wave of fresh new Brownies, rendered in an arty, silly way for kicks:

Whatever it is, it's funny how a single inspiration spins off innumerable manifestations. The latest incarnation of this artistic foray is "Oliver," a Haflinger foal I recently completed:

His creation is documented in the RESS ezine, The Boat, as a demonstration of the sculpting process, and I just finished him this morning. Now I have to start on his dam, which I intend to sculpt as a classic broodmare, an archtype I find very appealing. A broodmare has such a "matronly" look about her, and I hope to capture some of that with "Ellsie."

Anyway, Lily celebrated her second birthday on Tuesday with all her cousins who are all under the age of 12, and it was, as you might guess, total mayhem. It was hysterical to watch the kids' reactions to everything involved with a birthday, as it was fun to think back to my own birthdays as a child, and then ponder what these kidlets will take with them from these special times that are fleeting and precious. To my mind, there's really nothing that says "childhood" more than kids with birthday cake and ice cream smeared on their faces as they've shoveled as much of these rare delicacies into their mouths as their little hands and undeveloped coordination can allow. I don't think anything tastes sweeter, literally or figuratively, than a child's happy Birthday cake, either! So not only was the day sweet, but I certainly got a lot more inspiration for sculpture!

"Grown up, and that is a terribly hard thing to do. It is much easier to skip it and go from one childhood to another." ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Those Darned Time Gnomes!

2008-07-14T15:32:00.002-06:00

My goodness! We're already halfway through July! I'm convinced those little Time Gnomes have started to crank their gears faster each year, though my Mom assures me it's "an age thing." She's probably right, though I like the idea of gnomes better. "Daylight devours your unguarded hours," sings Siouxsie Sioux in Belladonna. So very true.

Speaking of age, I'm turning 40 on the 31st of this month! Yes, I'm a dyed in the wool Leo according to the European Zodiac, and an Earth Monkey according to the Chinese calendar. I'm bitter about the Monkey bit. I'd much rather be a Rat, but such is life. As for turning 40 though, I'm rather excited about it, really. I don't feel any different, just the same ol' me, only now I have four decades backing me up. I still get carded, too! It's crazy though...I remember being in my 20s and celebrating my Mom's 40th! How did 20 years zip by in the blink of an eye? I completely understand now how children seem to "grow up overnight" or how old couples married for 50+ years say it feels like only yesterday they got married. You would think we creatures of such short life spans would have a better sense of time.

Anyway, I hope your 4th of July was awesome! Our cul de sac, and our extended neighborhood, goes bananas each July 4th. Folks in a five mile radius light up their BBQs at first light and at dusk set off what can be described as a firework cluster-bombing of the area, well up until 1am. This year was no different and our cul de sac looked like Ground Zero after the fiery mayhem had ended.

Another 4th of July weekend activity is the NorthWest Motorfest at the Fairgrounds. Hubby is a vintage car junkie, particularly of the "muscle cars." We saw all sorts of souped up, hot-rod, original and restored rolling pieces of history, it was cool. Personally, I like the old Mercs (and other cars from the 40s), Woodies and VW Buses, and we both love the muscle cars. Hubby loves the cars from the 50s, too. We saw lots of rare muscle cars, like loads of GTOs, Chevelles, Chargers, and lots more. Even a couple of Road Runners, Super Bees and a Super Bird. These folks love their machines, and it shows. Those machines gleamed. You could eat off the engines. What I found particularly cool was that the Motorfest held old school "grunge" drag races with these cars! 100 feet of squealing, smoking black rubber as these cars actually fulfilled their purpose! I'd never actually seen these kinds of informal drag races before, like how the "Everyday Joes" of yesteryear really did it, and I instantly felt transported back in time. I can see the appeal, for sure!
To top off the day, we headed downtown for a sushi dinner in anticipation of what was to come: Downtown Boise closes to regular traffic and all these cars from Motorfest show up and cruise in a parade for about five hours. The sidewalks were lined thick with folks, cheering for their favorites, and the MC talked about the history of the cars and their owners over loudspeakers. It was pretty cool. I joked with hubby, "So I guess this is how Idaho responds to the gas crisis....at least for one day." We Americans are an interesting lot...A mixture of nostalgia and defiance, with a dab of fun for good measure.

Speaking of dabs of fun...check out Brownie!
Here he is being molded by the skilled mold-maker, Barry Moore of Laf'nBear Studio LLC. I find it amusing that Brownie perched on clay kinda adopts that look of, "What the..???" Soon there shall be a little army of snow white resin Brownies marchin' out the door.

Hubby and I also went for a ride yesterday. It was a perfect, clear blue sky Idaho day, so who could resist indulging? We like to take these little jaunts, exploring South West Idaho's little back roads and funky small rural towns. Just 15 minutes in any direction out of Boise offers the open road and vast expanses of beautiful high desert scenery, perfect for riding. We stopped at a funny little Mom n' Pop gas station in Walter's Ferry for refreshments, and it was lined with these cute little bird houses with large poofs of petunias growing out of every possible dirt-laden container...
Summer is crazy time here---it's like we all come out of hibernation and wallow in the greatness of this season. I love to grow my flowers and listen to the birds and watch the fat squirrels bound on top of their complex fence and rooftop highways. It's always a delight to hear them "ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk" across our roof! The smell of earthy cut grass, smoky BBQs and our sweet honeysuckle vines fill the air. The horses slick out, too, like they're clothed in brilliant satin, and you can see their lovely muscles ripple with each step. I love those warm rays of the sun. I'm constantly cold, pretty much, but on the other hand, Hubby loves the cold---it can really never be too cold for him. He's a Wisconsin boy, so it figures. Shorts in 20 degree weather? Of course! So I'm a Summer baby, and he's a Winter baby, conjuring up images of Mr. Heat Miser and Mr. Cold between us. The Summer evenings and nights here in Boise are simply wonderful. It stays light until around 10:30-11pm and it's the perfect temperature, that warm, embracing temperature and stillness that relaxes you and eases your senses.

I do hope your Summer is equally fabulous! Wear sunscreen, though, and hydrate! Wear your flip-flops proudly!

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought." ~Wallace Stevens

"I am living amongst BARBARIANS...."

