Yep, that’s right…I now have an Etsy shop! I finally have enough inventory to validate opening a virtual storefront. Currently I’m only selling tote bags, but soon I’ll be listing some of my ceramic plates. Stay tuned to see what other exciting creations I’ll be selling.
You can click on this link to take you to Etsy or click on the Shop tab at the top of my website.
I just love this idea from Sew4Home. It can be used on the fridge as well!
I’m halfway through my goal of 9 bags! Here are my two latest totes.
The trend over the past few years is to “go green” with just about anything and everything. There have been famous sculptors that turn trash into art and the latest thing is to take old clothes and change them into something new and modern. There’s even a tv show using that same theme. I have to admit that I started this blog on that same premise, but it seems like we’ve taken things to the extreme. I mean, if we are going to recycle something shouldn’t it be made out of something we already own instead of using gas in our cars to go buy something at the thrift store?
Anyway…enough of my rant. Here’s a few pictures of my repurposing a tank top that was too big and a skirt that was too small.
The second part of my Family Artist Series highlights sculptor Frederick Hart. My grandmother and his father are first cousins. Unfortunately, as is common in most families they drifted apart and didn’t keep in touch. While my grandmother lived in Atlanta, he was living in South Carolina. Frederick eventually relocated to the Washington, DC area where he resided most of his life. He died in 1999, a few years before I moved up to DC and I was never able to meet him.
I remember my Grandmother would tell us that we were related to a famous sculptor who worked on the National Cathedral. But we were also told that we are related to George Washington, Robert E. Lee, William Henry Harrison, and Calvin Coolidge, so I took everything I heard with a grain of salt. Because…well, I’m sure every American is “related” to George Washington. All of this was in the back of my mind when I started working at the school located on the grounds of the National Cathedral. I loved working there and would frequently take walks and eat my lunch in the gardens or in one of the many chapels.
During my lunch breaks, I started to research the building of the cathedral and noticed my cousin’s name on one of the pictures. Holy moly! We really are related to a famous sculptor of the National Cathedral. Not only is he one of the sculptors, but he is probably the most well known sculptor of the Cathedral. In 1974 he won a competition to work on the Creation Sculptures of Cathedral’s west facade. He worked on the cathedral for the next 13 years. This work helped him achieve notoriety and since then his work has become quite well known.
Here, the Cathedral’s website explains more about the sculptures.
Frederick Hart The tympanum over the Cathedral’s central portal, entitled Ex Nihilo, dominates the suite of sculptures known as the Creation Sculptures. Its eight figures are captured in what Frederick Hart described as a “state of rebirth and reaffirmation of all the possibilities in being human.” The majestic west front of Washington National Cathedral is classically Gothic in form, honoring centuries of tradition in sacred architecture. But the sculptures which adorn it are unmistakably modern. The traditional theme of the Last Judgment was abandoned, and instead of the solemn weight of history, the west front of America’s cathedral would be about beginning, the first beginning: Its theme would be The Creation. Completely unknown as a sculptor, Frederick Hart (1943-1999), was just 31 years old when he won a competition for one of the most important commissions of sacred sculpture of the 20th century: The Creation Sculptures for the Cathedral’s west façade. The tympanum over the central portal, entitled Ex Nihilo, dominates the suite of sculptures which includes representations of the Creation of Day and the Creation of Night, trumeau figures of the Cathedral’s patrons, Saints Peter and Paul, and the first man, Adam. Ex Nihilo’s eight figures, their eyes not yet opened to the new life that awaits them, are captured in what Hart described as a “state of rebirth and reaffirmation of all the possibilities in being human.”
Here’s a picture I took of Ex Nihilo the last time I was in DC:
There is so much more that can be said about Frederick Hart’s life and work. Here are a few websites to check out. The book Changing Tides by Michael Novak and Frederick Turner is also a great reference.
