Finger Labyrinths, Part Three

All three of the following finger labyrinths were made from red clay, and glazed in colbalt blue. On some of the raised edges, a hint of red clay comes though--an effect that I particularly like.


The first one was beaded with a combination of blue and white plastic beads, and a porcelain Chinese blue & white bead depicting a bird.

Just below, the labyrinth is finished with turquoise seed beads, pieces of turquoise, and a single wooden square, colbalt blue bead; picking up on the color of the glaze, and the shape of the turquoise.


Finally, this last labyrinth has a blue & white porcelain Chinese bird bead, a single blue wooden bead, and a small loop of blue and white seed beads, with a tiny touch of red (for activation).

This gorgeous color of blue represents water which, in turn, represents prosperity. While creating these, I imagined prosperity for anyone who used them.

Finger Labyrinths, Part Two

This color of green is one of my absolute favorites. It reminds me of a granny smith apple, or the new growth on a plant. It's so fresh looking. It's bright and energetic, and yet calming at the very same time. The perfect balance of yin and yang.


These three finger labyrinths all represent those qualities . . . freshness, bright, calming, growth, sustenance, balance, and energy. The middle labyrinth is finished with seed beads and a circle of jade, which is considered very lucky.


The first and third labyrinths are both finished with a combination of elements: gaspeite, mother of pearl, and small wooden beads.


Green is the combination of yellow and blue. Yellow represents communication and expressiveness--a very happy color. Blue stands for intelligence and responsibility. This resulting color is very loving and humanistic.

Finger Labyrinths, Part One

I started making "finger labyrinths" a few years ago. I call them finger labyrinths because they fit in the palm of the hand, and the grooves are just the perfect size for the tip of one's finger. The idea behind these was that they would serve a person who was away from home, and wanted or needed to step outside their mind for a little while. Perhaps they were stuck in traffic, and feeling a little hot under the collar. Or maybe they were at work, and feeling too "blah" to do anything productive.


This first labyrinth will cure the blahs! Red is the color for energy, and both black and white are "activation" colors--they activate the red and make it more powerful. As I was creating this particular labyrinth, I concentrated on energy and strength; imbuing it with power.


This second labyrinth represents the other side of the spectrum. This is for someone who is feeling anxious or agitated--someone who needs to calm down. What could be more calming than the color of the sea or sky? And, to keep things grounded, I added an Earth element--turquoise.

Olympics' Inspiration

If you caught the opening ceremony of the Olympics, you've undoubtedly seen (and fell in love with!) the Birds Nest Stadium. What an incredible work of art! I admire the way it resembles the random-weave Asian baskets.


Well, it took nearly an entire day, but I finally figured out, or rather remembered, how to create the hexagonal design that serves as a base for the random weave baskets, then continued with my weaver to create this Bird's Nest inspired snake basket.

Mud Puppy

Mud Puppy refers not to the salamander-type water creatures, but rather to my own love of playing in the dirt. Whether it's digging in the garden, making adobe bricks, or squishing my hands into a deliciously cool blob of clay, I consider myself a mud puppy.


While this mask is finished in acrylics and wood beads, it reflects the colors of my favorite clays. The clay body underneath the paint is actually white, which I would usually cover with glaze. But for this particular work, it begged to look like the clays that inspired its creation.

Walking the Labyrinth

Those of you who know me well know that I've been a bit obsessed with labyrinths for a number of years. Back when we lived in New Mexico, my dream was to build a huge labyrinth that I could use for walking meditation. It was also going to be a place where friends and family could escape to . . .


. . . And it was going to look like this, but on a mammoth scale. Well, I never quite got around to making it, though I did make quite a few smaller labyrinths while living there. These, for instance. The three photos that you see here are all table-top sized labyrinths. They started with a single one, which I took many weeks making. Once I finished it, and fired it, I made a mould from it, which I use to press clay into.


Now, it might seem like I've got a mass-production thing going on here, but let me assure you that that's not the case. Even though I'm able to use my mould to create more, each one requires a great deal of time to make--cleaning them up, burnishing the surface, etc. Sometimes I think it might be quicker to start each one from scratch, but then I went to all the trouble to make a mould, so I intend to use it! Besides, it's not about how quickly I can accomplish a thing. It's about the process. And I enjoy taking the time with each one.


While I realize that the objective of this blog is to post NEW works, these kind of feel like "new" to me, because they've been packed away for so long. I'll list these on my Etsy shop, just as soon as I get around to opening it!

Tomorrow I'll post photos of even smaller labyrinths. Be sure to come back! :)

Meditation

Meditation is a mask made from low-fire earthenware, and finished with acrylic and beads.

She's not meditating about anything in particular--just trying to get back into touch with her true self. She represents the last of the masks, at least for now.

Tomorrow I'll post photos of some labyrinths that I recently finished.