Still in Florida and learning new skills... like fishing and kayaking! Sculpting has taken off and back in the swing of creating. 2009 was a stormy year, but it seems the sun is finally out! Hope to post more here. Facebook and Windows Live are consuming a lot of my spare time. Hope all is well with everyone!
My goodness how time can fly by! It has been a busy and exciting TWO years getting healthy, enjoying nature, caring for mother who is now in an assisted living facility nearby, and sculpting! Life's little bumpy roads seems to take us all over the place. I have scheduled time this weekend to update this blog. Meanwhile, you can visit my Facebook page
Enjoy the day!
Just stopping in to let everyone know what is going on. My dear friend and step mother had another massive stroke (right side of her brain) Thursday morning in Florida almost a year since her first stroke (left side). She is unconcious and nonresponsive. It is very difficult and trying times. Please send positive energy and more healing thoughts and prayers?
My FW has found an ocean of tears....
Family activities and work has taken me away from my computer time so am shamefully behind in reading and posting. The good news is that I am keeping up with the morning pages even though they are not always written in the morning (atleast by midnight), but I feel their purpose is still being served right now and will get back to morning writing... or maybe continue with both.
Bedtime is my favorite time to crawl in a nice warm bed with a good book (almost always nonfiction...) so the last couple of nights have also included journaling. One thing I discovered and purposefully set out to try... journal thoughts set the dream stage for me... only positive thoughts allowed here with the law of attraction at work!
Here is my quick narrative of self ... exercise from the book, Finding Water:
She is 56 years old for another couple of weeks. Then it is into the 57th year of living this life. She has so many things and people in her life to be grateful for. She lives on two acres in the countryside where huge flocks of birds can still congregate. The wild life is natural and abundant. She would like to be more free from financial concerns and solely concentate on creating creative living. She is a caring giving soul with a great sense of humor and loves to help others feel good about themselves.
This was sculpted with earthenware clay which is very fragile until fired in the kiln. My track record of getting them in one piece to the pottery place for firing is not perfect. Some of the rays broke, but have been reattached with liquid nails.... guaranteed!! 
Also finished up a Native American sun face wall hanging. This photo does not have the ivory sculpted beaded necklace, but will post photo tomorrow since I am gallery sitting at ArtWorks at 7th The most amazing thing happening when we just started out walking our dogs this morning (on retractable leashes of course). Five feet from in front of the dogs, a HUGE I mean HUGE deer came bounding out of the thick woods and leaped across the road in one bounce to the other side immediately blending into the foliage. It was a swish of a second that took your breath away! What an amazing treat....
I am still laughing out loud at the expressions on our pampered pups... who also froze in their path startled!! Of course, this set the tone of the rest of the walk. Em (laid back yellow lab that she is) took it all in stride, but Sandy (young half lab half golden retriever) stayed perky and got pumped up! She was NOT going to miss the next one...
Good morning, papers!
This is the first day of a 12 week course I am studying with a wonderful group of people working through Julia Cameron's book "Finding Water". Check out Jessie and Leah's blog Finding Water... blogging the art of perseverance.... so here I go:
I, Dianne, commit myself to the regular use of the three basic tools. For the duration of this course, I will write Morning Pages daily and will take an Artist's Date and a Weekly Walk once a week. Additionally, I commit myself to excellent self-care, adequate sleep, good food, and gentle companionship.
Signed, Dianne Mayne Forche 02/17/07
Today I walked with my dogs, wrote my morning pages (yes, the hand cramps up, but hoping that will go away eventually) and will be doing this each day. It felt good to be outdoors, too! Dark chocolate is good food, right??!!
My beautiful daughter has survived the craniotomy and is improving daily! My time over the last couple of weeks (and couple of weeks to come) has been with her and my grand kids. Life will be different for a couple of months, but we are expecting a happy recovery. Vision in her left eye is still not there. Over time, we are hoping this will change and if not, she said she can live with that .... considering the alternative!
