Extruder Extravaganza

Mid-August was the Second Annual Extruder Extravaganza at the Guild.  We had eleven people all playing with extrusions and having lots of fun.  Although I am the 'teacher' I always learn as much as anyone in the workshop. 

Everyone made at least three pieces and most made a custom die for the extruder.  Several people had not used power tools before and were given the opportunity to work with drills and saber saws on their own custom dies. 

I look forward to hearing from the participants and seeings their finished work.

Working Demensionally, Day Three

Today is the last day of the three day workshop.  We will make two or three part molds, at the very least.

Yesterday was about embedding, fosselizing and texturing.  We've covered so much that I can't remember what happened on day one.  I do plan to bring back all the things I attempted to remember what happened!
It's been a great time and I look forward to getting back into the studio and making work, first of all some thrown work to test the glaze results from the last firing and to get the vessels made for my family and to get my sink glazed and installed in my bathroom.

These will need to be cropped and cleaned up later.

End of the Conference

Today is the last day of the conference...I'm glad I'm staying on for the post-conference workshops.  It has all been so much to process and I am sure that the next three days will be just as intense.  Then home to decompress for three days and back into the fray out in Bennett with the grand kids.  I won't get to put into practice what I've seen and done until maybe mid-July.  But I will have had time to process it all and get some kind of focus for my next series of work. 

I'm hoping for some sunshine in the next few days and for some time to get back to the ocean before leaving this area.  I'll take with me some videos of ocean waves to help me remember.

Day One - 4th AEPC

Today started with shopping in the vendor's rooms.  So far I have a bag full of paints, one book, tools, and the Iwatani torch everyone is talking about.  Watching the "Best Foot Forward" show go up in the second floor hallway is fun.  The work is as varied as it is amazing.  The people are all so warm and encouraging.

Moving ahead

I have sent my submittal for another show, this one in southern Colorado - Clay Continuum V.  I don't know when the jury selection will be completed, but I do know the juror, Sumi Von Dassow.  The show is in July.
I have not started any new work.  I am ready to make another bowl for the birdbaths (a past-due goal), I want to make some planters for some starter plants I have at home and I have several encaustic panels on ceramic tiles started; two panels for "Insomnia", one panel for "Optical Illusion" and one for a personal project.  (Also past-due goals.)  I have ideas for several more encaustic panels; a couple ideas using paper put through the cross-cut shredder, others using fabric and some more ideas using photo-lithography on ceramics.  It's a technique I just found out about and is a new or different way to get images onto a ground.  I'm not sure if it interests me because it is new or because it is an effective way to work with images.  Doesn't matter I guess.  There is good reason to try it, and there is not much in the way of tool/material investment.  Just the learning curve.  Hopefully, I will get to try it out in the near future.  Yard work and census work is getting in the way, lol.

Rejected :(

I just found out that I was not accepted for the Flow and Control show at the Fourth Annual Encaustic Conference.  It was the first juried show I've entered so the rejection was not totally unexpected and I am still processing my feelings.  I know I am disappointed and saddened but don't know the extent of those feelings yet.
I know I still believe in my work and am still excited to be going to the conference and especially now, seeing the work of other artists who work in encaustic.  And I am excited to have the opportunity to learn from some of the very best artists out there!

New Goals

It's time to set some new goals.  The previous goals have either been met or are too far past due...the event for which the goal was set is past.
I have a couple of shows in mind to enter.  I have not heard yet about the Flow and Control show but no matter what the outcome of that, I am committed to entering more shows with my encaustic work in the near future.  I'll clarify those goals in the next few days.  One of the deadlines is May 15th so I can't delay too long.
I'll stick in a couple more of the encaustic images here...

Promises, kept and unkept

Never make promises about that which you have no control over...the kiln was unloaded before I had a chance to shoot a picture.  This is the best I can do, a photo of the pots after they were removed.

