If history didn't happen the way it did, we in the United States, would probably have government sponsored  healthcare and spell the word "color," "colour;" but it didn't, and so we celebrate Independence Day.

However, by adding the three letters T-E-R we might make a whole new holiday, InTERdependence Day. We are all interdependent; let us celebrate this fact.

Pictures following are from the Bayview, Idaho, Independence Day parade. The idea to participate came from Susie Snider, an entreprenurial whirlwind of a lady in our artist group - our goals: to have fun and also to advertise our fledgling Scenic Bay Arts Guild.

We made goofy hats out of newspaper, enumerated a couple of slogans, got sunburned (next time I'll bring some sunscreen.) and had lots of fun. It was very hot. That's probably why cool kept sneaking into my photos.





















Artists pictured from left to right:

-Susie, pastels
-Lauren, fibers
-Janine, photographs
-Jacque, pine-needle baskets
-Leata, sculptures


The wordsmithery is not mine. I got it from Bodhipaksa.

http://www.bodhipaksa.com/
http://www.bodhipaksa.com/archives/interdependence-quotations


We are all interdependent after all.

Last weekend our artist group participated in a local art festival. I parked my car in the parking lot to unload my artwork; and there it was, a ubiquitous Subaru stationwagon with two Hulley Roller kayak carriers and an "S" sticker on the bumper. It struck me like a lightning bolt and I went back to a memory from 2005 when I was still very new to north Idaho and didn't have many friends.

I remember going to get the mail at the post office and parking next to a ubiquitous Subaru stationwagon with two Hulley Roller kayak carriers and an "S" sticker on the bumper. I was driving a ubiquitous Subaru stationwagon with one Hulley Roller kayak carrier.

A beautiful, striking white haired woman came out of the post office and got into the Subaru. I smiled at her and initiated a conversation. I commented about her matched set of kayak carriers and asked her something about kayaking. We talked for a bit and then she drove off.

After she went I was thinking, "Gee, she seemed like a nice person; too bad this conversation didn't go much further because it would be nice to have some friends like her here with similar interests." I was so very lonely.

Here I am today with a great group of artist friends who were introduced to me by Tai Chi teacher, and it turns out, that the ubiquitous Subaru stationwagon with the two Hulley Roller kayak carriers and an "S" sticker on the bumper belongs to Judith, my Tai Chi teacher's wife. And I hadn't realized this until now!

There are two ways to interpret this. Either it is true that whatever kind of energy one puts out to the universe comes back, or it is true that whatever we believe we recruit, interpret or act in a way to accumulate evidence to verify and validate our beliefs.

Whichever, I am thinking this is just too cool.

Saturday I did my first "upclose and personal" Art Festival/Craft Fair. I had giclee prints and what I call, "Artisan rope," for sale. After counting my money I found that I came home with $14 gross proceeds. The only items I sold were $1/piece friendship bracelets to the 10 year olds.

I noticed that folks were not even coming by my work to take a look. I mentally went through all that self-doubt and self-flagellation. Am I sending out the wrong vibe? What could be the reason for seemingly being invisible? My thoughts became desperate. Hell, next time I'm hiring the company that attracted Beetlejuice to bordello with flashing neon arrows pointing my way, the seductive smell of fresh baked cookies to lure folks, you name it.

I started imagining the paintings as flowers and the people as hummingbirds. The paintings were all yelling, jumping up and down clamoring for attention. My four measly quieter giclee prints were in the corner meekly and shyly saying in whimpy little voices, "Hello. We're here. We're smaller than all the rest; our colors are more subtle but you might find one of us pleasant to have hanging around your house."

They (the people) seemed to be on a track. They would look at the display of art cards placed very near the walkway and then they'd beeline right past me to the very large painting of a bright red apple on the other side. (And if Amy or Linda read this, I am not at all being negative toward you for your stuff being so distracting. I truly believe that the success of my fellow artists is my success as well.)

After a while, curiousity dominated my thoughts and I began watching the hummingbird people without attachment to an outcome. I was amused that I would equate fellow humans with little winged creatures of sub-human intelligence.

I wasn't able to move the partition holding my giclee prints but by moving my chair closer to the walkway, spinning wool to get attention and smiling at the oncoming hummingbirds, I was able to direct a bit more attention toward my shy flowers.

I feel a bit conflicted by advocating consumption but even artists need to eat. And you might be thinking, "Gee, this gal is suffering from some real confusion about money." You'd be right. I am at this very moment reading Brent Kessel's book, It's Not About the Money, to help get myself straightened out.

Other things I learned, that is, if you want to sell stuff:

-This is a great way to get instant feedback. I know exactly now, which of these four images is the most popular with folks here in north Idaho and which is not.

-Instant gratificaton rules. Hard to sell a winter item in the summer.

-Learn from the supermarket check-out lines. Place impulse items within reach.

-I started sensing that even though a picture is worth a thousand words, people still like to hear the story of the artwork and making that story a good one can be important.

-The feng shui of the venue can be deadly.

I only made $14 but came away with insight worth much more.


Tell me which is your favorite?

This blog and the pictures are for everyone who told me they were interested in the results of my first barrel firing. To make the kiln and do the firing I used the instructions from the book, Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques, by Watkins & Wandless.






Pictured are the pots ready for firing. I coated them with terra sigilatta or sealed earth, which is a mixture of ball clay, EPK clay, sodium silicate and water. To make the "terra sig" the ingredients are mixed and left to settle. The top layer is then siphoned off, the second siphoned and used. The bottom layer is discarded because it has larger particles.








This my downdraft barrel kiln made from a 55 gallon drum. A downdraft firing is supposed to be hotter than a regular barrel firing because of a downward airflow. The pipe going across the bottom is slotted. I found this double walled pipe at the Habitat store.










I loaded the barrel with a variety of combustibles: kindling, construction scraps, cutup boxes, lavender stalks, a couple banana peels, pine needles, newspaper, Miracle Grow and sawdust. Amongst this melange of flammables I placed my pots. I used foil saggars, or compartments for my pots and sprinkled in a tasty mix of the colorants: copper carbonate, copper sulfate, and red iron oxide. It seemed that I was whipping up a yummy lasagna. I also put chicken wire between layers so if a pot fell during firing it wouldn't hit one below it. (Marlene's tip.)







I went through my checklist: water hose, matches, lighter fluid. (Things I should have had on the list, a comfortable chair and a cold drink.) I finally lit him off asking forgiveness from Mother Earth for doing all this burning. The barrel burned for most of the day and put out a lot of smoke. This is probably not something to attempt in
town.






Things didn't work out exactly as pictured in the book. The downdraft never happened. I tried priming the pipe as instructed by putting burning charcoal directly into the pipe. Since my husband Charles securely fastened the pipes together with screws, this entailed climbing a ladder.

Maybe the air got confused because my pipe was double-walled rather than single walled? Maybe the slots I made were not big enough? Perhaps it was the way I loaded the barrel? I have an idea of what I'll do next time. Perhaps the air needs a clear shot down the barrel. Think I'll use some cardboard tubes placed vertically.






I unloaded the next morning and despite my dysfunctional barrel kiln, this is the result. These pots look kind of like instant artifacts. In a few places the "terra sig" was put on too thick and flaked off but nothing cracked or broke; and the big surprise is that a couple pieces were greenware. I put them in just to see what would happen. The fact that they survived certainly gives me more creative possibilities for making decorative pieces.






Next time you bring the marshmallows.