Pottery Bowl

Pottery Bowl
Archies' Base & Pam's Green glazes

Pottery Bowl

Pottery Bowl
with tree appliques

Johnny's Trees

Johnny's Trees
Closeup

Johnny's Trees

Johnny's Trees
Woodburning on plank

All That Jazz

All That Jazz
Fused glass

All Polished UP

All Polished UP
Canvas/nail polish

Saturday, January 2, 2010

January art - inspiration from the cold?

Minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit! Is it possible to draw artistic inspiration from the cold weather? In North Dakota we try not to let the temperature restrict our activities too much. We go to work, shop and some people play outside...cross country ski, hockey, skate. I'll do my daily walk outside if the wind chill temperature is zero or above. Otherwise I head to the fitness center.

But what kind of inspiration can I or my young students or others with artistic leanings draw from the icebox that we live in? Everything is white - the ground, the roofs, the trees, the sky, the exhaust coming from our constantly running furnaces, the breath we exhale. Snow beneath our feet crunches and squeaks as we step on it. We hear the beep, beep of snowplows in reverse, or the grinding of our neighbors' cars or snowblowers trying to start. We keep our hands covered as everything outside is too cold to touch. The only smells are of gas and exhaust. There is little else to jolt our senses, to stimulate our creative juices. We need to draw from deep within - like Frederick the mouse in the children's story - to remember colors, sights, sounds and smells that we want to convey in our art. These will warm our heART until spring comes to the north...and it will, just not very soon!

Happy New Year!

1 comment:

owais said...

can u please email me on owais.siawo@gmail.com....i am a textile design student and need to ask a few questions regarding your underwater sculpture

My Favorites

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North Dakota, United States
Born and raised in Williston, North Dakota. Degrees in Occupational Therapy (never chose to work in the field) and Visual Arts. Married for 33 years to a super wonderful guy, three daughters - all three are talented, educated, contributing, beautiful members of our great big world. I am so proud of them...they are my best accomplishment to date! I love to make art and teach about it, too. An etsy friend recently shared this quote with me from St. Francis of Assisi: "He who works with his hands is a laborer, he who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman, he who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist." I think it is a wonderful statement!

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