Saturday 26 February 2011

I hang my head in shame!

Faithful blurkers and followers I apologise for not posting for eleven days, that seems like an eternity.

I this time I have thrown a very successful teaparty which will have  a blog post all to itself once I have edited the photographs.

Found a job, phew! Which means I can now pay the bills, impose a structure on my life and will ironically free me to produce more artwork. Its not exactly glamourous but the pay is pretty good.

My DH is away in Cardiff at the moment investigating his/our future.

The cat is being a nag as is his perogative, the gerbils are being antisocial and my land snail is continuing to gain mass.

Its been a huge emotional rollercoaster lately but things are starting to stabilise a bit and I will get some art done :)

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Lazy post

Hi guys, sorry about this but it feels like my life is boiling down into a few catagories. Those being 'failed job applications', 'unrealistic expectations' and 'why are you not making stuff'.

My intention is to join the Somerset guild of craftsmen and to do that I need to create a series of 'master works' to photograph and use as a portfolio. I have planned what I am going to make and thus far failed to create them. I am going to make some buttons, tile pendants, revolution pendants, drop earrings and a few assorted sculptural items. Photograph them beautifully, generate some text and them have an online service print a few copies as a photo book. This photo book could then be used to bolster my self esteem and to get wholesale accounts for my work.

Suffice to say this grand project has not yet happened. I have both time and clay but am lacking in motivation and determinaton. If I do this, then it will generate money. I need money so I should do this. Easy, or 'Simples' as a certain russian mammal would say. I don't know why my head makes it so hard.

Par example, these are revolution pendants made as earrings. I learned the swirling technique from the fabulous Desiree McCrorey and  I have been making them for four years now.

This is first pair of earrings. I love carefully measuring and cutting the clay then rolling it into the initial ball to start the process. I love how unpredictable it can be and how it needs precise attention.
I am not so keen on how my flab seems to roll about as I swirl the clay but nothing is perfect. Making these pendants makes me happy, again I have clay and material so why the lack of motivation?







My dear friend commision some charm bracelets from me and I had a lot of trouble getting started on them. Then it dawned on me to use swirled lentil beads and voila it looked fabulous.


All chunky and funky and what not.

Its time to ask that question. Am I depressed, demotivated or just plain lazy?

If I am lazy, then well I don't know what to do. I don't to be a lazy person, it goes against the fibre of my being. For other people for work situations I always push forward and work really hard. For me? Not so much.

I know there aren't many folks reading my blog but of those that are out there. Please comment and let me know what you think I can do to reinvigorate myself. Its really starting to get me down.

Catch you later

HJ Purky

x

Monday 7 February 2011

Mini-Soiree

We hosted a mini party on Saturday which was kinda fun.

When I say kinda fun, I mean on Friday night I was dancing down the aisles of the supermarket filled with delight at the opportunity to cook (love cooking) and to socialise (adore socialising).

I did battle with my house to make it really tidy clean and presentable.

Would you like to see my spread?


I massively over-catered.


Cheese fondue, home made bread, meaty snacks and retro plates :)


Mmmm home made felafal!





Creamy, winey, cheesey hot gunk mmmmmmmmmm




My veggie side, home made roast vegtable pasta salad, home made potato salad, salady salad, indian veggie snacks, crudites and dips :D

Just for good measure here is my DH playing Guitar Hero


And my cat looking magical :)

It was a really pleasant evening and cheered me up immensely. Took my mind of having no money, no job and a poorly car.

I have secured a commision for some silver jewellery today which has cheered me up a lot and posted my work up on craftster forum for some critique and comment.

Catch you laters

H xx

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Wierd Wednesday-ness


I am not doing brilliantly with the passage of time at the moment. How can it possibly be Wednesday? It would perhaps help if I went to bed when it was dark and got up when it was light and indulged the neolithic man inside myself.

However, I am going to bed at two or three in the morning and getting up between eight and ten in the morning. Same amount of sleep but a much smaller amount of rest. Last night/morning I applied for loads of jobs including one in a bank! Can anyone really see me working in a bank? I got a few rejection emails this morning which is a shame.

Had some cheery-ness yesterday (daytime) when I saw one of my items had been listed in a treasury, yay! However still no sales on the etsy front. I think that is mostly due to my listing style so I am going to attempt to remedy that soon.

In an attempt to stop myself being dragged down into that annoying self doubting misery I have been photographing things I have made and believe have artistic merit.



These tasty chaps are my large single bead pendants. Designed for that instant bit of colour :) I enjoy making them because pretty much each one is unique or of a very limited number.



I want to get back into making smaller beads and then using them to make necklaces and such. Really pretty ones with pearls and semi precious stones. Also kinda tempted by making much larger beads and wire wrapping them.


It appears there is a real trend in polymer clay at the moment for naturalistic items so may push myself in that direction.


Or just be multi-coloured. I was quite cheered when I found a stash of pictures lurking on photobucket of my older work :) I will do a post on them at some point, so I can do a sort of progress report.



I had best go now before I ramble even more.

Purky hugs

Harry xxx