Magical Hot Box

I helped load the kiln tonight.  There's a whole lot of time and creativity on these shelves.  Two of my pieces are visible - tear drop vase on the very bottom and the similarly shaped jar & lid at the front of the second shelf.  It will be like Christmas when the door is opened again to a riot of color.

Before the magic happens.

All Glazed Over

We unloaded the kiln from last week's firing tonight.  Then it was the last time to glaze - last chance for artistic expression possibilities.  The final evaluation will happen sometime soon.

Planting Hope

We found daffodil bulbs 75% off at Ace yesterday.  The forecast called for two 60 degree days, then it's 30s and 40s with a chance of snow.  I pushed the end of the season envelope and planted half of the 99 cent bulbs.  The rest will go in the ground tomorrow and we'll see what happens in the spring.

Those are Milo ears behind the sketchbook.  

He was desperate for lap time when Daisy & I returned to the house.

Update:  Yes, the bulbs did survive and bloomed early in the spring.  Nice investment indeed.

Multitasking

Colorado is my home state.  I've been a Broncomaniac since grade school.  If you follow pro football at all, you know tonight was a big night for my team.  I knew I would be busy yelling at the screen tonight so the afternoon was spent writing a paper for class.  Then came supper and it was game time.  My hubby's comment yesterday reminded me again how I've been neglecting sketching.  The game would end late (after 11:30 now).  So, at halftime I grabbed my big sketchbook...

What else could I possibly sketch while football watching?

Saturdays and Metamorphosis

Saturdays always wind up being the hardest days to work in some art.  Today - cleaning up leaves, shopping and a trip to the farm.  Suddenly it's after 11 and we finally sat down to watch a late movie.  Me "Oh, I need to do a post real quick.  I'm blogging every day this month."  Hubby "I think it's more important you catch up on drawing."  I love that he just said that.

He is right.  Regardless, I'm sticking with NaBloPoMo.

The caterpillar sketched a few weeks ago is now a chrysalis - along with the other six.  Four additional little guys came in with the dill picked to feed the first half dozen.  That's what is going on in our garage.

stages of change - in the garage... in the studio too

To Turn No More

All is quiet in the ceramics room.  Sort of.

Last night we were instructed to finish all damp pots and glaze everything already bisqued.  A riot of glazing and kiln-loading ensued.  No more throwing.  No more trimming.  No more carving.  The four remaining class periods will be dedicated to glazing and cleaning.  I only have 3 pots to glaze.  I do need to write a reflection paper on the various lessons learned.  Otherwise, the crazy hours in the evenings have drawn to a close.  I shall miss the fickle spinning wheel.

On the plus side, we will be eating way less fast food.  Oh yeah, and I can sketch more.  (sheepish grin)

Following Everywhere

I believe the animals appreciate my artistic endeavors.  Sitting in one spot means they can snooze while I sketch - as shown in the past two posts.  

Bonus for Milo - a shipment of art supplies means the arrival of a new cat trap.  I order sketchbooks solely to give him new boxes.





Side note:  As I type this, he is attacking a small carpet sample while eyeing Daisy.  She is giving him the "I'm not amused" growl...  Aaaand, he just zoomed out of the room.  Full kitten mode tonight.

Cooking time.  Another activity that keeps me in one area.  Plus, Daisy can nab every spill, dribble or drop.  Of course Mr. Milo is too good for such things, but he hangs out with us anyway.

Sorry for the fuzzy photo, but it's the best shot of the bathroom attendants.

They really do follow everywhere... even the bathroom.  Hey, you're sitting down!  Obviously you want to scratch behind somebody's ears and you know laps are meant to jump on.  Don't want visitors?  Shut the door tight or a furry nose will nudge it open within seconds.  The scene above often greets me outside the bathroom door...  "Where to now?"

When it's Cold

My fan club also follows me in the snow - but only if it's not too cold or windy.  

They are wimps.

Trying to sweep the steps with "helpers."

Daisy generally ignores Milo in the house, except when he ambushes her from the couch.  

On the rare occasions he is allowed outside, she keeps a watchful eye on him.

Nap time follows snow time.  

This moment was in between cat teasing dog and cat declaring lap time.

Art update:  I learned how to repair pottery tonight since one of my rejoined pots un-joined while moving it after firing.  Once again - learning new things starts out with anxiety and ends with a nice feeling of accomplishment.  I really need to stop fighting the learning process.

When it's Hot

As previously mentioned, my furry kids like to stay nearby.  Daisy spends many summer hours in the garden or the shade of the deck while I water, hoe and harvest.  Milo is an inside cat and stands at the door yowling until we return to the air-conditioned house.

If it's exercise time, I get the look . . . 

"Sit down.  I need a lap."

However, Milo does not appreciate lap warmth in the summer for more than a minute.  The carpet is cooler and comfy.  This is a common scene in the evenings.  

I believe they prefer me to stay put so they can nap while I procrastinate drawing... er... 

I mean draw.

Furry Fanatics - or - I'm Never Alone

I will be busy in the ceramics room much of my free time this week.  Thus, I've decided we'll take a break from the creative process during the second week of NaBloPoMo.  Instead, I would like to introduce a couple of my favorite followers.

Meet our 14 year old graying mutt, Daisy and her "sibling," 3 year old feisty feline Milo.  Daisy arrived via the animal shelter - from a group of puppies found on a country road.  Milo is the offspring of a bossy stray who found our farm, found a boyfriend and then delivered 6 rambunctious kittens in the cow trailer.

You know the doodads that sometimes follow the cursor around as you move it - bees or sparkles or something?  Well, that's what these two do as I move about the house.  Over the next several days you'll see how they hang out with me everywhere... and I do mean EVERYWHERE.

Carving

As mentioned a couple of days ago - the art focus this week will be clay.  I carved the knob bottoms while watching football today.  I believe I need some wood to sculpt.

Milo showed up after I was all done.  He didn't seem to mind the photo session, not even when I used his back for a little texture contrast.

Day 9

Today's agenda included drawing, but it was a day of unexpected distractions, finishing up the garden cleaning and my husband just started up Monsters University at my request.  Maybe I'll sketch before I hit the hay, but now it's time for some Mike Wazowski!