When I create a watercolor painting, sometimes the paper buckles and warps, depending how much water I use in the painting. This post shows how I flatten those warped paintings. Here you can see how my small paintings warped. Start with a flat board or surface. I'm using a clean piece of paper, too, because … Continue reading Flattening watercolor paintings 6.16.2022
In my small ceramics studio, I use a variety of homemade bisque molds to make some of my ceramic forms. Bisque (also referred to as biscuit) molds are clay forms I fire to about 1915 degrees, or cone 04. I wrote about how I use the bisque molds here. In this post, I'll explain how … Continue reading making bisque molds – 5.19.2022
I'm participating in two art events this spring, both in Madison, Wisconsin. The Marquette-Atwood Neighborhood Art Walk is Sunday, May 1, 2022, from 11am – 5pm. I'll be selling my ceramics out of my garage, so I'll be there rain or shine. I'll be at 2802 Center Avenue in Madison, and my garage is behind … Continue reading spring art sales 4.21.2022
As a ceramic handbuilder, it's nice to have molds on hand. I can use a mold to make several matching pieces, or to quickly create a form to build off of. Molds are typically made from plaster, but I don't want plaster in my home studio because 1) it takes more equipment that I don't … Continue reading using bisque molds 4.7.2022
I've long lived by the motto "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," and I bring that philosophy into my art studio, too. One way I do that is with recycled packaging materials. I sell ceramics in my Etsy shop, and shipping those pieces requires careful packaging and shipping. Ceramics are a delicate and breakable, and need lots of … Continue reading recycling packing materials 3.10.2022
I've started a series of self portraits using the blind contour method of drawing. Blind contour drawing is a technique that some suggest improves hand-eye coordination and hones observation skills. But I use it for the results I get. It's my favorite drawing method. In blind contour drawing, the artist looks only at the subject … Continue reading blind contour self-portraits 2.24.2022
Our job is not to make records that people like. Our job is to make the music that makes us feel proud. I’ve been pondering your questions: Is there something I’m missing here? Am I supposed to be thinking about what other people are thinking? Because with songwriting it’s almost like you can’t think about it in … Continue reading art quote – vedder 2.10.2022
I'm starting to make my own ceramic glazes, now that I have my own kiln. And I needed space to store the glaze containers in my small home studio, located in what once was a kitchen on the 2nd floor of my home. I decided to renovate these old kitchen cupboards to be a glaze … Continue reading studio renovation 11.18.2021
It’s important that artists remind themselves what giving your creative output autonomy means.It means that you will never know all the people your work will matter to. You’ll never be able to measure it. You’ll never be able to witness it. You’ll maybe witness, if you’re lucky, some traces of what it means to people. … Continue reading art quote – Kladzyk 11.4 2021
I caught this year's land art exhibit at the Farley Center during its final days this year. This is the 5th year the Farley Center has hosted this exhibit, and this year it's called "Rooted in the Land: Land Art Exhibition." Twenty seven artists created outdoor, sustainable art installations, using only materials that safely decompose … Continue reading land art exhibit 10.21.2021
Rachel Imsland, Artist 