2008-06-30T12:06:00.000-06:00

Meet "Sir Squish," my new tile press, freshly mounted to my new custom built work table! He's named after one of my little Charmkins who was so large, gooey and mooshable he was hard to put down, and who was also grey, so it seemed a fitting name. Now I've long used those folding plastic jobbers for work tables in my ceramics area, but when this puppy arrived, he had to be bolted down to something more substantial, which meant enlisting my handyman to build this new hefty table for me. I'm so excited about the prospect of pressing tiles, I can barely stop thinking about it! Like I just needed a new swath of projects in my schedule, but when something resonates as clearly as tiles do to me, I have to act on it. I love combining the design challenges of graphic work and sculpture into narratives, plus adding "non-horsey" elements and art glazes....I get rather dreamy-eyed just thinking about it all. So many possibilities! So many new ideas to explore! So now I must experiment and tackle the learning curve that comes with stoneware clay and high fire glazes. Life is never static with ceramics! Amen. But if you see a mushroom cloud in the general Northwest vicinity, you know I got a little too ambitious for a newbie. Though I may end up looking like Wily E. Coyote after his Acme dynamite goes off, I'll have a big grin on my face.

Speaking of big grins, the title to this post, "I am living amongst BARBARIANS," is a quote Lesli Kathman quipped during the recent Mayhem. She had taught me to make genuine Southern Sweet Tea, with the proper brand of tea and cane sugar. The whole nine yards. My husband loves it, but I'm just too impatient to wait for water to boil (yes, I can be ridiculous when it comes to patience!). So what did I do for my own tea when she was here?---I whipped out the Lipton Instant tea and Splenda. She took one look at the Lipton and out popped that comment. Now it's stuck in my head, and I can't help but giggle every time my neurons replay it. I also imagine she's armed to defend herself against the Barbarians with her husband's trebuchet, which cracks me up just as much. I now have images in my head of an alternate universe Mayhem, with Lesli hurtling jars of Lipton Instant tea into swarming rabid hordes of rampaging Barbarians, with her dog, Emma, barking enthusiastically beside her, with Joanie quietly popping chocolate in her mouth, while her fluffy white dogs stare intently at her, and Lynn grinning ear to ear, with her cat, Aji, perched on her shoulder and her other cat, Chimayo, peering from behind her legs....and me covered in my bruxing rats and laughing hysterically.

Anyway....speaking of Barbarians, my German-heritage hubby is in Cheesehead Heaven, thanks to Stephanie Michaud. He's a Wisconsin native, being weaned on beer, brats and cheese, and even having worked as a lumberjack in his younger days (and yes, he has a Cheesehead hat to root for his beloved Green Bay Packers). However, he longs for the culinary goodness of that forested land, treats which Idaho apparently lacks. Such things as homemade sauerkraut, SunDrop pop, various handmade bratwursts and knutwursts and sundry sausages, and, of course, squeaky cheese kurds are all spoken of in hushed tones in this house. He and Stephanie waxed philosophical about the gastronomic delights of the Minnesota and Wisconsin area, something that went clean over my head at the time, never having indulged in the genuine article myself. However, I now fully understand the endearment to squeaky kurds since Stephanie overnighted three bags worth! Delish! Hubby has consumed enough cheese to plug up a mule deer, but lovin' every minute. Thank you Stephanie! And thank you Sonya for your fabulous cooking during your stay! Hubby still talks of your fajitas and chili with a wistful look in his eye, and if I even hint at some of your antics, he busts up in hysterical laugher. Antics you ask? Well, such things like THIS:
But you may be wondering why Sonya is in my kitchen! In June I was lucky enough to host Sonya Johnson (who was one of my bridesmaides in my wedding back in 2000) and Stephanie Michaud for a week of arty, horsey, foodie fun! It had been eight long years since I'd visited with Sonya last and it was fabulous to carouse with her again. It was very much like we just picked up where we left off, as though eight years simply never happened. It also was the first time I'd met Stephanie, though we had previously chatted through email, and I gotta say....it was like we'd known each other for years! What a riot! Then when Lynn was able to join us, I could hear the happy hummings of the cosmos again:

Ed Gonzales was supposed to join us, but alas, the scheduling was off so we'll have to wait for him next year (we hope!). We ate a swath through Boise, and Sonya even cooked several wonderful meals for all of us, including homemade pizza! In the arty department, it was a whirlwind of ideas and raiding the local art stores! During her stay, Sonya and I had tried twice to make a plaster mold for her Bjorn relief sculpture, and both times we failed, honestly due to my inexperience. Much to Joan's amusement (and I think I can hear Lesli giggling, too, through the telepathic ether), I first entombed the rigid resin copy of Bjorn in a plaster mold...something I'll never do again, trust me. Then after breaking him out of the mold, we decided to pour a rubber flexible positive ("flexible" being the key word, here) and try again. It was my first time pouring rubber, and thank goodness for Joanie's guidance over the phone, Barry Moore's pouring demos, and Sonya's experience with such things, because we got a nice rubber positive of her lovely piece. Everything worked fine cocooning this green guy in plaster, until the last mold piece...the little ear piece (isn't that how it always happens?)! It cemented in there as sure as it was glued (yes--we did soap it!), and I had to chisel it off---dooooooh! After a consult with Joanie, she provided the probable cause for the sticking, which I'll be sure to remedy in the next pours. So while we failed to create a plaster mold for Bjorn, we learned a lot in the process and had fun, and now I'm confident not only to pour rubber, but to make my own three-piece relief molds, too. So Bjorns should soon be popping out of a new mold like spiders out of an egg sac. Here he is in his green glory, with his two "beat me with a clue bat" molds (Yes, Joanie, I can hear you snickering!), and sitting on top of his silicon mold Sonya previously poured:

Bjorn was a good "teether" for my next project, which is to make a rubber master positive, and rubber master mold, of my Feral Mare bas-relief sculpture, so wish me luck! Can you hear the circus music? Here she is "clayed up" and waiting for her green reincarnation:
Both Sonya and Stephanie also got to do a bit of glazing and greenware cleaning, and we three exchanged methods and ideas on cold-painting and sculpting, and anything else that tripped our triggers. Stephanie also showed the three of us some handy tricks in PhotoShop, a program that's better taught in person, than through a book. We even introduced Stephanie to Mystery Science Theater with special screenings of "Manos, The Hands of Fate," and the movie, "This Island Earth,". Manos, by the way, is easily regarded as the worst movie ever made, but made into a cinematic gem by the crew of MST! "Relax...it's a natural exfoliant!" The information stream and laughter was a happy resonance throughout the week, and we all look forward to next year! Playing in ceramics again also got me inspired to do more claybody customs, so I'm busily at work on more of those little guys for Joanie, Lesli and now this time, Addi Velasquez, too!

I've taken to these artist retreats far more than traveling to shows or expos because they allow us artists to relate as colleagues rather than competitors. I believe it's important for us artists to remember who we are as people, and to nurture and maintain our friendly bonds more than anything else. In a career so often characterized by sequestered solitude in the studio, it's these visits that help me remember some important reasons why I do what I do in ways no other avenue can provide. I also believe that staying open to other creative points of view and staying in "learner mode" is essential for artistic growth and staying centered as an artist....and who better to learn from than dear friends who have something wonderful to share? The energy generated by this kind of dynamic isn't only potently inspiring and informative, but consummately satisfying, as well! I can't wait for Mayhem and JuneJuju 2009, that's for sure!

