Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
What am I knitting?
January 25, 2018
“Over the last four years, photographer Joseph Ford (previously) has collaborated with friend and knitter Nina Dodd to create a project that blends models into their environments rather than having them stand out. Each subject wears a custom hand-knit sweater by Dodd that transforms their torso, partially camouflaging their body into a highly textured wall, striped running track, or for one pooch—the leaves of dense shrub.
The series, Knitted Camouflage, also features a collaboration with French street artist Monsieur Chat who painted one of his trademark cats on the wall of a derelict factory for the photographer.”
I love this stuff.
What am I celebrating today?
January 23, 2018
Today is my sweetie’s birthday!
And it is Tattoo Tuesday
What am I cooking?
January 18, 2018
I thought this was interesting, because I never thought about different grades of butter – or even knew that they existed. But, my mother had this booklet from the US Department of Agriculture (1968) that explains everything.
What am I cooking?
January 11, 2018
These recipes are from the Cutco Cook Book – a book that came along with a set of knives my parents bought back in the 60s (I think).
Making a Mornay sauce with American cheese and canned mushrooms may have even come from a earlier decade. There was a time in America when all cheese was American, or perhaps cheddar, and there was no pasta – only spaghetti and macaroni. I think these recipes originated from that mind set. I still have some of the knives, though.
Why are ceramic artists so good at dealing with failure?
January 10, 2018
photo: deightonceramics
“In mid-November, Jennie Jieun Lee was moving a life-size ceramic sculpture of a woman out of her studio. The piece, which had taken her a few months to create, was about to be photographed, ahead of its debut at a Miami art fair just weeks later. But Lee’s dolly hit a bump, and the ceramic figure toppled to the floor. It was shattered irreparably.
What exactly makes clay so volatile? Issues can arise at the earliest stages, from the moistness of the material to the way it’s kneaded and stored. If clay is too wet or too dry, it can collapse or crumble; if its parts are improperly attached, it can break; if it’s not “bone dry” when it’s fired, the piece may crack or explode in the kiln.
photo: deightonceramics
Glazing, too, is notoriously tricky; if the coating is too thick or too thin, the desired results are impossible. Plus, chemical reactions between clay and glaze can cause things like “shivering,” when a glaze cracks and flakes off a piece’s surface. And firing is a science all its own, which, when executed poorly, can also lead to cracks and explosions. Indeed, ceramists are not only challenged to achieve feats of dexterity and creativity, but also chemistry. Of course, even when a piece is complete, there’s ample danger of the fragile material breaking.”
Why do it at all?
“There is such thrill in opening a kiln door after a work has been fired,” Wedel explains. “There is so much hope and so much wonder. The material has the final say over who you are as an artist. It can be both humbling and humiliating, and not many artists are okay with that.”
I don’t typically take photos of my failures, but I do have my share of them. I follow The Potters Motto: Make another one; just make another one.
My recent firing – It was a good day
What am I sappy cat blogging?
January 5, 2018
Cmdr. Sam Vimes and Hobbes after a night of New Year’s Eve partying.
Yep, they are big cats.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 