Made You Look at Art
News & Blog Posts2021-07-07T15:14:09-04:00

News & Blog Posts

Art Salad – August 7 & 8 – New Date!

The date is changed to August as it was "iffy" as to whether the June date would be able to go ahead.  We really hope that everyone is better and safe by August.  I'm breathing a bit easier as I have more time to make more "stuff"! If you are in the Grafton area on August 7 & 8, it would be lovely to see you. 10821 County Road, Grafton.

Casting from a Plaster Mold

Part 2 on Casting a 3 Part Mold   After the mold is cleaned and left to dry for a few days to a week, it is time to make your first cast. You can purchase straps to hold your mold together, or in this case, inner tube rubber, cut into strips. This mold is held together by inner tube rubber, cut into pieces   Pour the liquid slip carefully into the mold up to the top.   You should put on a timer for about 15 minutes at first, keeping a look [...]

Making a 3 Part Mould

Here are some images and basic instructions on how to tackle a 3 part plaster mold for doing slip cast pottery.  I created this way back in 2014 and posted to a guild that I belonged to, but I thought it would be good on my own site!  My own original sculpture and work. As for the spelling.  Both are correct, sort of.  It is mould in the UK and mold  in the U.S.  We usually default to the British spelling for many words, but I'm not sure in this case.  So I've spelled it mould in [...]

This was the year….

I was going to try a few new shows and not put my art in a few other venues.  Sadly, the two shows in Little Britain and Picton have been cancelled.  I'm hoping that the Victoria County Studio Tour at the end of September, and the Marshland Centre in Lakefield in November will go ahead. When we are able to see art again and life is a little back to normal, if you can afford it, support an artist by buying their work.  Even a little piece will make them happy and help their income. See you [...]

Christmas at the Marshland Centre – Nov 16-17

I will be showing my work in Lakefield on the weekend of November 16 & 17th from 10 - 4pm..  This is a lovely show in a scenic location in Lakefield.  It is boutique style, meaning that all of the artisan's work is spread around the venue, artfully displayed.  This year is the 14th annual Christmas show, featuring the work of local and regional artisans. Entrance is free, but you can make a donation in aid of the Lakefield Food Bank or the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society (LAWS). It takes place at: Marshland Centre 64 Hague Blvd, [...]

Artisanity Show – Nov 1 – 3, 2019

I'll be participating in the Artisanity show and Sale on November 1 - 3 in Peterborough.  This show includes many artisan crafts such as paintings, wood turning, pottery, gourd art, scarves, ornaments, stuffed animals, jewellery, quilts, felted items and much, much more.  Free Admission, it is a fundraising show for the Artisan Centre, Peterborough. Takes place at: Knight of Columbus Hall, 317 Hunter Street, Peterborough Hunter St. & Rubidge St.

Victoria County Studio Tour – Sept. 28-29 & Oct. 5-6

This year's Victoria County Studio Tour is approaching fast.  Once again I will be participating as a guest artist at Janet Tysiak's studio with Janice Addison.  We had a lovely time last year and I met so many different people.  The studio Tour is all over the Kawartha Lakes, and Janet's studio is in Fenelon Falls. We will be at: 35 Lagoon Drive Fenelon Falls, Ontario CR 121; Francis St. E (CR 22) for 2 km; Right on Lagoon I've got some new works this year, and four new greeting card designs.

Learning

I just came back after a week away in Doylestown, PA from a course with Lisa Naples.  She is a ceramic artist that I have long admired and I had a wonderful time.  We were there a week and the seven other participants (along with me) all making our choice of sitting animal sculptures.  We didn't know what the others were making until we got to the class.  There was a kangaroo, a sea otter, a ram, a chipmunk, a bird and three foxes!  I was one of the foxes. I learned so much from this course [...]

Victoria County Studio Tour

I'm pleased to be taking part in the 2019 Victoria County Studio Tour again this year. It takes place the two weekends of September 28-29, and October 5-6.  I am a guest artist at Janet Tysiak's studio at 35 Lagoon Drive, Fenelon Falls. I had a wonderful time last year meeting lots of people and I hope to welcome you again this year.  Janet sells stained glass and jewellery and Janice Addison is a painter, so there is lots of variety at the location to choose from. Hopefully we will see you there!

Appreciation

A ceramic friend of mine dragged me (quite willingly) to a quilt shop recently and while I waited for her to choose which materials she wanted, I was drawn to a quilt that was hanging on the wall.  It was a beautiful pattern and made in such soft material.  I am not a sewer and tried to talk myself out of buying the kit (that included the squares and border for the front of the quilt) telling myself I had no time for any further hobbies, but I ended up walking out of the shop with it [...]

Victoria County Studio Tour

I'm excited to be part of this year's tour in Victoria County.  We aren't a county any longer and it isn't really called that, but it's a tradition.  I'm at the studio of Janet Tysiak in Fenelon Falls and I'm a guest artist along with Janice Addison.  Janet is a stained glass artist, and Janice is a watercolour painter.  I'm keeping busy making lots of my usual bear mugs, as well as a lot of new pieces.  I'll post some images when I've done a few firings.  Check out the studio tour's website and all of the [...]

Not just pottery

I'm concentrating on pottery at the moment (as my second job) and it needs focus.  All that drying and bisquing and glazing.  But I like art of all kinds.  And I won't do pottery forever, I'm sure.  So last week I took some time out to take a class at SmoothOn in Macungie, Pennsylvania. Wow, what a great course.  I took beginners mold making and casting and it was so much fun.  Not only did we learn about every product (pretty much) that they make, we learned how to mix up rubbers, silicons and resins carefully.  We [...]

Where ideas come from

I was recently listening to the podcast The Potter's Cast, about a potter, Angela White Wenger.  She's doing something amazing, which is capturing spider webs and transferring them to clay.  And I got to thinking, where do all of our ideas come from?  I immediately wanted to go out and try to do the same, but really, it would just be copying her. (and she gets up at dawn to capture these and I'm not a morning person, so I'd have to hope those spiders waited for me) My ideas are generally gotten from hearing about ideas [...]

Sale at Marshland Centre, Lakefield May 5 & 6

I'll have my work at the Marshland Centre at 64 Hague Blvd in Lakefield on May 5 & 6.  I've made lots of new pieces, which I'm pleased with.  Take a drive as the weather is finally getting better!  There are lots of different artisans, including wood turners, gourders, weavers, sewers as well as a number of potters.

Painting the rabbit

The piece is out of the bisque firing, and now for the painting while listening to a crime audio book.

Drawing and scratching a rabbit

The platter is dry and now I have drawn the rabbit and painting some underglaze onto it, and now I'm scratching the fur into the design.

Adding a Decal to a flask

I just loved making these funny little flasks/vases.  I decided to try out some underglaze decals that I purchased from China Clay Art recently.  What fun it was using them.  I used the bits and pieces from one to decorate some heart jewellery.

Releasing a fish from a mold

Here is a piece of my garden sculpture at the moment of being released (not from the wild) but from the mold.  It needs to be cleaned, but that doesn't take long.

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