Bee Keeper in Art Doll Quarterly

Happy to say that my Doll B Keeper is included in the latest issue of Art Doll Quarterly magazine.

 This doll is up at Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery in Winston-Salem, NC if you want to see her.

It's always a really nice surprise to come home from work and pick up a favorite magazine and see my work. From dragging tail to chipper. My husband leaves magazines on the couch for me so I can drop and veg. (thank you Jody) And thank you to Jana Holstein for publishing my dolls.

Scooter Sculpture

Latest check, the world is still a mess. I wish we could scoot out of here. So this lovely gal reflects my feelings. Driving me crazy. Can't watch the news.
Trying to focus on happy but somehow she looks sad. Or is it pensive? (oh don't say Pence) LOL.

 Can't think of a name for her? For now she's Scooter Girl. Goofy just like me.

You've Got to Work It.

You've got to rework it is more like it. Normally my studio wall has pieces displayed that are either fresh made, ready for the gallery, or hate it and it's ready for "hammer time". Hammer time is when I take a hammer and smash the crap out of them. I mean I can't let yucky ones out there into the world. That would be so wrong.
So I have been reworking these. And now I am liking them. And it's taking my mind off this awful election.

New hair. New puppets, new body, feathers, wings. 

If life was only so easy.

Can you imagine how this would change bad hair days? I'd scoop out a new bob or braids. Take some fat off the thighs. Add wings. Perfect.

Just goes to show you, nothing is lost until it is... Or is it?

Smooth Sailing!

“hark, now hear the sailors cry,
smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic...”
Van Morrison

 

 It feels like the world has gone absolutely mad and I just want smooth water. My little fingers are crossed because think I found a summer get-away in my hometown. The inspection is tomorrow.

 There are visions of summers along the St. Lawrence River. Summer days in my studio in New York. That sounds so nice to me.

The property has a garage with a large loft, that looks like a perfect space for a studio. Hoping for good news on the inspection. But as Ricky Scaggs sings, “I can't control the wind but I can adjust the sail.”

 So we wait

And these little ceramic girls have sails they never need to adjust.

Born to be Wild

Here's a new double figure called Born to be Wild. Sometimes my work can lean to a slightly darker vein. This one is just silly sweet. While I think I am sort of wild I am so not. I am totally Boring. These guys sort of play on that. I guess wildness is sort of like beauty:  in the eye of the beholder.

 And I have fond memories of being a child and ogling Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit illustrations. So I drew my own Peter Rabbit type character.

The head on the right is so like a couple of my nephews. Funny how that happens. Hope you enjoy them.

St. Lawrence River Rats by Victoria Rose Martin

I've been getting pieces together for the Bay House Artisan's in Alexandria Bay, NY. I've created a series of pieces call River Rats. That's the name given to people who spend a lot of time on the St. Lawrence. The pieces are based on memories of swimming at the Village Park and at Aunt Margaret's cottage at Clear Lake. We weren't allowed near the dock without out life jackets you know.

Ta da!! You'll notice these kids are standing. The bases resemble the rocks that jut from the St. Lawrence River. Some are glazed to have the look of moss and water lines. They also have holes in their backs so they can be hung on a wall too.

I am getting ready to send a few smaller pieces to the gallery in the next day or two. When we head up in July I am bringing the larger pieces with the girls riding on the castle. So if you're in Northern New York this summer make a trip to Alexandria Bay to visit the kids.

There's No Place Like Home

This past weekend I went home to Alexandria Bay in Northern New York.  Maybe it's getting older, maybe it's a need to feel grounded but I needed to go. While there we celebrated my sister Virginia's birthday and she gifted me with 4 sets of deer antlers. (me doing the happy dance) Oh, get ready to see more deer women in my work people. The weather was perfect, and my sister took us out into the deep woods to her camp on her Polaris Ranger (Four Wheeler). We saw deer (of course), dug around for arrow heads, and I could feel my soul drinking it all in. The photos accompanying this entry are Boldt Castle and the village dock in the Bay. If you've never been up that way it's a beautiful part of the country.

