Black Clay

A couple of months ago I experimented with black high fire clay. It has some mineral in it that apparently is quite toxic (magnesium?) so one has to use plastic gloves when molding it. For me, and I suspect most artists, that is a bit frustrating because the gloves don't fit so well and so all that sensitivity to creating expression in the clay face is minimized. I swore that I'd forget about using black clay again.

I created one head and then used a white underglaze on it which I then partially sponged off. Much of the underglaze burned off, but not all and it ended up having a stone-like patina to it. I love it! Ha! Back to using black clay - gloves and all.

This piece hangs from an upper metal grid that attaches perpendicular to the wall.

It has a title that keeps bumping around in my head for years now: "Some Say It Is Already Written, We Must Only Remember ".  That idea that we choose our parents and talents before we are born, but then forget everything as we come into the world. (Sigh. What's up with that?) So as young adults and/or grown adults the puzzle is to remember. On the figure is etched "parte incognita" - meaning there are still parts unknown.

I like the hanging method. It feels quite different for me. A bit jewelry-like.

Introspection

A state of mind I'm waaay too familiar with.

"Introspection"
Copper, brass, camera lenses, enamel, mixed media.

Shadow Boxes

I've been using Ampersand cradled panels lately for my work as a base, the ones with the 2" sides. The other day I realized that the back of these panels seemed WAY more interesting to me than the front. I suspect there are many others that feel this way too, but it was the first time my own brain went there. I really enjoyed working with the dimensional quality. Here are my first two and I'm thinking there will be quite few more...

"She Started to See This Whole Vast Mystery Is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts"
Etched nickel silver, copper, enamel, glass, mixed media. 8x8"

"This Small Temple She Calls Home"
Etched brass, copper, enamel, glass, mixed media. 12x6"

Steampunk

A number of months ago it was brought to my attention by a young amazing artist, Jethaniel Peterka (www.jethanielpeterka.com ), that some of my work had "steampunk qualities" about it. I, of course, had no idea what that meant and so I had to go google it. "Retrofuturist fabrication" is one description I found, along with: "the goal of (Steampunk) redesigns is to employ appropriate materials, such as polished brass, iron, wood, and leather, with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era."

"Unearthing His New Set of Dreams"
Brass, copper, nickel, steel, glass, enamel, vacuum tube, fuses
33x17x4"

So, yes, there are times when my work can fit into that description, at least partially. This recent piece, shown above, seems to move into that territory. About a year ago I found an old post office box door with a glass window in it at a second hand store. I finally got to use it in this piece.

The door opens to reveal a set of brass-ended old glass fuses that I put writings inside (on acetate), these represent the unlocked dreams within the figure. The blue backdrop is a picture of the Universe (I love that idea that we all have a Universe inside us). The poem etched on the door is about starting over by one of my favorite poets.

There's also a lens that I pulled from an old telescope in this piece. 

I surrounded it with an etched nickel plate to make it look official. The lens is suspended above an inset area that has a diagram of a heart in the background and another fuse. The lens magnifies the whole thing. This inset area sits within a brass plate 'upper body' segment that has an etched steam engine diagram on it. So there you go, that's about as steampunk as I get.