Clayducation

gryphon 1 finished
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

I have been playing with clay since the early 90s. My first experience with it was in the very late 1980s but I really should not count that. I was trying to make column capitals. Oh well, that failed miserably.
Like most polymer clay artists I got my hands on Nan Roche's book. Mostly I learned by experimenting techniques I read about.
I never really copied a project from a magazine or a book, just techniques.
I got ahold of Chrisi Friesen's first book, the dragons, and love the ideas and techniques, but again, no direct copies.
Not until the jungle book came out, then my kids wanted a frog, and a sloth. so I followed the directions and made frogs and a sloth.

it wasn't until this month that I actually took a class. ive taught classes, but I am finally taking a class. I found a Christi Friesen class that is being offered on-line!
Im all about e-learning, and actually looking into getting a Graduate certificate or degree in distance education. I currently teach on-line courses and I LOVE teaching online.
So I was excited --still am-- about online craft classes.

So here I am taking my first actual craft polymer clay course. Why? Because its with Christi!
There pretty much is not going to be an opportunity to do this in person for a long time, or I win the lottery. But I can on-line.

So far the set up works really well, and I am enjoying it.
We are making some Steam-punk gryphons. This is my first gryphon, hes not steam punk--the next one will be.

Finishing--Goals

One of my 2009 new Year's resolutions is to finish projects.

I have so many projects that I have started, and for some reason or another just never completed. Either the thought of completing a project that could be so beautiful, and I'm afraid my real final project won't be as beautiful as the one in my mind. Or just ran out of time or even supplies.

So I really want to finish things.
I have a silver dancer that needs to be finished, I have the Silver Chihuli piece I started 4 years ago, the mermaid, the wedding dragons, the face that needs turquoise, and the sun moon bracelet, Michelle's M, Lakshmi shrine; just to name the few i can think of off the top of my head.

A few other resolutions in the craft realm of my world:
Get that work table cleaned off, and keep it that way so I can work. This means I need to stop telling people if they need me to do something with anything to just put it on my work table.
I'm going to participate in thing a day in February this year. I had thought about thing a day for the entire year, but my life is a tad unpredictable at times. Kids do that for you. So why put myself into a situation where I wont be able to participate at the level of my choosing. Its setting myself up to fail, and why should I do that to myself?
Bronze Clay. I have some, I just want to sit down and create with it.

Craft items I want to start doing more will be figurines, decorated cakes. And completing pieces from my sketch book.

Last year I sold 14 items on etsy (thats double my sales from 2007), and I made the minimums I needed at the ren faires and craft shows I did. This year I will sell lots and lots more at each location. My goal is to double sales at each event from my last year total, each day. And my etsy site will double sales on a monthly basis.

I will continue to grow and make profit. This is not a simple "hobby" for me, and my sales reflect that.

Bronze Pig, the art of Jill Johansen

I stumbled upon this image.. I think it is so beautiful, and what an amazing idea a Koi Mermaid.
She was done by Jill Johansen, a Canadian artist.
Her website is Bronze Pig, and you can purchase her designs on items at Cafe Press at http://www.cafepress.com/bronzepig/

I dont know Jill from Adam, as the saying goes, but I find her variety and subject matter interesting. Interesting, as in , Yes I like, not "oh thats interesting" I just dont know how to say thats not to my tastes. And I really like the variety of her artistic stylizations.

Thumbs up to Jill, she does truely beautiful work.

Now I just have to get my cafe cash account straightened up, and Im gonna buy something!

New CafePress Store

I opened a new CafePress shop.

http://www.cafepress.com/hazketchup

it was inspired by my friend's daughters obsessive love for ketchup. For her birthday we made her some cute little customized t-shirts.
Well they were such a hit when she wears them, I decided to put them on cafepress.

enjoy

Chihuly

I previewed a documentary on Dale Chihul's work for my art history class this weekend. I am always so amazed at his work. In the office building the hubby used to work at, they had a series of photos from his river installation in Norway.
I want to find a way to create this is clay.
I will lose the quality of the class, but I want that quality of organic.
I am already planning next time we drive to CA, that we will spend at least half a day in Oklahoma City, where I will go see one of his installations. The local museum had one of his pieces. One. not nearly as powerful ad the collections of glass he puts together.
But hey that one was pretty.

SALE TIME

The holiday season is upon us.
Right here right now
So what does that mean for the Pithy Art Blog? What does that mean for the etsy shop?
it means SALE SALE SALE

I have a lot of really cool unique items in my etsy site
Zoeowyn and they all need a new place to live. They are not enjoying their lives in storage. I do try to keep the storage system a way and happy place for them to be, however it does not grant the jewelry the same freedoms that wore pieces have.

please find it in your hearts to help these items have a new life, a new freedom

Source of inspiration

the Polymer Clay collection
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

Im always surprised at where inspiration comes from. Sometimes its a challenge, sometimes its a random idea, sometimes it just comes from experimenting, and altering and experimenting and altering.

Unfortunately recently Im not getting very inspired. Im getting very--oh whats the word? The extreme opposite of inspired--Depressed.
Instead of seeing a bright spot and a point to jump off from, Im seeing ideas that all I can wonder is why didnt I think of that?
Im seeing people do something amazingly simple and sell it in droves. I try to do something simple and sell nothing.
Frankly my sales are nil.

I set up the booth at the recent neighborhood garage sale. I figured there is no entry fee, I might sell something. Well I did sell something. And again I got lots of genuine complements. Im getting good at being able to tell the difference from "interesting" read "weird", or "my friend so and so would love this" read "this is weird and my one freak friend would like it;" from actual real compliments.

Im thinking I might enter the local Christmas Village, since then people would be in the mood to spend money.

Im getting nervous about the upcoming Ren Faire. Im contemplating reducing my prices substantially just to move product. I dont want to sell at wholesale prices, but I want to move product.
If my sales aren't outstanding this year its my last year at the faire.