pottery habit

I don't condone hoarding unless it involves beautiful pottery. . . a rule I established in my household just today.  And it certainly doesn't help my pack rat instincts when lovely ceramicware can be snatched up for a few dollars apiece.  This weekend, Multnomah Arts Center in SW Portland is having an art sale on pottery and other handmade goodies.  Here are some of the things I brought home with me.

a wood-fired vessel, perfect for coarse salt

unique pencil or brush holder that I had to have

I actually got this wonderfully textured bowl a couple weeks ago from the "sale" corner.   This is where items are donated by students or teachers in the ceramics department, and all profits go right back to the arts center.  The bowl was just $5.  What a deal!

The art event at Multnomah Arts Center is just today and tomorrow.  If you do end up stopping by, don't forget to look under the tables! There are boxes full of pottery, and they don't mind if you rummage through them. 

While we're on the topic of pottery, I thought I'd share with you my latest experiment with a Pebeo Porcelaine Outliner.  The two cups were made by my uncle who's a potter.  Tea for two, anyone?

new projects

Painting on a vintage platter.

I tend to jump from one project to the next, which usually means I'm taking on a new material or concept every few weeks.  My latest idea- painting on tableware.  I have been wanting to paint on porcelain for awhile now, and then there was the serendipitous find of a Pebeo Porcelaine paint set on clearance for $5. 

This little bowl was my first experiment.  The paint goes on a little thinner than I was expecting, but you can get some neat effects with layering colors.  To set the paint, all you have to do is heat the item in an oven for half an hour.

My second piece was a vintage platter I found at an estate sale this past weekend (first photo).  I applied the paint much thicker for an opaque look.  Although you can feel the raised surface of the paint even after heating it in an oven, the baked paint has an enamel like finish.  I did a scratch test with my fingernail, and no peeling!

I also have an exciting collaboration I've started working on.  I will reveal more details in upcoming weeks, but I thought I would at least give you a glimpse of what's been keeping me busy lately.

spring thaw

And I'm still adding one-of-a-kind pieces to my Etsy shop on a regular basis.  Spring thaw got snatched up pretty quickly, but here's one that was uploaded just this morning:

vintage notecard art, no.4

artists i like: bryce wymer

I recently came across the works of Brooklyn-based artist Bryce Wymer.  I'm particularly fond of his hand illustrations.  The ceramic pieces are a collaboration with another Brooklyn artist, Farrah Sit. 

The grasp vase is fantastic!

To see more of Wymer's wonderful art, go to his shop here and his blog here.  He also has a series of time lapse videos you need to check out.  Here's one of his latest videos.

things i'm fond of today

latest work by street artist tellas

left: beautiful piece on flickr by common elements;  right: graduation project by kirstie van noort, a student at design academy in eindhoven, netherlands

aunt by inca pan

this put a smile on my face today.  photo by artist sabine timm.

my week

new painting // lost lake

found these sweet and tiny vessels by elycia camille at tender loving empire

just a few dollars apiece!

i gave them to the girls as earring holders

i was happy to drop off more of my art prints at tilde this week

so that I could take another look at the beautiful paper creations of

katie kulper [friend and fellow portlander]

i've mentioned her work before here

her latest paper sculptures are part of curves + lines: a papercraft show at tilde

utter and complete guilty pleasure

my favorite >> monkey muffin, top left

my eight year-old made this for valentine's day

and we turned it into cards for her classmates

xoxo

my week

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas . . .

pulled out the felt tree skirt that i made two years ago

we got our tree [harvested just the day before] from a  christmas tree vendor a few blocks away

did you know that more christmas trees come from oregon than any other state?

the capitol hill holiday market was this weekend

i was a little booth envy after seeing see jill bliss' flowy fabric cutouts!

it was great seeing a lot of familiar faces and meeting new vendors

i think i spent more time shopping than selling

i couldn't resist these lovely ceramic pieces from laura cooke [already gifted as a wedding present]

i also bought an onyx ring from resolute twig  

the silver band was oxidized natually after being sealed in a bag with a hard boiled egg- love it!

right after the holiday market, my husband and i zipped on over to
a sweet wedding in the pioneer oaks church 

the reception was at the cleaners in downtown's ace hotel

the deer and mistletoe place cards were pretty adorable

things i'm fond of today

drifting in the depths, tiel seivl-keevers [brisbane, australia]

paintings by michelle breton [melbourne, australia]

tussle by melissa castrillon [cambridge, england]



ceramic vessels by shino takeda  [brooklyn, ny]

I had this idea of recording my sketchbook via video.  Then I came across this video that artist adriana lozano [buenos aires, argentina] uploaded onto her flickr last week.



