Riverton Glass Class

We had the opportunity to attend a wonderful glass art class this past week.

The instructor is a master at warm glass fusing techniques, so we learned so much about firing to get different effects, etc.

The scenery around Riverton and Red Canyon was wonderful, the weather just a touch on the cool side, which made it very nice and the company (Mike) was fun.

Mike is so good with the glass tools -saws, grinders, etc. He makes a plan and really develops it. He picked up the name "Psychadelic [sic] Mike" because he let the class talk him into using really bright happy colors on this train. His first choice was always in the browns, blacks and reds. But now he's looking at oranges, blues, pinks, yellows, etc. You can see the periwinkle blue glass waiting to be cut.

Pumpkin head

As a term of endearment, we often called the little kids "punkin". So it was natural to have the line, "I can understand pumpkin head, but carrot tops are green!" The drawing took on a life of its own. In fact it ballooned up till I'm not so sure the little arm can support all that weight.

finally some action!

Check out the new project at mommasaysbook.blogspot.com.

Tis the Season

After school art lessons:
Tori, Alexis and Jace made clay snowmen in assorted fashion colors. Jace was just a little hesitant to get right up there between the girls. That'll change in a few years won't it?

Autobiographical drawings

Real experiences are great fun. Took Andrea to the airport in a horrendous blizzard one year. Spent the rest of the day holed up in a hotel. Everything in the city was shut down. My sketches made good reference material for the perspective piece. Note the polka dots on the curtains. The buildings across the street have now been cleared away for redevelopment projects.

From Another Perspective - the Common Element

I know the suspense must be killing you (kidding). The common element in the perspectives is orange balls. I love the shape, texture and flavor of oranges. Most of these pieces were done during winters. I must have been craving vitamin C. It started with orange trees, then orange balls in the neighborhood piece, morphed itself into Chihuly glass works in the Seattle piece, then showed up as polka dots on curtains, etc. On the newest piece it's the balls atop the brick wall. It keeps the viewer discovering.

Latest Project for High School kids

The area's Coalition of Churches asked if we'd be interested in helping with a Nativity scene they plan to put up this year. It's been a great project because we've taken it from the idea stage through completion. Kids have learned about design (we combined several nativity ideas) proportion, overlapping, color theory and all the stuff in between. It took about 3 weeks, and three bags of candybars. Congratulations on a job well done girls!