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. : About me : .
 Name::Sapphire Dakini From::Santa Fe, NM, United States "The secret of life is in art." - Oscar Wilde View My Profile . : Artist Statement : .
My art is an exploration of the importance of change and releasing the past, especially the people and situations
that hinder personal growth, empowerment and transformation. The utilization of mythic figures, archetypes, motifs
and themes allows me to explore letting go of the familiar, safe and secure in order to travel to the dark, often
frightening, places of the soul. In this way, I've learned to trust my inner voice and honor my soul's need for
expression and challenge. . : Recent Posts : .
Words of Wisdom from the Daily Om . : Archives : .
May 2005 . :Blog Rings : .
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. : Social Media : . . : Daily Om : .
. : Portfolio : .
www.flickr.com
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. : Printmaking : .
. : Masks : .
. : Memberships : .
Artists Foundation . : Yahoo Groups : .
Art Dollz . : Blogrolls : .
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Thursday, April 26, 2007Where Did April Go?After more than a year of planning, the time has finally arrived for the International Opportunities for Artists Conference here in Boston this weekend. Speakers & artists have started to arrive from all over the world & the conference kicks off Friday night with a reception & dinner. Mary Sherman, the Director of TransCultural Exchange, has done a phenomenal job of orchestrating all of this while teaching full-time & writing grants to raise money to fund the event. There are some great sessions planned so even though I have to work the conference, I'm hoping to meet lots of interesting new people, have my work critiqued, & to learn about promoting art in the international arena. As far as actually getting new work done... Even though I haven't posted any pictures yet, I've been spending a lot of time in my studio lately working on my City & Guilds course. I was a little over-ambitious with the goal of submitting 1 module per month for the embroidery class that I'm taking at the School of Stitched Textiles. I think, once I'm back on schedule, it's going to be closer to 1 module every 2 months. I've been focusing on working on Module 1 the past week so that I can get it submitted in May. They're probably starting to wonder why I haven't submitted anything yet since I signed up for the course in August 2006 (Where did all of that time go? Oh yeah, that was my whole "dark night of the soul" period. I remember now.). I got off to a really slow start, then changed direction a bit mid-stream so I had to go back & re-work some of the exercises, then there was the all important "obsessing about the project" stage where I didn't get anything done at all because I wasn't happy with anything I was doing, then there is the "just put your head down & get it done" stage that I'm at now. It's important to have a process, I think. :-) A big cause of my procrastination with Module 1 had to do with the fact that it involved a lot of drawing. I don't really like to draw. Lots of new discoveries in April though... I came across an interesting Yahoo group over the weekend, The Artist's Muse. Although I'm not familiar with the book by Betsy Dillard Stroud that the group is based on, the fact that the members were working on personal mandalas piqued my interest. I used to do a lot of mandala work years ago when I lived in Santa Fe. It's been a good month for discovering interesting new blogs as people were nominated for the Thinking Blogger award. Recent additions to my Blogroll include Art & Perception; Art News Blog; Ceramics Junkie; Endicott Redux; Ragged Cloth Cafe; Stu Jenks; & Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together. I've been trying to expand my reading list beyond the bead artists, art quilters, collage artists, etc. Labels: life 
Wednesday, April 25, 2007Addition to My Art Library "The colors, textures, & versatility of polymer clay make it a perfect medium for creating faux surfaces & these 30 recipes for special finishing, shaping, baking, & molding techniques will transform polymer's appearance. Craft gorgeous faux gemstones; fool the eye with imitation metals, including Balinese silver & verdigris copper; & copy must-have naturals, from bone to leather. Or make simulated agate, slate, & marble. You'll find information on all the types of polymer clay, from translucent ones to some with mica powder, & see how to enhance their surface with paints, inks, wax compounds, & confetti." Labels: art books
