Tag Archives: broken ceramics

A cow in love… with blue flowers

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me, Mosaic and other crafts

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“Open the bloom of your heart and become a gift of beauty to the world.”  ― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Life progresses likes waves in the ocean, with highs and lows. As the spring flowers blossom, so does M and I.  We continue flying high, so excited to have found each other and so eager for a future together.  

Unfortunately, at work now is a low point.  My co-worker will be having another surgery on Monday, to deal with cancer.  Fortunately, she thinks that it will be an easier operation this time. Is there anything easy about cancer?  I am bracing myself for another 3 months without her.

As she is leaving to have surgery, I am leaving for Brazil.  I am still trying to figure out how to do her job while in Brazil, without driving myself insane.  This time I am unwilling to take it all upon myself.  I have done that for over 20 years at this job.  Everything has always been seemingless and perfect no matter what the circumstances were.  I am not willing to do it anymore. Some people here will have to step up.

In the meantime, the mosaic studio continues to be my happy place.  There, I often do more talking than creating.   The ladies there look forward to hearing about the latest news about M.  They are so happy for me, as you all are.

This cow is the latest piece I finished.  It is a cow that is in love and sees flowers all around.  She was going to have legs, but it seemed too complicated so I just put her behind some bushes. 

              

“Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!” ― Frank Kaiser

Here is my sister! Well, something like that…

01 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me, Mosaic and other crafts

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“But the love of sisters needs no words. It does not depend on memories, or mementos, or proof. It runs as deep as a heartbeat. It is as ever present a s a pulse.” ― Lisa Wingate, Before We Were Yours

My sister became a U.S. citizen in November and I wanted to mark the date. While I don’t have the skills yet to do something more flattering, I came up with the piece below.  My sister has long curly hair and round glasses.  I think I have captured her essence, in a fun/funny way.  She liked it.  She cannot look at it without laughing.

I want to start doing more mosaics at home.  I get great ideas and advice at the studio, but I am really interested in what I can come up with without anybody’s input and with the material I have at home.

For the record I adore L., the studio owner.  She is the best and does the most amazing things.  She has helped my love for mosaics flourish.

I have also finished two other project at the studio, that I will be posting next.

 

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.” ― Jim Henson

My 2022 in mosaics – finding peace in the broken pieces

22 Sunday Jan 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Mosaic and other crafts

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These are all the mosaic pieces I made in 2022.  I have already posted about all of them separately, but wanted to have them all together in one post.  It is fun to see the variety of inspiration, subject and materials I used.

Trust me, they look much better in person.  But then again, I am biased. They are all my babies.

January/February: This piece came out of nowhere.  As I was gathering somes glass pieces, they looked like a face to me.  That is how this very pensive and troubled woman was born. Her name was supposed to be Susie. But it is nameless for now.

 

February/March: This frame was not as I intended.  I intended on a frame for my brother.  But then came the flowers and sparkles.  I don’t think I will be using sparkles again. It is very shiny, but also very messy.

 

February/March: I was inspired by a greeting card.  Many band-aids later, this little bird was finished. It is hard to tell but it is made of glass pieces that I cut very small to give the idea of a snowy forest in the background.

 

March/April. I decided that my pensive and troubled lady needed a boyfriend. Just call him Jean Paul.

 

May/June: This pizza was inspired by the post I wrote called The Pizza Debacle.

 

May/June: I had just returned from the casino and saw some gambling inspiring ceramic at the studio, so why not?

 

June/July: I bought some old frames at a tag sale.  This one had blue flowers on it.  I let them guide me.

 

June/July: This next one also started with an old painting from the tag sale.  It had a painting of fruit in it, so I decided on grapes for my design.

 

August/September: After doing the woman, and then her boyfriend Jean Paul, I decided to create a whole whimsical little family. This is a piece that a lot people disliked, but of course, I loved it.

 

September: This flower is made of mugs and plates.  It has some texture and height to it.  Originally I liked my work to be flat, but the more involved I get with mosaics the more I want to try different styles and techniques.

 

October/November: After doing faces using glass, I wanted to try to make a face using ceramic.  It became a mask and I am happy with it.

 

November:  In an effort to try different surfaces, this time I used a vase.  While it is not my favorite, I am happy with the result.

 

November/December: This was based on a watercolor picture.  It is very hard to translate watercolor to mosaic. I am happy with this first attempt.

 

December:  This is one of my favorites. It is happy and it makes me happy.

 

This is the last piece I did in 2022.  It is out of broken plates.  I made this at home and grouted at the studio.

I am inspired now to make a post with all my mosaics from 20 and 21.

“I must try to enjoy all the graces that God has given me today. Grace cannot be hoarded. There are no banks where it can be deposited to be used when I feel more at peace with myself. If I do not make full use of these blessings, I will lose them forever.

God knows that we are all artists of life. One day, he gives us a hammer with which to make sculptures, another day he gives us brushes and paints with which to make a picture, or paper and a pencil to write with. But you cannot make a painting with a hammer, or a sculpture with a paintbrush. Therefore, however difficult it may be, I must accept today’s small blessings, even if they seem like curses because I am suffering and it’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and the children are singing in the street. This is the only way I will manage to leave my pain behind and rebuild my life.”
― Paulo Coelho , The Zahir