Dancing violins

These wonderful creatures couldn't contain themselves and embraced each other in the kiln. Now they are stuck together for life.

From my drawing pad

A page from my drawing notepad.

Ivor (drawing teacher) immediately said "Ah, Escher" when he saw it.  I had not consciously copied Escher's work but his image of hands (below) had been one of the many images that had been flashed across the screen in my portraiture class a couple of weeks ago and it obviously made an impression.

It is odd finding these clear links in ones own work. I have never obeyed teacher's instructions to 'look at other people's work' before starting projects. I prefer to make my own work without reference to others wherever possible. Inevitably one is affected by things one has seen, but it has to be ones own passions that drive ones work. At the moment I am finding violins appearing in everything I do, like the picture above (and the one below) which are drawings of a ceramic violin I made last year.

Balancing act

Do you feel like this sometimes? A balancing act with uncertain ground beneath you?

I made this 'painting' (construction?) during the Painting and Technology class where we are using hammers, saws and glue guns to make our work. The figure is ceramic, made in Dunedin almost 3 years ago (so long already.)

Next step ... added a bit of a print which had a suitable shape. Odd how these things sit around, then suddenly fit somewhere perfectly.

More constructed paintings here.

Fresh from the kiln

Kilns are magic. You put stuff in that looks as if it should be thrown in the tip, fire it to 1280C and out come lucsious browns and blues pieces that look good enough to eat.

I am trying to make dancing violins (first lot out tomorrow) but in between I make a wonky pot or two.

Honey coloured clay bowl

The boxes are gone (or stored in the garage actually) and my cottage looks like a home at last. The contents of the boxes have been spirited away in to cupboards and drawers to be dealt with later. I have so many frames (still in boxes) and ceramic pieces (stored in the garden shed to be sorted when I have time).

Some pieces have survived the 'stow-away-until-later' drive, like this bowl made in NZ during my 2nd year ceramics class. The honey coloured clay used in Dunedin is particularly pretty, much nicer than the gray clay used at the National Art School in Sydney.

Technobaby

Today's babies are not even out of nappies before they are computing. This 19 month old wakes up, climbs on the chair and logs on, unbeknownst to her mother.

I read that researchers have found that retinal (back of the eye) blood vessels of 10 year olds who spend more than 2 hours at the TV/PC are dangerously narrowed compared to those of kids who play ouside a lot. Maybe schools should return to hand written homework.