Benny Boy is on Exhibit

 

I wanted to share that

Benny is on exhibit until 23 Feb 18.

We didn't win a prize but

it is cool to me

to have a painting hanging

in a public gallery. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I need to get started painting Hazel that

I have sketched out on the canvas.

This pair will hang together

in matching frames.

 

 

There are so many times that I

question my art abilities.  My

inner critic can be harsh.

I keep plugging away and

creating.  I just have this

yearning desire to make things.

I just cannot imagine not pushing

myself on to my next project.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do wish I knew more artists

friends.  That we could sit and chat.

Share stories about what we do.

How we do it, and what we think. 

So if any of you would like to do

something like that

message me. Maybe we could

make it into something. 

A joint Artist Blog Chat...

 

What do you think?

 

 

 

Check out My Sale!

I am running a Valentines Day Sale in my Esty shop!

Shop Now!

Pantry Perk Up

I wanted to redo my little pantry closet

for a very long time but I just never

got around to it.  So last weekend on the 

spur of the moment I started taking all the stuff

out.  After I had half of it out I was like...oh

guess I should have taken a before pic.

Basically it was all just kind of

piled in there.

What really drove me crazy is how the

walls were all  marked

up from cans and stuff. Ick!

 

I just wanted to use up spare paint

I had left over.  So I used this darker

green.  Maybe I should have used a lighter

color but I figured oh well it's a 

closet and this will work.

Kind of matches my blog

doesn't it??

I think this is a great

improvement. I did buy

some cheap peel and stick

floor tiles.  I think this is so

much better and cleaner than

shelf  paper or contact paper.

I can wipe it down and it's

more durable.

It is nesting time for Murphy.  So she

really wants to go in little cubby spaces

looking for a suitable nesting spot. 

She was whining to go in and check 

it out so I let her. 

Yep she's eye bawling my pumpkin spice

Belvita that only come out in the fall.

I bought a few risers to better

utilize space. 

and voila!!! so much better I think!

Now  its much easier

for me to find things. Plus

I like the nice clean look.

Maybe I will do this to a 

few other closets...

Graceful Fins

These are my two oldest

Goldfish that live in my art room.

I have had them for over 5 yrs.

The  tank sits in front of where I sit

and make my art so I can look at it them.

The fish are quite aware of me when I come 

in the room.  They stare at me through the

glass most likely willing me to come over 

and feed them some flakes.

I just find their fins so beautiful.

Bubba is my largest fish.

He was a baby of the feeder fish

I bought for our pond.  The others sadly met

an end at the cost of a blue heron that landed in our

yard.  So he now lives in my tank.  Even though I have

bought protectors that float on the edges of the

pond to deter herons I can't bring myself to put him out

in the pond in the summer.   I just don't want him to

meet the same fate.

I love watching them.  It's so relaxing and peaceful.

I took these photo's on a sunny day.

I found the way the sun lit up

their fins so beautiful.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Where do I get Inspirations?

I am inspired by nature, animals and my garden.

I love my Red Echinacea or cone flower that inspired this bowl
 

First I throw the bowl on my potters wheel

  I allow it to harden up for a day

then I go about cleaning up the bottom

of the bowl.  Then I  sculpt and apply the

accents to the bowl.

Each item is one of a kind

and hand made from scratch.

This violet bowl inspired by this...

Then they are slowly dried so they

do not crack.  Once dried the details

are again fine tuned by hand.

Inspired by Daisy's

in my Garden.

They are then bisque fired.

Once they come out they are then

glazed by hand.  The glaze is carefully applied

around the details.  Some glazes cannot be applied

over others because I don't like how they

look after they are fired.  So there is a lot

of meticulous painting of the glaze to ensure

the end result is what I want.

A a minimum of 3 coats

of glaze are applied in each color.

Then they are glaze fired.

This poppy bowl inspired by

Poppies pictured below.  Just like in

nature each item is one of a

kind and different in it's

creation. A different shape or a

different thickness. 

I hope to make ordinary objects such

as a bowl look pretty.

They are all glazed with non-toxic

food safe glazes.

So they can be used with food or

to hold simple objects on your furniture.

I hope you can appreciate

how each of my creations

is made one at a time with

much care and

attention to detail.

 



Michigan Annual XLV Exhibit

I am excited to share that my Benny Boy painting

was chosen by jury to be in in the

Michigan Annual Exhibit XLV

 

 I feel honored and excited

to be included with all

the entries from the State of Michigan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope to expand my art

horizons, meet other artists

and make inspiring art in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Last Years Goals

So last year I made a bunch of goals

or resolutions for myself.   

2017 Goals

 

 

I didn't accomplish all of my goals but

I think I accomplished more than I would

have had I not made the list. 

