A Drunk Cage Clay Creation

After I took Annette Lansing's Beginning Clay Handbuilding class at the Multnomah Art Center I was kind of hooked. I love getting my hands dirty and I love the way she teaches the class (and I also love the fact that Paul is there as her assistant!). After "passing" the beginning class, I signed up to take her "intermediate" class.




Same teacher, same assistant but a new added feature....."CAT" my brain professor would also be taking it with me (I have also talked her into joining me in the International Collage Collaborative and The Sketchbook Project)! We had our places right next to each other and only got threatened once to be put at opposite ends of the classroom (okay, maybe more than once) for excessive talking and laughing.



Each week we would learn new techniques - from making chachki's to bowls to facial masks.







Kristi thinks my mask looks like a drunk Nicholas Cage from Leaving Las Vegas!



I never would have thought that I could have made a face - I love it (and Kristi wants to steal it) as well as my tiny three legged vessel!

I signed up yesterday for Annette's next clay class. A quick email to Paul and he will be there as well! Can't wait to see what we will be creating next and who I'll be getting dirty with.

LK Art and LA Hot Guy(s)!!!!

I saw it in Dayna's Studio. It was a piece she had created in a Lisa Kaus class. I googled her and found her other works of art and schedule of classes. Wanting to take one of her classes, I would always be off on the timing until.....

.....I see one scheduled for the end of June down in LA....YES! I immediately sign up for both days - two separate days of exciting classes. A couple of weeks before the trip I email Russ Stacey "Mr NBC" to see if he can get me quick Jay Leno tickets - a day later they are sent to me (how much do I love that!). The trip is set...two days of art and another one added to see Russ (and Jay!).

Day one is spent unpacking in our very retro room filled with huge chihuahua pictures (I loved waking up looking at him each morning~NOT!)....



....and then heading down the pathways to the glorious Manhattan Beach! The air and the sand and the sun felt fantastic (I have really been missing that sun thing!)!!!!




And nasturtiums (love you Andy) along the paths.



The next day was spent with Russ. Russ Stacy has got to be one of the nicest and most musically talented guys in the world! It started with a personal tour of NBC....



Touching the exact same spot Bob Hope touched 30 years ago....



And getting to be the news anchor woman and hang out with Fritz - the HOT LA Weather Man!!




Off to attend the Leno show, followed by margarita's with Russ and then a trip to Universal CityWalk for a water tube massage and chocolate Ice Cubes!








Day one of the art class was called "Gridlock", working with graphite, drills, dremels and wax. This was my created masterpiece! Tired from the all day class, a group of us decided to meet for happy hour. There I show Gary (the "real" hot guy of LA) my creation.



Day two was called "Color My World" (learning new painting techniques) yielded this masterpiece!




After two days I am artfully exhausted. I do not know how Dayna does a five day class. I am back showing Gary my second piece asking which one he thinks is "the best" and he chooses the cake one (and then I remember one of the Sketchbook artists' up in Seattle saying that art needs to be given away). With that, Gary is now the proud owner of the cake picture!



I kid him later on that evening when I got back from seeing a show and dinner about still having it and he showed me the picture he had posted of it on his Facebook with "rave" reviews! Hot and such a heart warmer!

A wonderful first trip of 2011. Sunshine, an old friend, new art, new friends and meeting and learning from a teacher who (I found out after talking with her at the end of the last class) lives just 10 blocks away from me in Portland.

Thank you Russ for being such a gracious host and thank you Gary for being such a gracious receiver of my cake!

And She Huffed And She Puffed....

I am always looking for new art to do. So when a Groupon showed up for glass blowing, I really wanted to give it a try.

I bought two, so I asked Miss Kristi if she wanted to join me for an early Saturday morning of glass blowing.

We showed up at Elements Glass in northwest Portland. We were handed our safety goggles as Aaron heated up our poles.






I chose my colors and then it was off to heat it up....





Once it was hot enough, it was time to start blowing it into a glass ball....



They turned out spectacular. Kristi's was green and mine was blue. On pick-up day we decided to exchange glass balls - I got my favorite color with a little bit of Kristi inside!




And afterwards we spent some time looking at some of the "real" glass works!!





A very fun morning spent with my favorite girl child!

Clay Comforts

In one of my beginning Gerontology classes I met another student "Annette".



She has degrees upon degrees and she quickly became a favorite. I would find myself always gravitating to wherever she was sitting. One evening she told the class that she was looking into teaching clay classes to seniors over 55. I didn't quite "qualify" then but I asked her to let me know when she was set up to offer the class.

She emailed to let me know the class was a go at The Multnomah Arts Center. I immediately signed up. I was a bit apprehensive since I have never worked with clay before, not even an ashtray in grade school. But it was something new to learn and...I would get to see Annette!

First day of class, walking into the unknown I see another familiar face from the Gerontology Program. Paul!



I am immediately feeling a lot better about this class - he has put me into a comfort zone. I am ready to build!





Five weeks of learning and building, and meeting new handbuilding clay artists. Most have worked with clay before and have lots to offer. One lady in particular was an extremely gifted lady named Gabriella who was quite proud to tell her age of 86.



She is from Switzerland who moved here when she was 24. She is quick and her clay creations are wonderful. Each class she would remind me "not to think-just do" in her heavy accent voice. I loved listening to her stories as did the other students. She is an inspiration of someone I would want to be like at that age (heck, at this age!), embracing each day and person she comes in contact with.

My creations are done. A Pinch Pot, a Coil Bowl and a Slab Box. Annette let me have her PEACE box and Linda (the lady I sat next to) let me have one of her creations.



After taking the class I received an email from Annette telling me that she was more at ease about teaching the class when she found out that I had signed up to take it. I was her comfort? Just like seeing Paul was mine. And it reminded me how important it is to let your comfort people know. So thank you Paul for being there and for making the class not too intimidating for me - you were a great comfort!

And....I've signed up for her next class. I'm still after that elusive ashtray!!