Sunday, October 28, 2012

Breaking Things as Art

 
Well, who knew that breaking things into pieces and gluing them onto something else could be considered "Art." I've never considered myself an artist until a friend of mine who is an incredible artist, introduced me to the art that I have within.....She showed me that I Do have an "eye" and a gift for placing color in beautiful designs. So we broke a few plates together, and she set me free to find my Muse.
 
It quickly became an addiction.......
 

Here's a few examples of some of the creations I've made.
 
Mostly, the colors are broken dishes, cups, chunks of pottery, marbles, and glass "dots" that go into fish aquariums. They are mounted on various pieces of ceramic/pottery stuff.
Can you guess what THIS base might be.
 
 Yeh....it's uh....well....it's a Toilet Tank lid.  Dunno HOW I have come across so many of these, but they make wonderful "yard art," or even fit upon some of your exisiting toilets. 
 This is supposed to be a human/dog dancing.  It was a prize for one of the dog dance competitions that we go to.
 
Here is another one.......
 
 
And another.....
 

Below is one of the many bowling balls I have "re-created" into a face.  This one is my Nerd.  His glasses are cup handles, and his hat is a lid to the base he is setting on....Any suggestions for a name?
 
 
This green guy I named Stoner.  He was a gift to one of my dog dance friends. His nose is a "bonnet" from some figurine that was broken. He is pictured on the turnaround in my Studio.  A nice way of saying that DH Bikeman has agreed to hand over half of the storage barn to my "broken-ness."
 
 
 
And then, there's Pinkie.  She is made from mostly pink Fiesta ware.  She is pictured before she got grouted.
 
 
Here she is with her "makeup" on.  Her hat is an upside down vase. I love the green eyes. And the border of yellow hearts for hair. Cup handles for nose and mouth.
 

 

 Here's a birdhouse I decorated for Habitat for Humanity auction.  I think it sold for over $100!

 Our birdbath.....remade into something more colorful for the birds' needs.
 Oh, yes....Here's a wonderful mosaic of the heavenly bodies.....It's actually a toilet tank, but I've made it into a planter.  The design goes all around....Jupiter and Mars and Earth are on the other side.  The moon with the cow jumping over it (a cow-shaped cup handle) is on one of the ends.





 
 
Finally, here are a few more pictures of a work in progress. It is a turquoise toilet tank lid (from the 60's?), and will be a prize for the Thanksgiving Dance competition in Oklahoma City next month.
 
First, you draw a design (thanks for the help from my artist friend JT DeShong ), then you stick on the pieces with Liquid Nail.
 
 
And here is the finished product.  Wonder whose prize it will be?!
 
 
 
Everyone seems to enjoy these mosiacs in one way or another.  Remember Mrs. Whitworth? Well, she has been with us almost a year now, and truly enjoys being a part of a Home instead of a shelter...One of her favorite passtimes is to sit on the front porch, advertising that This is HER place of residence now.  And forever.  A Mosaic Cat on a Mosiac Chair.  She knew where to land....From broken-ness into something beautiful......
 

 

 

 


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

A Moral Issue

Digging in my east garden yesterday. Planting some lavender and sage that a friend gave to me.  Oh, and some "society garlic." 

I love this garden.  Used to be full shade until my neighbor's 100+yr-old tree fell across the fence and had to be cut completely down.

Now the garden is full sun.  Some of the plants, well, most of the plants, are stressing from the full sun since the tree fell.

Now I am trying to replace some of them with plants that will tolerate the heat and the burning sun.

I overturned a ceramic pot, and this is what I saw:

 
 

Black Widow spider, right?  Poisonous, right?  Could possibly ruin my day/weekend/life if I came upon her, and she got scared, right?
 
 
Prolly should kill her and put me out of my misery.....right?
 
I turned the pot back over, and will strive to remember where she is from now on....
 
Yes, it was a moral delimma to me....and the spider won....