Walking in the woods with Topaz and inspiration

A tree in The University where I walked Pearl yesterday.

A bit of sunshine.

Dog walking is my exercise cum a bit of socialisation cum inspiration cum a sheer joy to be part of the nature. We live close to the University ground where I often take our dogs to. There are several familiar dogs and their walkers, and I know them by the dogs' name not by owner's names. We also live near to the Blean woods where I could walk a couple of hours without seeing anybody even in the height of summer. It is very mysterious and magical in the woods. I used to take Topaz twice a day by a car. When you hear nothing but birds' calls, and your own steps, I started feeling if there were any goblins, they must live here. Once I saw a large crow chick on a low branch of chestnut tree, just above my head. He looked clumsy and a bit helpless, still magnificent. I saw a fox in the middle of foot path. She was on a higher ground than I was. So, I could see her, but she didn't see Topaz and me.

Topaz now

While walking in the deep woods, my mind becomes very full with all things I see and hear. I feel some kinds of quiet excitement from very deep in my body. Very often these feeling is the source of my inspiration when I make DoGoo. This only comes to me when I was walking without any human companion. When I am with somebody, my mind doesn't submerge under my consciousness, I think.

Puppy Topaz, Mike and I used to argue who's turn to hold her.

If I walk without Topaz, I could see more birds, as I walk very quietly. But I feel unsafe without her although I have not heard any crimes in the woods. We call her whippet+ (plus). Her grandparents are whippet, greyhound, border collie and bedlington terrier. Although her size and shape is almost whippet, but apparently her colour comes from border collies. So when she was tiny, some people asked us if she were Doberman puppy.

My imaginary animal living in the Blean woods

Pumpkin the chiken, reconnecting with Jane and delicious pastries to look forward to.

Our chicken, Pumpkin, stopped laying early this week. She went to moulting. She is definitely a high rank member in our family. If we are allowed to place humans on the top, she comes next. (I could hear protests from our parrots). She used to ride on my shoulder. On several occasions, I gave her a big smile, then she pecked my tooth, gum or lips. It depends on how quickly I could shut my mouth. Very painful...

Pumpkin

Dew on her feather

Dew on my shoes

Yesterday, I finally re-connected with Jane, the ceramist & our former tutor at KAE. Two emails I sent her went to missing, and we had miscommunication. Glad to hear from her again. 

Le Pain quotidien at St Pancras

Mike went to London for a conference today. I asked him to get me some pastries from Le Pain Quotidien at St. Pancras. I over-love pastries from here. Anytime I go to London, I drop by when I arrive at the station, to grab an espresso and usually a crispy almond croissant. If I have got time before my train on the way back, I will drop by again, and get four pastries for us, for the evening and the next morning. In my opinion, they are much better than Paul UK's. (Well, I love Paul at Lille. I go to their shops at least twice on a day trip and bring back a pie or so, but pastries in branches in London are a bit soggy and heavy to my liking.)

He came back with four. He bought two praline danish in the morning and put them in a big Tupperware in his backpack, and two almond croissants on the way back, because he didn't know if he would have time to buy on the way back, not because he wanted to carry them around in the conference! What I liked was that almond flakes are still crispy! I am tempted to have the praline now....

Almond Croissants

Face series accesorries were born by chance.

My face series was not planned, but born by a chance. I made a tiny face to run a test for the underglaze. Clair in our ceramics course, saw it and liked it. She suggested I could make a brooch from them. Actually, when I made it, I told Mike the same thing. But his reply was, Ahem, 'It looks too spooky'. I couldn't wholly deny the spookiness of the face then. But having found the similar mind, I ventured into a new sphere. Ta-da! Accessory making.

At first, I made four male faces as a test. I liked them, and I enjoyed making them. They are small, about size of 50 pence coin, but it took a long time for me to make, and even a longer time to decorate in detail.

'Lovers'

Then, I began to expand to female faces. Some have hair, some have big cheeks, and some have big eyelashes. It was very absorbing. In the end, I made about 30.

Then, the problem arose. I had no experience in making any accessories. I had never touched beads even. To be honest, I had never interested in beads and handmade accessories because I felt they were too girlish! LOL But, I remember Sally, the manager of Kent adult education, once told me that one lady sells findings etc in town. So I found her shop, and asked questions, and bought some parts.

They are my first 'products' on my Etsy shop. They are small and lightweight, so it should be easy to pack and ship. That was my rationalisation.

