Owner: Colorado Art Studio URL:http://coloradoartstudio.com/blog Join Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 20:58:47 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A blog that chronicles the work and business of being a ceramic artist. Site statistics:Click here
Happy Tuesday! 2007-05-29 08:14:00 Small porcelain platter with colored slip and sgraffito @8.75" x 6"I enjoyed a good weekend filled with lots of ceramic work and a BBQ everynight, including last night. We went over to some friend's who had decided to go with a Greek theme, which was very tasty. Although when the Ouzo came out around 8 PM, I thought to myself, "Wait, it's a school night, I can't drink this!" But, I did and now I'm feeling a little bit groggy. I hope everyone else had a nice weekend too.My daughter still has 1.5 days of school left. When we lived on the East Coast, she attended school until mid to late June. Here in Colorado the kids get out around Memorial day. I swear last year, her final day of school was right before the long weekend. What in the world can they accomplish in the next 1.5 days?? We agreed last night that it was a good experience and parallels what it would be like to be a lame duck president, or maybe someone who has given notice at work and is just filling out their con Read more:Happy
, Tuesday
New Ceramic Platter Designs 2007-05-31 08:35:00 Stoneware platter, fired to ^6 in oxidation, 13" x 9.5"Stoneware platter, fired to ^6 in oxidation, 13" x 9.5On Tuesday, I decided to drop by the Art Student's League of Denver to check whether or not my ceramic platters had been fired. Perfect timing; when I arrived the studio assistant had just cracked the kiln open and had begun unloading the ware. It's always a bit like Christmas for me peeking inside the kiln after it's been freshly fired. I helped the studio assistant unload the kiln - it was either that or I would have annoyed the heck out of her waiting, waiting for my work to reveal itself. Here's what I realized - I need a bigger kiln! These platters just barely fit in my own kiln, so I can not make larger work in my old Paragon.I was, however, pleasantly surprised when I saw my platters. I had decided to switch clay bodies for my slab work because I've found that the porcelain slumps too frequently despite all my best efforts to dry the work slowly. This is a buf Read more:Ceramic
, Platter
, Designs
Trimming, trimming and more trimming! 2007-06-03 09:38:00 I usually try to post every other day; however, I had to deviate this weekend because I've been so busy trying to get as much made for the Summer Art Market next weekend. I'm really pushing the envelope and will most likely have my last glaze fire on Friday so that I can have some fresh work for Sunday.On Thursday and Friday, I threw quite a few pieces and continue to handform work everyday. Yesterday, I trimmed all of my work and since I didn't have any photographs of finished work I thought I'd share the trimming process with you. Most of the items that I throw on the wheel have a foot. In fact, I insist on it for the most part. It feels more finished. In fact, if you pick up any ceramic pieces in your own home, you'll notice that there is a foot, or small raised lip on the bottom of your plate, cup, bowl etc. For me, it's an aesthetic decision. Some people don't add feet, and that's perfectly okay too. A woman who I met at the Art Student's league, throws work and
You are cordially invited to the... 2007-06-07 10:05:00 MapIf you happen to be in town and are looking for something to do this coming weekend, June 9th and 10th, pop on by the Summer Art Market and say hello. This is where you will find me and my ceramic work this weekend. I'm sharing a booth with 2 other talented ceramic artists, Mary Cay, an instructor at the ASLD, and Kathleen Laurie, a member of the Colorado Potter's Guild. Our booth number is 114 - look for the banner that reads "Slightly Off Center".If you happen to stop by, expect your photograph to be taken with me, so that I can post about it here on my blog!New business cardsI've been busy, busy, busy getting ready for the show - both making lots of work, listing items for Etsy and all the administrative work that goes along with the job of being an artist. Luckily, I remembered that I needed new business cards and I was able to design them and send the file to Overnight Prints, just in the knick of time. They were delivered yesterday. Nothing like some good last minute
Kiln Opening & Poll Question 2007-06-05 09:20:00 Mini kiln openingCeladon and Aqua Libre glazed ceramic pendants, earrings, buttons and pinsBone dry porcelain ware ready to be bisque firedI fired both of my kilns yesterday and need to re-load then again today! I could hardly wait to open up the glaze kiln because I had tested a new glaze and texture on some of my pieces. I used a celadon and an aqua libre glaze that's very runny and so this was a test for me to see how thickly I can apply it without worrying about whether or not the glaze would run all over the kiln shelves. What did I learn?? I can apply the glaze on thickly without worry. Aqua libre is a gorgeous aqua blue crackly glaze that reminds me a bit of the the color of the ocean in the Carribean or something. Sales have been a little slow on Etsy for the past week and I wonder if I should change my strategy a little bit. I need to gauge other people's opinions on whether or not I should try a different way to sell ceramic jewelry online. I have 3 different cords/c Read more:Question