The competitive angle isn't always the best path towards improvement, and winning isn't necessarily the healthiest way to find fulfillment. I've discovered that the most satisfying experiences and achievements have been found in the company of good friends, sharing in their enjoyment and triumphs, and absorbing the good vibes and insights they shed in their joy. In this safe and relaxed environment, we can stretch our perceptions and become bolder in our paradigms, more eager to venture into unknown territory with a friend by our side. Our ideas become more flexible and varied, and our brains become eager for information and experience, in ways hard to come by in other avenues. I'm a firm believer in our own friendly classrooms, where camaraderie and laughter are the only grades, and discovery is the final test! And boy...those school lunches!

"Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased." --Jiddu Krishnamurti

Mayhem Mojo

2008-05-23T17:08:00.000-06:00

These are my guard frogs. Other people have guard dogs. Or noble lions. Perhaps even a bear. Not me!---I'm all about buggy eyes and funny feet. I'm crazy about frogs and about this time of year they start to appear, singing their strange songs of love into the night. The irrigation pond at my parent's house typically rings with a cacophony of little froggy voices and if you're lucky, you can see them chillin' on the rocks along the rim. They have the right idea---hanging with buddies by the pool!

Speaking of chillin' with buddies, albiet not around a pool, but around a pool-sized kiln...Mayhem 2008 was a blast! This annual mudfest is a shameless drench in all things ceramic, splashed with lots laughter and food. Lots and lots of food. We revert to our own inner Emile, dang straight! It's food for the soul, too. Truly, when Joanie, Lesli and Lynn are together, I hear happy cosmic harmonics that rattle my neurons in pleasant ways. Yet like every year, it all came and went in a blink of a buggy eye, and the house is left so quiet and still. There's a tangible feeling my house seems to have after each Mayhem that speaks, "What the heck was that?!"

Same with my brain! Wow...my mind is still spinning from everything I've learned. There's no substitute for hands-on doings and picking the brains of experts to really jump-start the learning curve and the inspiration to tackle it. Also casting from an unprecedented nineteen piece plaster mold (Stormwatch) does a lot to whittle away any sense of timidity! I think I've finally conquered my trepidation with underglaze, too, since the two pieces I worked on came out so much nicer than I expected, and pretty much what I'd aimed to create, which is new. I suspect because I underglazed them boldly, with total abandon, with no sense of worry or anxiety that typified my earlier attempts. I had nothing to lose. It's alarming how a sense of caution can impede a creative attempt, and there's rarely a less forgiving media than ceramics, which only heightens a deep sense of artistic existential agony! Yet if you're gonna learn to swim in the glaze, you just gotta jump in! There's something to be said about uninhibited chaos in the studio. So my big breakthrough this Mayhem was experiencing the difference between freedom and fretting when working with ceramics, which was the key I needed to unlock my resistance. As anyone who knows me will tell you---I'm impulsive. I'm not a "plan ahead" kinda gal. I thrive in an "eraser situation." Yet ceramics demand a very regimented way of thinking because you have to see each step in perfect clarity, all the way to the shiny end. This is very hard for me to do, which had brilliantly impaired my ability, and desire, to even venture forth. Things are very different now. The ability not to care has unshackled my ceramic mind! So, thank you Mayhem for...well...the new creative mayhem in my mind!

Which brings me to new mayhem with cold-painting. Besides going bonkers with ceramic techniques, I'm also playing with a new cold-painting method for my dapple greys, using charcoal pencils, in white and black. I've been searching for that method that duplicates the graininess of a dapple grey accurately, while also providing absolute control so those dapples look right...and I think I finally found it....after 20+ years! I'm applying this technique in earnest on a wonderful Fraley Bram'll Blue Boy and I'm pleased as punch with how he's turning out! Here's the "before":

Then using a tortillion, I smudge strategic parts and areas to soften it:

Then I spray with Testors Dullcote, and start again, building up layers and effects. Shown here is only the first layer, so you can see I have a ways to go. I also plan to use an airbrush and hand painting to accentuate certain things. The great thing about this approach, what actually sold me on it from the get-go, is that the graininess remains in scale. I'm a big stickler for painting effects to be fastidiously in scale, which becomes increasingly important the smaller the sculpture. Honestly, there are few things more effective to erasing the "believeability" of a paintjob than having its key aspects out of scale to the pattern or the sculpture. So me thinks an article on this method for The Boat is in order!

I'm a believer in sharing information. I like a jumbled sticky sweet mess of fresh ideas heaped in a big communal bowl, tantalizing our artistic senses. Some may think this is confusing, perhaps intimidating, or even foolish, but I think it's enlightening! Exciting! To my mind, the whole point of discovering new artistic methods and concepts isn't to horde them and let them stagnate, but to douse the world with them and watch them grow. The more brains that puzzle on a technique, the more possibilities are revealed! This is why those minds that show a predilection for creative exploration and those spirits that show a fondness for sharing the lessons learned tend to garner my deepest admiration. It creates such good juju. Dessert for the mind and soul. So thank you, Joan, Lesli and Lynn for another year's serving of enriching soul food!

"Anyone who isn't confused here doesn't really understand what's going on." -- Anonymous.

Rites of Spring: Harleys and Surf Guitar

2008-04-18T20:36:00.004-06:00

My goodness. It’s been an abysmally long time since my last post! It’s uncanny how quickly time cooks away when your fire is roasting too many irons, snapping and sizzling with sounds of the future and enticing possibilities. The Year of the Rat has lived up to its promise of new beginnings and change for us, and it’s not even half over! Good beginnings and good change, though. Sometimes the things that appear most wrenching and catastrophic really are the most cathartic and rejuvenating. So it’s fitting this blog entry comes during spring, a time of rebirth and renewal blooming from the desolation of winter.

In Idaho, spring isn’t heralded just by the Canadian geese and the gluttonous rush of the Snake River, but by the rumble of Harleys! Idaho has a large and very active HOG community, one that longingly waits in hibernation during the Idaho winter. Yet the nanosecond the weather warms in spring, these impressive machines are coaxed into gleaming glory by loving polishing hands and ignited awake from their winter slumber, to thunder out in eager hordes as if to chase away the winter solstice. Each day blessed with glorious spring weather will cause the roads to be generously seeded with these two-wheeled harbingers of summer, as social bonds are re-affirmed and new adventures are mapped out and planned.

