SparkleMirror Kiln-Fired Art

Mammoth Mosaic Mirror Project

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:06:00 +0000

A work in Progress

Rough sketch of a large mosaic-framed wall mirror project

Scan the image into Photoshop Elements

and using the simple Wacom Bamboo Fun drawing tablet

I get to work on outlining, layering, and coloring elements of the frame

And I eventually stop here...

still a long way to go, but I've gotten a good start on things

Who knows just when this massive beast

will come to fruition,

but, it's on its way...

Sparkle On

You Delightful Creatures

David

;)

Pilfering from the Past... Legally

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Though I find it most satisfying to create my own designs and see them come to fruition, I've learned much from emulating my graphic mentors, and bringing their creations to life through relief...

The design for this tile was borrowed from Henri Meunier, a turn-of-the-20th-century artist, and specifically his creation "Cafe Rajah" from "Les Maitre de L'Affiches" series (now in "Public Domain") created in Paris in 1897. This design for Rajah coffee is a classic of Belgian Art Nouveau poster art.

Henri Georges Meunier, also known as Marc-Henry Meunier (1873-1922),

is one of my favorite artists for his ability to evoke such warmth with such simplicity.

................................

***Sparkle On,

You delightful creatures!

David

;)

..........................................

Mosaic Aspens

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Here's a set of fall aspen leaves made for

another mosaic artist's creation...

I've always loved aspen trees

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24929331@N00/

Sparkle On!

David

Google Wave playground... will you play with me?

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Are you familiar with Google Wave? I signed up for an invitation to this service about a month ago and I received an invite yesterday... the problem is, I don't know anyone else (at the moment) who also has Google Wave and can experiment on it with me.

What is Google Wave?

The following video gives you the idea... basically, email was invented when the net was new, and Google Wave is what email would be if it were invented today (with all of the social networking innovations).

So, being extended an invite and now registered and loaded for bear, Google has given me the ability to hand out a few invites myself...

Anyone game?

(Remember, I'm only loaded for bear, not humans!)

I just ask that,

if you do accept an invite,

you get set up and be willing to play around with it a little...

I'm all alone in my Google Wave sandbox

and it's pretty lonely.

David

;)

SparkleMirror Store Grand Opening

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Yes, and like most "Grand" Openings, there's a bit of hyperbole involved. All I know is... it's been a long time coming, with promises and hemming and hawing and on and on. Was I going to have my main store be on www.sparklemirror.com, or Ebay, or Etsy, or some other venue? Did I have enough tiles prepared to make a good (magnificent) first impression?

But, when all was said and done, it's really about action -- getting the ball rolling.
And, so, here it is... and I am going to build on it and move forward, and probably be selling from several venues simultaneously before all is said and done.

And so, here it is... the genesis.

Enter Here

As with any new endeavor, there are a few things to iron out over time.

I'd appreciate any advice you'd generously offer me on any topic.

There's one topic that I am particularly wary of...

Please help me with advice on...

Shipping Internationally

I have sold here and there on the net, but always within the US... I have been fortunate through this blog in many ways, one of which is meeting fine people from all over this big blue globe of ours. It's just that I'm very customer oriented, with great great emphasis on customer satisfaction. Attending to that locally in my home town and to customers within the US has been a great success...

I'm just afraid of the international shipping issue... seems this would be easy to screw up, with the customs thing, the tracking thing, and, oh my, the cost thing. Most shipments run between one and two pounds... any advice?

I've just begun loading product on to the shelves, so be patient with me... I'll be adding a few things a day.

Thanks!

and Sparkle On you delightful creatures!

David
;)
*

Sparkling On... !

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Despite the grim nature of recent events, I have been creating again. I just needed to get this posted so that my comeback is official... my first art related post since the end of September.

I'm taking my own advice... to Sparkle On...

Will you join me once again?

