On my desk today…
Valentines day at Kapaa Middle School is a whirlwind of excited kids, pink carnations, little stuffed animals, and LOTS of SUGAR! For me, the highlight was a surprise delivery from Mr. Sanderl… a red-tipped white carnation with the note “Let’s flip a coin- Heads, your mine. Tails, I’m yours.” Sounds like a win-win situation to me! The paper-cut heart is my Valentine for him (and a possible future lesson idea!).
I had so much fun demonstrating different throwing techniques on the pottery wheel for Kapaa Middle School Art students! Wheel-throwing is not easy to learn, but it is certainly rewarding and FUN!
Pictured above are the various forms and vessels that were the result of my “demo day.” You can also see a peek into our studio space, which is equipped with 5 pottery wheels that students will rotate on to.
This is a simple ink drawing that I created on the front of a birthday card for Chris’ 32nd birthday. He is my inspiration and my support in all aspects of life. I love him so much!
Kapaa Middle School students finished off the semester by turning in their ceramic masks. Now I just need to load the kiln, fire, and return 160 masks before we glaze them and fire again!
One observant student found a piece of plastic on the beach that distinctly resembles the African masks we studied in class. She brought it to share, and now it’s hanging on our classroom wall for inspiration. I haven’t even introduced them to readymade art… I think we have a Marcel Duchamp in the making!
I don’t believe in art. I believe in artists. -Marcel Duchamp
This is the time of year when Chris and I launch into a frenzy of homemade crafty projects in preparation for the holidays. In an attempt to avoid the commercialism that can often feel overwhelmingly expensive and sometimes wasteful, I decided to use recycled materials as inspiration instead.
Handmade jewelry made from beach treasure might be a nice gift for some of the ladies I know, but now what can we do for the guys?
I constructed this lamp as an example for my Kapaa Middle School students, who are building coiled vessels that incorporate an animal or sea creature. I used an octopus (locally referred to as “Tako”) as my example to demonstrate how the tentacles could be interwoven and entwined within the coil design. I wanted my octopus to blend in with my coil pot in the same way that real Octopus are able to camouflage themselves against the reef.
I’m finally getting around to glazing some of my teapots. I like this one even better now that it’s colored… Anyone want to come to a tea party?
Here are the completed mask examples that I created. The fabric additions on the left mask were recycled headdress materials from my friend Lara. Mom, you may recognize a few items that are attached to the skull… I hope it’s not too creepy.
This porcelain teapot isn’t fired yet, but I’m leaning towards a transparent shiny glaze on the inside, and raw unglazed porcelain outside. When finished, it will be an even brighter white than pictured here.
As I was working on this porcelain scull, I was thinking about some of Georgia O’Keefe’s southwest paintings. I’m still unsure of whether I will glaze all or part of this piece, and I’m playing with the idea of incorporating beaded patterns and feathers.
This is a sample I made to demonstrate the process of mask-making for my students. Inspiration was derived from African art, and body art from a variety of cultures. While working on this face, I was thinking about the ritual scarring practiced by many African tribes, Maori facial tattoos, and the Indian art of Mehndi. The neck coils are reminiscent of the Kayan women of Myanmar and Thailand who modify their bodies by stretching out their necks with ornamental brass coils.
