Creativity and Original Art

Creativity takes Courage, said Henri Matisse.  It is so true.  The kind of courage that makes most people not attempt to do what is naturally inside of you, waiting to be let free.  In our new home, I have decided that the art that will be displayed will be some of our own creation.  Bob is stubbornly refusing to do any art, but I think over time I can win him over.  He once painted me a beautiful card, but I was too ignorant at the time to recognize the romantic gesture.  That's what happens in young marriages where you literally grow up together. 

Art pieces that I did.  Not sure that I am all that in love with these, but they are better than what was there before!

I am no stranger to creating art.  Most of my efforts were with clay.  As a little girl, my art teacher always had us create ceramic creatures and for all the years of my elementary career I created a cat.  I think my mom still has most of them.  One day I will ask for them, but for now I know my mom has them on her kitchen window sill.  Art is definitely in the eye of the beholder.  I also dabbled in oils and acrylics, and my mom has one of my pieces hanging over her sofa.  It is of a barn in the fall, sitting beside a lake that is reflecting the trees and sky.  When I look at it, I see flaws, but I think it is because during that time I was focused on painting reality instead of my impressions.  

I am looking forward to placing my ceramic pieces in my study.  I have a vase, a pitcher, another vase that I used golf balls to make texture, a covered candy dish and a third vase.  All were salt treated and fired in a kiln I built myself while living in Kirksville.  Several of us stoked the kiln over night.  I haven't done much with ceramics since.  I don't have access to a kiln or a potter's wheel, although Bob and I were vacationing somewhere where I got to get behind the wheel and I was able to bring up the clay and fashion a pitcher.  It was the first time Bob had seen me behind a potters wheel.  I remember him being impressed!  I am looking forward to seeing them displayed again.

Candy dish that holds thumb tacks in my office.  Salt glaze, blue slip flower

Project pitcher, braided handle, salt glaze, used my fingernails for texture and my wedding ring for texture on the bottom

My favorite piece, two glazes, used a golf ball on the inside to get the bumps.

Yellow glaze, with a mineral glaze on the bowl.  Poured ceramic into a mold.