Angels have flown

Four Angels have flown to loving homes this winter.  I made them with solid and strong wings this time, as I had requests from the clients. previously I was not able to ship Angels with wings due to the fragility of the wings. But new ones could fly not only in the UK, but also globally. How nice!

I have experimented with different shapes of wings.

The last two Angels were from the New Ashgate Gallery.  Hello, people in Farnham, a lovely town!

I imagine they all watch over their new families. I wish their families peace and good health.

  

The Madonna

My plan for December was that I was not going to make any work. I had worked non-stop, not a single off-day, since June when I came back from Tokyo. All I would have to do in the month would be packing and posting. It is a very busy month with Christmas posting. But one commission inquiry I shouldn't decline came, and a few days later another inquiry came. I was asked if I would be able to make a mask. It was mid-November. Time was tight. But as I would have to fire the kiln anyway, I would rather make two. The request was also irresistible. They wanted me to make the Madonna mask.

I am not a christian, but I like visiting churches, cathedral and chapels. I have visited numerous churches in Europe. I like Catholic and Orthodox churches because of the sculptures and paintings as well as the decoration.

The Madonna is probably the most popular female subject in art history. She became famous because she gave a birth to someone who would be super famous. What a fate!

But of course she didn't know of such a fate in the future.

I added the recipient's building on the top of the head with Italian rural landscape. The headscarf is pale sky blue. She wears a narrow gold band which reflects her inner status.

It was great to be able to create one of the most depicted lady in history. The clients send me a photo of the recipients opening the gift in Italy. I was told they were very happy. Thank you so much.

Our holiday art project

Mike and I did a bit of linocut printing during the holiday. Last year, I drew a baby tapir, and he made a lino plate. It was casual. This year, he decided to do more! It was Mike's art project. So I drew on lino, and Mike cut it. Somehow he told me that he wouldn;t be able to print well after the first try, so I had to hand pull them with a baren and a spoon.

The first thing to do was for our Christmas cards. A chicken! It is the year of  the Rooster, but as some of you know, we live with Pumpkin. She is so close to us, literally. She moved inside, and her bedroom is under a breakfast table. She is 13 years old, a very grande madame.

 So the right one was our first. Then Pearl the whippet on the left. Mike said he really enjoyed cutting.

Pumpkin the house chicken

Then I decided to try myself. I did my first ever linocut. I made this for the Christrmas card for Mike. Again Pumpkin! ( She is his first wife and I am the second). 

Then he started throwing on the potter's wheel. So I took it over and made two borders, Topaz and a cat wihout eyes. Eyes fell off whilst I was carving around them!

Topaz

Bird border

Pearl and borders

Then Mike developped allegry on his hands from the clay and stopped throwing. He said he wanted to do a cat so I drew one with a tail.

The last was the adult tapir. We haf a great fun.

When I was staring, I used to think that I wish I had talent on some paper based art; easy to carry, to post and to store and less expensive and less risk to make. I noticed that nowadays those paper based artists I was jealous at that time, are trying on ceramics! You never know.