Another messenger of Spring for me is surf music. I have long been enamored of this eclectic and idiosyncratic form of music, one that’s unencumbered by vocals and so allows room for the instruments, especially the guitar, to “talk” and the mind to wander into curious places. There’s something about the energy, the airiness and the peculiarity of this style of music that speaks to me of shedding the grimy cloaks of winter’s chill to bask in the new glow of whimsy and unconventional wisdom. My husband and I were lucky to catch Dick Dale’s last tour back in 2006, as it kicked off here in little ol’ Boise. What a great concert, by such a grand old school musician! My signed poster (above left) beams like a beacon in my office during winter's grey gloom, promising Spring just around the next sunrise.

I love Spring. From the deep hole of Winter, this season allows us to open up our house to let its freshness in, filling the house with sounds, smells and sensations almost forgotten during the oppression of snow. What was that?---a bird! Ahhhh---a warm breeze blowing through the living room! I smell a BBQ somewhere---in the office! Beautiful weather allows us to bring the outside inside, reacquainting us with Nature and arousing our senses once again to the tingly life of The World Outside.

Spring also is a joyous time for the Green Thumb, a thing I enviously am not. All of my houseplants are very good plants. Very strong, determined plants. They survive on sheer will power. I think I have very little to do with their continued survival, and I suspect they’d like to keep it that way. Yet those friends and family sanctified with that blessed shade of digit are now speaking of planting, potting and matters to do with dirt and seeds and clippings. I shall rejoice in their new shoots and buds, and daydream of luxurious gardens full of secret places, inner moments and the buzz of tended Nature flourishing unabashedly.

So I sit here, typing this blog entry listening to The Ventures with all the windows open, and gazing at my tulips popping up in my flowerbed as my husband polishes the chrome on his Fatboy. I hope your thaw is as restoring and invigorating this year, too! Welcome, Spring!

"I stuck my head out the window this morning and spring kissed me bang in the face. " --Langston Hughes

My Last Nerve is a Fighter

2008-01-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

Hello again--but this time from the critical unit of Systemic Software Necrosis! In other words, I'd like to kill my Microsoft Word program. At least bit-slap it silly. So I apologize for not posting earlier, but nearly all my attention has been focused on a current writing project with an ominous deadline--next month! GAH! Every time I look at the calendar, my eyeballs pop out on stalks and my hair looks like something inspired by an experiment on MythBusters. So if I seem a bit hard to get a hold of these next few weeks, it's because this little Shetland is scrambling in the salt mines to get this project published on time.

Published? What published? Well, starting January 1, I became the new editor for the RESS newsletter, The Boat, which is now a biannual ezine published as a full color PDF for members. I'm rather passionate about this organization that has helped so many of my fellow equine artists grow, and I've poured that level of enthusiasm into this new version of the publication. For months I worked on it. 200+ pages. Totally formatted. In Word. I was so puffed up, thinking how efficient and competent I had been by starting so early!

But like most little conceits, it all blew up in my face like Acme Dynamite.

About three months ago, Word decided it simply didn't want to open it anymore. Harumphf! It even had the audacity to decide to crash every time I tried to coax-beg-cajole-shriek at it to please open the file! What gall! Now usually I have "Techno Joy" (in the words of Eddie Izzard) when it comes to writing, word processing and publication lay-out, but this euphoria turned to "Techno Fear" in one heart beat.

After a barrage of trouble-shooting, I was at wit's end. Ultimately, I figured I'd just have to pay a professional to rip it open and salvage what I could. But on a whim, I tried one last ditch effort on my part--my little iPages word processing program that came with my new iMac.

Open-Winter08-*click*-"Here ya go!"

Wham!--there it was! That funny little program ripped it right open, images and all, though all the formatting was lost. Small price, though, since I was ecstatic to have salvaged everything, even in raw form. Now since I thought I didn't have time to learn a new program and play eight months worth of catch-up, I re-started The Boat in Word again, thinking the document had developed a corruption that I would just avoid (somehow) in the future.

I desperately need to develop the skill of slapping myself at strategic moments in life.

Word crashed again!--After six weeks of work of feverishly reconstructing the publication. And with no indication as to the bee in its bonnet! I had it with Word. A program I had depended on for 10+ years was now simply unreliable for this publication, so I promptly bought AppleWorks. I would just have to bite the bullet and learn a brand new program on the fly as I re-did The Boat for a third time, while also wrapping things up to meet the publication deadline. But you know, it's ironic how things pan out to work for the best--here I thought my forced leave from the studio was a disaster, but if it wasn't for that, The Boat would be months late, or perhaps not published at all as a Winter issue! So hooray!--I guess?

And so far, so good, but keep your fingers and footsies crossed that AppleWorks doesn't develop a neurosis, too. But I gotta say--this little program is a lot better for my goals with this ezine, so in that sense things worked out for the best, too. Crazy. You just never know which disasters will actually turn out to be blessings!

Now one might wonder--"Why the heck would a self-employed artist spend all this time writing for and working on this publication?", and that's a good question. But the truth is that it comes back to me, in very positive ways that improve my work and advance my artistic goals. Really, it's not a selfless endeavor! I don't know about you, but I've never believed that "those who can't do--teach". BAH! What nonsense! Obviously someone with a goodly bit of insecurity and bitterness coined that phrase. In contrast, I believe "those who do well, teach" because teaching is one of the best ways to learn! I also believe teaching helps to elevate the art form by helping more artists achieve goals they never thought possible, creating a more cohesive and energized community for all of us. Accomplishment is a good and potent drug. So that's why my last nerve is doggedly fighting to get this puppy published, and on time! And as a teaser, I've included a small peek at a couple of illustrations in the Winter 08 issue.

So, until next time: "Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." --John Cotton Dana

HELLO NEW YEAR!

2008-01-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

As you can well imagine, I'm frothy and agog that 2008 is the Year of the Rat. I'm pretty well freaking out. I have all my rat gear and I'm so ready to welcome in 2008 with open arms! And, personally, I just can't imagine a better symbol for any year, but in my case (and I suspect for many of you out there, too) a more serendipitously apropos symbol for our life paths these coming months.

Like many of you, hubby and I watched the 100th Year Anniversary Ball come down in New York, and it was beautiful and meaningful. But I can't wait for February, for Chinese New Year, to roll around, then I can really get crazy with celebration! I mean...c'mon...I'm existentially bitter about being a Year of the Monkey person, and fully intend to wallow in Ratiness this year, as I hope you all do, too! May all the blessings of Ratiness pile in through your door in 2008!

And I'm happy to report that my recovery is going well. My mobility is almost back to normal (though I still have to take it easy and I still not allowed to sit upright) and the numbness and impaired coordination of my legs is almost completely gone! And, just as important, I was able to cook my customary breakfast this morning for the first time in ten days, and Beasley was especially grateful to get back to his morning routine. He's a little scrambled egg junkie. That's him peeking out at you from his Kleenex box hideout. Like cats, rats love to play in boxes, particularly those that have little peep holes and inner hidden compartments and paths inside. He and Bix entertained themselves for about two hours exploring every nook and cranny and playing through the peepholes last night. Beasley was on my shoulder when the New Year's Ball came down, too. He likes to join in on the party!