Some of the bowls and one of the vases came out nicely...some not so nice.  There was a hammer used on a few.  But all in all, a good firing.

Spring Show and Sale

The Arvada Ceramic Arts Guild is hosting their annual spring show and sale in a couple weeks. Join us for the reception on April 30th from 5 - 9 PM for refreshments, pottery and good company. The gallery will also be open Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM - 5 PM, May 1-2.

The Guild is on Facebook - tune in for regular updates @ facebook.com/arvadaceramicarts

Multi-tasking

These are the pots I glazed on Saturday.
I spent yesterday firing the 16 cu/ft gas kiln - took 14 hours instead of the 10 or so I'd expected.  It's been a couple of years since I'd fired that kiln and don't have the details worked out...lots of variables, gas pressure, blowers, damper.  I stalled it out at about hour 8 and couldn't get the top and bottom temperatures to even out.  I will open the kiln tomorrow and see how everything turned out.  About half of the kiln load is my work and the other is several members' work.  I promise pictures before I unload.
I made use of the time by cleaning up after glazing and by cutting glass and putting together some jewlery bits; earrings and pendants.  Instead of fully fusing the glass as I usually do, I "tack fused" the pieces and am pleased with how they came out.  I must admit that I stole that idea from a pair of earrings a friend was wearing that she got in Santa Fe.
Today I was in to crack the kiln (which means taking out the peeps in the door and opening the damper) to allow it to begin to cool off.  And I did a bit of jewlery work with Precious Metal Clay.  Mostly, I looked through the bins and boxes of 'stuff' I have and located some of the findings I need to finish those earrings and pendants.

Bummed out, or is it bombed out?

As I'd mentioned, I've been spending time with the g-kids and feeling really good about it.  As a result, I am in a crunch to get ready for the show at the end of the month.  Then yesterday I put wet pots in a bisque firing, thinking I could warm them slowly and then bring them up to temperature.  Works fine is a computer controlled kiln, the one I put the birdbath bases is; doesn't work at all in the manual kiln, with the bowls for the birdbaths.  The bowls ended up in a zillion pieces.  As a result, I spent three hours vacuuming out the kiln and picking tiny debris out of the elements.  The kiln belongs to another member of the guild and I am stress out about talking with her about the disaster.  And bummed out that I put myself even farther behind.
Is there a way I can get at least one birdbath ready for the show?  I doubt it, all of the kilns are booked pretty solid and obviously I'm going to have to 'do it right' and let the darned things acutually dry out before firing them.  The weather is nice, I can set the bowls outside to dry more quickly.  Guess it is reasonable to attempt making them again and see.  As the least, I will have bisqued birdbaths to set in my studio as works in progress. 
I also want to get a couple of encaustic collages done...which can happen while the bowls are drying, I guess.

Trimmings

This morning I threw eight more bowls, five with 2# of clay and three of 1#, 1 1/2# and 2#.  Then I threw three 3# vases.  I wanted to leave the texture of slip on the surface that comes from ribbing up the side of the pot to smooth the surface.  That was an interesting exercise - I felt that I was getting lots of surface interest but when I went back later much of the slip seemed to have been absorbed into the pot so that there was no as much in the way of slip lines.  I made one very regular, one much more irregular and one kind of wonky, out of round and with slip really globbed on.  I meant to take pictures but of course I forgot.
I also trimmed the eight bowls.  The clay was just dry enough.  The clay came off with the tool in long ribbons.  That is such a satisfying activity, the bowl becoming round and smooth, the foot taking shape, then lifting it off of the wheel and feeling that I got the weight just right - not something I do very often.  When it is right the bowl feels so right, not too heavy and not too light.  It weighs the way it seems it should weigh.
So now I have 18 bowls made, in three sizes, that hopefully will be sets that will nest.  And I have four vases with slip decoration.  I'm a long ways from where I'd like to be in terms of filling the kiln.  The other members of the Guild will help fill it, but I will wish I had more new work for the Spring Show.
As I was trimming the bowls I was noticing that my face was red, like I was embarrassed.  I've noticed that feeling other times too.  I'm all alone in my studio, doing work that I feel really good about so why the feeling of embarrasment?  I wondered tonight if it had to do with not 'honoring' my skill...that I spend so much time away from doing work with clay and others are much more committed. 
The reality is that I will not choose to spend much more time in the studio.  I find the time I spend with my family and friends to be just as important.  I can't choose clay (or glass or silver or encaustics) over them.  Thursday I skiied with my son and two grandkids, this afternoon I helped my son get his house ready to paint, Monday I will ski with my granddaughter.  How can I do otherwise?  The birdbaths and coffee mugs will just have to wait. 

