ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE OF MY HEART

Helloooooooooo

2010-07-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've created a newer, hopefully better blog where I'll be residing from now on. Please feel free to look at the artwork here and in the "older posts" link down at the bottom. I thought I'd be able to link them or merge them or in some way get them together but .....that's either not possible or I just can't figure it out.

So - here is where I am now - http://www.katepethoud.blogspot.com/

Come see me there for all my newer work.

Kate

Wow - I've not been here FORever!

2010-05-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

I started another blog - probably without thinking it all the way through, so that I could show my art for sale. Thinking it through though, I could have probably just kept this one going and that would have been fine. Now if you want to see what I have for sale you'll have to go to http://www.katepethoud.blogspot.com/
Actually, it was set up as a daily painting site but then people were emailing me and asking me if this piece or that piece was for sale - so - there you go - you just can't anticipate everything.

One of the things I've been working on - well, two things actually - is starting arts and craft classes through the summer for kids, and preparing lesson plans to get me ready to start teaching for Stanislaus Arts Council in September. I am very excited for both opportunities and there seems to be doors opening up in the most unusual ways for me. We'll see what happens. Oh, and if you are in the Modesto area and are looking for fairly inexpensive art classes for your children please email me at DreamrKate@yahoo.com.

Here are the paintings I've done in the last few days:

Enjoy - and check back.

I almost forgot. . . .

2010-04-03T10:30:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot to include the tiny panoramic paintings that I've been doing as ideas strike. I love that the composition seems to be coming together in these very small moments. They're small enough to hang in a grouping or in tight places where you might want a small, colorful surprise to brighten your day. Anyway - feel free to comment and tell me what you think.

2010-04-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it's been weeks since I've posted anything. As you can see, I've been busy painting and I've sold a few things. I'm going to be involved in a few upcoming local events where I can show and sell my art - The Knights Ferry Peddlers Faire, Congregation Beth Shalom is having a 'first ever arts and music event,' the upcoming Third Thursday Art Walk, and another couple of art events at the local parks.

The weather has been hit and miss still... we get a few days that are gorgeous and then just when we think we're heading in the summer direction, bam, we get rain. Unpredictable but fun to watch. It's this time of year I love to drive just outside of town a bit to look at all the spring flowers, the peach and apricot trees. There's always something beautiful to be thankful for.

Scott's making breakfast and the smell of coffee and the thought that I can go right to painting and drawing is luring me away now - so BYE for the moment!

K

Spring Flowers

2010-03-18T14:44:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of things I've been working on. I think they're ready to go, hopefully tonight. All three are watercolor, or watercolor and oil pastels and ink, on 8 x 10 inch canvas. People have asked me for prices but that seems too forward to me, so if you are interested please email me. I think they're very affordable.

Are Sunflowers Becoming a Theme With Me?

2010-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers seem to be "my thing" lately. I don't know if it's because they have large wide-open happy faces, or because they ever strive to reach the sun, or is it just because they show up for work? Every day during the summer, they are there, on duty, standing along the fence just smiling as if they are the overseers of our back yard kingdom.

Or is it because the petals grow so crazy-wild and it takes a real conscientious effort to be able to capture their rise and dips. Or maybe it's just because they are happy and in trying to spread that happiness, it makes me happy? I think it's that - it makes me happy. I've consciously given up doing things that don't make me happy every day. Kind of an indulgence, but I'm going to keep it going as long as I can.

Here are a few drawings that I haven't put color to yet. I like the compositions and I wanted to preserve them until I try out different colors and effects. (Basically, I don't want to mess them up.)

More later.

Trying Something a Little Different

2010-03-10T00:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, this sunflower is NOT tiny - it's 5 x 7, small, but not tiny.

I've spent the last couple of days working on a few very small watercolors. Why? I don't know. I don't even know why you ask me that. I just felt like it. Anyway, I like the idea of panoramic paintings and I've got to work with what I've got.....and .... well here they are. Since they are so small, the thought of framing was starting to concern me. I haven't see any very small panoramic frames lately. . . . or ever. . . and custom framing, phffft, I'm sure that THAT would be cost prohibitive, so I'm going to mount them on recycled wood - which means I'm going out to my garage and find pieces left over from something else I've done, and put them on that.

We'll see how that goes.

Feel free to comment. I was so pleased that I couldn't even wait until a decent hour to talk about it.

A Painting a Day - It's all I ask...

2010-03-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

Well, some days I'm fairly prolific, and some days I'm not.

I watch my dog, my big beautiful German Shepherd, as she turns in circles, figuring out just how to settle in. It's a puzzle to her, though it looks very much the same to me, but she's looking for just the right spot, just the right "merge" place where she can ease into her relaxation mode.

Granted - she's a dog, but many times in my effort to get started I feel the same way. There's a process. I get up in the morning, get coffee, then I head to the computer to check email and look at things - could be other blogs, it could be flipping through magazines for a minute or 15 - but most of the time I spend time laying out what I've been working on.

I've finally gotten my watercolors in a binder, in protective sleeves so that they're . . . well - protected, from water drips, my fingers, accidental pencil marks - whatever. I'll line up the other half dozen drawings that are in progress and try to decide which one I feel led to work on. They're all in various stages of unfinished - just ink, ink with some color, drawings that need something but I haven't figure out just what ... I spread them out and just look at them. Though it may appear (to people close to me) that organization is the bane of my existence, I am finally accepting that it's much easier to work in a semi-organized fashion - completed stuff put away, only the others cluttering about. Semi-organized.

My "circling" requires me to check the binder, line up my pencils, return pastels to their boxes. I like the process of setting the paper pads in front of me stacked in order of height and right next to them the pots of brushes. I probably only use three different brushes most of the time but still I like the pot of them nearby. It makes me feel official - like if I needed them, they'd be standing at-the-ready. Good little soldiers. Worn but loyal.

I think I'm ready now. One more trip to the restroom, one more glass of water. And now - to address what's at hand - do I start on a big page of blankness or work on what I've started?

Here's work from today - Saturday, March 6, Happy Birthday Mom!

Looking back on past work

2010-03-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

This watercolor (the trees and rock) is actually a portion of the original. I like this part the best. I love river rock and I think I got this part, at least the colors. Aug. 2008 (??) The orange flower at the right - I don't think there are actually flowers like this but I like it, even if it is only in MY head, and I love the way the colors turned out. (2006?, maybe 2008)

Just an 11 x 14 inch doodle. Haven't colored it yet and I'm not quite sure what I want to do with it. I love these (there are a couple of them) but I really like tucking a little message or scripture in them somewhere. 2006 The daffodils are oil pastels and watercolor on a paper bag. It's sturdy, not very absorbent, but it's heavy enough to rub color on over and over until I get the desired colors. I like to practice on bags, but then it I end up really liking some of the pieces so I'll probably frame them, and then the crease won't matter to me.

This bouquet I did last month. I like it so I've done more, not exactly like this but similar.
* * * * * * * * * *
I was digging around looking for more paper to draw on and found some other paintings that I've done in past years. It's always an interesting thing to take a step back and evaluate with a new 'eye' what you've been doing. For me it's kind of like painting a room that I'd waited a long time to paint . . . . and then I have to walk in and take a look, walk out, pretend that I've never seen it before, walk back in. Maybe I take a personal vote, or see if my scale from 1-10 stays the same. In any case, I like to do the same thing with my artwork. I'm very critical as I'm doing something, whether it's ceramics or painting or whatever, and the urge to trash it and start over comes up many times during the process, but I've learned (I think) to set things aside and go back in for that fresh look, that fresh and hopefully objective view. I've done that with these paintings and I like them a lot more than I remember. I like the colors and composition, and I'm liking the feedback I'm getting on Facebook, from friends and family and people who drop by while I'm working. There's so much to continually learn but it's a fun kind of learning. It's learning about something I actually want to know.