And it's a beautiful New Year's Day here--white snow on the ground, blue skies, bright yellow sun and crisp winter air! It doesn't get any better for an Idaho winter! I hope the day, and the coming year, is equally beautiful in your neck of the woods, too! I feel ready for 2008. Really. Ready. Eager. Bring in ON!

And so with that: "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come." ~Joseph Campbell

Jingling All The Way~

2007-12-26T17:52:00.001-07:00

Hello, hello! Greetings from the post-surgery stupor! There's nothing quite like the buzz of painkillers and candy cane hot chocolate!

Now I would have posted sooner, but when I'm unable to assume postures that would allow me to type easily, all of a sudden this everyday task has taken on Mt. Everest proportions. "Just...hit...the CAPS button....must hit CAPS....button! No!...NOT TAB! Ahhhhhhh....."

But I'm doing well and back on the road to recovery. But golly--sitting here, unable to do much of anything is a bit of a, well...torture chamber. How I want sculpt and play in the studio! ARGH! And...of course...I've had a billion inspirations in the past five days, yet I'm completely unable to materialize them. Why is it that when we're unable to create, life decides to make our brain work 100 times faster, giving us the motivation, but denying us the means? I call no fair! And poor Hubby--it hasn't even been a week and I'm already a bat in my belfry. However, his diabolical plan of placating this monster with a steady stream of chocolate and movies seems to be working so far.

But I shouldn't complain. And perhaps there's a lesson to be learned here. Truly, I have much to celebrate, and so much to look forward to, as well. And as I heal, I'll work on other things and perhaps I'll crack open that ol' sketchbook again and rediscover that long-ignored diversion I utilized so adeptly in school.

So I'm sending you heartfelt thanks and best wishes during this splendid holiday! Celebrate and make merry! And until next time, I leave you with this:

"I have had just about all I can take of myself." ~S. N. Behrman

Glad Tidings to You!

2007-12-20T22:55:00.001-07:00

Out of nowhere, the holidaze has descended upon us like a frenzied whirligig. Gadzooks!...Duck, man...DUCK! It's truly amazing how much we can cram into one week, isn't it? So congratulations to each of you who has so efficiency (or not so efficiency) wrapped up your holiday preparations and are now coasting, like a gleeful tot in a new sled, down the mad hill of December and smack-dab into the Season's festivities.

I, on the other hand, have pretty much accomplished nothing.

Yes, a couple of outstanding tasks and projects got done (and came out a lot better than I'd hoped!), but everything "holiday" will be about a month late from MinkieMundo. This back surgery, which is tomorrow morning--finally, has shook my sensibilities like a dimestore snowglobe, being the cause of The Great Disruption that has festered on my nerves like a bad case of D'OH. I'll be so glad when it's all over and I wake up. I truly dread anesthesia. Truly.

But it's been a very good day today. A brilliant day. Hubby and I spent the day together, which is always awesome! And he bought me two CDs by The Clash (I'm upgrading my old tape collection to CD) and we went out to our favorite sushi place for dinner and totally porked out. And best of all...he bought me a new Charmkin!

Say hello! He is such a little character and so very sweet! We were actually getting supplies and new fish for Hubby's fish tank on a spontaneous errand, but I wandered over to the rodent kiosk and there he was...all alone. I peered at him, and he peered at me, and he just had to come home with us--and so he did. I'm so lucky to have a husband who understands and indulges me on these matters. And ZeeBee and Beasley have welcomed him like a lost little brother! It's so fascinating to watch them parent him, and how so very patiently and gently keep his playfulness and boisterousness within acceptable boundaries. They're all asleep now, cozied up into one big blobby lovepile. Oh, to be that size to snuggle up into that warm, fuzzy goo! And speaking of goo -- a place where large, friendly rats roam around is my idea of Heaven on Earth.

But though he hasn't told me his name yet, it was meant to be. Some things just are. I mean--get this: Some blankety-blank jerks had bought this little guy as a White Elephant Gift for some holiday party. What kind of person buys an animal as a White Elephant Gift?! No one who would survive two seconds with me. And get this, the recipient apparently debated for a week what to do with him, while he was stuck in his cardboard petstore box the whole time. And thankfully rather than killing him (which apparently was a viable option-???), they returned him to the pet store. And that's when I found him. He was very timid at first, but has tamed almost instantly and is so excited to be here, he can barely sit still. He's enthusiastic about everything. The mere fact this little guy can bear any goodwill towards a person after what he's been through testifies to his graciousness and willingness to try again. Truly, the perfect lesson as we end the year--To always be willing to hope! So we now have much more to celebrate this Christmas--a new sparkly light on our family tree!

And though I can't eat or drink anything now since my surgery is at 11am, earlier I scarfed down...er...ate...some chocolate, drank some hot chocolate and watched Totoro (Thank you, Elaine! I LOVED it!). Hubby is going to show me how to transfer some materials from my iMac to my iBook, so I have some projects to work on while trapped in his Lazy Boy, like some confused Iron Maiden. "You shall sit in the COMFY CHAIR!" Ugh. But thank God.

So while our Christmas and New Years will be sedate, it will most definitely be filled with gratitude and cheer!

And so may your Holidays been shiny and bright, too! Celebrate! Sing with gusto! Don't skimp on the tinsel! I wish you and yours all the joy, laughter and love this season brings, and most of all, to carry that through 2008, too! And, in true ratty nature, of course, I wish you piles of sinfully delicious food and treats! May you be warm and content, and may your bellies be full this Holiday Season!

Joy and Best Wishes to you! ~Sarah

"Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow" ~ Helen Keller

Lean, Mean, Mold-Making Machine

2007-12-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

No, it's not a fancy bar of Neutrogena soap! No, it's not a wiggly block of orange Jell-O! And, no, it's not a giant fancy piece of tangerine Jolly Rancher!

It's mold rubber--a big wiggly-jiggly-squiggly rubber version of my new Jumper plaque that Joan of Pour Horse Pottery cast for me, making it the new master from which production plaster molds can be poured, ad infinitum. Now you may be wondering what those black lines are, around his chest and neck areas, and those are the mold lines she drew in to guide me since this will be my first multi-part plaster mold I make on my own (in this case, a three part mold, with a floating inner bit). Hey--it's high time to give that learning curve a good jolt. If you don't use it, you lose it! And I have chisel at hand just in case I entomb it in the white stuff--it's like a rite of passage with plaster molding.