Studio: A Different View

Hello! I had planned on posting images of my new work today, however Tropical Storm Isaac had other plans. You're getting a photo of the view from my studio. This morning I began glazing my work at my table which you can see in the photo. "But the table is empty you ask"? Blame Isaac.

This afternoon there was this AWFUL roar (like a freight train) at the front of the house and I ran like a jack rabbit to the rear of the house where my studio is. When I got there I heard more roaring (go figure) and I saw my fence flying away. You can see the fence neatly piled in the yard behind the pool.

The news just stated the obvious "unconfirmed reports of a tornado in Lake Worth". After a major crying spell and overall freak out, like any true artist I moved all of my artwork off the table into the "safe room". (I am such a dork) It actually gives the rider pieces I've been sculpting new meaning. Very Wizard of Oz I must say.

Fingers crossed that's the worst of it.

On the Cover: Piedmont Craftsmen Newsletter

I received the newsletter from Piedmont Craftsmen the other day and found my little salt and pepper shakers were on the cover! Way too cool. It was one of those experiences where you open a piece of mail and you're looking at it and saying huh that looks familiar and then "ding dong" the light switches on! Oh, it's my work. There is another small piece and write up on the inside but I am only including the cover. 

I was far too lazy to photoshop the creases from the picture I posted with this entry. (it's a folding mailer) Actually, now that I mention it I have been far too lazy to do much of anything the past couple of weeks. I think I burned myself out over spring break. Or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

There are actually two salt and pepper shakers sitting on my studio table. One has no arms, not because I am trying something new or different. It's because yours truly was too lazy to add arms before she got too dry. But who knows if I like the way they turn out I might make more. 

New Face Vase

I am on spring break and happier than a clam in high tide... or something like that. Prior to break I had said to everyone I was going to put a cot in my studio and actually I have come pretty darned close. It's so nice having so much time to sculpt. I started these pieces last night. They are vases just right for one flower. I went outside and picked a hibiscus from the front yard and stuck it in one of their heads. It's like the one on the right is like "hey bee-atch where's my flower?"

They totally remind me of the large over sprayed hairstyles of the 1950's. What were they called, beehives? Bouffants? Or one of the girl singing groups from the same era. Actually the inspiration behind these: I was sitting out on my patio looking at the clouds and for some reason they reminded me of poofy hairdo's. And yes, I am a strange girl.

Lately I've been firing on Saturdays, we'll see if I can get these girls done by then. If I do watch my Etsy for a few new pieces. Right now I have 4 of these head vases. They stand about 10 inches high. And I am probably going to have a couple of double figures too.

Great Opening Night at Greg Mangum

I am happy to report that last night was amazing at Greg Mangum Gallery. A great turn out and a lot of red dots (if you're in the biz you know when a piece sells it gets a red dot sticker). It was really great having the opportunity to speak with old friends and collectors who I am sure will become new friends. I also want to tell my friend Victoria that when I left at 10 pm the sculpture 3 Legged Race was still without a red dot... keep your fingers crossed!

I shot these pictures when there was a lull in the crowd. And if you haven't attended an Island City Art walk in Wilton Manners I highly recommend it. It was a great vibe with throngs of people popping in and out of galleries, shops and boutiques that were hosting events. I was really impressed.

And a big thanks to Greg and Ken for all they have done to promote my art. Be sure to stop by the gallery, the show will be up for a few weeks. By the way Greg and Ken are both really talented artists. They'll be in Key West next weekend for an art show. One day I hope to get my hands on one of Greg's bird paintings. (I love the big colorful crow painting). And speaking of arts hows, I am on my way to Art Palm Beach; inspiration here I come!

Creative Spark and Amsterdam

You'll find a nice interview on Create Mixed Media. There are photos of my studio and some interiors of my house. And yes, my dining room really is purple and turquoise. One of the questions asked of me was "if I could spend one day making art with someone who would it be?". I said Vincent Van Gogh.