Ceramic "Painting" 2007-06-13 08:42:00 Bird Painting
, porcelain clay & glaze which has been poured, stamped and painted in layers, 10.5" x 12"Several weeks ago, I shared a photo in one of my posts of some ceramic canvases that I had in the works. Last week, I finally got around to "painting" one of the canvases (only one because the other cracked during the bisque fire). I wanted to finish it before the Summer Art Market to gauge reaction to the piece. In some respects, ceramic paintings are essentially tiles and tiles are viewed perhaps as a lesser art form than traditional paintings even though this one proved to be every bit as time consuming for me as an oil or acrylic painting. But, that's another post - no whining from me today.I poured on the base glaze and then used a homemade stamp for the next layer followed by painting on the 2 birds with a commercial glaze. I had the idea of layers from the fabulous dream I had had the night before. I dreamt about painting and I woke up so energized that I can't even pro Read more:Ceramic
Phew...tired but happy after the 2007 Summer Art Market 2007-06-11 10:09:00 Left to right - Me, Mary Cay and Kathleen Laurie, aka "Slightly Off Center"Another Summer
Art Market
has come and gone and now I can spend the next few days recovering. It's a 2 day affair which is physically exhausting but is also so much fun. It's a chance to meet new people, goof around with booth mates and more importantly, it's also an opportunity to talk with people about my work. After this weekend, I realized that I need to practice being able to talk about my work better. I think it's often difficult for artists to do so without getting too technical or esoteric. Although I don't think people want to hear "I like green and that's why I did this," either. Add another thing to my to-do list.A sampling of my space and workSharing a 10' x 10' space with 2 other artists has its challenges, one of which is deciding which items make it onto the table and which ones to rotate. Mary Cay, Kathleen and I decided that we need a better booth design if we are going to do this Read more:tired
Linocut Experiment 2007-06-17 09:48:00 Golden linoleum, metal ruler, exacto knife and cutting matIn my last post, I wrote about a book, Image Transfer on Clay, by Paul Wandless and some of the techniques that I wanted to try out. I've got my eye on a Print Gocco, but first I'm going to try some of the image transfer techniques with the materials that I have readily available in my studio. I have my mind set on making some ceramic tumblers and impressing my lino-cut onto them for decoration. I was at a friend's house last week, and I drank wine from a handmade ceramic cup and I can't tell you how much that added to the experience of drinking the wine and spending time with my friend. Suffice it to say, it left me feeling very full and contented. Wood-working tools with various shaped gauges to carve the linoleumI need new wine glasses myself and have been searching for just the right ones for the last 6 months or so. I was looking for glass ones, but ceramic ones will be oh, so much better! These will not have the Read more:Linocut
, Experiment
Image Transfer on Clay 2007-06-15 08:07:00 I picked up the book (above) from the library a few weeks ago and only got around to reading it yesterday morning. Paul Wandless' book has me swimming with ideas of how to use some print-making techniques on clay. I think it's going to be the next phase of experimentation in clay work for me. I do love the immediacy of carving in clay, but it is time consuming, a commodity that I always seem to be lacking lately. I do have some Golden Cut Linoleum that I have been planning on using. I just need to cut the sheets down to size. The ones that I have are 18" x 24" sheets. By taking the time to carve a master block, I would be able to make multiples of a single image. I'm a proficient thrower and slab maker so I could easily throw a set of mugs and then "print" the design vs. carving them for hours.Also up next is trying out some toner decals for ceramic pieces and some other image transfer techniques on clay such as Lazertran transfers as outlined in Paul's book. Lazertran tra Read more:Image
