Sunday, Clancey and I participated in a yearly "celebration" at the Museum of Figurative Art. We were able to participate in the celebration, view a recent exhibit of Japanese prints, eat awesome paella, and bid on donated art to raise funds for the cause. It was great. I had fun lifting up my bidder's paddle when the prices were low, and keeping my paddle firmly down thereafter. I didn't win any bids that way, and so no new purchases to report.
The Exhibit titled "Gestures of Beauty and Elegant Pose, Japanese Prints of Actors and Beautiful Women 1690-1830" was especially interesting, and I love the simplification of form. I also learned that the "Beautiful Women" were drawings of either prostitutes or male actors depicting women on stage! (Example of male actor follows.)
I saw Julius Forzano there, the wonderful Juli who helped me with my last show. He quickly asked me how my art was going. I had no new work to report and was instantly ashamed. I'm outed.
I need a kiln of my own. I've been saying this for months. I am quite intimidated by the process. Help is on the horizon, however. I have been referred to another artist, John Toki, who lives in Berkeley California. He's a great ceramicist and his work is comprised of stacked, fired clay pieces.
It seems that Toki is willing to tell me everything I need to know about purchasing a kiln of my own. He wrote a book on the subject and I am planning to purchase it. My goal is to fly out to Berkeley, look at my many options, and with Toki's guidance, find the right one for me. The technical "stuff" such as setup and first firing of the kiln will just have to work itself out as the time comes. I am contacting Toki today, to set things in motion!