So that's it - just sharing today.

Kate

My Daily Drawing

2010-02-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

Today's beginning work......and on to my morning thoughts... BIG NEWS!

I've FINALLY come to recognize something that I should have learned long ago... but didn't... the benefits of practice. Practice makes you better at something, or some things. I'm not sure what it was that I didn't get but it makes me understand why I have struggled with many things in my life. I don't know if it's just an 'acceptance' thing that now I'm finally getting to. Or, if I'm like many other people I see who struggle with not understanding some simple principles.

When I was taking classes, there were a lot of them that were easy or fairly easy to me. Writing papers, pffst......piece of cake. Talking in front of people .... oh please. Analyzing something or figuring out why people do what they do.... c'mon, bring on the hard stuff. But... and here is where it all starts to unravel for me... if I'm given a task where I have to go at something again and again, and again, to get it right - *gasp* where I'd have to "LEARN" ..... I struggle.

Algebra - STRUGGLE. Ceramics and getting the glazes dead on - struggle. Willing to practice at that, but still, it's a struggle.

And then there's art - WHEN did this decide to be a struggle? When I realized that to be at all decent, I have to do it again, and again. And do it over and go over that again. And to practice and practice and maybe then I will be able to exhibit some control and duplicate what I've done.

God, I exhaust myself. Why can't I just be accepting of the fact that learning is necessary in almost all things. To be any good at anything, I think I have to just accept that maybe I know nothing .......and then we can start from the beginning. LEARNING . . . . listening, getting knowledge of, practicing what you don't know until you understand it and have a command of such knowledge. Get it? Got it!
*sigh*

"Okay, let's go. Let's do it again."

K

Watercolor

2010-02-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Watercolor is a pretty cool medium, especially if the weather is unreliable. You don't need much, some decent paper, a watercolor paint set, a cup of water. And a pen. I've been doodling this week and these are what I've produced. I think they may be put up for sale on Etsy a bit later.

It's Almost Spring......maybe

2010-02-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

Spring is heading our way. The blossoms on the almond tree in our front yard plumped out of the branches, budded and were in full bloom within five days, maybe it was even four. Each year it amazes me how quickly "it" happens. With this new-to-us house we also have an orange tree in the back yard. It remained green all winter while I noticed that others in our neighborhood had lots of orange "pops of color." I thought maybe we were passed over for the fruit this year. But no. Nature was just pacing itself. Little by little I realized that I just wasn't aware of all the work being done in the background. What I could not see were the hidden green balls, that would soon turn orange and make their visual announcement. Every morning I notice more. I know it happens but still each season I am amazed.

I participated in a local monthly art exhibit last evening - only the seond time I've shown any of my artwork in public and again got a wonderful response. I was happily surprized. I even sold a small ink and watercolor painting of a couple of sunflowers. I was and am ecstatic. I wanted to kiss the woman and thank her for buying my "doodles." And that's one that I wasn't going to take, and of course didn't keep a copy. I did get a lot of wonderful comments on my Kandinsky-esque drawing that I used a couple of summers ago when I taught Art Camp to kids.

At the same time I'm getting in to my art work, I'm trying to position myself to teach art to children. My first and very loyal student is Rita. Here she is working very hard. She's not yet three, but she clearly wants to be shown ONCE and then wants to do it on her own. If she said what she thought I'm sure it would be "Quit buggin me, I can draw by my own self."

With three year olds you've got to be faster than the spilling water cup, quicker than the brushes falling off the table and you've got to be in love with brown because no matter how hard you try, they want to mix those colors into each other until they're one uniform color. And it's much easier to work with chaos on your paper. Maybe that's why I like working with them - I think like that too. Here's Rita hard at work.

Getting In Gear

2010-02-02T10:39:00.001-08:00

This morning as I read and flip through magazines and look at the pictures, I'm gathering momentum. I've already folded laundry, cleaned the kitchen, have chicken roasting for soup for later so I'm ready. The problem is that I look at so many "pretties" and glean ideas and think of how "I will do this" that my brain starts to get that feeling of 27 fat guys trying to all get through the door. No offense to fat guys...if I was a guy I might be one of them, but slow down boys....let's see how much more functional you can be if you form a single file line. I think we can get a lot more accomplished if we just wait patiently and hold our piece ......yes, piece.....a card with a single idea on it. Hahaha, you thought I was wrong and meant "peace" didn't you? I'll start with this pile of stuff and see what I come up with. Of course everything is up for change .....

SPREADING THE WORD

2010-01-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Since I've had an opportunity to be without work for a while I've given great thought as to what I should actually "DO" with my life. I haven't come up with a hard and fast idea yet, but I'm thinking really hard. In the meantime I've gotten some wonderful time to spend with my family just being a wife and mom.

I didn't realize that I'd sort of ditched my family to put them in line behind whatever my newspaper job required. For newspaper people it's an occupational hazard; you're listening, but with one ear tuned to hear things that could make an interesting story. "I'm with you but walk along with me because I'm heading over to whatever it is I think is REALLY important." "Is there anything that you're saying (child, husband, friend, shopkeeper) that could be the next best article-du-jour (that will earn me a pat on the head at my real job)." Like that. I hate to sound cliche' but it's true - I've gotten to spend time reacquainting myself with what's really important - my family, my real life.

My efforts lately are on my clay, knitting, painting, cooking and trying to get my Etsy shop seen. And, trying to find a job that really suits me and can keep me gainfully employed. As usual, my timing isn't the best. I'm not seeing any jobs that are interesting so I'm going to try to make my own and teach art/craft classes to children. Posters are in progress to slap up on my local utility poles and I'll have a sandwich board style sign in front of my church because I've pretty much gotten the okay to use our Sunday School classroom for my class. I'm really hoping that I get great response. It will be great fun to meet for a couple of hours a week and be creative.

I'll let you know how that goes as it's going. In the meantime, I've been knitting scarves for my practically all adult children, pictures attached.......I can knit....only a long rectangle, but I can do it, and evidently they like it because with each scarf I knitted, the other kids wanted to know why they didn't have one.

And I've been painting, picture-not-quite-done is also attached here. I've been invited to show some paintings at a salon show Feb. 12 so I've got much to do in finishing and framing. And I do really well when I'm down to the wire. I wouldn't recommend THAT to anyone, but I tend to thrive that way.

I'm off for now... helping decide on a Valentine Dinner menu, creating the tickets this morning to have them proofed by this afternoon, finishing knitting a scarf and baking a chocolate cake for my youngest young man whose birthday is today. Later I'll post some terrific websites I've found for really cool bags (that I amazingly do NOT want to try to make myself) and some wonderful resources that I'll be using in my artsy/craftsy curriculum.

So long for now,

Kate

Who Knows Where My Mind Goes?

2009-12-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

I seriously go AWOL on here, don't I?
I don't mean to, I just get busy and it's seems like it's been a hectic few months. I don't even know why exactly. I've got more time to do the things I really enjoy, but I also get called out to do volunteer things as well, so the time zips by and here we are in December.

I've been doing lots of things. Lots of different things. I almost don't like to sleep because it seems like every time I close my eyes I get some new vision of a different thing in my head, and I have to make an effort to stay focused on the project at hand.

Right Now, Right This Minute Today - I'm working on tiny, tiny houses that will have alphabet letters on them so that folks can spell out a greeting of their choice, or a name, or Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Yay, it's Kwanzaa.......or Nice to See You, Now Go Home. You get the idea. I saw these somewhere but they cost a LOT of money and they had one saying - Merry Christmas - and it was over $100. I decided I could do it for $3 a letter and people could spell out what they want. That's what I would want to do. So that's Thing #1.