David

;)

Foreshadowing

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:53:00 +0000

As you may know from my previous post, my Grandmother died just short of her 96th birthday. We gathered for her birthday after her death, and this short video shows a (rather corny) part of that night with the foreshadowing of my father's death less than 3 days later. All local members of our family gather at the table, except for my (step)father, Marty, to sing happy birthday to (and blow out candles for) my recently passed Grandmother.
Marty sits alone in the living room while we do this... at this point he's weak from a recent blood transfusion and chemotherapy treatment for his battle against cancer. Just before we sing, I point the camera towards him and all of us coax him into waving. Little did we know his absence from the table was his way of emotionally separating from us in preparation for his unexpectedly quick passing... the next day he has another blood transfusion and the doctors tell us he has two weeks to live... the following day, he is in excruciating pain and incoherent, and Hospice came and took him to their beautiful facility where we joined him... and less than one day from that (three days from the making of this video) he had passed with all of us at his bedside. This capture of him waving to the camera was just before he went to lay down that day, and is the last coherent moment of him in my memory.

I know this is all so horribly sad, and that this blog is supposed to be about the joy of living and creating... but I wouldn't feel right not acknowledging his passing here, especially after the last memorial for my Grandmother. And he was loved equally as much.

Though he is technically known as my stepfather, I have considered him my Father since his entering our scene more than 20 years ago. We all love him so very much, and will miss his wonderfully jovial personality.

Dorothy V. Calhoun memorial

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:16:00 +0000

My Grandmother Dorothy V. Calhoun has passed, just short of her 96th birthday. She was born November 7th 1913, had six children, and ended up with many many many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, all spread across the globe.

She was humble and highly connected to God through the Seventh-Day Adventist church throughout her life.

There is so much to say... We will all miss her so very very much.

She entered the hospital at the beginning of October with Pneumonia.

It became progressively worse over the next few weeks, and my Mother, Wife, Sister, Nephew, Uncle and I all took shifts in round-the-clock visitation with her.

None of us wanted to openly acknowledge the possibility of her dying in the hospital, but an unspoken pledge had been taken to not allow her to die alone.

And she didn't.

There were four of us there when she did go.

I was fortunate to be one of them.

We will miss you, Grandma...

and we love you.

Our Beloved

Dorothy V. Calhoun

I have neglected my artwork and blogging during this difficult episode, but I thank all who commented and were concerned about my absence. I am back and very appreciative.

Maybe some of you more experienced bloggers can help me with tips on how to stay blog-active while going through the inevitable downs in life.

Thanks

SparkleMirror on the shelf? No... Just drying there

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:29:00 +0000

I've been busy doing a few things, like cranking out tiles... Here's a couple shots of the drying shelves, made from plasterboard, wood, and yes... duct tape ;).

The greenware is shelved here, turned over every 8 hours or so (at first), and then allowed to dry slowly to avoid warping.

............

Here's a plaster mold of a new tile... sisters reading in a meadow:

.........

Here are a couple tiles from the "S-C" run... a smaller version of the previously blogged about "SAC" tile. These are approximately a half foot square each.

.........

"S-C" 1 of 20:

..........

"S-C" 2/20:

I've also been working on updating the www.sparklemirror.com website (which still has a few quirks)... you'll notice (if you haven't already) by the address bar of the blog, SM has moved from the Blogger address and is now on our own website. I still get to use the magnificent Blogger platform, though. YEA!

I just have to figure out the navigation bar on SM.com for easy transfer back and forth.

Any pointers out there?

Well...

Sparkle on you magnificent beings!

;)

Thunderstorm, chimes, and R&D for future podcasts

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Alright, so I've been experimenting with audio... I'd like to expand the dimensions of SparkleMirror's online presence. A slow but sure process. Podcasts are the future aim.

For now, no talk, just sound.

This was produced here at the SM studio and uploaded to Grooveshark...

Lamp Lady tile

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Sparkle On

you delightful creatures!