And this piece is big, measuring about 9.5 inches long and 6.75 inches at the widest parts, which offers a lot of space to play with glaze and technique. Joan has already glazed one, beautifully, as usual--Wow Joan! I'm positively enthralled with sculpting relief work of various kinds because I can infuse the challenges of graphic design and new ways of interpreting the equine subject that I just can't exploit with a conventional sculpture. And with my new tile press, I'm excited to dive into that aspect of sculpture. Who said playing in the mud was for kids?

And in case you're interested, feast heartily on Joan's new rosegrey Dafydd. Ay chihuahua! What a looker! I am so very fortunate to have so many talented and fabulous people in my life. It's hard to tell where the inspiration from the work, and the inspiration from those involved, begins and ends!

This shores me up as I contemplate my impending spinal surgery this month. To say I'm anxious about it would be a Godzilla-sized understatement (with jumping around and glowing spines and all--and is that Mechagodzilla and Rodan in there, too?). But necessity dictates this course of action. The only way around it, is through it. The recuperation will take six long weeks, where I can only sit upright for 20 minutes at a time, so finding new and bizarre ways to work will be an interesting exercise in new kinds of creativity. And this right when I'm to receive my new tile press!

But my wonderful hubby bought me the widescreen DVD of Ratatouille the day it came out, so I'll have ample, rotund rodents to cheer me up, well, besides the two blobular pygmy landsharks here who keep me busy enough! I think I shall fall under the ether with the image of Emile, stuffed full of grapes in all his lumpy, bumpy, blobby glory.

So Christmas here will be somber and sedate, but I'll truly have much to be thankful for and feel it more deeply this time I suspect. So many good things and exciting possibilities still to come! And gingerbread cookies--lots of them. This time of year usually leaves me with mixed emotions and an eagerness to get back to the routine, but I believe this year I shall wallow in a new, and perhaps better, sense of it. Life is like art, in a way, with each new experience, like each new creation, is a learning opportunity, and with a bit of reflection and auspicious grace, we become better for it.

So with that, I leave you with this: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." ~Cicero

Ritual

2007-11-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

In this modern age, when so many things can be distilled down into a concise scientific explanation, the persistent mystery and magnetism of the ritual still drives our daily lives. I believe this behavior goes beyond mere routine because these rituals create a transcendence of our acts, and by extension, our lives. As humans, we somehow crave this transformation. Even with our iPods, plasma screens and Mars landings, we remain elemental creatures of magic and faith. Amen! It can be so easy to lose our humanity amidst all the information and technology bombarding us, trying to strip it away, layer by layer. We need existence beyond our explanations to remain ourselves.

And so it is with my Martian Cup.

My morning ritual is to cook and share breakfast with my rats (otherwise known as the Well Wells or Charmkins). It's the same breakfast every day--scrambled eggs and a wheat bagel with cream cheese. The crowning glory of this daily intake is a good, strong hot cup o' joe. A day simply cannot be started properly without that one crucial ingredient. But little did I know how important is the container for this elixir!

I found this magic martian mug jammed to the back of a shelf in a 50% off sale in a gift shop about twelve years ago. I had to have it. I mean look at that guy. And over the years, it has strangely become my herald of good fortune, of miraculously potent good juju in the studio. For some inexplicable reason, I do my very best work the day I grab that mug from the front of the line in our jam-packed mug shelf, eager to douse my appetite with ritual coffee. Whether it's the power of suggestion or if there actually is some supernatural energy imbued in those buggy eyes, the result is the same -- a good day. A very good day.

And speaking of a good day, which today certainly is as you'll soon see, my breakfast these past two days has been abnormally decadent! We celebrated my husband's birthday by trying out a new steakhouse here in town, and upon ordering their chocolate cake for dessert, we were shocked to be served a slab the size of an 8 x 11 sheet of paper and 3 inches thick, doused in icing and chocolate indulgence. Oy! What's better than chocolate cake? More chocolate cake!

And so instead of a bagel with cream cheese, a hefty slice of this sinful extravagance has complimented my steaming joe--and what a magical combination! Really, the eggs are simply a flimsy excuse to call this meal "nutritious". But there's my Martian cup, the one thing that could outshine chocolate cake for breakfast.

So I ask you--what's more nourishing?--Food for the body, or food for the soul?

And so today will be a truly remarkable day in the studio, between my Martian magic and chocolate intoxication. Already, the Haflinger foal I'm sculpting is flowing from my fingers, without thought or effort. Perhaps I should procure more chocolate cake for when I sculpt his dam? Hmmm.....

And so I leave you with this: "That's the thing with magic. You've got to know it's still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you." ~ Charles de Lint

Of Frogs and MRIs...

2007-11-06T15:41:00.001-07:00

Shame on me! It's been far too long since my last post--my apologies. But boy, things have sure been crazy here this past month! Most of them with good things, such as completing my final duties as Parliamentarian for RESS, working on the new version of its newsletter The Boat for February publication and wrapping up two long-standing sculptures of a mare and foal that have been inexplicably troublesome for me these past nine months--If you heard a lot of cursing and arghs! from the general northwest vicinity, it was probably me as I broke off yet another leg for the fourth time! But they're just about done now, and I'm very pleased with how they turned out. Everything works out for the best really, and had I not been delayed all this time with them, I don't think they would have come out as cool as they have. Time puts you in fresher places, which often is an advantage for art work.

And the biggie good thing is the enthusiastic and overwhelming response to my sculpture Stormwatch (pictured above in resin, cast from my original in epoxy clay). I am so grateful and totally taken by surprise by the response--I'm still in shock. Hey, I thought he'd be a hard sell! Who knew that this funny little gelding would take the world by storm! (wink) And I'm happy to report he's going to be my first bronze, and I hope to have him in metal by the end of next year. I just need to sculpt a base for him, which is something I'm really looking forward to cuz I have some fun ideas for it. But the even greater thing with Stormy was that with him, I was able to help just a little bit with the Blessed Broodmare Project, to rescue dozens of pregnant PMU mares from slaughter! What a great way to kick off an edition! Check out the YouTube story on how these mares were rescued! Oh boy--does it get me verklempt. These dear people, the Bucklers, are also the same people who do many of my resin castings, including Stormy! The best things in life are those that come full circle in good ways.

So to celebrate his successful release in resin, I treated myself to something fun--an excruciatingly cute frog hat at a crafts bizarre in a local high school (above). LOOK at that smiley frog! The whole cap is rimmed with them! And there's a fly on the top! Is that not the cutest cap ever? It's wool lined with angora, so it's warm and soft at the same time--two good things that go better together! The lady who made this hat, and other assorted angora knitware, is there every year with one of her angora bunnies that you can pet, which of course is the highlight of the whole day for me. This year, she had "Mo" there--a big fluffy white beachball with ears. I about died. So c'mon cold weather! Bring your worst--my frog cap will protect me! The flower on each earflap gives me incredible power!