Thing #2 - Don't we all just LOVE baby's hand prints? You have to! They're so tiny and pudgy and adorable. I loved the ones that I still have, one from my youngest sister and one from my almost 30-year old daughter. They are precious to me. SO.... when I was watching my friend's granddaughter last month (she's two) we had "art" time and played clay. We made a delightful hand print from stoneware and I thought it would be so sweet to give to her Mom for Christmas. You know, hang it on a ribbon like the rest of things like that. But then I found a simple frame that my husband had made for me for some other whim I'd had a couple of years ago and thought, "how cool would it be to have it in a frame? Very! And how even cooler would it be to have it in a frame with wood blocks on the top to spell out her name? Even cooler! So, that said, I've got three in the works - pictures here.

Thing #3 - Maybe I am the only one who sees things and immediately I have my own idea of how I'd like it, how I would do it differently, how very "if that was MY work, I'd do it this way" of me. I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's how I roll.... so when I saw some very simple paintings, very simple, with scriptures on them, I thought - "Now THAT is something I would really like to do, and put MY favorite scriptures on them." I've only just started so I don't have anything to show - yet!

Thing #4 - Some Random stuff I've been working on.... salt and pepper birds, a fat round cobalt blue bird....etc.
Thing #5 - This probably isn't new, but I'm always drawn back to my sewing machine to make my patches or to work on one of the art quilts I've got started.

I know - I've got more "things" in progress than you probably have on your keychain, but that's how I think. That's how I work and it suits me. I feel like this is exactly what I was meant to do. So I'll make no more apologies for it. Now if I can make it lucrative - THAT would be heaven!

Kate

P.S. That's PLENTY of stuff to look at, but if you're looking for some other really cool toy kind of stuff, check out this website, full of cool Etsy toy-type things!
http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=preview_message&fn=Link&t=1&ssid=12675&id=46j33dsyk9omocda24gyikn67suz7&id2=2hw3amk7njlva2o70sttuzsp349nl&subscriber_id=bcqeievnkdhxayrkgoxvomgboaiubjn&messageversion_id=brbizkxyzxisxuicuqatrmvdyqjtban&delivery_id=aooevmzdnjpxdxkjwrggyemxqeeoblf

Bird Work Interrupted By Seemingly Random Questions

2009-08-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

I've been working non-stop, pretty much, to get ready for a showing of my birds that will be included in this month's Third Thursday Artwalk to be held downtown. I'm excited about being included and can't wait to show what I can do with a little clay and a brain that keeps me up at night.

Since I do not go to 'a place of work' to work, I don't interact that much with people these days. Most communication is computer based, or text based with the occasional real live phone call to my mother which is always great because we volley ideas around and I love it. She is the one who, along with her brother, my much beloved uncle, gave me my love and great appreciation for art in its many forms. I love texture you can touch, color that you see even when you close your eyes and many many different kinds of art. So it makes sense to me that I would try my hand at everything, settle with some things for a time and then move on.

For the time being, and the last couple of years, I've been enamored of clay and it's many ways to use it. Right now I'm about all things "bird," and I'll post some pictures of what I've been doing. My endeavors today will be to make cookie jars. Bird cookie jars... and I'll post pictures of them when I've got them to the drying point. I want to get at least a couple of them done before next week when I can actually show them to the public. We'll see how that goes.

So, since my interraction with people is fairly limited to the internet, I get blesses with some of these random questionnaires designed to help someone know me better. First thing the sender surely must understand about me is I am not, nor have I ever been, limited nor held in bondage to directions. Nope - I care not for directions and even less for recipes, although there have been a time or two that I could honestly say that they were helpful.

I'm still trying to figure out what the following questionnaire was designed for, I think the only thing anyone could tell about me from this is that I create my own rules for THEIR stuff, and that people are both my main annoyance, and my main delight. See for yourself. Bird pictures follow.

35 Seemingly Random Questions That Surely Must Indicate SOMEthing.

1.What time did you get up this morning? 8 a.m.
2. How do you like your steak? Medium-rare
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? “Julie and Julia,” loved it. And since I love the whole movie experience, I’ll go back and see it again. Before that, “The Ugly Truth,” clever and somewhat endearing but really, I mean really, do we need ALL the sexual innuendoes? Seriously? And before that was “The Proposal,” I say, completely without shame, that I’ve seen that three times at the theatre.
4. What is your favorite TV show? Right now? Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, Royal Pains (sort of), Joyce Meyer Ministries (because she offers great insight and it’s usually along my same lines of thinking). All About Jim….oh yeah, and that’s not the most embarrassing show I choose to watch – I love the New Jersey Housewives – I love it and …….and so what?
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I’d divide it up between Seattle, New York, Ojai and Alaska.
6. What did you have for breakfast? An antibiotic and a pain pill……..if this gets drooly, or I start typing with my forehead, that’s why.
7. What is your favorite cuisine? MexAmerItalian…. Will that count? Love all things taco but they run neck-and-neck with MY Perfect Cheeseburger……which I can send a picture of to your cell phone if you give me the number, and good pizzalasagnaspaghettirigatoni is always good. Mostly anything I make.
8. What foods do you dislike? Liver, and chicken liver, all things liver, and though I’d love to use beet juice for coloring fabric, the fruit of such will never pass over my lips. I don’t even know why they were made, but the color is beautiful.
9. Favorite Place to Eat? This little Mexican place right by the the state beach in San Luis Obispo that makes really good margaritas but even better, (yeah, I know, I’m an obvious ‘foodie’ )– they make the absolute best shredded beef stuffed chile rellenos! I’ve found nobody else who makes them, nobody! And are they great, oh yes …. And did I come home and try to do it myself? Oh yes. And was I successful? Definitely. And am I making this list of questions even better than it was? Of course,I always do, and I now turn the mic back over to you Kelly.

10. Favorite dressing? Paul Newman’s Ceasar, my own Thousand Island, and a newly homemade Ranch.

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? A ’95 Thunderbird, but my heart belongs to Volkswagen. But if I had a serious butt-load of cash, I’d be driving a Chevy Tahoe.

12. What are your favorite clothes? Bohemy (my word) skirt and t-shirt all the time.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Santa Fe – Oh shut up! I’m going there for the balloon races in October. Hello! Oh, so that means I have to choose another……the whole Eastern Seaboard…..and I want to see wherever it is The Outter Banks is. Why, you might ask? This is why – this one part of dialogue in "Message In A Bottle"- “To all the ships at sea and all the ports of call... to may family and to all friends and strangers - This is a message and a prayer. The message is that my travels taught me a great truth. I already had what everyone is searching for and few ever find. The person in the world who I was born to love forever, a person like me, of the outer banks and the blue Atlantic mystery; a person rich in simple treasures, self-made, self-taught, a harbor where I am forever home. And no wind or trouble or even a little death can knock down this kind of love and be healed by it. If my prayer is heard, then there will be an erasing of all guilt and all regret, and an end to all anger. . . . “.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? 3/4 full, and I've got another one in the cupboard.
15. Where would you want to retire? Santa Barbara

16. Favorite time of day? Early morning, late at night. The middle of the day is no creamy filling to me.

17. Where were you born? Pasadena, Ca.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Surfing, all surfing, all the time.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? Beats me.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? I have no expectations.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Everyone!

22. Bird watcher? Why thank you, I love to watch birds.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Yes.

24. Do you have any pets? Yes

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Hmmm……….can’t think of any on such short notice.
26. What did you want to be when you were little? A torch singer in a piano bar.

27. What is your best childhood memory? Any time, all times with my grandmother.
28. Are you a cat or dog person? Dog

29. Do you work? I pot. I'm a potter. I'm an artist. I am. At the moment, that’s my job. Do I love it? I love it. Can I make a living at it? THAT is the multi-bizionnaire question. Am I any good at it? I think I could be headed in that direction. Will my timing be perfect? I would hope so but who can tell?

