Fully Engaged

Hello All!

As some of you may have noticed, I have been absent from my glass blog for a number of months now. My artistic direction has taken a turn to a new path, which I am exploring. I will tell you that I have not and can not completely abandon working with glass. Yet, there have been so many signs for me that are showing me to follow a path into Art Jewelry and working with metal. I hope you will follow me on my other blog, Mystical Mythical Metalwork, and share my journey there. I will post here from time to time as I feel it is relevant, like today. However, more of my artistic journal will occur over on Mystical Mythical Metalwork.

At the end of 2009, I shared with you my 'word' for the year 2010, which was Aspire.  Another blog that I follow is Christine Kane's and I discovered her writing about The Word of the Year.  I have links here that will help you to find Christine's writing and why I chose the word Aspire for my artistic journey in 2010.

Now 2011, approaches and I have a new word for the coming year. This time I tried several and knew I needed two words to propel me forward in my journey. The words I chose are the title of this post, Fully Engaged.

In my heart, I know I must be Fully Engaged in everything I do. Yes, that may be exhausting and I may need to pull back a bit. However, the point of being Fully Engaged in anything I do is that will help me to be focused in the moment. Too many times I find myself working on something and thinking about something else. Loss of focus. Not being Fully Engaged. In order to channel creativity effectively, I need to be Fully Engaged. In the zone. Living in the present moment. Put all other thoughts and distractions aside, and just become immersed in what I am doing. This is why those two words resonate with me.

In 2011 you will see that I am Fully Engaged in life, work, my art, my passions. I would love to hear if you have that word or phrase that will center and ground you in your goals for the coming year.

May each of you have a joyous and prosperous 2011. Please come see what I'm doing over at my other blog, Mystical Mythical Metalwork.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person. (I love that phrase and it's become my signature sign off on my blogs, so I can't give that up either!)

First Friday ~ Art Walk ~ Boulder Colorado

Wildflowers

Flower Garden Series

Photo Credit ~ Daniel Krucoff

Tomorrow evening is First Friday, Art Walk in Boulder Colorado.  I find being at the Pearl Street Mall during Art Walk to be a great deal of fun.  All the sights and sounds.  Street entertainers.  There is such a festive atmosphere.

This bowl is part of my glass exhibit at Boulder Arts and Crafts.  It is another in my Flower Garden Series.  Approximately 10" in diameter with colorful glass shards combined with clears to create dimension and depth.  I used my favorite Bullseye Glass palette.

Tomorrow evening, Robin G of Boulder Arts and Crafts will debut some of her new glass works.  She is an amazingly gifted glass artist and her work always makes me smile.

If you are in the area, I hope you can take in the festivities surrounding First Friday and soak up that wonderful atmosphere. Oh yes, and please stop by Boulder Arts and Crafts to see Robin's new work, a bit of mine, and the rest of the works from the talented artists in that gallery. I know you will be glad you did.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Great News!

Breaking Dawn

Sky-Scape Series

Photo Credit ~ Daniel Krucoff

I received some great news today! My contact with Boulder Arts and Crafts got in touch and wanted to extend my show through October 17! Wow. What a wonderful surprise. She said, and I quote, "your work perfectly compliments the next show that went up, paintings by Joeseph Smith." I am thrilled. I truly love the venue and there are so many wonderful artists affiliated with Boulder Arts and Crafts, so my dream continues to become a reality.

The piece pictured is another from my Sky-Scape Series. I am such a purple fan and there are days when the sky takes on that color palette. So this is my tribute to those mornings as dawn breaks....not the book by Stephanie Meyer for those Twilight fans!

Breaking Dawn is one of my works available at Boulder Arts and Crafts, now through October 17!

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Blue Skies ~ Skyscape Series

Blue Skies

Skyscape Series

Photo Credit: Daniel Krucoff

Another from my Skyscape Series. With this plate, I wanted to convey the sense of a pretty blue sky on a summer day with a few stray clouds.

I also created what I call the 'mini-me' version of it shown below. This little plate is approximately 4" square, while its larger version is approximately 12" square.



Both are on display at Boulder Arts & Crafts through the end of the day today, when the exhibit closes.

I did receive word this week that my Full Bloom plate, that I discussed in my 8/28 post, sold.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and person.

Full Bloom ~ Flower Garden Series

Full Bloom

Flower Garden Series

Photo Credit: Daniel Krucoff

This is a serious floral scene, everything is in full bloom. As I worked on this piece, I wanted something visually dramatic.  There have been fields of wildflowers that have left a lasting impression on me.  When their blooms are at their peak, the powerful colors are overwhelming.  I tried to convey that in this piece.

It is currently on display and to the best of my knowledge, still available for purchase, at Boulder Arts & Crafts in Boulder, Colorado.  The exhibit at Boulder runs through September 5th, so if you are in the area and have a chance, I hope you can stop by and see some of my works.  They have other beautiful artwork available too and Boulder is always a fun place to visit.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Breaking Dawn

Sky-Scape Series

Photo Credit ~ Daniel Krucoff

Red glass has always been one of my favorites. I like the depth of it, the various shades, and the richness. This is one of my Sky-Scape bowls and I wanted it to convey those first red hues as the sun rises in the morning. That is my reason for calling this one Breaking Dawn.

I used Bullseye glass in this strip construction, combining the transparent glass with opals.  Creating any of these Sky-Scape bowls takes more time because I'm trying to get the right balance of glass colors to create the affect I want.  Of course, the way the strips look, prior to their first firing in the kiln for the full fuse, doesn't always provide an accurate view of how the piece will look after being fused.  There can be color shifts in some of the glass after fusing.  In this case, some of the reds turned out darker after being fused.  However, I'm still happy with the end result as I think it is dramatic.

Here's an interesting tidbit of information about red glass.  Gold is used in its manufacture.  I have an inventory of red glass that I purchased about 2 years ago which was before gold prices exceeded $1000 an ounce.  I haven't checked the price of red glass since gold prices went up.  Right now I'm happy that I have a supply.

Breaking Dawn is currently available at Boulder Arts and Crafts through September 5, 2010.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

The Opening Reception

There I am with one of my favorite bowls, Colorado Wildflowers. Dan took this at the opening reception on Friday night at Boulder Arts and Crafts.

It was a nice evening and there was a steady stream of people coming in to look at all the beautiful works. I had an opportunity to discuss my work with a number of visitors and it was fun to explain my process.

My work was paired with that of a silk painter and I thought it was a great compliment.

The show runs through September 5, 2010 and it feels like a dream come true for me.

I created a photo album on my Facebook Fan page. Please feel free to take a look and share your thoughts.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.