Adding color!

Experimenting with adding color to the "I Dreamt of Lilacs Last Night " vase. I think I like it?

Featured Artist

So thrilled to be the featured artist in the newest Wisconsin Visual Artist publication.  Thank you so much WVA for choosing my work. I appreciate it very much.

Piece #5 done and drying

Finished the final piece for the Swedish Covenant hospital in Chicago commission.  Now to dry slowly, bisque fire slowly and glaze fire slowly! Then its the little matter of packing and shipping.

Piece #4 in process

Piece#4 for the Swedish Covenant hospital in Chicago in drying! Whew...
This piece is titled "I Dreamt of Lilacs Last Night "

Piece #3 finished

Number three wall tile out of five commissioned pieces is done but not fired. I'm drying this baby slooooowly!
16" across.

Getting sloppy

Getting tired. Therefore getting sloppy. Time to stop for the day. A lesson hard learned.

In Process

Brooch

Visiting my mom in North Dakota. She gave me back this brooch that I gave to her in the late 70's . I cannot believe how much it reminds me of my current work. You never know what lingers in the subconscious.

"Burst" piece #2

Yippee, just added the last petal to wall tile "Burst". Whew, took alot longer than I planned.
This is piece #2 for the Chicago hospital commisson. Two down..
Three to go!

Increased scale !

Holding breathe.  Increased scale of this wall tile for a commission. Nervous about getting it safely into the kiln.
The commission is for a women's unit in a Chicago hospital.  They have ordered five of my new wall pieces
One down , four to go#

Vases

My first peony of the season. I love this time of year when I can have garden flowers for my vases. 

New vase

Variation on "Thousand Petal vase". Added curly q's to upper third.

Work in progress

Working on the  "Thousand Petal vases"
So much more fun to be in the studio rather then the office and marketing!

White Lilac Vase

New Vase from my "I Dreamt of Lilacs Last Night" series.

It is springtime in Wisconsing and it has been a very very long and cold winter.  I really did
dream of Lilacs and started this series in March.  The dream is too long to go into other
then to tell you that it was so beautiful.  Rare to have such a lovely dream.

BLOOM

Included in the "Bloom"show  at Bnox gallery in the  lovely little river town of Pepin WI .

Cyber World

I sold this vase on etsy today to a woman whose name I cannot pronounce. This CyberWorld is amazing to me . We did not even get a television in our house until I was 10 years old.

Tools

Tools...and I wouldn't give any of them up.

Coffee

Missing my mugs.  I stopped drinking coffee and I am missing my mugs more than I am missing the caffeine . I will have to teach myself to like decaf or start researching tea. Although, I have all my lovely tea bowls for tea. How's that for a dilemma ?

Sold

This vase is going to Tracy in California. She bought it from me on etsy. Through our emails she sounds like a lovely person.  As I was packing it for shipping I was  a bit hesitant to give this one up. I guess because it's been with me for over a year. Also,it has it's own personality that I can't really reproduce. So, back to Tracy sounding like a nice person...that seems to be my reward.

Another thought about keeping my pots . If it is truly a favorite piece I do give it to myself.

In Full Bloom

So excited to hear that this
piece sold at the Baltimore Clayworks Exhibition "In Full Bloom".

Bittersweet!  Back to the studio to attempt another one.

Students

My intro study experimenting with blue snowflakes.She doesn't seem fazed that it is spring.

This is how I'm feeling today

Shards

My neighbor and also mosaic artist made off with all of my seconds which I had just smashed and came back with this beautiful mosaic piece.
Thanks Sherri, I'll never look at my rejects in the same way again.

White Oak Gallery

Happy little group of pots going to the White Oak Gallery  In the lovely Mississippi river town of Alma Wl. Great rode trip destination.

In Full Bloom

http://musingaboutmud.blogspot.com/2014/04/in-full-bloom-baltimore-clayworks.html

So thrilled to have this piece "Murmuration" included in the Full Bloom exhibition at Baltimore
Clayworks.  If you would like to see some amazing sculptural as well as functional ceramics
click on the link that has just become available to see the entire exhibition.  I was blown away
by the variety of work.  I want want want !

Mini Murmuration

I don't know why I do this but when I make a new piece I tend to make  it large. When in fact it would be smarter to make a small prototype ?? Anyway I've been making smaller versions of  "Murmuration" to put in my etsy shop.
Here is an example .

Size = 8" x 8" x 2"

View from studio window

Spring is here.The pelicans are back. The studio door is open , fresh air is coming in , the birds are singing outside.Ahhh  finally!

Kiln Gods

As promised..pics of kiln gods made by my nieces and nephews!

Kiln Gods

Here is my nephew Noah Bisley making me a new kiln God. I explained that kiln gods help protect a firing from any mishaps . He decided that nature is the best design for a protector that he could think of .Got to just love that kind of thinking! So here he is tracing out the shape of a oakleaf that he found outside . PS love the hair he did it himself

Oh Oh

Came down for breakfast this morning and found these perfectly stacked broken shards from five pieces of pottery . I was blissfully asleep when my husband knocked over the stack of pots. I can't believe I didn't wake up !  Ah well, they are now just a fond memory. I think I'll see if my friend who makes mosaics can make me something with the pieces.

Kiln

Loading kiln . Hours and hours of time into this work and I'm only filling one kiln shelf.
Feeling lucky that I get to spend my days doing this. It has been a lifestyle choice that has worked for me. Years ago I realized I could choose money or I could choose time , I definitely went time .

Lilacs

I made this little beauty the day after I dreamt of lilacs. It is definitely spring fever time and Wisconsin .

Flutter

Introducing my new hanging wall tile design inspired by ruffled sedom plants I saw on vacation . Say hello to "Flutter"

Studio light

Love this late afternoon time in the studio .

What"s New !

 

What's new in the studio?  Wall Pieces!!! Finally found
the shade of gray I wanted to use for the background wall
mounts. My carpenter friend cut out the wood pieces for me.
I'm thrilled with the result !

White Earth Studio: Murmuration

White Earth Studio: Murmuration

Murmuration

Murmuration

detail of Murmuraton

My newest work.  That wonderful word "Murmuration" actually exists and
describes perfectly what I was trying to imply.  The amazing feat of flocks of birds or schools of fish flowing in perfect unison as if possessing one soul.
They are ultra time consuming....but, I love working on them.  Just have
to break up the sessions as my neck stiffens up from looking down.

Pendents

Started making pendents so I would have a smaller more affordable piece for my customers that love my work but cannot afford the larger more expensive pieces. Get compliments whenever I wear one out in public ! Have to think of a title for them? Any suggestions?

Pan fish chowder

Beautiful bowls made by a potter I met in Kansas City . I love the shape. We use them all the time . Made pan fish chowder with the fish we caught this summer on the Mississippi.

Blossom tea light holders

Tealight holders. Use battery operated LED candle underneath . This was taken during the day so you can't see that effect.

Studio

beautiful sunny afternoon light in the studio on a stump zero January afternoon Oman Beautiful sunny afternoon in the studio.Sub zero January weather outside,!

listen to the sensible grass

White Earth Studio: Listen to the sensible grass