Linocut Experiment part II 2007-06-19 06:33:00 8 ceramic canvases 4 have been "printed", 4 left blank to do some experimenting after being bisque firedI entered the studio yesterday with the intention of throwing some ceramic tumblers to use as backgrounds for my lino-cut prints. And, I did, however, I got sidetracked making these little canvases (photo above) and some more pendants. I rolled out a few slabs of white stoneware clay because I'm just not going to deal with the slumping of the porcelain for this type of work. Some of the best tools that I use are a transluscent 18" x 24" self healing cutting mat, a metal ruler and an X-Acto knife. I use these tools for multiple mediums from painting, ceramics and fiber art. Couldn't live without them!Ginkgo leaf and dragonfly ceramic relief prints 3.25" x 3.25" x 1" eachChoices, choices, choices...I decided that I wanted 3" square clay canvases for my prints for a couple of reasons. The lino-cuts I made are small, and I wouldn't be using a lot of material if things don't wor Read more:Linocut
, Experiment
Featuring Mary Cay 2007-06-23 06:52:00 Detail of kiln jewels of Mary Cay's Porcelain Canvases from her current showI often write about my friend and ceramic's mentor, Mary Cay, who is an instructor at the Art Student's League of Denver and quite a committed ceramic artist. She has given me so much inspiration since I met her 3 years ago and I've furthered my education in the technical aspects of making work and glaze science...thank you!!Detail of kiln jewels of Mary Cay's Porcelain Canvases from her current showYesterday, I went over to the Fire House Gallery on Santa Fe in Denver to help her photograph her current show. It was so wonderful to see the show again, without the crowds of opening night. I really got a chance to capture the details and to see how the work was hung. Last year, Ceramic's Monthly featured Mary Cay and her development of glaze kiln jewels in an article by Sumi von Dassow called A Glittering Obsession that's worth reading.Porcelain Wishbone NecklacesOn a side note, she has been making wis
Manhole Cover Art & Bee Lino-cut 2007-06-20 12:29:00 A few nights ago, I was walking my dog around my neighborhood in Denver, when I happened upon this manhold cover. While I had passed by on this street many a time, I never noticed it. Maybe, I noticed this time because the sun was setting and the last rays of the day highlighted the fishes' silhouette. I'm not sure, but I did a double take and knew I had to come back with my camera in tow.I've been wondering what a fish is doing on a manhole cover in the city of Denver. When I saw it today, I realized it reads "Drains to Rivers". I googled images of manhole covers and there's quite an assortment of eye candy if only we look down.Drawing of Bee on linoleumI have decided to add to my lino-cuts. My lone dragonfly needed another insect companion - the bee.Bee relief print on clayI have found that the relief prints on clay work better on flat pieces than ones in the round, so I'm playing around with some different clay shapes to print on. I like the idea of a house and once it' Read more:Cover
Podcasts and more... 2007-06-27 13:12:00 An interesting connection happened recently. A gentleman in Michigan found my Flickr Photostream online and enquired about how he could go about purchasing some of my work. We've been emailing back and forth and it turns out that many of the pieces in which he is interested are no longer available. I directed him towards my Etsy Shop and he did choose the piece in the photograph above along with a custom order request. Yesterday he emailed me a photograph of my piece which is now in his possession. It's interesting, because once the item leaves my home, I never see it again. I often wonder what people do with my work, how is it used, etc. Accompanying this photograph were several photographs of his beautiful garden. I can rest assured that gorgeous flowers will find a home in my vase. I'm honored that people think my work is a perfect compliment to their lives. It makes me very happy!Meanwhile, I've been experiencing a bit of uncertainty in regards to my art career and if Read more:Podcasts
Widespread Panic and EMT Sale 2007-06-25 06:57:00 (click on image to enlarge)It's been busy since my in-laws came into town last Wednesday and I haven't done too much in the studio. I'm starting to get that nagging feeling like I have to go into the studio to make art NOW. I am enjoying visiting with them and we've been doing some much needed projects around the house, such as fixing the leaky spot in the basement, pouring concrete for a new walk, making a new flower bed, installing an arbor...you know little things. My father in law has never been one to sit around the house, and consequently, he really puts the fire under our behinds.Having my in-laws in town has also enabled me to do a few things that I might not normally get to do. On Saturday evening, my husband and I went to the Widespread Panic
concert at Red Rocks. I should probably preface this discussion by saying that I normally avoid all large concerts because I get so very miserable with the throngs of people. I pay gobs of money to see a band, that I can't hea