Bowls

The last couple of days I've been throwing bowls, small and medium, with the hope that they will nest.  I got five of each size finished.  I plan to throw larger and even LARGER bowls before I start on mugs and pitchers.
First I'll take a couple of days off to be a grandma (skiing with two of the youngest grandkids!) then Easter.  Another ski day on Monday, then back to clay.
Somewhere in the next few weeks, I want to get three or more birdbaths made for the Spring show at the Guild.

Goal Completed!

I have completed the work for the juried show, Flow and Control for the Fourth Annual Conference of Encaustic Painting in Beverly, Mass.  There have been lots of first steps taken to get to this point but I am very proud on what I have accomplished, both in terms of the work I submitted and in the supporting effort that needed to be taken to get this far.  The photographs I had taken did not all turn out quite like I had hoped but the three most important pieces photographed well.  I am working with the photographer to improve the outcome of the photos...attempting to build a relationship that will be benificial for both of us.  So although some of the photos had problems, I want to continue to work with her and both of us will develop as artists.
This is the third time you've seen this pot.  It is 6" x 4" and I flowed the wax off of the top edge by hanging the pot upside down on a rod.  It is one of the three pots I submitted to the Flow and Control show.

Another important project at this time of year is making chalices for the first communion kids at my church.  I have sample bases and bowls and glaze samples so each kid can design their own chalice.  I'm pleased to do it and I think it adds a lot to this important milestone in their lives.  Those chalices are in the bisque kiln, will be glazed and fired tomorrow and ready for them to use on Maunday Thursday.

Now it is time to look toward the Spring Show and Sale at the Guild that takes place in late April.  That means birds and birdbaths!
I also plan to continue work on the "Optical Illusion" and "Insomnia" pieces.  Those tiles are in the bisque kiln with the chalices.  And I look forward to getting back to throwing functional pieces, the usual mugs, bowls, salt pigs and all the other 'useful and unusual' pots that I make.

New Tool, Not Enough Power

I bought another griddle, one that is square that I thought would be great for more colors and for keeping brushes warm.  I also like to mix small amounts of color on the griddle and it would be great for that too.  Only problem is that the room I need to work in (because it has the vent) doesn't have enought power to run those appliances.  It trips the breaker whenever I try to turn on both griddles, never mind the heat gun.  I'm not sure what I am going to do about the problem.  When it is warmer I can open a garage door and set up a fan and work away but in the mean time I'm a bit stuck.  I did manage to get in about two hours of work today.  Enough to finish all of the vessels I have ready - about six, maybe eight counting the smaller ones.
The photographer will be at the studio tomorrow to take the 'official' pictures for my submission to the "Flow and Control" show.  I am very pleased with the way several of the vessels came out.  Funnily enough, the one that I struggled with the most came out the best!
I'll post pictures as soon as I have them - most likely Sunday.

Ceramic Tiles for Insomnia and Optical Illusion

I let the pots rest today...I am fearful that they aren't as good as I hope.  A bit of doubt in myself.  So I worked on the tiles for other projects.  I plan three or four panels (ceramic tiles, 27mm x 30mm) for the Insomnia series.  I finished two of that size.  I also want two panels for the Optical Illusion series and made one.  I made one tile of an odd size which I will use for a commission for a 'bugs and flowers' piece.

