Girl in Hyacinth Blue

In my daily job as a reading teacher, I teach the kid's to ask themselves two questions while reading to check understanding: who? and what? So, to ask these questions of Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland. Who? A painting.

A painting? The who in the book is a painting? A reading teacher may suspect a problem with comprehension. We usually expect the book to be about something living - a person, or animal, perhaps. Or maybe even about a place.

In Girl in Hyacinth Blue, the main 'character' , so to speak, is indeed, a painting. A painting that may or may not be a Vermeer. There are only 35 known Vermeers in existence, and the fictional painting in this novel, is suggesting it may be the 36th. The painting evokes strong emotions and reactions from nearly all who view it.

And to ask "What?" Through a series of engaging stories that trace the history of the painting by beginning in the 21st century and working back through time, the painting changes hands and circumstances throughout the years. We meet a introspective man who is obsessed by the painting, while being haunted by what he knows of how is father obtained it during war time in Amsterdam and a struggling farm family where the wife tries to resist her husband's wish to selling the painting for a pittance although her children need food and warm clothes. The painting sits sentry over the memories of a first love, watches as a marriage unravels and provides the only warmth and light in a home no more than a hovel.

The last story answers some of the mystery that surrounds the artwork through the years. But many of the questions linger. What is the true value of a work of art? Is it monetary or is it the feeling and emotions it provokes? How can an inanimate object inspire such extremes of emotion? And finally, the question posed by the artist himself, "Why does the world need another painting of a woman alone in a room? Or a hundred more paintings?"

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of books I have finished and then turned back to the first page and started reading again. This is one of them.

(Note: This book review will run on Tuesday in the Wisconsin Etsy Seller's Moo Crew Blog, with a chance to win a copy of the book. Here is a link to that entry with the details about your chance to win at the end of the entry.)

Pendant class worked out better

than the photos of the work! I did remember to bring my camera this time, but the florescent lighting in the school art room did nothing for the pieces. Well, you can get the idea. The students did great work. All pieces were a success! I think the participants went home happy. I know they went home wearing their pendants.

a surprise for me

this morning ... my set of fine silver stacked rings in featured in a treasury on Etsy, right here. The theme is a selection of Christmas gift ideas from Wisconsin artists, and titles, I'm Dreaming of a WI Christmas." Treasuries with lots of views and comments get moved towards the front pages of the treasury listings, so if you read this,take a peek at the treasury and make a comment if you wish.

Ornament Swap with the MooCrew

I wish I would have looked at the pictures I took before I sent the ornament, cuz I didn't get a good one. It looks better in real life, as things often do. But, it's off in the mail to the recipient - mailed it a day late, but got 'er done!

I will have to take a picture of the one I received, too. ... it is very unique and beautiful, of cloth, I think, almost in a glued patchwork style, and shiny!

Earth Arts - Fall Salon 2009 Wrap-Up

Earth Arts - Fall Salon 2009 Wrap-Up

Enjoy this slide show showing some of the art works and participants.
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Texture Tests, over n over

YAYYY!!!! I think.

I have been trying for months now to get a texturing technique for PMC known as 'tear away' to work for me. It originated, as far as I can tell, by Celie Fargo and her directions can be found if you Google "PMC Tear Away Technique." The technique involves using black and white art that you cop7 with a toner based copier, then burnishing that to a sheet of polymer clay with heat to create a paper that is used to texture metal clay. I have had limited - wait, that's NO success - until perhaps tonight.

Here's some of what I think went wrong. If you are trying this yourself, then read on.

1. Age ain't always better. Don't use Sculpey III (the recommended brand) that you bought off ebay, and then later read the package and find out it expired in 1999. Too old and crumbly.

2. Scupley III is recommended over original Sculpey for a reason. Even though WalMart only carries original Scupley. At least around here. Too soft and mushy.

3. If you have a double oven and the top oven is small, then the paper and clay will be close to the heating elements, and everything will burn. Even if the oven is set to the correct temp. Use your lower oven. Trust me on this one.

4. Burnishing with a heat gun for just a few seconds instead of leaving it under a light bulb for up to 30 minutes, does not work. It burns up the paper and hardens the clay under it.

This is what is working now (I think. It's in the oven as I write.)

1. I used Super Firm Sculpey not expired, in a grey color.

2. Hand burnish the paper to the clay for about 90 seconds, then using a light bulb 7 inches from the set-up and let sit for 10 minutes. Then burnish for another minute or two (you should start to see the design from the wrong side of the paper) and let it sit for another 10 minutes and pull the paper from the clay.

3. I baked the paper and the clay in the lower oven at 250 degrees for 20 mins.

I just took them out of the oven and I have a sheet of paper that I think will texture my clay. And a plate that could be used to roll clay out on, with the inverse texture.

Will try it on the clay soon, and post the results.

Yah!

Earth Arts Fall Salon

reception on Friday night at the Cafe Wren in Luck was so much fun. Lots of unique and talented interpretations of the kaleidoscope theme. Here is the other bracelet I entered. This one is fine silver and polymer clay. The copper and polymer clay was pictured in my last blog entry.