Pet Portraits

Max

No title required . . .

Photos taken by my good good friend (way back from college) Meg.

Thank you Meg, for a wonderful visit . . .

If this is so . . . then . . .

To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea... "cruising" it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.

-from Wanderer by Sterling Hayden

I'm ready!

Primio Meme Award

I've won my first blog award! It's the Primio Meme Award, given to me by Diantha Harris. Check it out at her blog, Living Your Potential. She also has a wonderful website called Life Potentials. On this site you will learn how Akashic Records, Color and Feng Shui can help you achieve your life's potential.

The rules of this award say I am to state 7 facts about myself and then give this to 7 people. And, as Diantha says, "Such a fun way to bring more awareness to other blogs!"

Here are my 7 facts about myself:

1. I'm always up for learning and trying new things. And adventure. I was so disappointed to not be on the Kon Tiki with Thor Heyerdahl.
2. I have 6 cats by various defaults, all of them involving my daughter. I love them all. (I love my daughter, too!)
3. I lived on a sailboat for 11 years and am currently working toward acquiring another one, Pearson Triton, older model, close to Florida. Anyone hear of one, let me know!
4. I grew up in the Midwest and had an "Opie Taylor/Leave It To Beaver" childhood.
5. In one of my former lives, I was blind.
6. If I could I would live in a house with no walls, where the interior meets nature unencumbered. My next big project will be to build a home that is totally off the grid.
7. I love color, vibrant, vivid, life-encompassing color.

Which is one of the many reasons Diantha and I are friends.

My 7 people are:

1. Linda at Lime In The Coconut - a beautifully orchestrated blog with poetic text and mouth watering images.
2. The Mud Show Diaries - a wonderfully written blog by Valerie Berta Torales that documents life on the road in a Mud Show (Circus). This particular circus, The Kelly Miller Circus, is owned by John Ringling North. Through Valerie's eyes, I am learning what life on the road is like for my friends, Miss Vickie and Luckie Eddie, who ran away to the circus in mid-life. What adventurers! It gives a whole new perspective to the grueling schedule of a small circus traveling across America. It will be enlightening.
3. Art By The River - A blog by friend and fellow artist Julie. She has given me many words of wisdom about things beyond art.
4. Pearson Triton #680 - About the restoration of one of my favorite sailboats!
5. Wooster Collective - An amazing collection of street art, gives you a whole new perspective on graffiti.
6. Fabulon - For an edgier perspective. Great bits of the 50's, 60's and 70's among sumptuous and provocative imagery.
7. Art Mundo - The latest major project I've been honored to be involved in with three other amazing women: Allie Comer, Sherry Horton and Deena Wynne. Check it out. And if you're in the area of Fort Pierce, Florida, come check us out. We've come a long way in a year and soon Art Mundo, A Center for Creative Expression at The ArtBank (our physical location) will be offering a full fall compliment of classes and workshops. We also will be developing our outreach program for the community plus artist opportunities and exhibitions. So, visit the blog often to keep in touch with what Art Mundo is up to.

And these are my 7 picks.

I'm In Love With This Boat!

Can anyone identify it?

Closet Art

This is a closet in Art Mundo's ARTBANK space.

Loving small spaces, I realized this would be

the perfect on-site studio for me.

So I rented it!

Here it is now, with my preliminary set up.

I'm positive it will evolve as I utilize my studio

away from home.

More Bronze

Two last photos of the bronze casting series.

This photo is out of context.

This is actually the first part of the process.  

These forms are wax images of the original prototype sculpture.

They have been dipped several times in the slurry.

The yellow forms will become white after the wax

has been melted out and they have been baked.

The flared base is actually the cup into which the bronze is poured.

The forms in front are over sized roses for

a sculpture that Pat is currently creating.

These will be in the next pour.

Because of  the strange green-glowing flowers and organic shapes,

the wax room looks like some alien greenhouse "en Provence"!

This is a finished bronze from the pour in the last post.

The head shape can be seen in several of the photos in that post.

This bust was cast in 3 pieces, then welded back together and fine tuned.

