Art in Progress:
Lion Demo moves on.

A month ago, I opened my studio to the public as part of Portland Open Studios Tour. This is a chance for me to show and tell what I do. My demonstration for the two weekends included two different media, copper and aluminum screening.

The demo with the screening didn’t look like much then, just plain silver screening that I was sculpting into a lion. I tried to take a ‘before’ picture then, but the aluminum screening just doesn’t show up well in a photo.

Now, I’ve had time to get into the process of adding the paint. This piece is still in process. It’s not even close to finished. There are many, many layers of paint to go. But I thought I’d take a picture of it at this stage to share with you.

A NEW VISION.

A NEW BLOG.

A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE.

I started a new blog. Not because I needed another thing to do but because I felt compelled to work for the change I want to see in the world. I wanted to start the ball rolling in a positive direction for a change.

I know. We all know. There's a lot of bad news out there. Gloom and doom seem to be the new mantra. Research and history shows that the Great Depression's momentum was a direct result of a mass mindset of fear. And fear serves no one and hurts everyone.

I want to see us heal. I want to see change in a positive direction. I want to pass on good news. I want to affirm that, in spite of everything you might hear out there that life is good.

So that's where the new blog comes in, and you do, too. I want this to be a place where we can all share stories, poems, songs, tidbits, little life events and big ones, too that are good. Let's start our own upturn in the world, right now.

The new blog is titled: Life Is Good...Pass It On. Come on over and join in. Here's the link http://lifeisgoodpassiton.blogspot.com/

CREATING A

VESSEL CLASS:
WHAT AN ARTFUL, FUN AFTERNOON.

On Saturday at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, I taught a class called, ‘Create a Sculptural Vessel’ through Portland Community College. I arrived with all the supplies, set up the room to allow for a flow of function and creativity and hoped that the students would be ready for a hands-on, free-flowing, art-making experience.

These great women eagerly dove into the experience. They cut the copper or aluminum screening into pieces. Then they started to play with metal. Bending. Pushing. Folding and rolling. And soon, chatting away as they worked, sculpted vessels began to appear. Moving on to the paint, metal leaf and beads each student/artist added to their vessel making it their own unique piece of sculpture.

Of course, during the creation process there are those times of indecision. Resistance. And fear. What should I do next? Will I make a mistake? How will it turn out?

I was there to help the process in any way I could. Explain or demonstrate a technique. Show an example for the three vessels I brought. Ask a question. Offer a suggestion. Or encourage exploration for inspiration.

We were lucky to have inspiration just steps away inside the Museum of Contemporary Craft. There are two ongoing exhibits, ‘Manufactured, The Conspicuous Transformation of Everyday Objects’ and ‘Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler’. As well as a Community Showcase featuring a beautiful display of unique contemporary and traditional baskets from the Columbia Basketry Guild. Plus there were two artists from the Columbia Basketry Guild doing a demonstration right next to our classroom.

All of these explorations helped to inspire us all as we took in the textures, colors and forms on display around us to push, pull and create more from the sculptural vessels.

I saw a wonderful transformation take place as the women took screening and created truly beautiful, unique sculptures. Some of them seemed a little mystified about how and where the forms came from, but isn’t that the wonder, mystery and fun of creation?