Effigy Doll 2007-06-29 08:31:00 Porcelain Effigy Doll Head - not bisquedThere has been lots of discussion about the frustrating aspects of building a successful art career in cyberspace lately. I almost wonder if there isn't something in the air, or is it a viral infection much like Rage in the movie 28 Days Later? A couple of days ago, I made a scheduled stop to one of my favorite artist's blogs, Jafabrit, and became enamored of a voodoo doll that she and a friend had made for another friend whose husband walked out on her. It was a way to cheer their friend up and for her to vent a little bit. I decided that's just what I needed! I need my own doll and I decided to set about making one, partly out of clay of course, so that it can serve as a reminder that I'm really okay.The doll that Jafabrit made is not pretty - it's rather raw and fitting for the occasion for which it was made. Normally, I make pretty things. I'll admit it. But, in the case of my effigy doll, I want to craft a crude incarnation - t
Happy Independence Day! 2007-07-04 08:39:00 I'm interupting my regularly scheduled blog post today to celebrate the 4th of July here in the US. Husband's home from work and we plan on having a pretty typical 4th filled with barbeques, parade watching, attending a free concert in the park and watching fireworks tonight.More tomorrow,Subscribe to Fine Art and More by CMGuajardo Read more:Happy
, Independence
Found Greenware, Inexpensive Light Box & Misc. Garden Musing 2007-07-02 08:23:00 Found GreenwareNothing much new in the studio this past week. My in-laws left on Thursday, and I spent Friday just doing nothing - and it felt good too - I even took a nap, which is something I rarely do anymore. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but the hands in the photo above survived our cross country move from Maine to Colorado a few years ago. I'm amazed partly because they're fragile and still green, meaning that they haven't yet been bisque fired. I've moved them to my studio where I'll bisque fire them in the next go round which will hopefully happen next week sometime. I just checked on my effigy doll head and it's drying nicely. It had developed some cracks in the base while I was making it, which won't affect the outcome at all, but by drying it slowly, I should minimize additional cracking.Salvaged brick outside back doorIt's been so darn hot here in Colorado the past few weeks that I've decided to sleep in the basement a few nights. It's actually cool Read more:Garden
Doll update & adding keywords to your links and images to boost the findability of your blog or website 2007-07-07 13:21:00 I finally finished sanding my porcelain greenware the other dayAs usual, there's a few casualtiesI have finished the hands and feet- but just have a photo of the feetFirst things first - I managed to get 3 days in the studio this past week, despite the holiday - what a relief! I've been working on David's order and then finishing up some of my work that has been sitting in my studio. I bisque fired most of what you see in the top photo, and will hopefully have a larger bisque fire early this next week. Greenware is fragile and I'm reminded of this when work breaks because I manhandle and sand a little too vigorously. For safety sake, I sand outside and collect the clay dust to dispose of later - usually in my clay reclaiming bin.I've been watching a lot of movies in the past few weeks including Ratatouille, Connie and Carla, Tristan & Isolde and Aeon Flux which inspired the feet of my effigy doll. One of the characters in Aeon Flux had been modified to have hands for feet whi Read more:links
, website
Musings on Art and Fear Frustration 2007-07-05 08:24:00 I decided to start reading Art and Fear again - it's one of those books that I pick up from time to time. I do think the title is all wrong though. I am not afraid of success, but rather get frustrated at the snails pace of my journey. And, I suppose success is a subjective term here - it means different things to different people.The authors write:"At some point the need for acceptance may well collide head-on with the need to do your own work. It's too bad, since the request itself seems so reasonable: you want to do your own work, and you want acceptance for that. It's the ballad of the cowboy and the mountain man, the myth of artistic integrity and Sesame Street: sing the song of your heart, and sooner or later the world will accept and reward the authentic voice. Jaded sophisticates laugh at this belief, but usually buy into it along with everyone else anyway.In the non-art world, this belief system is a driving mechanism behind the American Dream - and the Mid-Life Cri Read more:Musings
, Frustration
Lazertran Image Transfer on Glazed Ceramic Ware 2007-07-11 09:45:00 Finished test pieces using Lazertran inkjet waterslide decal paperYesterday, I was playing around with some Lazertran paper that I purchased at my local art supply store and I'm quite pleased with the results. I first saw some finished projects in Paul Wandless' book Image
Transfer on Clay a few weeks ago and decided to give it a go. Lazertran can, however, be used on any number of surfaces besides clay - check out the Lazertran Gallery for specific examples. Pretty exciting!Using Paul's book and the instructions on the Lazertran package, I achieved great results: To keep it simple, I used clip art to start along, with some glazed ceramic canvases that I had already prepared. This is a cold surface technique, meaning that the decal is not fired onto the finished piece. But, since these are meant for the wall and are functional - that is just fine.After cutting out the images, I soaked the decals in water until they began to slide off the backing papersWhile the decals were sti Read more:Glazed