The patina (surface color) is added.

The sculpture is waxed and ready to go.

Bronze Casting

The amazing and mysterious world of bronze casting!

This photo series is from last week at Shadetree Studio, a local fine art foundry/studio owned and operated by artist Pat Cochran.  I've mentioned him before.  He's the same artist who created the recycled sculpture a few posts ago.  Pat is a prolific artist whose sculptures grace the Treasure Coast landscape.

The furnace is fired up and the bronze ingots are pre-heating.

Pat places an ingot into the crucible

through the hole in the top of the furnace.

Suiting up.  

Skimming impurities from the surface of the molten bronze.

The molds, pre-heating to around 1400 degrees F.

The molds have been covered with sand.

This helps keep them hot until they are filled with bronze.

The tinfoil covers keeps the sand out of the molds. 

Removing the crucible from the furnace. 

Pouring the bronze into the molds.

Pouring the molten bronze, close up.

The bronze is approximately 2200 degrees F.

The molds after they have been filled.  At this point

the bronze has already solidified, but is still red hot. 

Replacing the crucible into the furnace for the next pour of the day.

Carrying the very hot molds out to the cool down area.

While the bronze is no longer red hot, it still is too hot

to handle directly.

Cooling down.

Still VERY hot, the molds will cool down more

before the shell is knocked off the bronze.

I love watching a bronze pour and consider myself lucky

to have had the opportunity numerous times.

 I think the big draw for me is that unbelievable molten 

metal that is the most indescribable orange.  

Living Your Potential

I'd like to announce a new blog by my friend Diantha Harris.  It's called Living Your Potential.  Check it out.  She offers helpful information for a harmonious, satisfying life.  I hope you enjoy!

Art Mundo

A new addition to the blogging world.  Allie Comer, Deena Wynne, Sherry Horton, and I comprise the founding members of Art Mundo.  Check out our blog to find out more about us and keep updated on Art Mundo's activities and offerings.

Public Art

This sculpture in Fort Pierce, FL was constructed on the site from recycled metal brought in by members of the community.  The top structure acts as a vane, turning in the wind.  On the front of the vane is a propeller which powers a battery that runs lights to light up the globe.  On the top of the vane are solar powered lights which also light the sculpture.  The words on either side say FT PIERCE FL.  The sculpture was built in one weekend as part of the Green event that was held by A. E. Backus Museum. The artist is Patrick Cochran.

Wow! What a nap!!

So sorry about the huge gap in posts!  I took a nap on a rainy afternoon

and woke up the day before Easter!!  

Not really but it sounds better than the lazy truth.

Look for a fresh post in the next day or two and thanks for saving my place!

Last Vestiges Of Christmas

Dancing Stars
Star ornaments made by The GAGA Girls (myself and Anita Prentice)
Nestled among my Mexican collection.

My Favorite Christmas Mugs
I purchased these lovely mugs over 30 years ago
and look forward to using and displaying them every year.
Seems like I bought them yesterday. Time flies!

Holiday Fruit Basket
This wire basket is from a series created by Fort Pierce
artist Anita Prentice. Not only is it fabulous filled with fruit
on the counter, it also looks unbelievable displayed on
the wall as the art object it is.

In the next few days, these items will all be put away until next year, except for the Anita Prentice basket which will keep its job of corralling the fruit.

New Sculpture From The Studio

Suddenly Gaynell Spies Her Magic Beans!

Suddenly Gaynell Spies Her Magic Beans!

(side view)

Verlene Stands Day Dreaming, Unaware Of The Magic Beans At Her Feet

Verlene Stands Day Dreaming, Unaware Of The Magic Beans At Her Feet
(Side View)

Trixie and Bubba

Bubba Leads The Unwitting Possum Down The Garden Path

Christmas Tradition

Going to the beach on Christmas day. We may not have snow, but I wouldn't trade this for snow any Christmas Day.

Sunset On The Roof

I've always enjoyed being up high above things. When I build my dream house, it will be on stilts. This particular sunset from our rooftop was spectacular.


The "alpenglow" on the plants to the east of the roof was dramatic.