Speaking of which, my back. Ah yes...the spine--the great humbler of upright bipeds. My nemesis. My Achilles Heel. In my long, sordid battle against the best attempts of my spine to keep me bedridden, I have my first MRI this weekend. I'm not necessarily looking forward to it, but it's gotta be done to see what's going on. But I am so grateful that we live in a day and age of such technology and it makes me wonder what the next fifty years will bring us in ways of medical breakthroughs and discoveries! In the meantime, I asked my neurologist if I could sign up for a bionic spine, with the "sch-sch-sch" sound and all, and her reply--"We're not that cool...yet". I love it.

So with that thought, I leave you to ponder this: "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ~Lewis Carroll

Oh What a Difference a Base Makes...

2007-10-18T17:38:00.001-06:00

Some of you might remember "Beane", that Chaney "Chasing Rainbows" I offered on my mailing list a couple of weeks ago...welperoo, his new owner was gracious and allowed me to make him two brand new bases, this rock wall (shown) and a more basic one (not shown). I thought he needed something with a bit more stability, but now I realize he also needed "oomphf". Good thing that dawned on me before he leaped his way home! But I've come to an uneasy understanding with my aging brain: Better late, than never! But, thinking about it, if a piece needs a base, that base becomes an integral part of the whole. It must complement and further the design, rather than simply serve a purpose. And besides, it's so very refreshing to sculpt and paint something other than a horse-shaped-object! Grass-whooo hooo! Rocks--yes! And this project did force me to find a terrific supply for local Plexiglas rods, www.interstateplastics.com, and perhaps they ship.

But things have been good, though it's been a crazy couple of weeks--Hubby is home and I'm thrilled! So much more content and happy. And productivity has gone through the roof...when I'm happy, I create. But it's strange--with all my years of being single and independent, I would have thought myself a bit more tolerant of his absence. But golly, when you have a soulmate, and he's gone, there's a tangible, painful hole that cannot find solace. I'm rather shocked at how forlorn I was, but then again, what a blessing, too. To realize this now, rather than live oblivious to the good stuff in one's life. And speaking of good stuff--he also brought home piles of Wisconsin cheese and sausages! Hazzah!

And thank you all for your well-wishes about my surly spine! They are very much appreciated! And I'm glad to report that my back is doing a bit better, well, it's at least allowing me to be more active and agile, but that's not saying much. It sure would be nice to feel my left foot again, so I'm hoping the neurologist can give my disc a stern talking to. A good ol' Come-to-Jesus meeting. At least give it the stink-eye--I'm simply not that flexible!

But on another front, Christmas came a bit early for me, thanks to a certain sombrero-wearin' guy--I got the new PJ Harvey album "White Chalk" and the new Siouxsie album "Mantaray". If they aren't playing on my iPod in a mantic loop, they're buzzing in my head. Music--the gift that keeps on giving!

And speaking of buzzing--I had a good time with the dremel this week. Aaah...the acrid smell of burning plastic and the fierce whirrrr of the dremel, as bits of hot white pumice bounce off my glasses. Some ask why I still customize plastics when I can create my own originals. And that's a good question! Really, why bother?

To be honest, I enjoy this sort of "collaboration". I always learn something new from each sculpture, or rather, from each artist. And having to blend with the work of another is a very good exercise that helps me see things from another point of view, which feeds back and improves my own original work. I also use customs as maquettes, as studies for my own originals, since I'm able to work out designs or approaches in smaller bites, with less invested. I believe one of the most important things for an artist is to continue growing and exploring, and these "quick" collaborative studies are very useful to me for that purpose. And really, in the ever-rising sea of castings, creating something singular is still a kick! "Choppers" do still have their appeal to me!

But you can see how much I change, even on what I consider "minor" or "moderate" alterations. One of my hang-ups are legs--I like to see crisp, clean legs, which usually means the legs on plastics need to be redone since the plastic-injection molding process doesn't allow a whole lot of detail. I also have a hang-up on symmetry--the piece has to be bilaterally symmetrical, otherwise I want to pull my brain out. Yet, again, this is something the plastic-injection process seems to hose up, sometimes alarmingly. So something seemingly simple becomes quite a production. But lots of learning is won, so it's all worth it.

However, I do have to admit that perhaps the fumes went to my head on this fellow (above). He used to be a Stone Standing Arabian, but clearly in another life! In order to transform it into a Pintabian mare, a lot had to go. OK...everything had to go! This piece is actually a very old commission I've taken up and restarted again (yes, KM--this is your girl!), and the unceasing patience of her owner shall be rewarded with a far better piece than I could ever have created years ago. And I haven't done a show-type in ages, so this will be a fun piece to create. An ironic challenge. A nice rattling of my cage. Plus, I finally got to use the font "Aliens ate my mum"!

So on that note, I leave you with this: "Let's you and I conjure together. You watch me and I'll watch you and I will show you how to show me how to show you how to do our marvelous human tricks together." ~Courtney Milne

Willy Wonka for Your Cones n' Rods!

2007-10-05T01:22:00.000-06:00

Or in other words--eye candy galore!

You may recall that I created ten claybody customs on the Collier and Limerick mini molds, then sent five to Lesli and five to Joan, to glaze at their whim. Welp...Joan has completed two more of these fellows, #5 and #10, which you can see as bisques in the photo album of my yahoo mailing list (you'll have to login first).

And as you can plainly see...she's done it again! I'm frankly continually amazed at how much wonderful "stuff" and precision she can pack onto such tiny pieces with glaze. From one who knows (and who is still struggling), underglaze isn't the most obliging medium, especially for such tiny things. Yet somehow Joan can coax this tricky substance into luscious shiny confections, while at the same time, make it seem so effortless. If I can achieve just half of her ability with this medium in my lifetime, I'll be thrilled!

So indulge yourself with a good heaping gander at what she just whipped up!

#5:

And #10:

Both of these pieces will go on eBay soon, so stay tuned on my mailing list and Joan's mailing list for the auction announcements and links.

And I gotta tell you that it's been such a treat to see what Lesli and Joan do with these wee ones! The creative synergy between us is always inspiring, and new ideas spring into my head when we're together. The possibilities and challenges seem endless and exciting! And I so enjoy sculpting in the earthenware clay. It feels like nothing I've ever used before--like soft butter that begs to be cajoled and crooned into new delicious shapes! And when dried and hard, it can hold the tiniest of details, yet smooths to a silken finish with a damp brush. It's been such a pleasure to create these ten pieces, I'll most definitely be creating more!

And then after all this, to see them finished by such skilled hands...well, it's a thrill! Seeing how another artist interprets your piece can put such a fresh spin on your own perceptions, that it creates a kind of positive feedback loop that compels you to leap forward.

