New Necklaces on Etsy

Design Number 10

Big news!  22 of my new ceramic “Myco Necklaces” are officially uploaded and for sale in my Etsy shop. 

They are one of a kind drawings inspired by microscopic views of mushrooms, slime molds and lichen.   Each tile is lovingly formed, sanded, fired, and glazed to be confortable on the neck.  They are strung on a black silken cord and secured with a hand-made sterling silver wire clasp.  Check them out and let me know what you think. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PamelaHeyda

Design Number 20

Design Number 18

Clay Continued

New work

I’m still messing around with clay.  Yesterday I made some free-form shapes and little houses.  I’m almost ready to take a break and clean up the tools and clay dust in my studio.  Still, I feel compelled to make one more thing, mushrooms!  I want some cute little mushies to become pendants, earrings and rings.  Oh boy!

This little guy is 1" tall.

Points of Light

Image, lit from the front

I love Mendocino, California!  Last February I was there for a short weekend trip and saw a few pieces by a fantastic artist exhibiting at the Mendocino Art Center.  Now, I’m kicking myself for not writing down her name.  (I need to find a very small, groovy notebook that I can carry everywhere I go.)  Anyway, the artist had two very fine, detailed, organic drawings that I found unique and inspiring.  The shapes looked like microscopic creatures.  But what I really loved was a large tree created by tiny pinholes!  The holes were so evenly spaced, it must have taken a long time to create.  The image was a delicate, perforated leafless tree, white on white. 

After thinking about this technique for months, and with my husband’s birthday a few days away, I decided to give it a go.  I created a small birthday card by drawing with a tack.  It wasn’t easy.  I sketched the mushroom first, taped the sketch to the good paper, and commenced punching (with a cardboard backing).  I started with a sewing needle and after a minute, my hand cramped up.  I tried other pins with the same results.  Finally, I tried using a large pushpin, which was much easier to hold.  It worked for the most part.  In some places my holes were too close together and the paper is very delicate.  Overall I like the effect. 

My next attempts will include paper that is colored on the back, so the holes will have a little hue to them.  I’m also going to try using Styrofoam as a backing so I don’t have to put so much force into the punch.  What does this mean in relation to my other work?  I don’t know yet, maybe nothing.  I love experimenting with new ideas.  Perhaps I’ll do this lesson with my students one day, if I can invent a punch that doesn’t cramp the hand so badly.

"Every moment of light and dark is a miracle." - Walt Whitman

Image, lit from behind

Until then, may the muse be with you!

Forest Sketching

Yesterday John and I drove North along the coast to visit Salt Point State Park, just North of Jenner, CA. John’s mission was to photograph mushrooms, I was there to explore and take in the scenery.  These types of trips are often tricky for us.  John can spend up to 30 minutes photographing a subject while I’m standing around waiting.  Need I say more? 

This is the second outing I’ve brought my sketchpad, in an effort to keep myself busy while John is doing his thing.  The first time I tried this I couldn’t bring myself to sketch at all.  I think the difficulty is in shifting from hiking/exploring mode to becoming still and focused.

We walked along the road awhile then veered off trail.  It wasn’t long before John found several mushrooms he wanted to photograph.  I knew this was an opportunity to draw.  I paced the area, scoping out possible drawings.  I wasn’t sure I could do it, to settle down and sketch.  After about 15 minutes I finally picked a sit spot.  Still, I couldn’t draw.  So, I sat and studied the things on the ground around me.  I found cup fungus on a stick, old false chanterelle mushrooms, redwood needles, redwood cones, and Usnea (a light green lichen).   Finally, I started to focus.

A few days ago I visited the Robert Koch Gallery in San Francisco and saw the extraordinary photos of Yamamoto Masao.  The photos were luminous, filled with mystery, light, and nature.  Many reminded me of drawings.  They ignited a small spark of inspiration within me, to draw something small and detailed, with graphite only.  So, sitting there in the woods I turned my attention to the micro.

I picked up a clump of Usnea.  It was very soft and delicate with microscopic little “hairs”.  I found a tiny stick with a pleasing amount of the stuff, brought out the sketchbook, and lost myself in a miniature world.  Before long, my drawing was finished and John wanted to head to the ocean. 

So, I learned an important lesson: drawing on a hiking trip is possible.  It is much like meditating. I need to sit, slow down, take deep breaths, and connect with the landscape. I can’t just whip out my sketchbook and draw like one might do with a point-and-shoot camera.  With this precious knowledge, I know I can and will sketch in nature again and again.  

"Usnea on a Stick", graphite on paper, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2", 2011