I contacted a photographer to take the pictures for submission to the "Flow and Control" show at the Encaustic Conference in Mass. so I feel really good about that.  I must have the work ready by Saturday or Sunday lest I run out of time.  That means hit it every day!

This is one of the pieces I feel is finished...this is not the final piece but close.  It is about 5" tall, raku fired with encaustics flowed over and allowed to drip off the top edge.  Obviously, I fused it upside-down so the wax would run 'up'.  It is small but quite interesting.  I hope to use the same techinque on a larger vessel...we'll see. 

Adolescence

There seems to be a point when many of my pots where they are gawky and ackward - like children when they get their first permanant teeth and when they move into adolescence.  All of the parts don't quite fit.  At that point I feel like giving up on them (the pots, I never gave up on my children) and taking a hammer to them so as to spare us all from more bad work.  But I normally push through that point and give them my best shot at being.  And often as not, maybe more often as not, they come through for me or I am able to come through for them and they become something useful or interesting, worthy of keeping, of setting out in the gallery for someone to discover and take them home.
The pots I worked on today were in that ackward, adolescent stage.  I believe that three of them have made it through that and are now 'works of art'.  They are not quite 'jelled', the wax was still warm when I quit working on them and they may need a bit of polishing up or touching up but I was pretty pleased when I turned off the wax and put things away.  I'll shine them up and take pictures tomorrow.
I have five pots ready to raku fire tomorrow and begin waxing, using what I've learned from these early pots.  It's been fun and frustrating and finally satisfying.

More Progress

I am still working on the same three or four pots but I feel I am learning how to work with the pot and wax.  There is a fine line between getting the pot warm enough to put more wax on and getting it too hot and having the wax just slide off. The dark band on the one on the left has gotten too warm and the wax moved away from that area.  I scraped off the wax on the bottom and reheated and reapplied wax on the bottom third.  I plan to add more wax mostly in the top 2/3s and heat and allow the wax to flow down over the bottom.  At some point I may scrape through the layers of wax to the raku glaze below.  I'll be working on this pot and others tomorrow.
I have more pots in the bisque kiln, one with glaze, fired to cone 06.  Maybe I can get them glazed and fired today or tomorrow.
I want two or three pots finished to send off to get their pictures taken.  Not sure where to do that yet.  I need to submit photos for the juried show in Mass. before April 1.  I had hoped to have them ready and off by now.  I made other choices though so it didn't happen.  Soon!?

Waxing Encaustic

Just a quick post to put up some pictures.
Can I resize the pictures?  Seems like I read about doing that somewhere.
I tried clicking on it but no luck.  Maybe before I get to this step.  I'll try again.
At any rate, this is one on the smaller pots with some wax and oil paint stick on it.  I've since worked on it more and like it less.  Oh!  Ah!

Encaustics on Raku...Finally!

I am attempting to add pictures in a row across the top.  It shouldn't be so hard.  And I want the text to be left-justified.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  This is one of those times that it doesn't!  Oh!  Ah!  Well, I just moved stuff around, inadvertantly deleted one of the pictures.  Reloaded it, highlighted the text and told it to be left-justified and wa-la!  Oh, except some key stroke just deleted the picture again!  And now it is back...but in the wrong place.  I want the pots to be on the bottom.  And I have a third picture I want in here between these.  What are the odds that will happen.  lol  Now I have the pictures the way I want them.  Wonder if they will stay that way.  (No they didn't - what you see in NOT what you get.)  But the text doesn't quite match the pictures.  I have this big gap which I am now fillilng up with text.  I have only put medium on the raku-fired pots and just a little bit of color on the pot to the far right.

