Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Cherry Days Paonia CO Town Park

Last weekend was the busy festival of "Cherry Days" here in Paonia and I exhibited/sold at what has to be one of the prettiest town parks in the country! The park has tall trees which provide abundant shade and it's just a wonderful slice of old town America. We so enjoyed the weekend......meeting alot of locals and talking art.
These pictures are of our set-up there and, as you can tell, I'm enjoying myself!
We have a few weeks until our next show, then, in the month of August we'll be VERY busy with our show schedule.....three in a row! Alot of studio work will get done in these next weeks......busy, but I love it!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Springtime in Paonia, CO


Getting teased here in Western Colorado with some warm weather, tulips that have made an appearance (no blooms yet) and birds singing their spring courtship songs.......of course, being springtime in Rocky Mountains ALSO means intermittent snow storms blanketing a lawn that is greening and almost needing cutting!
In addition to all of the obvious springtime things, it means Art Show applications for me! I've already applied to and been accepted in shows taking me up to July and will be applying for July-October shortly......MUST adhere to those deadlines.
Husband Robert and I will leave for Las Vegas April 7 where we will exhibit and sell in two different venues: the Steve Powers Art & Craft Show and the World Cup Arabian Horse Show. We're in hopes of catching a Las Vegas Show (maybe Celine Dion?!?) in between.......that'll be the "pleasure" of the business/pleasure combo! Of course, we both truly enjoy the business end of things too!
This picture comprises SOME of the bisqued pieces that I'm readying for the upcoming shows! Still to come are larger wall pieces which just got bisque fired last nite. Busy, busy studio right now!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Liberty Class-Section B

OK......this was "Section B" of the Liberty Class. There are four sections then the WINNERS of each go up against one another for the finals! Boy oh boy,......will that one be fabulous! I just love being here among such gorgeous animals!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Monday, February 15, 2010

"Liberty Class"-Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

I cannot express in words how beautiful this is to witness! Suffice it to say, I get goose bumps and it brings tears to my eyes.
The Liberty Class is one where ONE horse is brought into the arena and turned loose for a time period of two minutes to do whatever it pleases. In my opinion, this is the Arabian Horse at its most glorious!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Western Pleasure Class-Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show & Shopping Expo

A couple of riders here preparing to enter main arena to compete in Western Pleasure Class. Oh, so beautiful!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Day Two-Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

These three beauties are yearling fillies being shown in Halter Class. The paint was most unusual.....had one blue eye and one brown eye! I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoy being around such beautiful horses! Just when I think I've surely seen THE most beautiful one here, along comes another JUST as gorgeous!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Stables-Arabian Horse Show-Scottsdale

This is ONE of many stables housing some of the (thousands, literally) of Arabian Horses. Each of the stables seems to enjoy creating an outdoor entertainment area for sitting, visiting and, no doubt, business dealings w/their horses.

Day One-Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show & Shopping Expo

At any one time, there are competitive classes going on in each of about 5 arenas. This is Wendell Arena (top pic) and the class is 2 yr. old Halter.......EVERY horse is absolutely gorgeous!! Second pic is a competitor warming up for Western Pleasure Class and other two pics are English Pleasure Class. Breath taking, aren't they?!?!

On the way to Scottsdale

What a geographical change! From the snowy peaks of Dallas Divide (San Juan Mountains) to the SW desert of the Navajo Indian Reservation. All beautiful! Really enjoyed the trip to Scottsdale!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Glazing of New Design

I'm pretty excited! Spent yesterday doing a max glazing spree utilizing my new spray booth! What a tremendous difference it makes for me.....staying warm and not fighting any of the elements to say nothing of my glazing position being in close proximity to my studio sink. Ahhhh, how much I appreciate this!
Shown in the pic is a rustic type wall piece which will ultimately be a raku clock. I've just finished glazing it and you can see the darker areas which have been masked out from the glaze. Those areas (border and cave goats) will be blackened by carbon during the raku firing process which will happen TODAY!! This is one of several clocks......a first for me and I'm eager to see how the finished piece comes together. The surface of this piece mimics a rock/cave wall surface, so should have an overall blend of ancient/contemporary......a combination that really appeals to me.
Stay tuned! Will be posting pics of new work soon!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Much Coveted Indoor Spray Booth




Some women get excited by shopping for clothing and jewelry I suppose, but ME? I'm nearly delirious over my new indoor spray booth! As a professional ceramic artist who sprays most all of her glazes, I have (until now) had to spray OUTDOORS for some 14 years. I have, in the past, roasted in the summer sun, fought off angry wasps who'd built nests under my glaze spraying table, battled the ferocious spring winds, run in and out of the studio with my-to be glazed- or my -newly glazed- pieces when it began to spit rain/snow AND.......one of THE most exasperating situations was spraying in the Colorado wintertime. I had to open the studio door, set up a table in the doorway and spray the piece from the inside of the studio facing outward to avoid the glaze FREEZING in mid-air on its way to the piece being sprayed. Ahhhh, but this is all a thing of the past thanks to my inventive husband!

A commercial spray booth is a pretty pricey thing, so my husband figured out a way to provide one for me at about $200. He purchased a used shower stall and, after carefully considering dimension & function, cut it down and re-configured it to meet my needs. The pics shown here are the first "test run"......some things (like the filter) are not permanently installed yet. Had to make sure that the ventilation, air flow was functioning as it should. IT'S THE BOMB!! Worked beautifully and I couldn't be more pleased!
My husband-Robert Leuallen-will do an entire storyboard on it in the near future and I'll provide a link here.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Horses, horses!





This post is all about my love of/for horses.......something my parents were told "I'd grow out of" when I got past my teenaged years! Well, guess what? That was a very long time ago and I'm still goofy over what I consider to be the most expressive, incredibly beautiful creature on God's green earth! I don't own one at present but enjoy including them in my ceramic work. Also, I'll be exhibiting my work in Feb. (11-21) at the Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale! Soo looking forward to immersing myself among such beautiful animals! I especially love the "Freestyle Liberty" class where the horse is turned loose w/o saddle or bridle or halter.....to run, rear & do whatever it pleases......absolutely breath-taking!
You can see more of my work on the link provided and if you like what you see, please become a "Fan"!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paonia-CO/Raku4u-by-Shekinah-Clay/328036630436