30. Always wear your seat belt? Who wants to know?

31. Been in a car accident? Not exactly

32. Any pet peeves? OMG…… let’s see, stupid people, people who drive with their cell phones..and it’s not that I mind THAT so much, but when they’re obviously engrossed in a long conversation so they can’t pay attention to who is around them; people who don't take the time to delve deeper into any kind of meaning whatsoever; trendiness, it's gets old; cliches, those get old fast; people who talk with their mouths full; people who are like the interrupting cow......Moo; people who KEEP mentioning themselves and all their accomplishments - get it folks, humility is a wonderful thing, if you're that great, we're not going to forget about you; people who think they have rhythm but they don't - oh wait a sec, that's just seriously funny, never mind; and finally, and I mean this, people who just don't "get it", and it's not because they are in any way impaired, but they don't want to exert the effort, nor do they want to be responsible for anything in their own lives, they want to lean so absolutely on you, on your work, on your life, on your effort at figuring life out that they think they're coasting - but they're not, because still, at the end of the day, at the end of their lives, still - they'll stand before God and have to account for what they've done with what God gave them, not what they latched themselves onto. ****and thank you folks, that concludes my message for this morning****

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, bell pepper, onions, mushrooms and olives…..all the time. Perfect combination!

34. Favorite Flower? Gerber daisies

35. Favorite ice cream? Yes! Ice cream is my favorite!

So there we are!

TECHNOLOSER

2009-07-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

See those keys? The keys, just to the left, on the keyboard?

THAT keyboard is what is familiar to me. That's what I grew up with, know how to do, and that is what is evidently creating in me a horribly aged and inept feeling that keeps lingering close by.

I have a cell phone, and I even know how to text, much to the amusement of my children's friends whose parents are apparently not quite so hip.

The other day, in all of my smug, techno-coolness, I was ripping off the beginning of what was to be a very long, very funny, email to my daughter. I wasn't looking at the keys because I was so confident in what I was doing - it's all in the counting of the keys, I told myself, tap, tap, tap on the "7" key gives me an 'r', one more tap is the 's'. Most letters I use, I have come to realize are three taps on different keys, I use a lot of 'r's, i's, o's, and c's. Who knows why? All this to just say, that my hip-mom, techno-coolness world came crumbling down like ... hmmm. .... like what?......I should be good at the adjectives here, ... came crumbling down like .......like leaves falling in an autumnal breeze? No, too slow and lingering. Like water droplets off a shaking dog? No. That's too wet and dog-smelly. Maybe it's just as simple as a house of cards, crashing down quickly in a mille-instant. Yes, that's probably it. All at once I looked down at my phone because some letter didn't feel right..... what did I see? Two and a half lines of jibberish. In less than one tenth of a breath, my self-appointed coolness was gone. I felt really silly dumb. I had just wasted probably three minutes getting thumb cramps and probably signing up for early hand arthiritis, for what? Nothing. All at once I wished my daughter was there becasue she would have cracked up, and glad that she wasn't at the same time because I would never live it down and it would have been future fodder for all family gatherings to come. I couldn't tell you now what the funny story even was. And it was a good one, too!
And so, uncool, I'll go back to what I know - showing what I've been working on the last few days and trying to figure out how to get my voice and my art, out to the world.

Kate

I Can Only Stay A Minute...

2009-06-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

I can only stay a minute - it's sweltering here in mid-Central Calif. A lovely 106 at the moment and the air conditioning is being rendered decidedly ineffective. Fortunately, the house we're in right now has a pool. We've never had anything more than a dough boy pool when the kids were little and that was great for then, but now..........oh Mommy.........a pool will drop your body temperature down so quickly and it will stay like that for hours afterward. It's wonderful! It's a blessing. We lucked out. Among many things that are wrong with this house, the pool is not one of them.

What I've become enamoured of the last week or so are birds. I started making small ones, then as I got a feel for them, they got a bit bigger, and now I want them to have wings, and after I play with the wings for a while I think I'll give them hats or crowns. I like this big one, she reminded me of how birds splash around in my bird bath and make big watery splashes as their feathers fling water up and over them. I think it also reminds me of my kids when they were little and would play for hours outside with the hose. Something so simple could keep them captivated for hours. Simple. It's a gift to enjoy simple things. To not be concerned about anything else, just focus on one thing for a while.

Here are pictures of the flock I've been working on, but now I'm going to take a break and refresh. I'll be back soon.

Kate

International Commerce

2009-06-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

Is ANYONE I know going to Australia any time soon? The reason I ask is this - I woke up this morning to find that someone had purchased several pieces of my pottery on Etsy. (If you don't know what that is, please ask, you will be amazed!)

In my excitement I hurried to gather up the pieces, some of which I had just listed this morning at 2 a.m. (Way too hot to sleep!) So she must have seen them just as soon as I put them on the website. Yay! Excitement! I was so excited that I wanted to sock myself in the arm.

So I exchanged emails with the purchaser and told her, as stated in my shop policy, that I would box everything up and head down to the post office and get an accurate shipping cost. "Fine," she said.

Down at the post office, where there was no line.... hello, did you hear that? NO LINE! I walked right up to the counter and said "OMG - There's no line!" "OMG ! It's because we're closed!" the very nice postal worker woman said. She said that my face looked VERY funny at that point.

So talk, talk, talk, very nice woman by the way, very nice, very helpful.......and I'm out the door with an estimate of $52 to ship a half dozen pieces of pottery, and they're relatively small, to Australia! I want to give her an extra piece, if she proceeds with the order, just because it must be horrible to get things shipped to you if you live there.

Is it just me or is that just crazy?

So - if anyone is going there.......take my stuff with you would you?

Kate

New Thought on Finding Your Center

2009-06-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

On this very hot day in mid California, I was out trying to make some semi-dried porcelain turn itself into a pot. It was reluctant, at best. There were spots deep inside that were drier than others and I could feel them but I thought I could work around them. So I centered the clay pretty well, thought I detected a teensy wobble, but ignored it. I brought the clay out and started to bring the sides up and that was simple.... and I LOVE that part, it's like magic.......the clay just slips between your fingers. Always good.

So the sides come up and they're even, everything is good. But I had to keep messing with it.... tidying up the runny stuff from the sides, sopping up the excess water from the inside, thinking maybe I could squeeze up another inch or two on the sides, and therein lies the problem. Why can't I just leave well enough alone?

Nope, I pulled the sides up a bit more and it started to get wobbly. I kept trying to correct it and it went well for a while until I flinched and whooooosh, the whole top slid dangerously at a serious right angle in a fraction of a second. DANG IT! And it was so perfect.

So I tried to fool myself into thinking that I could just pick up the side and smooth it out and it would be okay, but no. I had to yank most of the clay off until I was down to a few inches.

I'll try again I thought. So always the experimentor, I centered that part, and put the heel of my palm into the middle and gently shoved out. I figured I would at least get a small platter.

But I notice that the piece is just a teensy bit off center, but I am too lazy to fix it, so there's this extra little lump of clay that goes off to one side along the rim, not bad, but it's there. I can see it but I want to ignore it.

I stop the wheel and cut it off figuring it would be okay. I continue on and the little lump around the rim forms again. I try for the third time. Same thing happens. Well now I KNOW that the clay is off center and no matter what I do, it's not going to throw right. No respector of persons.

Life is full of these little analogies. It screams for us to just "GET IT"... That platter spoke volumes to me. When we have a bump in the road, relationships, alcohol, drugs, substance issues, whatever, just cutting it off, is not always enough to correct the problem.

That platter showed me that you can trim the obvious away again and again, but eventually you have to rip the whole lump of clay off the bat and start over. You DO have control.