What you see here is the setup for my first foray into putting beeswax on raku-fired pots.  The four pots are tests of the different meduims I am using; beeswax with no resin, beeswax w/resin and not-refined beeswax. 

Raku Firing

I fired six or eight pots this afternoon.  None of the pots came out like I expected but that is raku for you.
I figured out how to reply to comments - I think!  I just post another comment...lol.  I'll have to check out whether it worked like I think.

Raku Pots for Encaustics

Here are a couple of pots I fired earlier in the week.  The top pic is the 'front' and the bottom is the 'back'.  They are part of the 1# series of pots I made as tests and are about 5" tall.  The glaze is Jerengan's Lithium with a commercial metallic patina brush stroke.  I like the matteness of the glaze and the contrast between that and the luster.  I'm not sure what "mood"  I feel is inherent in these pieces but will start the encaustic work with several layers of the basic medium - going for translucency and depth.  Then I will begin to add colors to bring out the underlying raku effects.

Cone 6 vs Raku, what should I do, what should I do?

This is the Blue Satin Raku with Seth's Luster over the shoulder.  Looks pretty garish!  I plan to get it into another firing soon and into post-reduction to tone it down.  Then encaustics over the body.

Today was a Cone 6 glaze class at the guild and I worked on sorting out my ^6 glazes to try to get some tests into the kiln with the class since they are planning to do 3 types of firings.  At the end of the day, I found out that there will probably be enought test pieces to fill the kiln so mine won't get in.  Oh, Ah.  Now I wish I'd spent the time putting raku glazes on the 2 dozen test vessels I have made.  Guess that is the project for tomorrow.

New Pots - Bisque Pots

This afternoon I was able to get into the studio and throw a few more pots out of Soldate - thankfully the last  of the Soldate.  I did not like the stiffness of it, even though I wrapped it in wet towels and left it overnight, it was still too stiff for me to throw without a fair amount of pain in my wrists.  But the pots look good.  A couple of them had BIG air bubbles near the rim so I sliced through the pot and altered them...thought I had pics but not so.
I also glazed an old bisqued pot made of Jiki clay with the Lithium Blue Satin raku glaze and put Seth's Luster on the rim.  I brushed on Sybils's Black Stain on the inside then loaded the pot along with all of the 1# vessels into a bisque firing.  We'll see what the greenware does to the glaze.  I will fire the glazed piece later next week and do a post-firing reduction in newspaper.  These are the first steps to getting vessels that I can paint with encaustics!

A Few More Pots

Into the studio today to check out how pots are drying out and to throw a few more pots.  The Soldate clay is still tooo hard, I've tried to soften it by wrapping it in damp towels (which usually works well for other clays) but to no noticable effect.  I threw two 3# pots.  The clay was so hard it was painful.  I've wrapped it up again in wet towels in hopes that tomorrow I can actually work with it.  I have also turned on the heat in the tub of Jiki clay to warm it up for tomorrow in hopes of throwing some tea cups for the "Mad Hatter Tea Show"  later in March.
I have so many irons in the fire that it is hard to figure out what to do when I get into the studio.  I'm not sure how to get more clarity.  I am thinking about signing up for Alyson B. Stanfield's ebook "Relatively Pain-Free Aritst's Statement" in hopes it will clear a path for me to move forward.

A Dozen Pots

Just a few quick notes on today's work. I was able to get twelve more small vessels thrown. All 24 are basically the same shape, narrow foot rising up with the maximum width two thirds of the way up and a wider rim than base. Sorry, still no pictures - I just don't think to take them. All 24 wil go into the bisque kiln early next week, at which time I will test a glaze piece with them. According to the guild glaze guru the problem might be with the moisture from the greenware effecting the glaze, bubbling or crawling.
I also want to do some testing of naked raku. I found some recipes today, one called for fireclay and we have some Lincoln fireclay someone gave us so I'm set!
The clay I threw (Soldate) was still too hard and now my hands are aching. Lots of Advil and heat later. The first set of vessels is thrown with Raku K from Laguna Clay. It's pretty sweet.

