Houses with Stilts

This last week I had a couple of days where I just needed to play - no expectations of what might come out creatively. It's always rather curious to me what will come out. This time it was houses on tall stilts. I'm not really a stranger to this kind of creation, there's a birdhouse that's been standing out in my vegetable garden I made years ago.

And in my inspiration scrap file there are also similar things.

But I have to say that for some reason these little guys I indulged in gave me such relief! I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe because they were just the simple delight in mixing leftover scraps of etched metal textures with small old clock parts. Then mixing wire with that. Then hanging whatever from the houses inside the wire framework. In any case, it was therapeutic, felt playful and it definitely recharged my batteries a bit.

"House 1"
Etched brass, copper, clock parts, seed bead.
12x6x1.5"

"Water Wheel House"
Etched brass, copper, translucent fishing lure, typewriter ribbon wheel, clock parts.
13x8x1.5"

"House 3"
Etched nickel, copper, clock parts, coral.
12x9x2"

Adding Ceramics

I've been working with ceramics lately and loving it. This latest piece has ceramic head, hands and feet.  There's just something about the mix of ceramics and metal that gets me going.

"Savoring the Journey"
Copper, enamel, etched nickel, ceramic, mixed media
26 x 19 x 11.5"

Detail of the driving man.