As is the norm, it has been a while since my last post. I do manage to pop the odd thing up on FB occasionally, but I'm in the mood to ramble tonight. Sadly, it's taken the loss of a hard drive to get me sorting through things and organising what I still have access to. Much work to be done both here and in the studio... and what fun in the studio! Currently I'm finishing the final assignment of Hadar Jacobson's Base Metal Clay accreditation program. I'm waiting for the kiln to cool down as I type. I thought I would make use of my time and share this piece here instead of putting it off to one side and telling myself as I usually do I'll get around to doing it later - waste of good clay time, this computer stuff!
This pendant is a combination of bronze and copper on a copper backing. The form is hollow; as it is 6cm tall it isn't nearly as heavy as a solid piece would have been. There is (of course) a story behind it: We have been given a number of technique based tasks to tackle over the last few months, most of which have not had a set design element. With this project we were given open choice which gave us scope to be as simple or as complex as we liked. Seriously, some of the work that people have come up with during this program has been absolutely amazing. So as I'm lucky enough to not usually be a project-managerial sort of artist that has to sketch a design brief up from an idea,spend a few weeks to think it through before costing out everything, weighing it's viability and executing it as per the initial concept (ie I don't put much -if any- food on the table... look under self - indulgent in the dictionary and it simply says 'Lara'.) this piece occurred purely because of the purchase of an exercise DVD. In my twenties and even into my late thirties I could execute the exercises contained within the nice shiny new shrink-wrapped deev with ease. Heck, I was doing them weeks after having my third child! But somehow in the last five years or so, the gentle and controlled motions that give you a gravity defying and strong body have somehow evolved into a form of excruciating and calculated torture. The inspiring promises from the instructor of a nice and firm ''peachy'' behind after a mere 19 hours of HELL (sorry, I mean exercises) filled me with a (delusional) determination to work doggedly through the entire workout. Two days later as I sat at my work table ready to start on this assignment, after having painfully limped down the three stairs from the back verandah all the while wondering if I was going to have to get the kids to chair lift me back up when I was done, the pear happened to be sitting on the top of the pile of moulds. Need I explain further? I will go on to say I may have sat gleefully giggling as I worked while entertaining fantasies of telling the beautifully-toned nearly-50 peach-endowed instructor to kiss my spotty pear.
It's beautiful and firm at least!
It's beautiful and firm at least!