I had a serious case of productive procrastination this weekend.  I never pulled my wire sculpture out of my trunk, but I did vaccuum the living room and my sister's room.  Clean, decorate and organize her room.  Hang up a shelf and my dry erase calendar over my desk.  I started on the bookshelves, dusting, getting rid of a few books, and my new favorite thing... organizing books by color! Thank you apartment therapy and design sponge for that inspiration and a weekend of productive procrastination!  I really needed to do some major cleaning (even though I am not done yet) and I love the way a clean and organized home feels. Now I have a sculpture to finish because it is due tomorrow and unfortunately my body is exhausted.  And the scores now stand....  Apartment +1 Clay +1 Metal -2  Lets see what the day brings!  

I have spent a lot of time up at the ceramic studio this week working, but I have a deadline for a wire sculpture for tuesday and need to get busy.  Usually my philosophy about deadlines is... "I love deadlines, I love the sound they make as they go swoshing by" but I am trying to break this philosophy and as a senior in an underlevel art studio class, I need to be deligent about getting assignments done.  This class has been beneficial for me as a three diminsional artist. I love clay and it tends to be what I am drawn to and consitently work with, but this class has introduced me already to the possibilites of paper sacks and the frustrations of wire (metal laith and chicken wire to be precise). 

I am translating one of my figurative clay sculptures into wire.  It is not going to be as realistic and I have had some issues working with the metal laith already.  Issue #1... I have to man handle the wire for it to do what I want and even then I am not always satisified with the results and end up with sore arms and hands.  Issue #2... work gloves.... Men's work gloves are cheap (always a plus on a college shoestring budget) but feel like I am wearing mickey mouse hands and I am very clusmy with them on.  They do make ladies gloves, but they cost more.  So I have ended up with a pair of smaller mens gloves with the deerskin leather and they work better than the cheap mens gloves but not as well as say the leather mechanic ladies gloves (which are super cute too!).  Issue #3... wearing work gloves and wearing a T-shirt is not a good plan.  Protects your hands, but not your arms.  I have unfortunately learned this the hard way and my arms look like I got in a cat fight. 

So a tip for anyone wanting to try out metal, at least wear a longsleeve shirt of some kind.  So far working with a metal sculpture, I am still heavily leaning toward my prefrence of clay.  Clay Score +1. Metal is batting ZERO.  Off to work and hopefully keep the cuts and blood to a minimum.

So I have been working with texture and these organic forms that I have been told look like a variety of things. I am excited that everyone I have talked to views them as something different and are drawn into the details just as I am!  Now these photographs are of the pieces still in wet clay.  They are still some ways from being finished.

I am curious to see what people think they look like, so feel free to leave a comment!

I am offering art classes for all ages at Hodges Community Center in Lubbock, TX.  The classes run 10 weeks and are a great bang for you buck! Classes start next week January 31st! Call the community center at 806-767-3706 to sign up!  

Adult Classes:
Intro to Painting 
Mondays 7-8pm   $35

Intro to Ceramics
Wednesdays 6-7pm   $40

Mommy & Me Classes:(parent participation required) walking- 5yrs
Miniature Michelangelos
Fridays 10-10:45 am  $30

Desitination Art!
Fridays 11- 11:45 am $30

Youth (6-12)
Drawing Intro
Tuesdays 5-5:45pm $30

It started with an acorn from Amy.  She has left me little gifts of acorns and other natural elements found across campus on my shelf.  I am drawn to and love textures.  Today's ceramic piece that I started texturing, started with an acorn being pushed into thick, fairly wet, clay.  I am working without sketches or really a plan on this one.  I'm going for the visual and feel of the piece.  Pictures of  the in progress to piece will be posted soon.  Happy creating 

Being an artist is so tough on your hands, especially in the dry, windy weather of Texas.  For the past few years I have tried so many hand products trying to take care of my skin and it has been a frustrating and fruitless search for a product that doesn't bother me.  A few nights ago I actually had such a bad reaction to two products I normally use (but not together) that my hands broke out and I had to take a benadryl. :( I was talking to one of my ceramic colleague up at school and she recommended Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Concentrated Therapy Cream.  So far... So good!  If you are an artist frustrated with sensitive, chapped hands, you might want to try this out! You can find it at Wal-Mart with the other lotions for about $5! Anyways I hope this helps someone that might have been on the epic search for a healing lotion!

Mixed Media has already been a very busy class.  I started a new project in wire yesterday.  I am working on stylizing one of my figures that I have already made in clay, creating it in wire, and filling it with apples.  Anyone care to venture what I am working on?

We did our in class critiques today and I feel mine was pretty good.  I was nervous though.  I was prepared as I could be, and as a dancer I don't have stage fright, but speaking is another manner.  I think practice and confidence about critiques will come.  I do want to encourage other students to make the most of critiques and of their studio classes.  I have been blessed with being able to be in college for several years and take my time to concentrate and spend time on my work.  I know others who are having to cram several studio classes in every semester, so their time per class, per project is sometimes sacrificed.  I have learned though, to learn through every experience and assignment, start projects early so you don't fall behind, and to love what you are doing!  Somewhere I read, if you spend all of your time thinking about art (not necessarily producing) you are an artist, if you spend all of your time thinking about everything but art (even if you have a natural talent toward an artistic medium) maybe you should find something you love and do that instead. 

For an assignment I had to create a fantasy protection device.  I was pretty excited about it, came up with sketches the same day as the assignment.   The project had major limitations, we could use 3 paper sacks, tape, glue, thread, safety pins, paint (or anything else to give surface treatment).   I like my drawings and ideas, but had a tough time translating it in paper.  I have it done, and I'll be getting photos of me modeling the work up soon.  I just do not like being disappointed in something I spent 25+ hours working on.  More to come later.

I do alot of figurative sculpture. I came across this article at Ceramics Art Daily and I thought it was a very interesting approach to figurative sculpture! Enjoy!

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-art-and-artists/ceramic-sculpture/from-maquette-to-form-creating-figurative-ceramic-sculptures-from-a-clay-sketch/?floater=99