Anything less than getting to where the weak point began, will not suffice. You'll just keep working and working to create something that is atop a wrong foundation.

I tried to take the easy way out to get that platter to work, and then I thought about people I know who struggle to fix things, get their lives to work, but never address the real issue. They never scrape the mess off the bat, gather up their supplies and tools, assess them and start over. And I wonder, will they be doomed to repeat the process over and over? I hope not. I pray not.

In any case.....I do have something fun to share. I made these birds yesterday, and I love them!

Squeezing my day

2009-06-18T01:12:00.000-07:00

Like a freshly picked orange, I am usually up and ready to see how much I can squeeze out of my day first thing in the morning.

In my effort to become at least a passable potter, I have to throw, and throw and throw, which I love mind you, but the thought occured to me the other day when I was talking to a friend - this whole 'work for yourself' thing is not without pitfalls.

"GOING" to work is one thing, you go there, you might snivel and stick your foot in the sand sometimes, you might even grumble, but at the end of the pay period, you collect your check and you don't give a second thought of how exactly that company pays you as long as it's a cashable check. So you don't really have to LOVE it, you don't even have to like it, and you might even grumble, or maybe even be considered company subversive - but in any case, they paid you, you can buy pizza, maybe a movie ticket - call it a day.

But Hoe-Dee-DO......working for yourself - WHOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLEE other story. You can't swipe aspirin from yourself, you'd surely better not bitch about yourself to your(self) boss, and you can't go napping in the break room either because you might have to fire yourself. There is no pocketing of pens, no pilfering of paper clips, and there will be no excessive copies being made on company time. Nope, no perks here.

However - working for myself does have it's perks .... I roll out of bed, stick my hair up in a paint brush, tie an apron and head out to ponder 25 lbs of clay and what can I get out of it. Who can SAY that? Not many. So by 7:30 - 8 a.m. I'm up to my elbows (most days) in mud, well clay, but mud sounded more earthy, and maybe I've even gotten a few pots out of the deal before I break to make my husband breakfast.

That's the good part. The part I love. The part for which I drag myself out of bed.

But then there's the part when I grab a cup of coffee, that I have to do, like check email and try not to be distracted by all the new male enhancement products, how to go to school for a $100,000 a year job without it costing me anything, and ooo ooo baby, I want to be your friend, ads that I need to delete before I find out if I've gotten any orders for my pottery.

Back outside, a bisque load comes out of the kiln most days (because it's so tiny) and then I'm scrambling for inspiration before starting to paint. I don't know why but I get really intimidated by the blank pot. Some get intimidated by the blank sheet of paper or the blank screen, if they're writers. "Poo," I say.........I can talk forever, I'll talk for days, and I may even stay on topic, but putting color on a blank pot can be scary. You don't know what you're going to get to begin with and if it turns out ugly you have to do it again, otherwise you've just wasted your canvas, so to speak.

Phone calls, answering email, packaging orders, double checking to see if the product is paid for, printing out labels, working on new items, thinking of new items, writing descriptions, feeding my family, PLUS trying to complete a product so that maybe, with luck you have several so you actually have a 'product line'........so, all this to say - Do not underestimate having a job!

Hopefully this didn't sound too random...... I'm on my way to becoming who I've dreamed of being.

Thanks for listening.

Kate

Is this stuff cool, or is it just me?

2009-05-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

I made these bowls a year or couple of years ago and I'm in the process of making some more. I think they're funky, but I love them and use them as often as I can just to show them off.

My tiny towns, or little streets are something I've fallen in love with. I love the little houses and I like that they are on their own block. The individual houses are kind of cool too, just different. It's fun and I love what I'm doing.

2009-04-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is all the show and tell for today, I must work. I must accomplish, I must produce today. I must get these things out of my brain.

Many pots, no time to talk

2009-04-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

This is what I do all day pretty much.

Funny little pots aren't they?

Here a Pot, There a Pot, Everywhere a PotPot

2009-04-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm just amazed when I step back and take a look at some of the pieces I've done. This took WORK. And I just set it on a table and didn't look at it for ages. I havent' done anything this labor intensive for a while. I think I may try it again, and this time make it NOT weigh many pounds.

2009-04-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

Just so you don't think that the little houses are my only "thing"... attached are pictures of a bunch of pots that had been sitting over at a friend's house waiting to be fired - for six months!

She wasn't firing up her kiln much in the winter, (afraid of setting her garage on fire) and her pieces were pretty large and kept getting fired in front of my stuff, so now that my kiln is up and running, even though it's about the size of an ice chest, I can do several pieces a day.

It's SOOOOOOO Slow, that's for sure, but it does give me the ability to keep a journal of what glaze I used and how much, what works and what doesn't. This is a labor of love for me, definate labor, because I really don't like making the tedious notes, but then I don't want to glaze several pieces with the same color only to find out that I hate that color, or I didn't use enough of that color, or whatever.

The bummer part about working at the college studio is that I have to wait to see where my pieces can get squeezed in and that could take weeks, and if one person's pot explodes, BOOM!, there goes my piece.

Sometimes I'm amazed that I enjoy pottery as much as I do, because it's really not all that swell for the impatient. You throw a pot, you wait til it's dry enough to trim. After it's trimmed, you wait til it's completely dry before you can fire it. You fire it for 7 hours, then you have to wait a day for your kiln to cool down enough so that you don't crack the piece when you swing open the door and the cooler air hits it. One piece can take almost two weeks to produce, so you're always working in tandem with something else, so I throw, I fire, I glaze......which is another 7 hour firing and cooling process. THEN, if it's turned out well, I can think about selling it.

Anyway - I just thought I would share that little process with you. I've got probably at least twice as many pieces as were in the photos, just waiting for glaze and their last firing. Etsy here I come!

Love,

K

2009-04-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

These curvy things remind me of girls. Jennifer thinks they look like Thailand. Having not been there I can't say, but I doubt it. Some do remind me of Chinese hats though. The tall ones in this picture are 12 and 14 inches tall. I'm going to see how far I can go with them. They start getting a little wobbly at 12 inches and they want to droop. I just keep playing with them until they dry sufficiently to stand up on their own. I like 'em!

I can start my own city!

Kate

Okay... Even NEWER Stuff

2009-04-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am totally enamoured of the small buildings that I've been working on. I think they're people. Gabe says that they remind him of one of his MarioWorld games, and suggests that I make a whole city of them. Now, I may make a city of them, but please, I'd like to wipe out the image of MarioWorld from my brain.

BECAUSE - NO, I don't want them to resemble mushrooms. I don't even like the image of mushrooms, although, one of the first experiences I had with clay was making two hand size mushrooms and they turned out pretty good.

Rambling aside, I like the image of twisty, turny buildings reaching up toward the sky. That's it, that's my whole reason. I'm just going to play that out til I run out of ideas.

So here are the pictures from the last couple of days.

Kate

Striving to Get On Board With This

2009-04-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Again, with the not 'blogging' in ages. Seriously, I'm trying to get regular with this, but it's been difficult to make regular entries when I've let myself just sort of flail around like a fish out of water after leaving my job. My job, my job, I LOVED my job.

So now it's been months, I've gotten used to it, sort of, and seem to be settling into some kind of pattern of producing some actual work.

It's 'work' to actually have to produce something creative MYself ... I mean as opposed to just working for someone else and collecting a paycheck. I did love those days, mind you, but there is something sort of raw and earthy about knowing that if you don't get a move on, *(Word: If I don't get a MOOOOveON)* and push MYself, NOTHING WILL GET DONE, and I'll have no one to blame but MYself. I hate that. I really hate it when it all falls on me.... I've no one else to shoulder my lack of creativity, or time management, or continuity of effort. Blechh....... just me. So I may as well get to it.