David

;)

Singing Kitties... I was compelled to post this ;)

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Koloman Moser design tile

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:58:00 +0000

....................................

SparkleMirror Koloman Mosher ("KM") design tile

Read about Koloman on a previous post HERE

Sparkle On

you magnificent creatures!

;)

Grand Opening of the SparkleMirror City Mall

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Someone save me from the magic spell of PhotoFuniaLand

Sparkling Warhol

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:15:00 +0000

"Observing the Observer Observing Sparkling Warhol"

dedicated to a new direction for...

Cheryl de los Reyes Cruz

a work in progress...

(aren't we all!)

Created on...

*PhotoFunia*
Thanks to an introduction by...

Louciao

;)
*
.

Con Ella Todo

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Con Ella Todo

(With Her, Everything)

Sin Ella Nada

(Without Her, Nothing)

The Virgin de Guadalupe, or Our Lady of Guadalupe,

Patron of the Americas

Read about her HERE

Sparkle On

You delightful creatures!

;)

Reverence, history, and identity forging

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:28:00 +0000

This reverent angel tile was created in 2007, during an identity changing period in SparkleMirror history. It was the beginning of a slow and methodical transition from creating mosaic tile sets for other mosaic artists to making larger individual art tiles.

I discovered that creating and working with meditatively spiritual scenes such as this would calm and center me. I then learned there were other themes that did the same. I found great satisfaction in this work, from which I thoroughly benefit to this very day.

Holding and running my fingers over them was also highly satisfying. The way they would seem to change character in various lighting conditions also intrigued me.

and as you can see...

... I was also just beginning to formulate an identity for the tile backs...

Sparkle On,

you delightful creatures!

;)

The Cat of Sleep

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Sparkle On,

You Delightful Creatures!

;)

The Visual Tales of Six Eiffel Tower Tiles (say that six times fast!)

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Here are the current "Eiffel-A" tiles, numbers 1-6 of 20. Though these following collages may seem repetative, see if you can't spot the differences in each...

Sparkle On,

You delightful creatures!

;)

Flying Flaming Heart tile and Cute Sphynx Carved

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Presenting... the finished Flying Flaming Heart tile ("FFH").

For the origins of this tile, click HERE

............................

And the "I Sphynx I'm Cute" tile mold was made a little differently than previous molds...

I made a block of plaster, and carved the reverse image into it.

This is the opposite of normal... I usually sculpt into clay and pour a plaster mold over it.

But this switched it up a bit... I liked the feel of working with plaster.

Sparkle On, you delightful creatures...

;)

The Future's Open Wide

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Another test of S.M.E.E.S. -- Let's stop the world so we can melt together, shall we...

Testing the Casbah

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:18:00 +0000

May be using music to convey emotional content of tiles using Grooveshark... this is only a test of the S.M.E.E.S. (SparkleMirror Emotion Elicitation System).

"World Cup" tile

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:07:00 +0000

Harold Nelson Design Tiles O/20 and 2/20

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:20:00 +0000

This shows two tiles, A being 2/20 and B being O/20 (the originally sculpted tile). The original sculpting (B) had a plaster mold made from it, which is used to hand stamp the form into subsequent clay bodies, as in 2/20 (A).

This tile is a relief representation of a Harold Nelson design circa 1898.

Check out this previous post on Mr. Nelson and the making of the original SM carving.

New designs we sphynx you'll like

sparklemirror@gmail.com (*SparkleMirror* Kiln-Fired Art Studio) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Been meaning to create some Sphynx cat designs, and finally have!

Gotta love the Sphynx who loves the night life!

I have a thing for sleeping cats. This design was created on Saturday, and three were made (formed into clay) a mere two hours later -- that's a record for SparkleMirror.

Also, many of the previously designed tiles that you've seen in process over the past couple of months are complete. You'll see each featured in the coming days!

Sparkle On, you delightful creatures!

;)