Ceramic Inspirations

ceramics by shosana parry
Shoshana Parry is a ceramic artist located in Marin County, California. Recently she wrote about working with clay textures, with photos of her work:

“I love texture. I love all the bumps, spikes, ridges, scratches, swirly grooves, twisting branches, and overlapping scales that make my pieces so much more interesting. You already know that I’m constantly inspired by nature, and it seems that everything I find captivating and beautiful to look at either has a texture or a pattern — and textures are what we’re talking about today. continue reading

Making a Birdhouse

bird house in the garden, by Irene Rowley

final bird house in the garden

Hello!  I recently made a birdhouse for my mom (Oma), since she loves to work in her garden, more than anything. I am looking forward to Spring and seeing if any little birds make their nests here, to keep my mom company. I thought I would share it with you, as an idea for Valentines Day presents this week.

Here are the steps for making a simple garden birdhouse: continue reading

A Painter’s Love Affair with Wood

my birdhouse with tole painting and blue pickling stains, by Irene Rowley

my blue birdhouse

Don’t you love wood? Wood is the substrate for many beautiful pieces of art.

Here is a modest example of painted wood art: a Swedish plate that depicts a rural scene and windmill, my cedar box,  my bird house pickled blue, a fruit still life painted on a wood cutting board, and a folk art cow panel, that I saw in Gilroy recently: continue reading

The Zen of Seeing, with a Cat

drawing-1980s-015_webI recommend the books,  The Zen of Seeing and The Awakened Eye by Frederick Franck, to artists and art lovers everywhere. Essentially Franck tells artists to let real life guide your drawings. Using the principles of  The Zen of Seeing, I sketched my cat G.B., doing my best to remove my ego and preconceptions from what I drew. continue reading