Attached, or next to, or on the side, wherever they get plugged in, are my latest ceramic efforts, which should keep me entertained for a while. I'm off the sewing for the time being and only in love with clay at the moment. Tell me what you think. Seriously!

Working on a new idea

2008-10-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was asked if I wanted to participate in a Nativity exhibit to be held, I think, at the Chartreuse Muse (here in Modesto) and since I love wood, in addition to all the other mediums that I enjoy working with, I thought sure, and I should do it in wood.
I may decide to do something in fabric or in ceramic but this is what popped into my head today while I was in church.
I think this is totally do- able.
And I think I'll love it,
although I haven't decided
if I want to put color on it
or not. Maybe I'll do both.
My base (in my head) will
be an old fence board, and
scrap wood will be the
mountains, trees, well
everything. And then on
the sides I'll have maybe
old nails if I can find them,
and brightly colored
ceramic cirles.

I didn't have my colored
pencils in church.... good
thing too, somebody
would have poked me for
not paying attention.

Kate

Heading to the Mountains

2008-10-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

So I'm heading to the mountains for the weekend to renew and refresh my soul.

We can all use a little dusting off, a little new information, a quiet chunk of time with God from time to time, and I'm really looking forward to it.

This is the first retreat with women I don't know, that I've ever attended. I've always shyed away because I don't feel particularly "clubby" or "groupie" - although I DO like a responsive audience I've decided. Maybe somebody told me that... I don't know, but it's true.
In any case, I'm already anticipating breaking from the group... for me, seeking God is somewhere in my alone time. I've heard horror stories of not getting any sleep, pranks, loud talking all night, in past years. While I'm all about being funny, I'm not so much about being annoyed, or being annoying.

I'm taking my devotional bible because there's some really good commentary as well as scripture, and my sketch book and charcoal, my camera, my pillow (that's all I need) and my down comforter. And my Excederin. That's all I need ... (ala Steve Martin in "The Jerk.") And my thermos. And my favorite tea bags. No candy. Well maybe SOME candy. Or maybe just an apple. (Really, I don't know why they're letting me come at all.)

Seriously though, for me to be at one with God, I just need to sit still in the quiet of the outdoors, surrounded by the tall trees and the brisk air. No big explanation... there IS someone much greater than I who controls the universe, by His very word and I'm good with that. Takes all that responsibility off my shoulders.

Yeah, that's pretty much all I need.

Change is Good.... right?

2008-10-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Again, I must apologize... if only to myself, for not posting in over a month. It seems by doing this, I send my own personal "idea" diary out into the universe and it comes back with notes and thoughts and some ideas from others, which is fascinating to me. It's amazing.

The reason for my long absence? Transition I think. I left a job that I loved, working with people that I love, just because I thought it was 'time to go' and while I'm searching for another one, I'm going to do my best to make my art, be that job.
I'm kind of on the fence about whether or not this will work. I think it could, I think I have enough ideas, a modicum of talent, bravery though? .... not so sure that I have enough of that. Confidence... sometimes yes, lots of times no. But I'm going to give it a shot anyway, because really in the end, what have I got to lose, and what am I doing anyway? I'm just waiting for my resume to knock someone over with my 'ability to juggle twelve tasks in a single bound' basically. And I think there's a zillion people like me looking for a job. So I leave my future in the hands of God, and I'll just put one foot in front of the other and it's alllllll going to work out.

Now, to post a bunch of pictures of my latest art journey.

Kate

One picture is the body of a diaper bag in-progress, that I am making for a lovely little friend and her new baby Wyatt. The usual bags are much too boring and I like the idea of a gypsy/hobo/funky bag much better. I hope she will too... and their last name begins with "Q" ... hence the BeBe'Q... get it?

I've been a slacker....

2008-08-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a slacker with posting... and it's not because I've not been doing anything - it's just that I've not accomplished what I thought I would. Our daughter is moving home so that's created some bit of upheaval (?) because I've needed to move my sewing out of that room and into the already chaotic family room. Seriously ... no family would dare go in there for fear of getting lost. I know pretty much where everything is, but I am hardpressed to do anything about the clutter because I just don't know WHAT to do. I've got a conglomeration of pottery fired, and unfired, glaze, clay, three sewing machines, a couple of cabinets, a hutch, two rocking chairs, a big honkin coffee table, that's too big to be useful and ends up being a 'flat surface'... of which I am the Queen. "FlatSurface Queen" that's me. And that's not even all of it, I've got half a dozen large flat tubs of wonderful had-to-have-it fabric, my drafting table that was an antique I found at an estate sale, four three-drawer plastic rolling carts, a box of gourds... I never told you about those? I do gourds as well.... book I would throw myself in front of a train to protect, although I've not picked up a one of them.

Is there an organizer in the house? My kids mention CleanSweep once in a while but THAT is not the answer... I'll throw the stuff I'm not using away, but nobody is ever allowed to touch any art/craft supplies. Seriously! I've found that I can use the tiny bits of driftwood I've collected and brought home years ago, to hang my tiny quilt bits and they look cool!

So.... I'd love to hear from a clutter or former clutter queen and how they got their groove going by sifting and sorting through their stuff because I could sure use direction.

More later, with pics.

K

Switching Mediums for a bit

2008-06-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

So... in case anyone noticed, I haven't been around for a while. My wide range of interests took me outside where the weather was just so so so beautiful, and into my back yard to work on my potting wheel.

Because I have such a wide range of interests it's hard for me to stay with one thing for terribly long, and my sweet, sweet stack of wonderful fabric, is just sitting in my sewing room, waiting to welcome me back as soon as the summer gets too hot, or my hands get too sore or I run out of clothes that I like, to wear. Or I'm magically inspired again, which will be sometime soon, I'm sure.

Anyway, my love of all things clay, and the texture of it, and the quiet it brings me, and the fact that it ends up being me, outside, with my big, big dog, fooling around on my potting wheel, listening to the birds, and thinking in long long run-on sentences to myself --- has taken me to creating wall pieces. I did some bowls, and then I did some little wall pockets .......eh, they were okay, nothing really to write home about, but my latest little thing are these wall hangings.......I guess you'd call them that...... and so I'm posting a couple of pictures of them, still in raw clay form.........now to wait for them to dry and fire them.

I'm always in love with my new projects and it's the same with these........and they are the primary star (hopefully) in creating a nice little pot of money with which to put a down payment on my house - which could be selling later this year, and hopefully to us. (We're renting)

So I'm going to sell these on etsy.com and anywhere else I can hustle them, and work, work, work, until I've made the requred cash. I'm hoping by selling them for a nominal price, $5, $10, $15-$25, I can get a lot of people interested, especially since I'll do special orders and will also have a wonderful line of Christmas stuff probably in August.

So... if you've got any other ideas that I maybe haven't thought of - hit me back.

Kate

I've Got An Idea !!

2008-05-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay. I've been just going crazy with allergies and such. I've been at the sewing machine but not producing too much in the way of great creativity. However I did come up with this little iPod case, which I think I'll make more of, and maybe even a teensy bit bigger to accomodate cell phones and such.

The iPod was kind of making me crazy because I'd have it sitting on my desk but if I turned around to get into a file, it would fall on the floor, or if I put it in my pocket, I'd worry about if it would fall out, and if I got up to go do something, it would be just sitting there. So I figured an eensy pocket might be quite perfect, and this is all just scrap material so it was just a little labor of love time. I may even put them on etsy to sell for $10 or $12. What do you think?

Kate

2008-04-21T13:44:00.001-07:00

Whoops... I forgot to add this little 3x4 inch piece that I finished.

YOU KNOW HOW A COLD CAN MAKE YOU CRAZY?

