21 April

Grazing Steel Wool

My growing flock of “Steel Wool” has had to be content with grazing on our deck as the garden area still has snow in it. Thanks for the name of my new sculptures Jim! I am a bit nervous though –judging by the phone calls and e-mails just from friends and neighbors, these sculptures will all find homes as soon as the Show opens at Half Moon Creek Gallery. The most common question is “how

much will they be?” Since I’m still in love with them they are still a million dollars each…at this rate, I’d be O.K. with them staying in my yard because I like them even more as their flock grows. I so wish there was a large, open grassy area to do a good photo shoot before delivering them, but in traditional Alaskan fashion, things are a dead, dingy “break-up brown.” I’d better get making some other fun stuff so I can part with my flock. I decided to make another set of three sheep because of their popularity and made the little baby 25% larger than the original baby. Terry at SteelFab now calls the original size “Baby Sheep” and the new size the “Toddler Sheep!” I talked with the girls at Half Moon Creek to confirm the show details and opening date. They are busily finishing construction on the new Palmer Gallery and it’s looking like it will be a mad dash to the grand

opening target date of Saturday, May 8 but it will be HAPPENING! Christian dropped off some more duct work that they took out and I’ll be spinnin’ it (plasma cutting it) into steel wool probably next week! The Virgo’s in Daddy-O and I are dying to get rid of the metal recycle pile that has accumulated along side of the house. It looks just terrible –but not too bad considering how other areas in 99503 currently look... Spring break-up is an aesthetically difficult time of year for Alaska! Even harder for those of us who crave Nature's beauty blooming, sunshine and all things growing green!

Production work for the first Raven order of the season also started this last weekend. Jana at Cabin Fever and The Quilted Raven (when Kristen is in town this is her favorite quilt store!) ordered all things Raven from me for her downtown Anchorage shops. Normally it’s hard for me to do ANY repetitive task but my reward is I get to bead, wire and finish tag the Garden Ravens and Ornaments in my jammies while having my coffee and listening to NPR in the Studio. The Weekend Edition Saturday was fundraising time in "You Call Us, Or We'll Call YOU" and friends had friends “outing” each other in who had never donated to Public Radio, yet had listened for years! It was really funny to hear their "reasons" for never donating -from being too "young" to donate to needing the extra cash for Happy Hour! –Also catch the “Babysitting” series on This American Life. A big brother who was tasked with babysitting his younger siblings had "bravery tests" while their parents were out for the evening! All great listening for happy artmaking.

10 comments:

Christine--RHP said...

Cindy--those sheep are just killer. Really.
and the garden ravens are also awesome. (our ravens here in AZ are ginormous!!--like 6' wingspan or something crazy like that.)

cookingwithgas said...

Ewe are wonderful!
And Ewes not fat ewes fuffy.
Send some to NC!

Judy Shreve said...

It's green in GA -- you could ship those grazing ewes here & I'll take their photo -- could take a while -- hehehe.
Love the ravens too --

cindy shake said...

Judy & Meredith I think I'd like to pack a live stock truck up and the whole family and I will drive down south for a photo shoot and some warm sunshine!!

Peter said...

Of course, with all this world trade thing, you should consider doing a live sheep export to New Zealand! I would love to see our grassy hill sides glittering with little flocks of your "Steel Wool" masterpieces, and they should be able to get in without the usual long quarantine procedure that furry animals have to endure.

Seriously though, they are absolutely gorgeous, and I am sure that lucky buyers will be flocking (groan!!) to your door! I love the thought of that pile of scrap metal being turned into something so nice! Goodness, you are busy!

Orion Designs said...

I'm sure they will all have "sold" stickers on them by the time I arrive at the HM show! They are too cute for words. I'd be starting a new flock if I were ewe ...

ang design said...

its like a hair salon out there!! you just need a blue rinse for granny... seriously brilliant work you gotta be happy! can't wait to hear about the buzz of the new gallery, time really has flown on that one eh?!!

Linda Starr said...

Your sheep sculptures are wonderful; we drove down a highway in the country the other day with rolling hills and I found myself imagining your sheep grazing on the hillside, and I also like the ravens in flight

ladyofclay said...

Cindy, I've been checking in on your blog and admiring how fantastically creative and hard working you are ! The sheep had me grinning from ear to ear when you first posted the pictures. I'm sure my Dad would have loved to see your work. Dad owned a sheet metal business in Alberta that is still in the family and being run by a 4th generation.

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

The sheep are even more awesome in their herd! The more, the merrier!... Listened to that ep of TAL today... I think I might have flunked the boiled-Iguana-bravery test!