More cups

I've got more cups. Happiness cups because the world is on fire. Happiness: Boom.

Going to post some pieces soon of my Women's March inspired pieces. Wearing their pink pussy hats.

Two Dolls included in Summer Issue: Art Doll Quarterly

I received my issue of Art Doll Quarterly in the mail today and was skimming through it when I saw two of my own dolls. Having forgotten the editor Jana Holstein requested a couple of images a few months ago. That sounds just like me to forget. But what a lovely surprise to see them. So if you're near a Barnes and Noble, look for Art Doll Quarterly and check out my kids.

Florida Craft Art Shipment

I have sent a whole lot of artwork to Florida Craft Art in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. They were down to a couple of figures so the new babies arrived just in time. If you're in the neighborhood stop by and visit the kids.

Happy New Year

It's almost 2016 and this week I have felt like painting. The joy of drawing, and thin washes of bright color and animals. So here are all of the above. How I enjoy seeing the pencil lines, the artist's hand. The thought and process visible on the surface. Might put these on the Etsy shop. Definitely in Artisans on the Ave in Lake Worth (Betty's Gallery).

A New Favorite Thing

While at NIADA I bought this piece by Reina Mia Brill. Her work really speaks to me. I think that this is what I feel like on the inside. And today on the first day back to school after summer vacation.... probably what I look like on the outside! Reina is really a cool person, and I am a huge fan. Did I mention she has a shop?

NIADA conference

Just back from Orlando and the NIADA conference. Holy moly, saw some GREAT artwork. Here's a few images from the sale today. If you aren't familiar with NIADA or the wonderful artists or the sale... well let me introduce you to:

 Ankie Daanen.

 

Chris Chomick and Peter Meder. You should see their automata (watch the movie Hugo)

 

 

 Diane Keeler. Check out the Queen of Hearts and the Bride in White. I am drooling.

 And Karin Otto Burfict. Stunning.

 Leslie Keeble

 

and Marlaine Verhelst. The best part? They're all really nice people and a lot of them do workshops. 

New Studio Coming Together

We're back from vacation. What you may not know is we moved into a new house 2 weeks prior to traveling so I barely unpacked and whoosh we were gone. The past few days I have been getting my studio together and I am ready to work. Here are some pics. My Toby jars seem happy.

Art Studio Don't

If you read my guest posts on CreateMixedMedia.com you'll see in June's entry I discuss living in my studio. And I don't mean "I worked really hard on those pieces, I've been just about living in my studio". Noooo!! The pictures say it all. Before and After.

We needed a rewire and my studio has become home. We're living in my studio. We'll be moving into a condo not a moment too soon.Watch Etsy for a moving sale.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. It really is a wonderful day to sit back and reflect on all of the good things one has in their life. How lucky am I? To be surrounded by wonderful people, to have a house, a car, a studio, opportunities and people who like my art.

We were fortunate enough to get back safe and sound from St. Petersburg, Florida yesterday and the Thanksgiving traffic wasn't too crazy. While we were there new line of work was delivered to the Florida Craftsmen Gallery just in time for Black Friday. So if you're in the area please pop by and see the new work.

Maggie the gallery director at Florida Craftsmen told me that Cirque du Soleil is in St. Pete and if you can't make it to their show but want to take a little of the circus home with you stop by Florida Craftsmen and check out the new work. Happy Thanksgiving!

A Netsilik Song

Have you ever seen or read something and you feel like it was written just for you? I came across this quote and it spoke to my soul. Within its words there is everything I feel and why I make the art that I make. It's from an Netsilik (Eskimo) song.

In the very earliest time,
when both people and animals lived on earth,
a person could become an animal if he wanted to
and an animal could become a human being.
Sometimes they were people
and sometimes animals
and there was no difference.
All spoke the same language.

View from the Bus

One of the best things about London is its public transport. No need for a car when you have such great bus and tube routes. This image is from the front seat of one of the iconic double decker buses. It's a great vibe with the build up to the Olympics.  Although the torch relay is supposed to be interrupting bus routes. Next weekend the bike races should snarl things as they're closing a lot of roads.

In the meantime, this is Regent Street approaching Picadilly Circus and as you can see it's all decked out with flags which really gives it a celebratory feel. It's nice to see the buntings and flags all around the city. Today on the agenda: buying new pedometers. After almost 10 years and on average 10 miles of walking a day (while in vacation), we have worn ours out. Tonight we'll be heading over to the Venue to hear my wonderful brother in law's magical sounds. (he's a FABULOUS sound engineer and more like a brother). Okay, get ready feet.

And another favorite

And it didn't take me long to begin clicking like a fiend in the British Museum. As soon as I hit the door I head for the Greek and Roman art. I know, I am so boring. But I can't get enough of the Hellenistic terracotta figures. So I absorb them first and then when I get my fill begin wandering the rest of the rooms in the museum. But why not? I live for the time I get to spend here in the summer. Absorbing the art and culture and allowing it to distill inside me the rest of the year. It really feeds my artistic soul.

 The figure accompanying this entry stands about 3 feet high and is sculpted from clay. Bits of glaze still stain her face and some of the higher surfaces of her hair. She's hollow. How do I know? Next to her are 2 similar figures which are headless. What I like about them is that one can see inside the torso and see the finger marks of a long forgotten artist. Today I am off to the National Portrait Gallery. Hopefully it won't be too crazy down in Trafalgar Square. As you may have heard the Olympics are coming and I think they're expecting one or two extra people on the streets.

Guess Where?