 

1.  Famiy/Friends - I feel like I accomplished working

on expanding friendships this year.  I hosted a few get

togethers and set aside time to get away with friends for

a girls weekend. Plus went out many times

through the year with old friends and new ones.

 

 

2.  My Horse Training  

I am really happy with all that

I accomplished with my horse

this year. I have to say I owe so

much if not  everything  to the

trainer that I love and work with Carol.

She helps me to see things differently and

try different methods that I would

not have discovered on my own.

 

 

I love that she does everything

practicing natural horsemanship

which is how I like to do it.

In a nutshell this means

training your horse

with very light communication &

aids.  Nothing harsh or

hurtful to get them to

do what you want.

 

You can see  my goals:

 

I think I was a bit ambitious with the tarp while

cantering goal but hey- probably one day.  Hottie was a

horse that would spot a blue tarp clean across a field and

snort at it in fear.  So the fact that I can drape it over her

and do all we have is great.

 

 

I love obstacle trainging, I think

it's just fun and it

builds up their confidence to trust you.

 

 

 

 

 

Hottie is a very confident horse with other

horses around.  She is herd bound

and so it's hard to get her to ride off

with just her and I.  We did work on

getting her to ride the trails with just her and I.

 

 

 

 

My goal as I approach 50 is

not to ever fall again....

it hurts too much at my age!

I think its important to always

work at having her

learn new things.  I

use the most lenient bit I can

and have changed bits 2x this year

going to a lighter bit each time.

I am so proud of how she listens to

me and the results I have gotten from

her this past year. 

She has become much lighter and

so responsive to my ques that

I have to pay very close attention

to every thing I do or I will

accidently que her to do something.

 

I love my girl

  

3. Spiritual Faith-  to me this is a private thing.

I have made an effort to

learn & focus on my beliefs in some

 way each day..

 

4. My art goals. - By this I

meant more towards the business end

of my art  This I am pretty pleased with. 

I have really expanded my art in

the pottery field.  I redesigned my header, business

cards and mailings when people buy my art.

I also opened an Etsy shop this yerar! I started

a Facebook Page:

FB Link

and  Pinterest

Pinterest Link

 

Check them out and follow me!

I do plan on having giveaways

when I can build up some inventory.

I also have entered an Art

Exhibit and am waiting to

hear if I will get in.

 

5.  Health and Fitness-  This one I didn't accomplish

my grand goals.  I would say I moderately

exercised.  Walking when weather permitted

on my lunch and buying a stepper that I

could use in my office.  I just need to be

more strict with myself

 

6.Hobbies/Interests.  I did complete my Benny portrait.

 

 

I would say and I think my husband would agree

I have made more art in the last year than I

have in the past 10 yrs.  So I'm pretty pleased

with the amount I have created all while working on

all these other goals and working full time.

I am so thankful for a husband

that supports and helps

me fulfill all my dreams....Like buying

me a wonderful kiln for my birthday!

 

7.  Reading-  ok on that one I kind of sucked

I can't remember reading one physical

complete book all year.  Geez! Just not

enough time in my day.  I did however

listen to 13 audio books while

I drove or at work. So that kind

of counts doesn't it?? 

 

8. Blog-  Well like I said earlier- I have

redesigned my header and background.

It matches all my business papers.

I have been posting weekly. 

You can see I've double my

posts in 2017.

 

9.  Home Improvements: 

I accomplished most of them.  I'm still on the

fence if I want to repaint my kitchen.

 

 

 I'm not 100% there yet, I'm still thinking

about it.  My # 1 favorite redo of the year

was the garage and getting my

own kiln.  I love using it.

Garage Fix Up

 

10. Service/ Contribution-  I am not going to

post what I did because I think it's wrong

to boast about things you did for others.

I will say that I did things in private

to try and help people that I felt

could use it.  I also feel like it

is important for me to try and make

 people happy with my

artistic abilities.

 

I would say overall it was a good year.

Although loosing Finn was my

worst  loss this year

 

 

I miss him!

Putting it in perspective though

My Dad had several scary

medical crisis's that I wasn't sure

he'd be able to survive, but with

God's grace he did.  We were so

grateful to have him with us this

Christmas.

 

  One of my favorite

surprises this year was me

raising Monarch Butterflies. 

It was accidental, but I loved it!

 

Monarchs 

 

I think all in all I was

really surprised at how

much I accomplished this year.

So I think me listing my

goals helped me to focus on a plan.

I'm hoping 2018 will

be full of lots of new

accomplishments and good surprises.

 

It's a big year...

I will be turning 50 this year!

I can't even believe I am

that old!  I haven't made up

any goals yet for 2018.

I have to think about it!

 

I  WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU

A HAPPY PROSPEROUS

NEW YEAR!