, Ceramic
Happy Birthday Mom! 2007-07-11 09:39:00 Today's my mom's birthday, but I won't tell you which one it is. Just suffice it to say that it's a milestone! I'm sorry I can't be there to help you celebrate, but I'm with you in spirit.I love you and wish you many more years of health and happiness!XOSubscribe to Fine Art and More by CMGuajardo Read more:Happy
, Birthday
, Happy Birthday
Glaze Tests, Lino-Cut Update and EZ Screen Print 2007-07-09 10:24:00 Cone 6 glaze test before firing - looks nothing like the fired colorCone 6 glaze tests after glaze firing to 2230° FWorking at the ceramic studio at the Art Student's League of Denver allowed me extensive use of their bucket and commercial glazes which was fabulous. I had a great deal of options available to me. Now that I am going to be working from my home studio, I am faced with the daunting task of making my own glazes or purchasing commercial glazes. Stocking and furnishing my studio has proved to be expensive and I have a wish list a mile long. I knew it would be like this in the beginning so I make do where I can. I have the basics and it's amazing how many common every day things can substitute for the "real" equipment.For example, I'd like a slab roller but a good one cost $1,000+. So, I use a humble rolling pin, 2 wooden slats as guides to get an even thickness and regular old canvas. It works but not with the same ease as a slab roller. One of my first tasks is Read more:Glaze
, Update
, Print
Clay Whistle & Lazy Summer Days 2007-07-15 10:46:00 Porcelain Turtle Whistle
- it actually works!The whistle has 2 holes - excuse the non-technical language here - the part you blow into and a beveled one just inside the inner wall of the body and directly in line with the mouth pieceIt's the lazy days of summer and right about now, I'm hearing a lot of "Mom, I'm booorrredddd!" What to do? My clay production has slowed down considerably, perhaps due to the heat - though I feel perfectly acclimated now. I only notice it's hot outside when I happen to pop into an air conditioned store where it's icy cold. Or maybe production has slowed down because I'm trying to come up with activities to keep my 9 year old from spending too much time in front of the computer screen and TV.We've been trying to go on a lot of field trips including the Titanic exhibit at the Denver Museum of Science and Nature - which was fascinating. We're going to follow that exhibition up with a trip to the "unsinkable" Molly Brown House right here in Denver Read more:Summer
Colored Porcelain & Honeysuckle Vase Update 2007-07-13 10:05:00 Freeformed colored porcelain pendants - unfiredAfter bisque firing, the pendants look a little dullAfter adding a clear glaze and firing to cone 6, the color is intensified - available in my Etsy ShopAfter starting up my own studio last spring, I've been doing a lot of experimenting with different techniques to find my own voice, if you will. It seems like there's just no end to the techniques and processes in the ceramic arts. I have really been enjoying image transfer on clay and just ordered 100 sheets of traditional decal paper from Ceramic Supply, so expect a lot of this to crop up in my work in the future.Meanwhile, I have been meaning to play around with some Millefiori/Murrini techniques using colored clay. Some of the artists who inspired me are Jane Peiser, Vince Pitelka and Chris Campbell among others who all use the medium quite differently. I am truly inspired by Jane Peiser, who according to her website is 73 years old (though the website is older - she talks about Read more:Colored
, Porcelain
, Update
Found Clay Prints and Revolutions... 2007-07-18 08:45:00 Cone 6 stoneware clay slab imprinted with a leafCone 6 stoneware clay slab imprinted with plant lifeI am happy to say that I have a glaze fire in progress as I write this post which includes my effigy doll! I'll have to see if I can whip out a body for him in the next couple of days so that I can post the results before leaving on our Griswold family vacation. Meanwhile, I found these 2 clay "prints" above the other day while doing a little studio clean up. These are the simplest of clay prints one can probably make. Simply take a leaf, flower or other item and impress the whole thing into the clay. For these, I added black underglaze and wiped it away which highlights the impression.I remember making these when I was in school a few years ago for a clay book that I was working on, but never finished. Both sides are printed and it was to become an accordian book bound by wire. The only problem now, is that I can't find the other "pages" so I've decided to glaze only 1 side an Read more:Revolutions