2008-04-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well that's about how I've felt. I caught a cold and was out of it for several days. It's amazing how the simple cold can completely wipe you out to the point of making you (me) feel slightly crazy. I just didn't care. I had some work that I HAD to do from home but other than that, it was all about getting juice, whining about not having soft Kleenex and moving from the bed to the chair, watching the intermittent 15 minutes of tv......and then starting over. I haven't even had any ideas, which is really unlike me. I can usually think of stuff all the time. I do have a couple of things I scanned last week that I'll show you but that's about it.

More later.

K

SIX WORD MEMOIR CHALLENGE - Can You Do It?

2008-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Robyn, my new friend in South Africa challenged me to write a Six Word Memoir, so here is what I think it should be, and I challenge you to do the same.

How do you sum your life up in six words? I had to draw lines, like playing Hang Man, to conserve thoughts and words and here is what I think I like, but it could change too. So, is this who I am? Or is this who I aspire to be? Or... could I simply jot down words that I admire and try to aspire to them? Interesting thought.

"Singing, laughing, creating. Heart wide open."

So the challenge is this: Six Word Memoir! Hope you play!

Rules:

1. Write your own six-word memoir.

2. Post it on your blog (and include a visual illustration if you would like).

3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post.

4. Tag five more blogs with links.

5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

I'm not sure how to do the linking and the inviting, but I'm going to give it a shot.

I HAVE GOT TO DO SOME HANDWORK....

2008-04-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here are two things I did over the weekend. The fabric piece is 23 inches wide and 13 inches long. It's the top third of a piece I want to actually finish.

I love drawing on paper bags - don't know why, probably the texture and substance of the large shopping bags - they just feel very sturdy and strong.

Anyway, these are my little doodle sketches of ideas I would like to bring to fruition.

I TOOK A LITTLE TRIP YESTERDAY...

2008-04-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

I took a little trip yesterday, the kind we dont' like to take when we're mid age - the kind where I was just walking along, minding my own business, at work, in the hall, thinking about what my next work related task was and how I could play "Beat the Clock" and beat my best time, when all of a sudden, I pitched forward, and in that millisecond realized that I was going to fall, yet how "could" I fall, when I just don't fall. I don't hurt myself, I don't walk unsteady, I don't do things that bring pain near me......and yet there I was pitching forward, grabbing wildly at a half-wall, feeling my arm slide smoothly along it, no grip at all, wondering where I would come to a stop, realizing that my line of vision has somehow been realigned with carpet and then I hear/feel a thud, which evidently was my head hitting the large, round column which was trying desperately to stop me, yet No, No, it was my shoulder, dragging the length of the half-wall and then down the side to the floor, twisting awkwardly up, up and away, as my knees hit the ground with a thud and a bump..........and there I was looking like I'd just decided to stage my own "lay-in"...... OWWWWWWWWWW, OWWWW much later, and OWWWWIE today. I hate getting old. And I hate having body parts that all of a sudden come alive when they think they can cause you great bodily pain. So that's my excuse and I'm good with it.

Anyway, this is the piece for today.......but more will be coming later because even though I'm in pain, my tiny idea brain is always tickin'. Oh, yes it is!

Kate

HOW WOULD I EVER DO A WHOLE QUILT?

2008-04-09T14:40:00.001-07:00

I am really trying to stick to my plan of doing something every single day (after work) on my quilting endeavor. So far it's coming in random ideas so I will probably end up with a huge pile of things that don't necessarily go together. But, that's the story of my whole little artistic life. I can do one thing, maybe two, that are kind of alike, and then my mind has wandered off onto some other idea that I can attach to it, or turn what I'm working on into something else. It's a lot of work for me to stick with one idea, no matter how badly I want to.

Anyway, these are the products of my last couple of days. The tiny quilted piece at the top is actually done and ready to either frame or attach to a mat board. My friend, Laurie, wants me to sell them as patches for people to put on their jackets, or turn them into Artist Trading Cards..... I just like to pat them and hold them. The small pieces are comforting to work on... and I don't have to wait to work on them like I do my other things. I can carry them in my purse and work on them while I'm waiting in my car for something, or wherever. It's not like waiting for kiln space, or waiting for paint to dry........ you get it........it's fun, it's nice...... tuck, tuck, fold.... I like to line them up and pat them. Weird, huh?

Kate

WORKING ON SMALL ITEMS...

2008-04-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started doing some little stitch work on the small hearts that I did. I think that my next batch might be stained with tea or coffee, I like that old look. Since the hearts are only about 3 inches, or less, I need to be very careful not to over do the hand work or add too many things. I started out with neutral thread and I don't know if I'll stay with that or not.... I think I'll go ahead and add backing and quilt them and maybe change my choice of frames and put them in a larger frame, or have them "float"... not sure yet.

THE SCRAPS KEEP GETTING SMALLER...

2008-04-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

While I was whining about my flagrant use of thread, i.e. the long pieces before and aft on a little piece of sewing, someone wrote to me and said that she just kept two pieces of crazy quilt squares going at a time and thus, saved have to clip excess thread at least half the time. So I was thinking.. .. why can't I do that with my long strips and just butt them up, one right after the other? So I did and I was able to do probably 5 or 6 pieces before clipping them off and then I can snip them apart later. But it also keeps them in one place until I want to use them.... cool deal!!

And then I found a ratty (but clean) piece of old muslin that I had. The texture was smooth and worn to the touch and I've found my background for my "I Heart You" series of tiny hearts and frames. And strips off one side.... they were all chewed up, probably from bleach at some point and I'm going to print words on them after the hearts are done, and attach tiny messages.

What fun!! Here's pictures:

ADDING NOSTALGIA TO MY WORK

2008-04-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it to the sewing machine last night, but I did however, unearth a small book that I ordered some months back, with beautiful pictures and embroidery techniques.

The book has instruction in both thread and ribbon embellishing, and I thought I'd share.

The pictures are beautiful and it's a smaller book that's easy to slip into my purse/knap sack/magicMaryPoppinsBag. I believe I got this from Amazon.com so while it was a used book it was in near perfect condition. And I like the idea that somebody before me owned it and has now passed it on.

Anyway - here is the book and a couple of pages that I thought were good to share. I just think that adding little bits of interest adds so much to the value of your work and the history of your life - sort of like "can I produce something that will touch someone for years?" ... or last a lifetime?

USING ALL I'VE GOT........scraps almighty!

2008-04-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

I worked on three small pieces. There was such a mess around my sewing machine with piles of little strips of fabric, all the leftovers from my last several days of sewing, but I couldn't just scrape them off into the trash without trying to at least come up with something useable. I'm a little fascinated by a couple of things - 1) have you ever noticed how much thread you can waste by pulling the fabric out and away to cut it off, and the tail that you started with....it's crazy, so I'm going to sew a pile of it onto something and see how that looks....it'll be fibery kind of. And, the other thing? I may have forgotten but maybe I was thinking that you really CAN make something out of those tiny pieces. I think what I'll do is make a series of very small, pieced hearts, then attach them to a solid background and then frame them in little 4 inch frames. That sounds productive, right?

And I'll embroider a little on them. This will be fun. I just know it.

SEWING INTO THE NIGHT.....

2008-04-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

I started so SO late last night and almost didn't get to the sewing machine, but once I got going it was great. I got TWO pieces sewn last night and will work on some hand embellishing today.

I sat at the machine thinking that it might pipe up and give me an idea and I had none so I started sewing the little scrappy strips together and that looked kind of cool, but you don't get to see that, and then after I ironed it I cut it into strips and then reversed every other one and ironed them down on Wonder Under....not sure what I'll do with that but it looks good, almost like a checkerboard but not. And then after I did that, I just started piecing bits together and going round and round, trimming and cutting, adding more, and came up with the little 3x4 piece.

