Enjoying Art Outside

This is a painting of some of the funky squash I grew in the garden this year. When my house became over run with veggies covering the counters I couldn't resist painting a few. The squash are are totally edible but I haven't been able to bring myself to eat them.

The paintings are resting in my barely weeded perennial bed. I don't use chemicals so I either weed constantly or except what pops up. I am going to start painting the "Creeping Charley" it's a vine like weed that would love to take over everything.

This bowl and platter are nestled in part of my lawn. Can you find the grass? It is losing the battle in this part of the yard. The "Creeping Charley" is not with out it's charms, it has the best purple flowers in the spring.

I really like this bowl, as you might have noticed since it was in my last posting. Here it is hanging out with my nasturtium, weeds, and grass. I like the idea of stoneware hanging out the plants.

Melissa

DIY Show Coming soon!

I am so excited to be in the DIY Trunk show this year. I applied for the show with the encouragement of my friend Jessie at Sweetjessie. My children have started back to school and I for the first time in seven years have every mornings to myself.


I will also be at benefit dinner and art show in Chicago on September 15th. This is an under ground supper event hosted by Chef Efrain at efrain@chefrain.com. This event is a combination of all things that I truly love food, art, performance and friends. I can not wait and I hope anyone in the Chicago area will try to attend. Check out his website.


My new marketing material is below put together by none other than Sweetjessie. I would not be getting this done with out my type A Jessay. I actually had the ax and log as left by my hubby next to my barn. I think it is funny in a way and I am not sure why. Sweet Jessie is one of my Crafty Bitches or the super cool ladies that meet at least monthly at my barn to make stuff. You never know for sure what is going to get made. Sometimes people scrape book or sew. Or making tile is always an option. The barn is kind of a confessional and you never know what will be discussed, admitted or come down the super vortex of gossip.







These are a few of the tile I made. Maybe I can tag Jessie and get her to post a few of her own.

XOXO Bitches

Free Artsy Momma Good Time

It has been way too long since I have posted. I have so many excuses that I will create a list of the last month's distractions:

1) Children one 4, one 6 (this is an excuse that is the band aid of all excuses)
2) Sick Children for one week (they shared nasty school germs with mom)
3) Birthday party of son
4) Actually making some art in those spare seconds

Most of my non-blogging is child care related. No surprise. I recently heard about a very successful blogger who writes about his sexual exploits or at least the ones he had while single. I could write about Motherly exploits. Interesting adventures of children with stomach flu, mounds of laundry and distractions from friendly visiting neighbors with bottles of wine.

Sex stories are really interesting and I am not surprise to know that the most popular blogs relate in some way to this event. I have realized that I am ok with my inner gossip. But it seems the people I know have not been having the exploits that would land me any paid advertisers.

Maybe all my blogs should be title "Free artsy momma good time". It would probably search really well, though I am afraid I would disappoint many people.

Adventures in Organic Meat

I have to come to terms with the fact I get worked up over pork products. I recently met Kim Snyder who is raising her own organic free-range meat. That she is less than an hour away from me means that I am now making "meat" road trips. I was struck by seeing cows, chickens and turkeys living happily together. The cows laid comfortably on a huge pile of hay in a shelter that reminded uncannily of every nativity creche I have ever seen. Evidently cows that aren't all hopped up on hormones like to sleep all day and chickens bond with the cows. Even as the cows move around and graze the chickens stay close to them.
The pigs live in a wheat field that had become stubble as they grew from piglets into full sized three hundred hound pound hogs. I wish I could say I felt bad about taking home half of a pig that grew up here, I don 't. I love delicious happy pigs. I like knowing that I am getting great meat raised in the best possibly way. I can't wait to put in my order for heirloom variety turkeys and chickens for next year.

More work!

I like to glaze my peices with calculated pours. I have limmited my pallet to black, white and clear glazes.

Finished Pottery!

Unexpected Delays

What happens when everything is going great and your working like crazy making pottery and everything comes to a creaching halt. My incident started off with a fun Thanksgiving Holiday weekend winding down. Midway through making breakfast I decided to clean off my hand blender after smoothing the lumps out of my pancake batter. I then accidently turned on the blender as I wiped it off and did some serious damage to my middle right finger. An ER visit and five stiches later I realized I would be taking a break from throwing for a while.

Also, I quickly discovered the injured finger was responsible for the letter "e" when typing and so I laid off the typing a bit. So what can you do when your are on a forced art break? Finish a insanely complicated house for your children of course! I feel great pride in it's completion and I am posting a photo.