Props to my Best Friend! 2007-07-20 09:37:00 My friend Nikki (2nd from the left) is the executrix and mastermind behind Wild on the Inside, Faux Fur Fashions for Burning Man and BeyondA couple of days ago, I wrote about starting a revolution - not the bloody type, mind you, but one about bringing artistic and social change. Well, let me tell you, my girlfriend Nikki is doing it right now! I'm so proud of her and frankly am just a little more than awestruck. I've written about her before, but just in case you've forgotten, I'll mention our history again. I met her in Boston when we were both flight attendants for United Airlines. After our intial introduction and a rocky start, I won her over. Over time, we decided we really liked working together and began bidding the same routes. For about 2 years until 9/11, we worked together and would sit on the back jump seat bitching about our jobs and dreaming about what we would do if we ever quit.After 9/11, I took a leave of absence and finished my degree in art, Nikki contin
I'll Be Back... on July 29th! 2007-07-21 19:07:00 Set of Three Ceramic House Wall TilesI'm leaving home tomorrow for a much needed vacation, though not on a jet plane. In the next week, we will attempt to visit Mount Rushmore, The Badlands, Devil's Tower and Yellowstone National Park. Our mode of transportation: automobile. Our accomodations: tent. I will most likely need a vacation from my vacation when we return after sleeping on the ground with naught but a measly little therma-rest between my body and the ground. You're right, I need to get in the proper mind-set.I was talking with my father in law today on the telephony and he asked "What is in the Badlands?" I replied "the largest fossil beds in the world", but I wonder why 'bad' is in the title of the place. I really have no idea what to expect.In preparation for visiting Devil's Tower, we watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind the other night just for fun. I seriously doubt we'll make it to Yellowstone, but my husband thinks it's a good idea.Vacation MapM
Extremes in Temperature and Encounters with Wild Life 2007-07-29 11:01:00 Yep, this reads 112° F in the Badlands, SD! Of course, we managed to time our vacation during South Dakota's heat wave where it was close to 100 in the Black Hills where we did camp.WTF - Rattlesnakes??? Needless to say, between the heat and the rattlesnake warnings, we decided not to camp at the Badlands! Could you blame us?Here I am in Badlands National Park - I can't believe I'm not melting - though it was way too hot for our dog to walk around. We're baaaaaaackk! Whew, we just got back yesterday from our whirlwind camping trip through South Dakota, Wyoming and Northern Colorado. Our experience was one of highs and lows and in the end it was all good. We experienced extremes in temperature, moods and encounters with wild life!In South Dakota, it was HOT as hell, but well worth the trip. We ended up setting up camp the first night at Wind Cave National Park where we were but a handful of human souls. As city slickers, we were in awe of the wild life walking through our c Read more:Extremes
, Temperature
, Encounters
Now you didn't think I could go to the Black Hills and not share photos of Mt. Rushmore do you? 2007-07-31 09:43:00 l-r Washingon, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt and LincolnMt. Rushmore
is one of those American icons that everyone knows what it looks like before actually visiting in person, sort of like the Statue of Liberty or Disneyland. We made this pilgrimage for my daughter, but also because my husband and I think
it's one of those places you have to see in your lifetime as an American. I had low expectations, and I'm glad I did otherwise I would have been sorely disappointed in the tourist trappings around this institution. That and we got yelled at by some crazy old man for pausing long enough to allow some folks to take photographs of the monument before blocking their view with our car going through a narrow tunnel.I wanted to yell out of the car, "Hey, we're on vacation and trying to have fun here, dammit!", but refrained. Though his outburst did put a damper on the energy building towards the climax that would be a full frontal view of Mt. Rushmore memorial. But, in the end, I had to adm Read more:Black
, Hills
, photos
F.E.A.R. 2007-08-02 23:14:00 F is for Feral. E is for Effervescent. A is for Anger. R is for Survivability. He's quite an amicable and sophisticated fellow, don't you think?My effigy doll bits and pieces survived the kiln firing back in July and this afternoon, I decided to craft a body for him. Why is my doll a he you ask? I dunno, it just seemed right to me at the time. Maybe a yang to my yin or something...Anyway, my journey began with no pattern, simply a head, feet, and hands. As he began to appear, I just knew this fellow, otherwise conceived as fear, was very suave and needed a smoking jacket and cravat. It couldn't be otherwise. Needless to say, F.E.A.R. is often colorful and very in your face - in other words, hard to ignore...Once finished, he needed a name. I couldn't voice my inner most concerns without calling him by his birth name! Garth? No. Goth? No. Ogre? No, too ominous... "Harry", I suggested to my daugher, alluding to her otherwise favorite make believe character,? NO! "How