Tuesday, April 24, 2007What I'm Reading "Already metaphysically connected to master vampire Jean-Claude & to Richard, the Ulric of the St. Louis werewolf pack, Anita finds herself in another supernatural triumvirate, this one with the seductive, shape-shifting stripper Nathaniel & the beautiful bloodsucker Damian. With so many preternatural bonds, Anita finds herself struggling to come to grips with the potentially deadly disadvantages -- & the mind-blowing benefits -- of the complicated arrangement. As Anita is just beginning to understand how to utilize her newfound powers, a series of brutal strip club murders forces her to come face to face with her most terrifying foe to date: her own conscience."Labels: books
Saturday, April 21, 2007Addition to Art Library "With classes in more than 10 media, instruction by only the finest practitioners, & an atmosphere of friendly exchange between artists, Penland is the place for crafters to improve & broaden their skills. People from around the world journey to this unique school & artistic community, located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. Here ceramicists discover technical & inspirational resources from the masters that will carry their art to new levels. Each of the Penland professionals represented specializes in a particular technique or method. Photographs show them working as well as featuring their art. Expressly for this volume, they have written the accompanying essays & chosen pieces by other artists to complement their own. Clara "Kitty" Couch fashions deeply glowing coil-built vessels, Angela Pozo's lively tiled mosaics shimmer with color, & Michael Sherrill builds beautiful sculptural objects that hold layer upon layer of texture. There are others who do mold making & slip casting, majolica, wheel-thrown forms, slab reliefs, & much more." Labels: art books
Thursday, April 19, 2007Air Dry Clay is Evil Deep breath... All of this past weekend's work just went into the trash. The self-hardening clay just isn't suitable for what I'm trying to accomplish & I've tried several different kinds. (It cracks like you would not believe.) Or maybe I just have unrealistic expectations. (Hah! There's a surprise!) Normally I wouldn't be in such a state of anxiety except I have a mentoring session scheduled at the International Opportunities for Artists conference a week from Saturday & I was planning to have new work to show. Can you hear that clock ticking? It seems to be keeping time with the nervous twitch above my right eye that I woke up with this morning which, of course, immediately reminded me of Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the original Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers. I'll need that straightjacket in a small, thank you very much.So, deep breath... I'm going to spend this morning sorting through pictures of my existing work to put together the portfolio for the mentoring session. I'm extremely happy with Rainbow (pictured) so I think I'll include the fiber collages that I've done. The afternoon is going to be spent with my sketchbook working on some new designs so that when my ceramics workshop starts on 5/1/07 I can hit the ground running & get as much work fired as possible in the 8 weeks. Then it's off to Dick Blick first thing tomorrow morning to get enough polymer clay (Which means, horror of horrors, that I'll have to actually turn my oven on. And everyone who knows me knows that I only use my oven for storage.) to create at least 5 new pieces before the mentoring session. On the upside, there are blue skies & sunshine in Boston today. Maybe spring has finally arrived. Labels: life
Wednesday, April 18, 2007Addition to My Art Library "It's an absolutely unequalled photographic gallery: no other book has ever presented such a varied, captivating collection of contemporary ceramics based on the human form. The works range from representational to abstract, from artful realism to provocative surrealism, & many of them come from leaders in the field such as Judy Fox, Kurt Weiser, and Andy Nasisse. Kay Yourist has produced female forms that are smooth, minimalist vessels with only the slightest hint of breasts and belly. The simple, rounded features of Diane Lublinski's black-&-white figures possess a fun, clown-like whimsy. Michael A. Prather's mournful ceramic portraits have frowning faces & pointed dunce-like heads in a muted color palette. Many of the ceramics come with detail images & illuminating artist's commentary."
