Gnome Door

A few weeks ago I went to a pottery painting party, and in a wine induced whim I added a little door to the bottom of my abstract painting, and it made the piece.  It gave it purpose and a story.

Ever since then I've been a little entranced with gnome doors.  I looked it up on Etsy and it seems anyone selling gnome doors is doing really well.  They are simple and whimsical...and while I've never really liked gnome statues, I love the little door adhered to a tree.  My mind to races with fantastical ideas of where the door goes, and what the world looks like on the other side. (I will admit I looooved Alice in Wonderland and Witch in the Wordrobe...little doors on trees fits both of those stories well).

So here is my latest drawing in vain of my new fascination.  I used the water based markers that I seem to always be drawn to, but added water color paint to get more variety of colors.

I'm really pleased with how this one came out...tying together the abstract into a world others can understand.

Me oh my....MAYHEM! MAYDAY!

About a year ago I went to a pottery painting bachelorette party.  I hated ceramics in high school, so I thought I would hate pottery painting too...not to mention it seemed like such a trite activity...but turns out I LOVE pottery painting. All my silly little marker doddle style looks kick ass on a bowl/cup/vase.

So I've been a few more times. Each time I was delighted with my finished piece...well this time I was so delighted that I started moping "I need a kiln..." and Blair, my husband, got the message and got to work.

We found a $100 kiln on craigslist, and I was over joyed. Now I can pottery paint at home, and maybe sell the stuff!  

But quickly reality hit....I hated ceramics in high school, so I never took a class in it in college, which means I know NOTHING about kilns, pottery painting, or the like.

I've been researching for days now, and it's no longer fun. I love to learn, but I hate starting at ground zero.  I'll start my search on one question like "can I put my pottery on the floor of the kiln?"  Which quickly shifts to "how do you load a kiln" to "how do you glaze pottery" to looking up heat temperatures, cones, tools, and on and on....it's mind numbing.  I'll read for hours and never have answered my original question.

Eventually I had to start taking notes so I could keep referring back to my original question and jot down all other questions that come up along the way that I need to look up later. 

I'm watching videos, making shopping lists...editing those shopping lists...all I wanted to do was paint a silly little bowl.

I bought (Blair bought) the kiln.  Then we bought a ton of glazes off a lady on craigslist...and I thought all I needed next was the ceramics and I'm ready to go, but it turns out I also need tongs, kiln wash, a vent!, kiln shelves (which are heavy and pricey), stilts for all the pottery, and the list goes on and on.

One minute I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere and the next minute I feel like I'm drowning.

In the mean time, I keep admiring my tiny little ceramic bowl, and am dreaming how great it would be if this was my niche.  I've always loved my art style, but it just doesn't feel very sellable...this feels sellable...and it feels magical, the way the patterns mesh and change around the object.

Here's my latest creation...I had to take a lot of pictures because every side is different.