We spent last week in Amsterdam and I got to visit the Vincent Van Gogh museum. Seeing so much of his work was very inspirational. Aside from drooling over Van Gogh's work, one of the thing I will remember the most about Amsterdam was the number of bicycles in the city. Holy crap crossing the street was seriously taking one's life in their own hands. Back in the states we have multi level parking garages for cars, in Amsterdam they are PACKED with bikes. The photo attached here is just a tiny detail of a garage.

There were bikes under canal bridges, bike racks where they had them stacked three high. Aside from bikes there are some nice museums in Amsterdam including the Rijk Museum (Rembrandt's night watch was the highlight) and the Hermitage.

LH Horton Jr Gallery: Stockton, CA

I've just been notified that the piece accompanying this entry was accepted for the Visions in Clay exhibition at LH Horton Jr Gallery, Stockton, California.

The juror for the show is Judith S. Schwartz, Ph.D., and she has identified an international movement of artists who use clay confrontationally in the book, Confrontational Ceramics. If you visit the web site you can sneak a peek inside the book. My copy is on its way.

Exhibition Dates: August 18 – September 15, 2011.
Reception: August 18th, 5-7pm.

If you are in the Stockton, California area please stop by the LH Horton Jr Gallery at Delta College.

Victoria Rose Martin- Florida Craftsmen Gallery

Florida Craftsmen Gallery shows sculptures evoking oil spill - St ...
I don't know about you, but in this summer of the oil spill, I can hardly bear to look at photographs of slimed birds and sea animals, not to mention read ...
www.tampabay.com/features/visualarts/article1110067.ece

My Favorite Places

This is absolutely one of my favorite places on the planet. Affectionately known as "my bridge". Give me a sunny day, a stroll by the Thames, maybe stop off for a pint late in the afternoon, more walking and great conversation.

While in London Jody and I wear pedometers and on average we walk 5 miles per day. You just don't get that here in Florida because we are so reliant on automobiles. That is one of the things I miss the most when we get home.

The London Eye

Jody and I took a great "flight" up the London Eye last night just before sunset. Attached are an image of a view of Westminster from atop the eye and the London Eye from Westminster Bridge.

Etsy is Up and Running

Finally, at long last I uploaded work to Etsy. I was really whipping the guilts on myself for not doing it sooner.

If you would like to visit my Etsy Shop click on this link and view my online store. All of the work is quite small in scale, affordable and ready to ship.

I am waiting to open my kiln (I fired today). Tomorrow morning is going to be like Christmas day. It's always the same routine, I tippy toe out to the garage in my pj's, crack the kiln and pray the kiln Gods were good to me. Lots of rabbit creatures in the newest batch, watch for new images in the next few days.

Palm Beach State- January 12

On January 12 there are big changes at PBCC. That is the day we become Palm Beach State College. The College began offering its first Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision and Management in fall 2009. It is seeking state approval to offer additional bachelor's degrees, including a Bachelor of Science in nursing and B.A.S. in information management technology. Rumor mill has it that a BFA may soon be on its way!

A New Schtick

Something really nice happened the other day, I was in a shop and as I was paying my bill the clerk said "Aren't you the artist who makes those little bird people?"It was quite surprising and I asked her how she knew and she said "I've seen your work in galleries and I really like it". I must say it was pretty cool.

Also very cool, here is one of my newest babies fresh out of the kiln. This series is small scale (5 inches). This piece is called Love On My Mind.

I am sculpting and getting ready for my show this summer in London, England. I will update you when I have more information and know which pieces I am bringing over. It is all so exciting.

And They're Out

I just unloaded and even had time to photograph the work, which is a very good thing since I have to deliver the work to the gallery tomorrow morning. This photo shows the box with the drawer opened and you can see the lovely chartreuse color against the rich blue.

If you are in Lake Worth this Thursday evening at 5pm - 7 pm, stop by the PBCC Lake Worth Campus Jan and Gary Dario
Gallery. There will be plenty of free food and drink, and a whole lot of wonderful art.