Now that the weather is warm I’ve been spending most of my time outdoors. Summertime is the perfect time to play in my pottery studio (i.e. my garage) and get my hands dirty with clay. Who wants to be inside sewing when it’s so wonderful outside?
Lately, I’ve been trying to work with wood molds to make plates. Needless to say I don’t know what I’m doing and so there have been several disasters that have gone straight to the recycle bin. I will eventually break the plates and use the pieces for something crafty. Here are some pictures of my latest projects. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed practicing some new glaze tecniques.
The title may be a bit misleading because I don’t actually have a pottery studio. I just use whatever space I can find, wether it’s my dining room table or the garage workbench. Although I would like a “real” studio one day, I don’t think it really matters if you have a dedicated space for a project. Besides, it’s fun to be in the family room with my family when I work on a project. If I had my own studio I would be completely set apart from all the action.
Anyway…
Here are a few work-in-progress pictures. I’m still learning my kiln and how the glaze reacts during firing. I created a few test tiles to let me know how many coats of glaze I need to put on a piece. It’s very interesting to see the difference between one, two and three coats of glaze.
A few weeks ago I embarked on “The Great Tote Bag Challenge.” This was an effort to have an inventory for my soon to be new Etsy shop. It’s been a slow process, but I’m getting through these totes and duffels. Here’s a picture of my latest bags.
ECD Family Artists
You may remember me saying that I believe everyone has the capacity for creativity. With that thought, I began thinking about doing a series of blog posts on the artists in my family. It seems like most people I’m related to are artistic in some way or another. Whether it’s cooking, baking, gardening, crafting, sewing, wood carving, or sculpture, I have a lot of talented people in my gene pool. While not all of them are famous and make tons of money on their crafts, I am related to several well known artists. I think I’ll start with the famous ones first.
Ivan Meštrović (August 15, 1883 – January 16, 1962) Even Though I’m related to him by marriage, my family still claims him as one of our own. My paternal grandfather’s aunt (Olga Kesterčanek) was married to Ivan. Meštrović has been touted to be the greatest sculptor since the Renaissance and is the only living person to have had a one-man show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Ivan Meštrović was Croatian by birth and lived all across Europe including Split, Vienna, Paris, Belgrade, and Rome, but spent his final days in Indiana. While living in the US, he worked as a Professor of Sculpture at Syracuse University and the University of Notre Dame. Meštrović was “discovered” at the age of 16 by a stone mason in Split, Croatia. He mainly worked in marble, wood and bronze. Much of his sculpture was strongly influenced by the Greek classical and art nouveau styles. Religious and patriotic themes dominate Mestrovic’s art.
My family has several pieces of Meštrović’s art, including a bronze crucifix. This is the cross that my father inherited (I’ll re-take a better picture the next time I travel to my parents’ house).
I used to live in Washington, DC and worked on the grounds of the National Cathedral. Most of my commute was on Massachusetts Avenue in the Embassy Row area. Coincidentally, the Croatian Embassy was right in the heart of the Row and I drove by it every day. The entrance to the embassy has a huge Meštrović sculpture.
There is so much more that could be said about “Uncle” Meštrović, so if you would like more information on his life and art, please visit these websites. His daughter has also recently written a book about him.
Like many other crafters out there I have several unfinished projects. I tried with good intentions to follow along with Colette Pattern’s Spring Palette Challenge, but I haven’t even bought the fabric yet. Not to mention all the fabric I have stashed under my bed with aspirations. One day I will get to it all and then maybe I won’t feel guilty for buying more craft supplies.
Adding pottery to the mix wasn’t the best idea, as I have shelves of bone dry clay just waiting to be fired. Recently I enlisted my husband to make several wood forms for pottery molds. I love the square form he made, hopefully the finished product will turn out like my expectations.
I made several beaded earrings for Christmas gifts last year, so I wanted to try to make a necklace from one of the tecniques. After working on this for several hours, I realized this may take me years to finish.
