Spring Interrupted by Fluffy White Stuff, Tedious Crackle Confusion and a Feeble Justification of Faltering Noble Aspirations. . .

Well, Spring was on its way, it really was, we had crocuses, the very first daffodils and some of those small, early irises, it was all going so well. . . 

But then a large quantity of cold air from Siberia decided to spoil the party. We had serious amounts of snow (for round here OK? Yeah, I know it's not much really, compared to many places but let me have a good old British moan about it), and temperatures down to about -6 at night. It was all rather beautiful when the sun came out, but it did mean that the waste pipe from the sink managed to freeze solid so we couldn't use the kitchen sink or the dishwasher. But were we disheartened? Well, yes, obviously, but we just about managed by using every plate in the house by the time the thaw came. . . Stoic? Isn't that a make of car? . . .

Very festive. Only the wrong festival, it's nearly Easter fer gawd sake

The house has rabbit ears. How endearing. .

The cats responded by staying indoors and sitting on Gill's iPad. Maybe it was nice and warm ;-)

Boudicca's response to digital media

Anyway, spike stuff still selling on FB, and some business has been done via my Etsy shop, so I am feeling pleased.

I made some crackle beads, photographed them etc, but then had to work out which beads were in which photograph, as they looked very similar and the only distinguishing features were the particular pattern of crackles on particular beads. 

Cue eyestrain and interesting language. I sorted it out in the end and labelled each set so I don't send the wrong beads to any prospective buyers. . . The pics make the process look a lot easier than it was. . .

You may recall in previous posts, how I went on about how I was following my artistic path and any that financial gain was a welcome extra, but not something that influenced my creative decision making. . . 

I know. . . I know. . .

Well, that noble, hi falutin' stuff is all very well, but faced with the prospect of making some stuff you are pretty sure people will buy, or going off on a creative tangent and 'growing as an artist', the former is tending to win out at the moment.

It's not so much the thought of gaining money that attracts, as it is the thought of losing almost certain earnings if the more commercial route isn't taken. It's like throwing money away ;-)

It takes a steely resolve to turn down likes and sales, especially if such things are a bit of a novelty ;-)

Still, I'm sure it will all stabilise eventually. I'll work it all out. It's still a bit new. 

I'm enjoying the ride meanwhile. I guess I need to take my audience along with me on my tangents eventually ;-)

Below are some of my newer spikes. Mostly sold. . . 'Enjoy', as they say. . . annoyingly. . .

Jon x

The Curious Case of The Blue Soup - A Spike Spike - and the imminent rise of Mid Century Primitive. . .

Well, starting in a backwards direction, just to be awkward, with the Mid Century Primitive, the above pic should show you what I'm on about. . .

The primitive bit is easy to get your head round, pretty self explanatory, but the Mid Century might be a bit less so. Someone mentioned it in a comment on FB and it resonated. I think there is something about the shape and colours that is resonant of fifties and sixties interior design. Your mileage may vary.

Dunno. A bit of a tenuous correlation maybe, but it's a fun invented category to explore the inherent contradictions, or indeed the inherent similarities to be found within it. ;-) 

More about this further down the blog post.

The spike in spike sales may be an oh-so-witty pun but it is also a real life event. I had another good selling session on FB the other day. (Update - and again last night!) My spikes seem to hit the spot with quite a few people.
Hooray for quite a few people, is what I say. Though a spike does imply a sharp up followed by a sharp down, so maybe it's not such a feel good analogy. . .
Anyway, the beads below all sold, amongst others. Long may it continue ;-)

I'll get to the blue soup in my own good time thank you. The subject of Mid Century Primitive is more pressing a matter. Imho of course.

It's a mixture of artily crude and deliberately and sophisticatedly unsophisticated workmanship and simple, sculptural shapes (whatever that means, as any shape could be 'sculptural' really. . . but I think you know what I mean) reminiscent of shapes popular in the fifties and sixties, especially amongst ceramic artists. Who were no doubt influenced by such artists as Brancusi, Arp, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth etc. Well, that's my take on it.

Maybe because like such artists the shapes are defined by the process as much as by an imposed conscious decision. .  Discuss. . .

I'm not saying my work lives up that ideal, but it's what I am aiming for, without getting too precious about it all. It's fun to make this stuff.

Oh yeah, the ones below sold too ;-)

Blue what? . . Oh yeah, soup.

Well. . . It's all about red cabbage. I cooked a roast chicken with all sorts of veg in the pan below it, including red cabbage. The process turned the cabbage and consequently all the veg dark blackish blue. . . ooer. . .

When I made soup from the chicken carcass and bits (as I always do) I included the left over veg. I whizzed it up in the blender and got blue black, slightly frothy, due to the blending process, soup! Yay! My wife was appalled as it didn't look even vaguely appetising ;-) I ate it however.

It tasted great with a bit of yoghurt thrown in. Hah! Mid Century Primitive Soup. . .

Till next time,
Jon x