Tuesday, April 17, 2007Inspiration Comes in Many FormsAs I was wandering through the blogosphere 1 morning, coffee cup clutched in hand, I stumbled across Tammy Vitale's blog Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together which then led me to her website Tam's Originals. I want to be her when I grow up. I love her torsos, her masks & the whole philosophy behind her work. It was on her blog that I discovered Awakening Artistry which has been incredibly helpful as I work through this period of transition in my life. I also discovered through Tammy's blog Artomatic, a 5-week long (April 13th - May 20th) multi-media art event in Arlington, VA (right outside Washington, DC) which features 600 artists & performers & 90,000 square feet of paintings, sculptures, photography & other creative work. Definitely an event worth checking out. Labels: life
Monday, April 16, 2007What I'm Reading "These are all things that we have to deal with when going through a career change. What is most difficult is deciding to make the change, especially when you are good at what you do, & wonder whether you should just stick it out in an unhappy-albeit well-paid-environment instead of taking a risk & starting over doing something you love.We all look for what will make us happy in life, but we don't always make the choices that we should when it comes to sustaining that happiness. Tama Kieves shows how to do just that: how to stay happy & employed doing something you love, what it takes to stop being a stressed-out worker & make peace with your career, & most important, with yourself. Filled with solutions to the anxieties & roadblocks you may confront on your path, This Time I Dance! is for all those who are unfulfilled at work & uncertain of the practical steps that they should follow to achieve their dreams." Labels: books
Sunday, April 15, 2007Hi Ho... Hi Ho... It's Off to Work I Go...Finally! A productive weekend in my studio with minimal chaos & interruptions. Saturday was spent with my sketchbook working on designs for the series of ceramic "icons" I'm creating. This is a complete departure from the way I usually work since I never take the time to sketch anything before I start. I always just dive right in. Sunday was spent experimenting with different types of air-dry clay & non-fire products like antiquing gels, etc. since I don't have access to a kiln until my class starts on 5/1/07. I have 5 icons drying & I'm hoping to be able to start painting & embellishing by Wednesday. It's still cool & damp here in Boston so it's taking things a bit longer to dry. If I can remember to get a new battery for the camera this week, I'll be able to get some pictures posted by Friday. Labels: life
Saturday, April 14, 2007What I'm Reading "Late 1 night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book & a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear & unfortunate successor" & they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of - a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past & her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history. The letters provide links to 1 of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known & to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness & wipe it out. It's a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, & even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler & Dracula. Now 1 young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself - to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar & her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed - & that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time & borders, as first the father & then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, & the depths of Eastern Europe. Parsing obscure signs & hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions - & evading the unknown adversaries who will go to any lengths to conceal & protect Vlad's ancient powers - 1 woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past & a confrontation with the very definition of evil."Labels: books
Wednesday, April 11, 2007Addition to My Art Library "The 1st comprehensive how-to book on the topic. Contemporary ceramists have adapted traditional printmaking procedures to transfer images onto clay surfaces. With this thorough resource, anyone can take advantage of these techniques in their own studio — even those with no printmaking background. The simple processes don't require fancy equipment. Use silk-screen decals with light-sensitive emulsions to create a master image: then cover with glazes. Use colored slips for unique monoprints. Work with stencils, relief blocks, or stamps, trying a variety of materials to mark the clay surface. Each method is carefully laid out in numerous photos then shown on a finished piece. More than 100 images by leading contemporary artists showcase the techniques & provide a wealth of inspiration."Labels: art books
Tuesday, April 10, 2007Peacock Redux "Peacock", my 1st bead embroidered collar, has never felt 'finished' for some reason. The collar has been hanging around my studio for a couple of years while I've waited to stumble across the 'right' elements needed to finish it or for a lightning bolt of inspiration. The colors in the piece are absolutely gorgeous but it doesn't seem to have any 'personality'. Every once in a while I'll take it out, experiment with a few new elements, take them back off again, & it goes back on the shelf. Last night as I was working on a new mask, it occured to me that the mask is really going to need something very elaborate to balance it out. So, I believe I've finally found what "Peacock" needs to complete it... a face. Labels: bead embroidery
Monday, April 09, 2007What I'm Reading "July 2005. In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig stumbles into a cave & makes a startling discovery -- 2 crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, & the pattern of a labyrinth; between the skeletons, a stone ring, & a small leather bag.800 years earlier, on the eve of a brutal crusade to stamp out heresy that will rip apart southern France, Alais is given a ring & a mysterious book for safekeeping by her father as he leaves to fight the crusaders. The book, he says, contains the secret of the true Grail, & the ring, inscribed with a labyrinth, will identify a guardian of the Grail. As crusading armies led by Church potentates & nobles of northern France gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take great sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe. In the present, another woman sees the find as a means to the political power she craves; while a man who has great power will kill to destroy all traces of the discovery & everyone who stands in his way." Labels: books