Trimmings

The studio work today was trimming - lids for the vessels and twelve cups to test raku glazes. I am wondering if I can bisque fire greenware and glaze fire pots in the same kiln load. One of the guild members mentioned the possibility of fuming from the glazed pots onto the bisque ware but I don't think I would mind that. I don't have specific results I'm looking for, these are tests after all and I do plan to paint over them with encaustics in a very abstract way. Sounds like a nice challenge and a chance for some interesting spontaneous results. Raku is pretty spontaneous anyway.
I had a few moments of confusion before I headed out...I thought to throw 3# vessels of a different clay to continue to work out the vessel form but I also think I should test fire some pieces in the second clay too. I ended up wrapping up the clay balls in a wet towel to soften them and will throw them tomorrow. AND I think I'll make another set of 1# vessels for the tests. Who know what I will decide tomorrow!
I continue to drink lots of tea and save the bags for the "insomnia encaustic" piece...well and to get to sleep at night. I drink a big cup of Extra Sleepy Time Tea every night and sleep like a baby. (Keeping in mind that most of the babies I've been around lately don't sleep all that well.)

Encaustics on Ceramics...Here I come!

I found out today that I DID get the post-conference I wanted, three days of working with encaustics and ceramics with Kim Bernard! I have lots of work to do to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity.
I have been throwing small vessels (1# of clay) to begin testing raku glazes. I have a dozen ready to bisque so testing will start soon. The small vessels are maquettes of the vessel I want to make for the juried show, so I am beginning to work out the details of the shape.
I continue to think about all of the details I need to take care of to be ready to submit my entry for that show. Scary and exciting at the same time. I need to update my artist's statement, get new business cards, update the web site, oh, and make work!
To make things more interesting my delightful grand-daughter has gifted me with her cold.

Lids...oops!

After throwing the lids for the vessels, I set them out to begin drying...and forgot them! I did remember later - 11pm - and went back to the studio and covered them up. Whew. I doubt I'll get to them today but tomorrow I'll get them finished. Pics then hopefully. Today I get to be grandma.

More details about Goals

Now that I have listed my major goals, I find that I need to break them down into smaller pieces - well, that is what the experts tell you to do anyway. And don't forget to celebrate!

Mad Hatter Tea Party:

• save enough tea bags to use in the work I envision
• look up quotes about insomnia
• look for images about or referencing insomnia (could I use a pic of me at 3am not sleeping?)
• choose a size and support
• Then melt and start applying wax

The teapot and cups are a whole 'nother ball of wax, pun intended

The Juried show due in April has many more layers of goals. I feel I need a presence on the web, need to clean up my artist's statement, obviously need high quality work and high quality photos of that work. This blog is an important piece.

Today I'm finishing up some thrown ceramic pieces on which I'll paint w/encaustics. The throwing I need to do today is to make lids for a couple of vessels. I envision gear shapes. I've marked the rim of the vessel with radial lines so it looks a bit gear-like, gears = control, in my mind. ( pics to follow) While I tossed and turned last night I tried to figure out how to shape the lids, imagining throwing them upside down, off the hump. (pic of that too)

They then need bisque firing and glaze firing, most likely raku with a blue/luster combination. That combination of glazes has not been tested on my clay so that needs to be done. I did mix up the two glazes yesterday and have some pieces on which to test them. Could happen on Sunday.

The images for the April show need to be ready by the first of March so that work needs to be made this month too. Hopefully, some of the images for the other two projects can be used for this.

More and BIGGER Goals

I am so bad about goals - I can set them kind of with my fingers crossed - knowing that only I will know that I haven't met them. So here I am setting important goals for any and all to read and keep me accountable. (Even though I know there are few of you out there reading and keeping account.) I'm hoping that it will work on some level in my brain.
What I want to do is list the goals and timeline in the sidebar and check them off as I achieve them. Two things happen there; one, I learn more about this blogging stuff and two, I set and meet my goals! Both good things.