'My best friend'

Although I have never modelled anyone while I was making, one of them resembles one of high school friend! I only discovered the resemblance recently. There was a big Reunion for our grade in Japan, and he was organising the event, and I have exchanged emails with him, and saw photographs of his speech there. 'Oh Gosh, I made him without knowing', that's what I mumbled in front of my PC, looking at the photos!

'I am a real dog, not ocotopus'

 

In an email, he said 'I was told at reunion that my friend and I were nicknamed 'Squid and Octopus duo' behind us. Why was I octopus?' It is a difficult question to answer in any means, specially after about 3o years. (Don't calculate my age...)  You know, teenage girls are renowned for their cruelty especially when it comes to boys in the same class. So I quote one of my best friends, 'Well, I think he looked like one!' 

My Etsy shop and Clare's visit.

Yesterday I had a fun day. I worked hard in the morning so that I could enjoy Clare's visit in the afternoon without any niggling feeling. Clare is friendly, upbeat and very fun to be with. Her husband, Tim, and she also participated in Artists' Open Houses last month, through which we met. She creates something unusual. Difficult to explain, so have a look at her works. Here is her website.

I gave her some of our Fifi's, the Patagonian conure, wing and tail feathers, I kept them because they are so beautiful and because I thought one day I can make something from them, but when I saw her works which have lots of stitches and sewing, I thought she could use them for her art works. They are iridescent turquoise blue and green. Fifi used to look like in the photo, but now she plucked herself, more like grey tennis ball with wings and tails (Mike's words)

 

Fifi, the Patagonian conure

There were two main objects in the meeting. First, to get to know each other better. Second, to discuss how we could approach Artists' Open Houses in an improved way in future. As I mentioned in earlier posts, they and I were only open house participants on the north side of Canterbury. We both wished to have a greater footfall. So, I was thinking to network the artists in this side of Canterbury, to attract more visitors to our area and to achieve better results.In fact, Clare was thinking very much same. I will create a space on Internet for artists could discuss and exchange their opinions and knowledge. I will be a bit busy with my day job for next couple of weeks, and probably spend evening to build my Etsy shop. But after that, I should have some spare time.  

She appeared with a bouquet of freesias. Thanks, Clare, they have nice perfume, and filled up our lounge. Mike said that he could even smell the scent with his blocked nose! He had baked an apple and lemon cake for us the evening before, and, of course, we did a tasting. We never wait! It was delicious! Light and airy. But the next day it became moist and heavier. I prefer light and airy. But I know that I am lucky to marry a man who likes baking (and eating!).

One of my quirky pendants.

'Charlene' the Monaco princess

In the evening, after Mike went to ceramic course, I continued building my Etsy shop. I started opening process last Saturday. Opening a shop takes a long time. Especially I had never done this before, although I have sold old things in ebay before. But finally my shop is open!

My shop is here.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/midoritakaki


There are still issues to be attended. There are many listing in pendant category on Etsy, so I doubt my pendants will get lots of hits in search, as they are. I had one hit from search, so far. Also, I found taking crisp sharp pictures of little things is more difficult than I had imagined. Mike used to do photography as hobby, so he helped me, but I have lots to learn before I could use his user-unfriendly Olympus camera on my own. Another thing with photographs is that pendants etc. need some kind of props to hold them up. I used my hand made mountings for sculptures as well as pebbles. But I might be able to find or make something better.

I will see what I could do to improve these matters, and will post here if I find the solutions.

Chameleons, Lots of them!

When I told my old friend, Mimi, that I made chameleons, she asked 'Why?' Ah, that's a good question. I don't know why exactly, but I always liked their green colours (although there are lots of different coloured ones, of course), tails, and gangly legs. But the best part might be their tails. I like swirls. I am fascinated by the swirls of seahorses (they are called Dragon's droplets in Japan, by the way!), ferns, rams' horns and pain aux raisins!

One evening, I made one, and then I made lots!

Little Chameleon brooch

His underside is gorgeous, too! LOL

I also experimented with underglaze.

Chameleon brooch

Then I made a bigger one for paperweight.

Paperweight

How about stand-alone ones? I made four little ones, and one medium one.

Sweet little chameleons

My favourite, horned chameleon

Medium Chameleon

And finally a large one. This one went to fabulous artists couple, and they named him Jubjub after Simpson's wife's pet! He is about 30cm in length.

Jubjub