The doctor said he was very glad to have done this surgery. Her anuerysm was paper thin and he could see the blood flowing through it. He said it would not have lasted a year and would have burst. Her survival of that would not have been good, if at all. We are very blessed and so thankful for everyone's prayers and positive energy!!
Meanwhile, I am rooting doll heads at my daughter's house (among other things..) and have clay work drying on the racks at home. Lots going on, but planning helps out.... and of course friends! Chris has some wonderful caring neighbors who are bringing dinners and goodies to the house this week...
Have you hugged your loved ones lately? and often...
Today I stumbled across a couple of places to list and show your art work. One is Boundless Gallery where you can list for free up to three months before you have to take it down. They collect payment and take 25% and send you immediate email notifications of sales. Still reading their terms and conditions before I sign up.
The other is also holding their first juried showing with cash awards, but you can also show and list items for sale. There is not charge for anything with this one for the basic subscription. It is United Creators and is global. It looks relatively new as there are not that many sculptors, but I have not nosed around extensively either. Check out my listings.
Just finished working up 25 lbs of raku clay to see what it is like to work with. I was hoping the dried geenware would be stronger less fragile then the earthenware. Sorry to report it is not. Once the peices are fired it is no problem... just getting them to the kiln in one peice is a trick. My sun rays keep breaking off with the slightest touch and the wire drying rack probably does not help the situation. Redesigned the ray lengths leaving out the twisting and arching.... which was pretty cool! I will try to get some photos tomorrow. It has taken me a couple of weeks to use up this package since I was fitting in between other ongoing projects.
So far there are 5 sun faces made each with a different face/age. It was good way to practice eyes, nose, and facial bones. As they are more of a bas relief, it is difficult to view all sides, but a good fun play activity. Finished up with a green man mask bearing grapes, and a goddess type celebration wall plaque.
Gallery sat all day yesterday at ArtWorks at 7th in North Beach. Suzanne Shelden, a very talented and amazing artist, held an impromptu gathering with friends from Alexandria, Poolesville, Rockville, and Silver Springs. Suzanne is the featured artist for the month of January at the art gallery and donated proceeds of her sales to the Calvert Animal Welfare League. Rhiannon (kitty brought in and available for adoption) was adopted by Lora from Alexandria!! I met some wonderful people and it was a very successful show. Congratulations, Suzanne!
So once again, the president has disregarded the demands of our people and is escalating the war in Iraq accepting no comments from the Democrats! The troops were already there on Wednesday when he made his announcement.... imagine that!!
See Democracy Now! for what is happening in our country. Watch their show for today and see the live interview with Sgt. Ronn Cantu in Iraq who started and supports the following appeal for redress.
An Appeal for Redress by and for military peronnel on this insane war! The appeal will be delivered on Martin Luther King's birthday. Contact your congressman, the white house, and voice your protest! Help bring our troops HOME!
2007 is starting off with a smile and sunshine....
It has been a slow January so far with lots of plans in the making and waiting.... still trying to get a kiln in operation. Progress has been slow mostly because I am out of space in the studio and something has to go! Kiln on loan sitting ready to plug in (bought plug and have to install), but need flooring that is non combustible and wall guards... after the oven and shelving is moved out. The oven is used to bake polymer clay and heat set paints on the vinyl dolls so IT can not go... Janet, HELP! I need a professional organizer and six pair of hands!
I have been working with canned glazes, making test tiles, and have a few fish glazed with crystal colors ready for firing. Also made my first figurine called The Inn Keeper's Wife drying on the rack. Maybe I will get a photo up of her tomorrow...
Been enjoying and researching the blogs from the W and Z lists, but reading and spending way too much time there when I should be getting caught up on my to do lists. It just amazes me to find so many talented and caring people out there in cyber space! I owe Tammy a few replies, but did get my book list updated! She has a great blog for connecting and marketing ideas.
This W list was started by Tammy Vitale for women. Check out some of these!! There are so many awesome talented people... I added Tammy's blog to the top and added a few that I have found that I hope everyone enjoys as much as I do.....
