Design Style Guide interview, pottery, gourd art,

I'm excited! An interview about me and my art is online today! Want to check it out? Go to:

http://www.designstyleguide.blogspot.com/

Yes, I REALLY do walk outside if the temperature is at or above 15degrees F! Today I've been busy in my pottery studio, even though I have weaving waiting for me...I can almost hear the fibers whispering in my ears, "Weave me, felt me, do anything with me but leave me here in my basket, please!" But the clay spoke louder today and I'm making soap dishes, tuber vases (you know, the kind with the tube in the center to hold flowers upright) and tea cups. But what I really want to do is design an new foyer table - one that will be a catch-all...for keys and coins, chapstick and sunglasses. I'm dreaming up a design with either metal or twigs/branches incorporated into the base. Can't quite decide, but I'm having fun thinking about it while I do my 'work' in my pottery studio... Today, too, I need to trim a couple of large pieces, a bowl and a platter, that are a special order. So far, they haven't cracked so I'm happy about that! Well, I better get to it, as I want to (not really, but I'll do it anyway because I really don't want flabby, old lady arms) go to the gym and exercise, get my daily walk done, and work on a photo album for my granddaughter, Taylor. We spent last week together and I want to have a special photo album to help me (and Taylor) remember it. May God bless your day!

Pottery, new classes, weaving - so much to do!

I am home for 4 days and can't believe how much I have on my list of things to do...so much to do in my pottery studio - for myself, and I need to take care of my students' work. They are waiting patiently for me to get it in and out of the kiln. I've a million things to do to get my fall art class schedule posted on my website and some lesson plans in place. Plus I have a tapestry idea that is exploding in my head and looking for fruition! I'm so blessed that "I'm bored, I've nothing to do" is not a possibility for me!

I can't figure out how to put labels under my first post so guess I'll do it this way!

Jackie's Art

After much encouragement, I've decided to start bloggin'.

I'm a teaching artist -into pottery, painting, weaving, giant gourds and combinations of all of those. Lately, I've been making pottery frames for my weavings and feltings of prairie landscapes and mothers with their babies. (Mary Cassatt is one of my favorite artists - I love the gentle and calm feelings so many of her paintings evoke.)

Representing the humorous side of my art:

Check out my wedding ring depositories - specially designed for the divorced or soon-to-be-divorced. What to do with the wedding ring that formerly was a symbol of love and happiness and has turned out now to be just the opposite? Well, throw it in the toilet, of course! Take the roof off my pottery outhouse and you can do just that! A perfect gift to give your friend who is in the s---house situation of divorce.

I also make personal fire hydrants for your best friend. Every good dog deserves his own fire hydrant, personalized with his name. Your pet will be the only one in his neighborhood with such a luxury.

I do make 'serious' art, too. I love embellishing GIANT gourds - some are lamps, huge sculptural bowls or centerpieces - also perfect for the pedestal or stand in your foyer.

'Madonna' and 'family' are themes I explore in my weavings and sculptural pottery. I grew up with 7 brothers and sisters and family is the most important facet of my life, along with my faith in God, the power above us all.

I fire my pottery to cone 6, and use mostly stoneware and porcelain clays. In my tapestries, I use a variety of yarns, including yarn I spin myself and specialty yarns that I find at a huge, wonderful yarn store in Winnipeg, Manitoba...a 2-1/2 hour drive from our home.

I'll soon be posting my fall schedule of classes on my website: www.jackiesart.com. You can also check out my shop: www.jackiesart.etsy.com.

My website has tons of photos of kids at work in my studios - they are great young artists and I love to help them work. I also host art birthday parties, lately tie dye has been the favorite thing to do for the birthday boy or girl, but we can do just about anything, as long as it fits the party time frame.

Our youngest daughter is an artist, too. Check her out at www.amyuthus.com. She makes beautiful functional pottery.

I strongly feel that everyone in America who wants a home, should have one. To help accomplish that goal, I donate 1/2 of my art sales to our local shelter for the homeless, the Northlands Rescue Mission. They do great work and I'm happy to be able to support them in their efforts. A small way for me to use talent God gave me to help those less lucky - but for the grace of God, I could be in that situation, too.

Have a wonderful, blessed day and check back often...I'd love to hear from you.

P.S. A click on the bottom photos will lead you to my website and a click on the top photos will lead you to my etsy shop!