Great web site!

Give this a try. It is too much fun. As soon as you enter you start drawing is black. Slower mouse speed = thicker blob or line. Click to change color. Have fun!

http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

Getting back to work

I've gotten my studio set up and am ready to start work, focusing on projects for the Encaustic Conference in Mass. However, I need to address the ventilation issues. My studio is in a large area shared by several other artists. Getting the wax fumes vented is going to be tough in the winter - in the summer I can just open some garage doors and wa-la ventilation happens! Meanwhile, I put in a picture of work from last fall - a series honoring my mother (95 and counting).

Goals met!

I started using a new template yesterday and it was more closely what I wanted - more margin and a cleaner look. And my IT guy showed me that the pictures already ARE set up to click to full size, silly me for not checking that out more carefully.

He also set up the blog to run under my own domain name - Itzadilley, I'm so pleased.

I registered for the Encaustic Conference (if you don't know about it, click on the link). I faxed in my registration at 10:30, wanting to get it in early so I have the best chance of getting into the workshops I want. I'd best get busy making some work for the shows and getting more experience under my belt.

My IT guy warned me not to do more blogging than ceramics or encaustics - good advice as I'm finding this a bit addictive.

Today's tasks - Domain name, sidebar optimization!

Today I want to figure out how to post using my own domain name since I DO have one. And I want to learn how to post pictures in the sidebar. I also want to get my pic into my profile. I"ll need help with all three things and my IT support guy will be here to help.

I also want to figure out how to set it up so you can click on a photo and get a full screen image of it in another window.

Moving forward - adding blogs I'm following

Today's goal is to add blogs that I am following to my blog and maybe to stick in some more pictures.

And so I have - three blogs that I look at most days. The Encaustic Conference sounds so exciting and I am planning on attending. All of the people I have read about and whose work I love will be there!

Here are a couple of images of work I have completed. These are encaustics I worked on in a workshop in Ft. Collins with Trish Seggebruch. I hope to get the studio clean and new work started in a few days.

Make it pretty - notes to self

I'm pasteing in some tips I've gathered to help me clean up my postings. This list was inserted from a Word document so it had the formatting for paragraphs. However this seems to defeat what I want for my blog - to put my thoughts down and move on. I really don't want to maintain that information in two places.

Blogging Goals:

• Make it pretty
• Setting up margins
• Paragraphs - corrected problem with line break setting!
• Photos and video
• Connectivity to other blogs
• Use my own domain

Now, I've gone back in and changed some settings, one about how line breaks are handled, switching it from yes to no. Should help with the paragraph problem. Let's see.

Wonder of wonders! I have solved two problems in one stroke! Don't you just love it when that happens? The line break setting was the answer. Now on to figuring out how to make the margins the way I want them. And get better at sticking in photos and videos. Well, to do that I will have to take some photos and videos, now won't I?

New year, new attempt

I have been looking at lots of blogs and thinking about this blog but nothing more has gotten done. So this is a new attempt.

Every area in my life is a mess; house, studio, finances (well, who's isn't lately), health. Any place I might think about starting, there is too much 'mess' to move out of the way to just get started that I give up, look at more blogs and think about this one.

There is a quite good reason for all of the messes - two bathroom remodels. Yes, back to back. They are nearly finished and will be wonderful but there are still bits of things that need to be done to call either finished. There IS something very satisfying about walking into the bathroom and not seeing the 60's blue fixtures! And having a nice deep tub to soak in.

There are lots of projects at the studio I want to get started on - the encaustics that this blog is supposed to be about being one. There is not a single surface I can set anything down on so all of that must be sorted out before I can start.

But I will get things cleaned up, wrapped up and healed up and get started on NEW projects, my personal fave!