So I managed to finish the sewing on a 3"x4" piece and just have to go back and add some stitching, and the 9"x 15" and I need to do the same. And these will be framed and put on Etsy.com when I get done.

So....... a challenge.......that would be fun, I'm just not sure what would be good...... I'm into flowers right now so it would have to be something different, something to stretch my little brain. Any ideas?

An Interesting Challenge Link

2008-04-01T09:58:00.001-07:00

This looks like a really cool beginning. I love the challenge idea, maybe when people start happening onto this page, we'll have our own challenge. How fun!

http://quiltart.com/challenges/fffc/challenge1.html

K

2008-04-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm fudging a bit.......I did this the other day. I'm thinking, after seeing some quilt pieces in frames, bordered by wide, white mats, that I might like to see some of these smaller pieces that I've been doing framed. I don't think that I can actually piece any of these pieces together because they just don't go with each other. Seperately they're fine. I guess if I can to four that are similar, but not alike, they can be a small quilt, but I'll figure that out when I come to it. For now, I think I'll just try to stay on task and get one new thing done a day, and do the hand work while I'm watching tv or something.

Always thinkin'.......

Work In Progress

2008-03-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

LINKS THAT ARE TOO GOOD NOT TO VIEW:

2008-03-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the links.... I'll figure out at some point how to get them on one side.

This is great, maybe I'll do this with a few of my small pieces. I've never seen a bunch of pieces all framed, behind glass. They're quite impressive.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patchworkmemories/sets/72157603994702558/

Here is from a new friend in South Africa........very cool!

http://artpropelled.blogspot.com/

Here are two that I first saw and keep going back to because I'm dying to see what they've got up:

http://www.goingtopieces.blogspot.com/ and http://www.wowmelody.com/

http://twolimeleaves.wordpress.com/category/quilts/
http://www.andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/

http://www.kristinlaflamme.com/musings/

This should keep anybody busy. Great color, great ideas. These have all inspired me.

Kate

ONE PIECE A DAY? THAT'S WHAT I SAID?

2008-03-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a busy, busy day. I barely got this little piece put together. It's about 12x15 inches. And if you ask me about dimensions and why that size, I'm not going to have an answer because I don't know. It just looked about right and it didn't loom HUGE to me. I want to get over that scary "Oh my god, it's a huge blank thing that I need to fill."

So... I think that the flowers shouldn't be so close in height and I am not sure what I'm going to do with that......perhaps embroidering stamen or something, or a little spray of seed pods ....something that will draw the eye away..... I've been warned by a friend of mine not to overwork the stitchery and put too much fuss into it.......we'll see.

I'm gathering quite the little pile of things that I will eventually need to put together or finish them as complete things by themselves. That will be my next thing to figure out ... mostly because I don't think any of them go together with the next thing. Grrr..... it's kind of like something an old boss told me some 20+ years ago - "... have you ever noticed that you can't... cannot, do the same thing, the same way twice? Why is that? It's impossible for you to send this form letter out without changing SOMETHING.....?"

Personally, I think it's a gift.

Kate

Yesterday's Effort

2008-03-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

So this is what I did yesterday (well into the night). I thought I'd be able to do more but what I've found is this - the same hesitancy I feel with a blank piece of paper (or blank screen) that is screamin' "type something" "think of something" "PRODUCE SOMMMMMEEEETHING", well it happens just as much and just as loudly when I was looking at a blank piece of muslin. I could NOT figure out what to start with first.

This is probably an insane reference, but you know how dogs circle around and around and around some more before they feel like they're in a comfortable spot to lay in? Yeah......well, I've noticed that THAT is just how it is for me. I have to have just the right amount of chaos around me, just enough tidy cluttery piles of fabric, paint, thread, wood, whatever I'm into that week, and after I clutter myself - sadly like a little pig pen.....well then I'm just happy in my slop (evidently) that I can work to my little hearts content. I didn't even mind that I had to get up and iron (yes Mom, I ironed the seams) the little seams every couple of minutes. Now THAT is amazing.

So today, I'll try to do another piece or at least make a significant amount of progress on something else and see what I come up with. I've got a ton of pieces in progress that I haven't even shown you yet either. That will come as we go.

And in the meantime, here are a couple of really cool websites to check out. And I'm only going to put on here what I love!

http://emmyschoonbeek.blogspot.com/ I LOVE her textures and colors!

And I really want to do something like the Gee's Bend quilts - they look simple but I'm thinking it takes some work to have it turn out as great as these: This is a public broadcasting link but there's some great information and the other website took their pictures down, I think to re work the display. In any case this will give you an idea of what these women have done over the years. Look up Gee's Bend quilts, or Gee's Bend quilters to get more information.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec03/quilts_07-01.html

Kate

2008-03-29T13:44:00.001-07:00

After an hour of completely screwing up this template...

2008-03-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me that the webmaster people who actually put several templates, complete with color, together for those of us who really do not understand webpages and the making of such - really I ought to just follow them blindly. I do not know how to do it so I've just wasted over an hour of my happy, happy Saturday trying to make this page better.

Another lesson I need to learn. If it's not broken, don't screw it up by trying to improve it. My mother would be the first one to cringe when she hears anyone talking about 'directions' to me. She knows that I hate them. It's almost impossible for me to actually listen to them. I try. Really. But there's a compulsive tic .......

Back to color, fabric and such. I rooted around and found some more paintings that I've fiddled around with, (which I am going to post) and I'm thinking that maybe these will be inspiring to me too.

I also went back to a website that I absolutely love, and it has wonderful pictures and details, and self-challenges. Here it is and it's GORGEOUS!!

http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/search/label/art%20quilting

I think that's what I need. I need to challenge myself to do a small piece a day. To really get in the groove of ACCOMPLISHMENT!

Yes! YES!! That's what I'll do and I'll come back and show you (for all of you checking in here.....) what I've accomplished so far today. And this last couple of hours do not count.

Kate

2008-03-29T00:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Saturday, happy, happy Saturday. I don't have to work and I have no intention of doing much past cleaning the bathrooms and putting on a pot of something that will translate into a "you-can-eat-anytime-you-want-without-my-help" dinner .......and so MY plan du jour is to go find some inexpensive silk to dye.

I may not even be able to sleep just thinking about it. I haven't done it in years, but the last time I did, I ended up with some really cool green and oranges. I'm thinking now that they would have translated into beautiful art quilts. Hindsight, huh?

Anyway, I'm pretty excited. I can't wait to see what I end up with.

I'm shooting for the colors in this palm drawing I did (and hopefully will post here).

Sleep well.

Kate

Moving along......

2008-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

So I don't really know who will see this but while I'm figuring it out, I'll just write and try to figure out how to add pictures and do something fun with the text.....and maybe someone will happen along and find it and it will be interesting.

I've been fascinated by all the fabric, quilt, art quilt, textile, painting and completely random artsy sites and they are amazing! Some are really great with pictures, some with instructions, some with just great ideas. So I can't imagine that there's anything I can do that will come even close but I'll give it a shot.

I've been fascinated with art quilts of late and even checked out our local quilt guild, which was a really interesting experience. I think lots of people think that "quilters" are a bunch of little old ladies, but that is so far from fact. These are accomplished, intelligent, highly organized women....and they are passionate about what they do. I can't wait til the next meeting to check out what's going on. In the meantime I'm formulating what I want to do first. So I'm going to post some of my art work that I may want to use as ideas for a small quilt or wall hanging.

If anyone sees this........ I will appreciate input.

Kate

Mostly, I'm screamin' inside my head

2008-02-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Really.....I don't know what I'm doing. And most of the time I figure someone is going to notice it too. But I'm going to give my friends a rest and talk to the air and try to figure out what all the hoopla is about blogging. You may not even want to read this until I get some real tangible stuff going on.

I'll check back when I have a thought.

Kate