Women, Art, Life: Weaving it all together
Looking Beyond the Cracked Window
Aphra Behn - Danger of Electric Shock
The New Charm School
Taexalia
Creative Every Day
Methaphor Bling
Simply Wait
Tinker Art
Jana's Journeys
Art In the Garage
Thick Paint
Molly Gordon Authentic Promotion
Overhall.com
Worldwide Women Artists Who Blog
Worldwide Women Artists
BlogHer Where the Women Bloggers Are
There is a blog list started with almost 500 sites worth reading with lots of information. The Z LIST was inspired by Mark Colier as a community gathering and sharing. Check it out with lots of marketing information!
Not sure if this "widget" works or even what it is, but here goes.... Ihave already found some fantastic blogs I would not have found otherwise!
Well, the widget code was not accepted by blogspot so you will just have to go and click manually on the link above!
Happy New Year 2007!
PEACE,
Dianne
This little girl wanted to be something different then what was ordered so she will stay with me for the doll show in Orlando and I will start over today on another one. Sometimes these baby dolls have mind of their own!
We worked on Christmas ornaments following one of Carol Duvall's shows painting a winter scene on acetate and slipping it inside a clear glass ornament decorated with snow. Unfortunately, we did not take photos of the finished work because they are Christmas presents!
I gallery sat Thursday and Friday last week catching up on some of my reading and also played with watercolors... since the weather was bad people were not going out! It was my first time painting and had fun using watercolors and oil pastel crayons... it felt good to experience some spontaneous creativity. It sure gave me a better appreciation of the skill needed to do watercolor landscapes!
The Festival of Trees was a huge success this past weekend. Folks from all around the area came through and were such friendly and kind people! .... and five of my baby dolls found new homes!
There were hourly performances from singing to band music. Tricia Darrow offered bracelet making for $5 per bracelet and you pick out the beads! She has a new store opening in Prince Frederick December 2nd.
Kinda puts ya in the spirit of Christmas ....
Using red colored clay does not work when glazing with other colors... so I found out! AutumnMan wall hanging was not supposed to be so shiney and dark. The glaze is a two tone with the edges a burnt reddish color and the rest a light to dark forest green. It will be interesting to see how it fires up on white clay. I will be picking up clay tomorrow or Friday from Baltimore since they wanted $86 for shipping cost! It will take alittle over an hour if there is no rush traffic.
Native American mask is well... the jury is still out! The glaze was called Autumn Feather, but not sure what happened to the different crytals that were suppose to explode in bursts of color!
It has been awhile since I have taken the time out to post anything. Lots has been going on outside of the studio. Preparations for this weekend's craft show is going into high gear today, but I have lots of items already to go.
Our daughter here in Maryland has been diagnosed with a brain anuerysm (spelling?) in her carotid artery. We are taking her tomorrow for an angiogram to determine which type of surgery she will need. It is a true blessing to have found it early.... thank you, Wil! My mother in Ohio is also going through the same thing on Wednesday for a blocked carotid artery. Her grand daughter and my neice, Dorothy, who lives nearby will be there for her! God Bless You, Dorothy! Please include our family in your prayers!??
..If you or your loved one experience regular headaches, or have high blood pressure, please encourage them to get a routine MRI and an MRA if there is a family history and consult your family physician.
Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day (and thankful for each day...)
Fall is here and ALL the leaves are now shades of golden yellows, reddish oranges, and coppers. My next greenman mask is going to be coppery and golden .... should I call him Autumnman?
Working on peices for the upcoming festival and researching kilns and options this past week. A company came out yesterday to give me an estimate to put in an outlet for a kiln, but he has to send in the electrician monday morning. Once I find out what my studio can support electrically, I can get serious about it and place an order for one. All I can think about is getting my hands into the wet clay and going crazy with it! It is like zoning out and then a shape and form appears like magic and something is created that takes on it's own character. It is so much easier and faster than using polymer clay.
This has also been a tough week dealing with intense absessed tooth pain and the pain killer did not and is not doing it's job. It is hard to feel enthusiasm and excitement with throbbing pain, but this is my favorite time of the year!
Time to get back to the studio and continue sorting and clearing out... thinking positive and making room for the kiln!
