A Living Sculpture

Species tulips

Now that the weather is cooperative I am focusing on another type of artwork - my garden.

Narcissi with white grape hyacinths and blue windflowers

I walk around the garden everyday to see the new developments. Every plant is small and young in April, except the trees that so suddenly bloomed on the first warm day. There's still space around the flowers, you can see the dirt. It's a time for close-ups on the delicate faces of the flowers.

Virginia bluebells and spirea shrub

Planning for this season started last summer when bulbs were ordered and continued in fall when they were planted with consideration for the principles of design such as balance, symmetry, and repetition. In January I did drawings of where all the plants were and were to be. I ordered seeds.  Some of the seeds were started indoors soon after.

Cherry petals in birdbath, epimedium & catmint

Of course gardening is seasonal, much more so  than clay or any other art I can think of. What other art forms work with the seasons? And despite being hard work, the main work is done by forces outside of my hands.

Hellebore

I only make choices about what plants to include and where they go, responding to their requirements for sun or soil, then plant and prune, weed and feed, tending to the garden. Even though I call it "MY" garden, it is a collaborative artwork. Nature is the the really talented artist and I am an admiring partner. It amazes me.

Haystack Mountain, Here I Come

I returned home from my trip to Long Island to find that my application was accepted to study clay this summer at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts! Jamie Walker, professor at University of Washington is teaching the two week session titled, "Developing a Personal Aesthetic Through Clay." I am very excited! I stayed awake late last night just thinking about it.

I checked out the school in Deer Isle a few summers ago when on vacation in Maine. It's way out on a point overlooking the rocky shore of the sea. A genuine artist's colony, the modern style buildings are striking in their design. There are separate studios for the different disciplines - metal, textiles, glass, etc. and they are open 24 hours a day. Isolated out there with only artists living together, working together, I think it will be an extraordinary chance to develop my clay knowledge and direction. And to enjoy the pine-scented sea air of Deer Isle!

I'm Not Dead Yet

A forlorn little stone
in the Old Burying Ground
Sag Harbor, NY

I made a brief journey to a far off land ( the next state up ). The beautiful, windblown seascape and towns of eastern Long Island have cleared my head for spring work. So no, it is not this El who has passed away, but E.L. Who was s/he?

Sexy Herbs

 parsley and basil
still a bit weak-kneed from planting 

Why sexy? They smell and taste wonderful. They look FAB-U-LOUS with foliage of different shapes and textures. They are pampered with pots made especially with them in mind. These two pots are fresh out of the kiln this weekend. What could be more sexy?

I guess I could think of a few things... but these plants will be even more attractive as they "develop."

 rosemary
small, but robust

Brushing Off Last Year's Flowers

In case I don't have enough flowers, or it's in between bursts of perennial bloom, I have my Bright Red and my Rose sculpture flowers. Named for their glaze colors, I wish they were more bright, but red is a difficult color to get right I've heard. The rose is kind of a depression era pink, not at all what I had in mind. But as I've said, I can't throw anything away. Each piece is a history of my clay follies.

They are Pop Art Size; so tall I had to fire them in two pieces in my kiln and epoxy them together. I brought them in for the winter thinking they might not fare well with the freezing and thawing we get here in central New Jersey. So with a little wipe down they are back out, I hope, encouraging the emerging spring buds and flowers in my garden.

Patterns

I like drawing with markers these days. I buy sale priced permanent markers at the Utrecht outlet store. I especially like the brush markers, but chisel points are also fun.















Because it's just to see and make colorful marks, I sometimes doodle patterns, enjoying the way the markers slide over the paper and not thinking too much about it.

Maybe the patterns will be of use one day in decorating clay Or maybe they are art to themselves.
These are some favorites.