Well, you'll never guess where I went last night. Guess. Of course, you couldn't expect me to be in London and NOT visit my clock? So much inspiration all around. Speaking of inspiration, I made my way to the British Museum yesterday and drooled sufficiently over the Etruscan terracotta figures. (among other things) But not enough the flag security this time. Although I smile so much while wandering around the museum, people must think I am a total gooney bird. Right across the road from the British Museum is a fabulous gallery called Contemporary Ceramics.

If you want me to document anything while I am here for you let me know, send an email. Otherwise, you'll have to tolerate what I post.

Acquisition for the Permanent Collection: Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Armenia

I just received some really great news from Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA where I am currently taking part a Tea Pot exhibition. The Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Armenia has acquired one of my pieces for their permanent collection.

The piece they purchased is She Pot: Green Tea Leaves (accompanying this entry). As most of you know I tend to make sculptural pieces rather than functional ware. So rather than a tea pot I made a she pot. Her hair is meant to mimic a spout and she is a vessel with holes in her head for adding water or other liquid.

If you're in Pittsburgh in the near future please stop by and see her on display. Otherwise you'll have to trek to Armenia to visit my girl.

La Ouija

How appropriate to share my new baby on Mother's Day. You might ask yourself "what do your clay babies give you on Mother's Day Victoria?" Well, they give me so much happiness. Getting that Christmas morning feeling when I open the kiln. Smiling when I see glazes that look better than I hoped. Running through the house with a piece that is still so hot I have to use pot holders because I have to show Jody. And best of all, knowing they wind up in the home of a person who loves them as much as I do is so rewarding.

So happy Mother's Day to all the mom's with kids made from flesh and blood and to those with babies made from art materials!

By the way, this piece is called La Ouija. As much as they scare and freak me out I love ouija boards.

New Snowbird Figure

There was  a lovely lady (Constance) who wanted to buy a particular figure from my Etsy shop ask if I had another piece similar to one that had sold.  I told her I would make another similar to it. So here she is so far. It's nice making something that will hopefully mean something to another person. I asked her what she liked in my figures and she listed the following: mis-matched stockings, a crown, an orange striped bathing suit, the word snowbird, and her little hands on her hips kind of sassy looking.

Isn't it funny how often people don't ask for things they want and in reality the person they are afraid to ask or don't want to "inconvenience" doesn't see it that way at all. Personally, I love making commissioned pieces. Creating work of a certain color, size or with special words or symbols for others is fun. So if there's something you want that isn't illegal or life endangering just ask.

Like my mom used to say "the worst thing people can say is no. They can't kill you and eat you". Well, unless you're in a bad sci-fi movie, but otherwise they can't. On this day I thought it appropriate to mention mom. I miss you.

You're My Bud...

I fired the Chrissy the kiln Sunday and didn't unload until late Sunday night. I was actually looking at the clock and suffering from daylight savings-itus saying "please God... let it cool so I can unload and go to bed". Monday was back to work and suffering from end of spring break-itus. So I just went outside and picked a big honking hibiscus flower from the front yard and shot some images of my work. I know, I know... the flower is bigger than her head. I looked lecherously at a purple orchid I have in my tree and said Vic...don't do it.

These new pieces are "bud vases" in two ways. The can hold a single bud or flower and they can become your new little buds. The ones posted here represent the blondes and brunettes. The blonde is about 10 inches high and the brunette is about 9 inches high. I think my latest crazy obsession is polka-dots, can you tell? Actually I have always loved them even though migraine sufferers are supposed to avoid bold patterns I am strangely drawn to stripes and dots. I hope to put some of the new work on Etsy in the next few days. Do stay tuned.

Oh, and if you are in the area I have a couple of pieces in a show that opens this Saturday at JF Gallery in West Palm Beach. Hope you can make it.

Angel of Love Tutorial

Please stop by your local bookstore and ask for the most recent copy of Art Doll Quarterly because I have written a tutorial on sculpting a figure. You may notice on the cover it says Sculpting an Angel of Love by Victoria Rose Martin. It's actually the little angel figure you see accompanying this blog. I put her over in the gallery in Lake Worth and she sold, I keep meaning to give a shout out to Joyce at Clay Glass Metal Stone, to let her know if the persons who bought the angel buys the magazine they can watch step by step this figure being made. There are TONS of photos accompanying the tutorial. (FYI: I shoot my work with a Sony NEX-5)

 Aside from bookstores, you can also get copies online at the Stampington/ Art Doll Quarterly web site. A huge thanks to magazine Editor Jana Holstein for running the story.

You can be sure I will be ordering extra copies online.

Tooo Big

I loaded a kiln late last night and fired it today but why you ask is my bottom lip is all pouty and quivering? Because one of my girls was too big for the kiln. (big sigh... she's 23.5 inches tall) I get so darned impatient to see them fired. Maybe that is why the universe guided me to clay in the first place because it is really about patience. If clay is too wet it falls, and you patiently have to wait for it to dry. And then you have to wait for the work to dry before putting it into a kiln. Then if you heat a kiln too fast the work blows up, so you have to take it slow. When the kiln reaches temperature and begins cooling I pace like a father in the delivery room. Sticking paper in the peeps to see if it catches on fire, blowing fans towards the kiln and an ever vigilant ear listening for pinging and popping meaning it's cooling too fast and in danger of breaking. Oh... patience. So once this gal dries I can bring her to the Craft Gallery and have Betty, my clay angel fire my baby. I'll post a picture of her when she's done.

Island City Art Walk: tomorrow night

Just a gentle reminder that tomorrow night is Gallery Walk Night in Wilton Manners. My work is all installed at Greg Mangum Gallery. Hopefully if you are in the area you can make the time to stop by and visit me, and check out the work. January 20, 2012 from 7 - 10 PM.

The gallery walk is along a 1 mile strip of shops, galleries, cafes and boutiques located in Wilton Manners, the Island City. For more information visit the website above. Hope to see you there!