So after this ocular feast, I leave you with this thought: "Be out of your cell. There are infinite possibilities, infinite ideas, infinite approaches." ~Alev Oguz

2007-10-01T20:35:00.001-06:00

It's odd how life works. Just when you're dizzy on a creative high, it forces you to switch gears...sometimes grinding them as you swerve down the road of life. And I guess it's my turn for Toad's Wild Ride!

About two weeks ago, I pulled my back out, but this time it looks like I've actually herniated a disk. I wish Nature would figure out this business of walking upright! A tail would help--yes, a tail would be nice. Something with a tuft on the end, perhaps.

So I've been stumbling about, like some cheesy B-movie Igor. But, I'm doing a lot better and should be working full bore soon. And I've been keeping busy working on the Winter edition of The Boat, for RESS (www.ress.org), and I do enjoy writing and fiddling about with editorial nit-picking. But I need to make a date with a neurologist, though. Ugh.

Yet to compound my insufferable self-pity party, my hubby is out of town and oh...how I miss him! So this oh-so-lovely buggy-eyed toad pretty well depicts me, at this point.

I actually made this handsome amphibian for Laurie. I mean...who else would appreciate such a thing!? I found it, dusty and forgotten, on one of the bazillions of greenware shelves in this wonderful, crazy ceramics mecca referred to in hushed tones, Treasure Valley Ceramics, located in Wilder, Idaho (www.treasurevalleyceramics.com). Family run from what seems like the last ice age, this place is like the Winchester Mystery House of ceramics stores, full of assorted kitsch and curiosities in clay. I love it.

But anyway, as I wait for my hubby's return, I shall keep this image of him close to my heart....OLE!

So how can I possibly stay whiney and wretched with this image burned into my retinas?

A sense of humor can get anyone through just about anything, I think. And so I shall pop in some MST, Red Dwarf, Black Adder, Monty Python and SouthPark and have myself a good snort and cackle!

And so, giggle with me at this:

"Artists ought to walk a mile in someone else's pants. That way you're a mile away and you have their pants." ~Joseph P. Blodgett

Sneeky Peeks!

2007-09-23T00:59:00.001-06:00

Phew! I've been busy in the studio, playing catch-up and starting new projects, in what can easily be described as an unabashed wallowing in a creativity hot tub. Jump in! Oooo it feels good! And just like hot water loosens the muscles, serenity loosens the artistic impulses for me...now all I need is another pair of arms! So I thought I'd post a few sneek peeks of some pieces that will be available for sale as customs or as castings.

So first, here's a peek at V.2's neat row of teensy little braids along her neck (right). I would have finished her some time ago, but I wanted to redo her eyes. Something about them wasn't quite right, so I put her away for a couple of months to refresh my eye (oh the irony!). Actually, it's always a good idea to put a sculpture away for awhile, and return to it later before considering it "done". It's amazing how this trick can illuminate what you previously overlooked. And learning is a continuum, which this practice also exploits to an artist's advantage. So I'll be popping new eyes on her soon, then off she gallops to the caster!

The next peek is "Sebastian's Muse", or "Bastian" for short, that customized MOW I mentioned on my list. Here's his hinder and tail (left).

I'm nearly done sculpting him, with only one eye to go, plus some shoe details. Then it's sand, sand, sand....and more sanding. Did I mention sanding? Ugh. But I really like how he turned out and I'm so excited to paint him! He's going to be a light dapple fleabit grey, and I'm looking forward to using some new painting techniques I learned from other artists. And Corinne Ensor's fabulous new snaffle bridle for him arrived today and wow...it looks awesome on him! I can't believe the tiiiny working buckles! To check out her fabulous tack, ooogle her website at www.shoeboxsaddlery.com.

Next, here's a peek at Vixen's hindquarter (right). Vixen is about 3 inches tall, being Taboo's lady friend, and she's full of the same pugnacious spunk, too. Birds of a feather, flock together! And as you can see, her tail is curled over, and I've given her quite the expression, too, but you'll have to wait to see her mug when she's completed. She has a bit more work to go on her legs, head and her mane and tail, but she's pretty close to done.

And I gotta tell ya...that's a marvelous thing! I was having such a bear of a time with her and her foal because, for some inexplicable reason, I kept breaking their dang little legs! I'd get a leg exactly how I wanted, then snap! I somehow managed to demolish it. So I decided to put them away until whatever gremlins were lurking about would grow bored and leave. Begone! I picked them up again, about two weeks ago, and things have been moving smoothly on them, finally. But good golly!...each of their legs has been resculpted at least twice, with some three or four times! Good practice I guess.

Which gets us to, Imp! Vixen's and Taboo's feisty little kidlet! Here's a photo of his hinder and flippy little tail (left). This wee one is only about 2 inches tall, and he's gadding about, like ol' Dad. As you can see, he has a foal coat like Pixie, only teensy tiiinier. He's been a lot of fun to create, but boy...sometimes my eyes start crossing working on his little details!

And finally, here's a sneek peek at a repainted mini, Donna Chaney's Chasing Rainbows (the landing jumper), that will be up for sale soon (below right). I've named him "Beane"...and yes, the pun is intended! And what an elegant sculpture! He's been a lot of fun to paint, with those lovely muscles and crisp head. I still have a bit more work on him to go, like his hoofies and some small details, but he's close to done. And you can probably tell that he's a chestnut sabino, and, boy, does he looks sharp in those "clothes"!

Anyhoo...back to work for me! It feels great to have my mojo back. I sure missed it! Having a "still" mind is essential for me to ease into the creative groove, and stay there. Ironically, I gotta be still to move forward.

"The monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind." ~Albert Einstein

Ahoy Me Bucko Bilge Rats!

2007-09-19T14:57:00.001-06:00

Today be Talk Like A Pirate Day!

We here sailin' the addled waves at Minkiewicz Studios have gone on account to pillage booty and grog with those fierce pygmy landsharks, The piRATS! These scurvy wee sea dogs are eager to give chase and keelhaul the poor soul who dare hoard ye grub fer yerselves!

SQUEEEEEK! (translation: "ARRRRR!")

Avast me hearties! These blobbie buccaneers have outright mutinied and are running amok o'er the seas in their jollyboat! So beware ye good souls! Use yer deadlights an' watch out! They be after the contents of ye ice box! Ye brethren o' the Coast! Gangway! Or suffer a drink in Davy' Jones locker!

Two blobby bilge rats and a sack o' grub
Yo ho ho and a gooey belly!
Scamperin' and snatchin' it all in a hubbub
Yo ho ho and a gooey belly!
Yo ho ho, Yo ho ho, Yo ho ho...and a gooey belly!

ARRRRRRRR!

So I bid me farewell to thee with this here reckonin': "Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." ~ Mark Twain