"Lava Flow" Sushi Dish set

I used COE 96 glass for these (instead of COE 90). I think the colors are more spectacular and there seems to be more interesting patterns available in 96 - at least at D&L Glass where we have been shopping for the glass. What is a little disappointing is that the yellow was supposed to be orange and the red was supposed to be red. The same red that is in the swirling part of the large dish. I guess that is what you get when you buy from the discount bin.

Sweater Sleave Scarves

I found an inovated pattern online for sweater sleave scarves. I bought some similar yarn-type sweaters, cut them up and then resewed them together to make these fun winter gifts.

Carlos Martinez Ofrenda

Carlos was a good friend. He died back in 2006, but I had some of his possessions from when I cleaned out his apartment - little things like glasses, a homemade rosary, and some old photos. I have been wanting to put them together in a shadowbox to keep them together and have an ofrenda for remembering him. I displayed it at the Day of the Dead party and got many positive remarks about it from people who knew him.

Ofrendas are altars for deceased loved ones. They can also be in other forms but with the same purpose. It usually contains favorite items of that loved one such as their favorite food or candy. Since Carlos was diabetic, I put in a box of sugar free jello. We would have Jello every week when he would come over for Sunday Art Club.

He was a great mentor and a good friend. He is deeply missed.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Rest

I found this great little seat at an estate sale. It had some worn 80s fabric on it, but I envisioned something better for it. I made a Lady of Guadalupe flip and stitch piece that I then attached to the cushion. It didn't take that long, but I like the results.

2011 Art Goals

I rethought some of my 2010 goals and made them more obtainable, yet still challenging. I will try to post them as I achieve them.

1. Make a 2011 self-portrait
2. Start selling on Etsy.com
3. Have 10 art shows
4. Set up woodworking space in shed to be usable
5. Get back to doing animation and make a short film
6. Relearn some movie making applications
7. Make 30+ automata pieces - kinetic box sculptures/paintings/collages
8. Make a 'day of the dead' automata carnival - with at least 6 rides
9. Donate at least 10 art pieces to good causes
10. Learn more digital illustration software applications & 3-D rendering tools
11. Sculpt the stone boulder on the back porch
12. Make more silk-screens
13. Make more block prints
14. Make framed collage pieces of trips I’ve taken
15. Finish 10 paintings (start with paintings I never got around to finishing)
16. Sculpt more marble spheres
17. Take an art class
18. Maintain the art blog - 50 or more posts
19. Make and sell another 500 greeting cards in 2011
20. Make at least a piece of art for each day in 2011 – be prolific like Picasso

2010 Art Goals Revisited

I just recently discovered Seth Godin. He had a very relevant and pithy quote related to my "Goals" post - "Real artists ship." Godin uses ship to mean completion of any project, personal or professional.
He points out that not shipping is just an expression of fear of failure. In his failing is as much of being an artist as shipping. In this post on Tim Burton, Seth sums it up succinctly:
One key element of a successful artist: ship. Get it out the door. Make things happen.
The other: fail. Fail often. Dream big and don't make it. Not every time, anyway.

His post named YearInReview 2010 encouraged to post the following list.

Here is the list I posted last year of art goals I wanted to accomplish. I have added the comments to whether they were accomplished or not.

1. make a 2010 self-portrait - I made several, but I have to decide which will be the official one.
2. get back to doing animation and make a short film - No
3. relearn some movie making applications - No
4. start selling on Etsy.com - No
5. finish kinetic box sculptures/paintings/collages - started. I hope to do many in 2011 and show them in the June show
6. make a 'day of the dead' kinetic carnival - with at least 6 rides - No
7. donate 10 art pieces to good causes - finished 3/14/10
8. learn more digital illustration software applications & 3-D rendering tools - No
9. sculpt the stone boulder on the back porch - No, but I sculpted many other large stones.
10. make more silk-screens - No
11. make more block prints - No
12. start Flickr account - Started 2/10/10
13. make glass dinnerware for 10 settings in kiln by May - finished June, 2010
14. make Carlos Martinez memorial shadowbox - finished October 2010
15. make framed collage pieces of trips I’ve taken - No
16. maintain the art blog - 50 posts isn't great for a year, but it was updated with new art pieces.
17. sculpt more marble spheres - No
18. take an art class in oil painting - No
19. make and sell another 500 greeting cards in 2010 - Finished - I sold about 700 cards this last year.
20. Make at least a piece of art for each day in 2010 – be prolific like Picasso - No

Not to make excuses, but the back patio did take up a lot of my art time last year. I still have lots to do with laying stoen in the yard, but I am going to try to balance it a little better with the wood pieces I want to make. Several of the goals I didn't accomplish, I am going to add to my list for 2011.