Adriana's sketchbook reads like a book.  Did you notice how the drawings continue onto the next page?  This is another project I have been wanting to do but just haven't had the time to work on . . .  one day.

To see other videos of adriana lozano's wonderful work, go here.

things i'm fond of today

>> emily barletta's thread and paper series

>> pattern by sandra dieckmann

>> ballpoint pen drawing by linda kim

>> porcelain bangles // a golden ink collaboration

>> anni albers, always a favorite

>> acrylic and graphite work by hollis brown thornton

things I'm fond of today

whimsical drawings by hiromitsu t.okra

rural industrial landscapes

painting by a.ortiz // photo taken by me at the gorge

mountains painting by ida

pinch pots handcrafted by sonia powell of pinch me ceramics

no surprise i love the hand carved designs

dream of the mountain man wife's (2009)

a colored pencil and graphite drawing by william crump

Porcelain necklace giveaway!

Here's your chance to win a handmade porcelain necklace by Emily Jull of Nesting Emily.  I have one similar to the blue necklace pictured, and I get compliments every time I wear it.  Keep in mind that each necklace is one-of-a-kind and can vary in shape and color from the one shown above. There's another photo of the necklaces in yesterday's post. 

To enter the necklace giveaway, all you have to do is visit Emily's shop here and then leave a comment below about your favorite piece(s).  One entry per person please, and make sure that your name links back to an email address so that we can contact you if your name is picked.

Two names will be randomly drawn this Friday, July 29, at 11a (PST).   If you are a winner, an email will be sent to you shortly after the drawing.  The names of the winners will also be posted below.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Congratulations to Sara K. and Rebekah Leigh!

artist interview: Emily Jull of Nesting Emily

I have been smitten with the pottery of Canadian artist Emily Jull ever since spotting her vintage doily porcelain jars on Etsy.  One of her handmarked vases is perched on a shelf in my bedroom, and it's one of my very favorite ceramic pieces.  Her porcelain collection is thrown on the wheel in her home studio, and Emily was kind enough to share more about her creative process and space on Habit of Art. 

How would you describe your work, and what inspires you to create?

The work I enjoy the most these days is quite stark and minimal but I also do some with yarn, felt and colour which are more joyful. I think all my work is fairly simple, modern and organic. I am always inspired- there is so much to be excited about. Beautiful blogs like yours, other artists ( I run a gallery shop where I am surrounded by talent and beauty) and above all nature keep me constantly excited.

What does your typical work day look like?

My typical work day is at the gallery I mentioned above, but when I get to do my own work I wake late (I am part sloth). I have a fruit smoothie for breakfast and pick some tunes (this depends on what I am throwing and how much- anything from Nirvana to Stevie Wonder to Warpaint). Then I just jump on my wheel and get going. I love throwing and will do it for as long as I can till I ache too much. I’ll have lunch and then back down I go till dinner. I also love to clean my studio after- it feels like putting love and thanks into the space and all the tools.

What are the things you love most about what you do, and what are the challenges?

My absolute favourite part is throwing on the wheel. I am not as big a fan of the decorating the surface part. In fact I would love to partner with someone who loves that part and I could just throw all day. Maybe that’s why my work is so stark. I love the look of bare clay. That’s also why I love doing the woodfired pieces- the kiln does all the decorating and it is a complete surprise and one-off each time.

Emily and some of her vintage finds

Apart from art, what are your other interests?

Oh that’s tough. Almost everything I love falls under art, craft and design. I love vintage and antiques. In fact, in 2012, I will be opening a brick and mortar shop that combines all my loves. My greatest interest is my daughter but she is an artist so she counts under that heading too.

If you could change one thing about your work space, what would it be?

I work in my basement, and while it is filled with things I love including part of my art collection and is painted white, it can be gloomy. I would love a studio on ground level with lots of light and worn wood floors. Ahhh to dream.

Thanks, Emily, for a wonderful interview.  To see more of Emily's creative work, visit her Etsy shop and her flickr.  Also, her home was featured on Etsy here. 

And there is a giveaway! Emily is generously giving away a handmade ceramic necklace (shown in right photo) to two lucky Habit of Art readers.  Check back tomorrow for details!