I love a surprise!

On one of our last walks we came upon some venetian ruins. They consisted of 4 separate buildings overlooking an incredible valley. After chasing out the goats, we went exploring and discovered an amazing place. What it must have looked like in all its splendor! One of the buildings looked like it might have been the church and was immediately declared by me to be the perfect future studio. Oh to win the lottery. What a dream that is!


There is nothing better than coming around a corner and finding a delightful surprise!

Inspiration?

One of the things that I was hoping to get out of my trip to Greece, on an artistic level, was inspiration. While I don't think that I was "struck by a thunder bolt", I did find things that I resonated with. The interesting thing is that it solidified/confirmed the direction that I have been taking in my work.

On a walk around Chalki, we came upon St. George Diasoritis Byzantine church. It was spectacular. I loved the texture, colour and the juxtaposition of angles. My only disappointment was that it was locked as it was off season. Apparently the interior is as interesting as the exterior.

This is an image I am going to print up and hang on my wall for inspiration. It would be fun to try to capture its essence in a piece. At this point in time, I have no idea as to what I would create or how I would build it, but I will look at it every day. And perhaps, just perhaps, it will percolate through my subconscious and soon come into being. The world works in mysterious ways...

Here's to finding delightful treats for the soul.

Interesting architecture.

The island of Naxos was invaded by just about everybody at some point or another. The most interesting to me was the Venetians and the contrasting architecture that they left behind. In the main town, Chora, high up on the hill sits a Venetian "kastro", surrounded by traditional Greek homes painted white with blue doors and shutters. The castles resemble fortress like structures with high walls, small windows and are made out of stone. Very different from the light, airy, Grecian homes. I think that it was the colour and texture of these structures that drew me to them. It reminded me of the pit fired work that I have been doing. How do I incorporate what I have seen and experienced into new work? Do I just let it percolate for a while and see what happens? I don't think it is something that you can force. We'll just have to wait and see.

Here's to experiences that enrich your life. Ευθυμίες! (Cheers!)

The colours really are like no where else!

I had heard that about Greece. That the colour there is truly like no where else. The blues are bluer and the greens greener. Well, it is true. We spent most of our holiday hiking on the island of Naxos. in the Cyclades, in the Agean sea. It is primarily agricultural and not yet totally inundated with "tourista". Mind you, we were off season and based in a very small village (of 48) in the middle of the island. The scenery and views were spectacular! We hiked 10-12 kilometers a day, mostly up and down. I wonder how much of this experience will translate into my work?




I am thankful that we were able to afford this trip to Greece.

Like a bad penny, I'm back

It's unbelievable that it's been over two months since I've posted. Much water has passed under the bridge since then. There are many excuses for not posting but the truth is, it is very easy to get out of the habit. Christmas season is always a busy time for crafts people. Then I actually took a couple of weeks off to go to Ontario and Quebec for Christmas to visit family. Lastly, I was off to Greece for my first real holiday in twenty seven years! Never go anywhere and all of a sudden I'm living in airports. And don't get me started on lost luggage!

No more excuses. Back to daily diatribes on who knows what.

I am grateful for family, friends and adventures!

Crazy Craft Sale Season

So sorry that I haven't written for a while. It's that time of the year again when we craftspeople become unsociable, spending every waking moment in the studio or out on the road flogging our wares. Subsequently, it leaves little time, energy or mental fortitude to write.

The past couple of weekends were spent at Wintergreen (craft sale in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) and Artisans (craft sale in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada). One was average sales, the other a dismal failure. I honestly don't know about craft sales any more. The costs of being there continually go up with the gross sales going down. Our average purchaser is aging and they just don't need any more stuff. In fact, they are downsizing, getting rid of stuff. And for purchasing gifts, their kids are at the stage where they need basics, not luxury goods. I don't know what the answer is. Does any one out there have any ideas?

I am grateful that I get to play at work everyday.

The First Fusings

Yesterday I undertook my first fusing firing. While relatively simple, it was not without its moments. For instance. How do you get the program on? I finally did, but I have no idea how I did it. And the quick cool to 960 degrees. How do you get it down to that temperature without causing the controller to jump to the next step? As soon as you close the lid, it jumps back up in temperature. (Lee informed me that he cools it to below 1300, shuts the lid and lets the rest cool on its own). Or after my panic attack and placing the program on hold, how do you get it back on track? I know it will get easier as I go on. The first is always the most nerve wracking.

I opened the kiln this morning and took out my first fusings. Are they good or bad? I have no idea. I guess it depends on what I was trying to accomplish. There were some things that I did note:

• As Lee said, you do need a lot of powder to make the colour noticeable. Would a white background glass be better?
• The gold leaf carbonized. Why?
• The sharp lines from the glass melted and softened. Why was I surprised about that?
• Air bubbles. Like? Don't like? Don't know.

  

All in all. A good first attempt I think.

Here's to the fun of first attempts. As you have no base line for comparison, they are all successful!