Thursday, April 05, 2007Daring to Be a FoolThe content below is an email received from Awaking Artistry. It came at the perfect time because I just met with a headhunter who spent an hour telling me in a very "helpful" voice all of the things about myself that I need to change. Oddly enough, all of the things that need to be changed are the things that actually make me the person that I am. So I'm more than a little annoyed. Needless to say, she isn't a person that I will be working with in the future. There's nothing worse than a lack of imagination. "Every Hero Begins A Fool Great advances have never come from the conventionally minded among us. It always comes from us idiots who believe in love and freedom and goodness and peace. The fools of today are the visionaries of tomorrow. Those crazy fools of the past gave us electricity, medicine, automobiles, a few trips to the moon and back, not to mention hair dye and microwave dinners. God bless them all. Can you imagine the Wright brothers thinking they could snub the laws of gravity and fly? Think about it. Many of us cower and shrink thinking we're idiots for believing we can write a screenplay that sells. Fools dare to be alive, even on a Monday. Fools dare to take off their shoes, turn off the computer and walk outside into the sun. They know the power, healing, and strength of having fun. Fools dare to take off their thinking cap and try on their feelings fedora. Fools dare to try new things and do them badly. Fools dare to rest when they are tired. Fools dare to sing off key and they dare to sing on key in a voice that melts all separation. Fools dare to wander down interesting paths in their lives, take scenic routes and detours and stuff their bursting satchels with jewels. Fools dare to step into the river beyond the concrete structures of "how it's always been done," and allow themselves to be carried onto new and holy ground. Prudence and conservatism have not advanced our culture. It took the voices on the outskirts to make a noise that changed the world. It's taken a handful of rabble rousers to vote for women's rights, freedom from slavery, and to oppose war, hunger, and hatred. It takes fools to raise awareness and fools to raise the bar. It takes fools to stir the hearts of mankind into becoming the great lovers and leaders we are meant to be. Every time we watch the Academy Awards or the Olympics, I think of all the "foolish dreamers" involved who believed they had something in them that deserved commitment, development, and a jostling chance. Every hero begins as fool. So dare the ridicule of the narrow-minded and dim-sighted. Dare to still believe. Dare to feel. Dare to trust your guiding light. Dare to ignore gravity and take flight. Dare to be a hero. Dare to be a fool."  ©Copyright 2007 Tama J. Kieves. All rights reserved. Labels: life
Monday, April 02, 2007Fantasies I just received the April issue of Ceramics Monthly & there's a section listing all of the 2007 Summer Workshops. So, I'm sitting here drinking my coffee, watching it rain & fantasizing about going somewhere fabulous to study & work for a week. It's probably not going to happen this year but it will definitely be on my list of goals for 2008.I seem to be behind on everything right now so this week I'm spending some time catching up on Take-a-Stitch Tuesday & the module for the City & Guilds Embroidery course I'm taking. The stitches for TAST are becoming much more complex now so I'm having to work a little harder to master them. Hopefully the mask that I've been working on will be completely dry by the weekend so I can start working on the textile & beaded headpiece. It's been cool & damp here in Boston so it's taking the air dry clay a little longer to harden. I'm really looking forward to getting back to kiln-firing. I've also started working on my glaze recipe journal. I can't seem to find the one I put together years ago & have a horrible feeling that I tossed it out when I moved in 2005 thinking I was never going to need it again. Oh well. Labels: ceramics
Sunday, April 01, 2007Where Did Q1 Go?Well, Q1 has been declared a lost cause which means I'll be playing catch-up for the remainder of the year in order to achieve the goals I outlined at the beginning of 2007. Due to a number of factors which were beyond my control, I wasn't able to get as much work done as I had planned. Nothing horrible or catastrophic happened in Q1 but nothing proceeded smoothly either which is sometimes worse when you're a control freak like me. More time than I had expected was spent working on the International Opportunities for Artists Conference being held here in Boston at the end of April & hosted by TransCultural Exchange. It's going to be a great conference with artists & speakers coming in from all over the world but since we're a non-profit organization, we're dependent on grants & donations which means there's never enough money. During the conference, I've scheduled a mentoring session with Talal Moualla, the Director of the Sharjah Art Institute & Arabic Arts Center which means I have to get my act together & decide what work I'm going to be taking with me to the session. I've told myself that I will officially begin obsessing about this 2 weeks before the meeting. I also had a wicked case of pneumonia that just didn't want to let up. It seems to have finally cleared up so I have a lot more energy now & a much brighter outlook on my life. It was definitely a dark & stormy night here for a while. Q1? Not so much fun. This lull did allow me time for extensive navel gazing. (Glad it's pierced so there's something bright & shiny to concentrate on.) I took the time to really look at the work I've been doing over the past few years, think about what I want to be when I grow up, & make some minor corrections in the direction that I want my art to take. It also gave me a chance to look at other aspects of my life & decide what needs to stay, what needs to go, & where I'm willing to compromise in order to be successful. Q1 marked the return to my first love of ceramics & mask making which I'm combining with my textile & bead work. I've been experimenting with polymer & air dry clay the past few months until I could register for the Independent Pottery Workshop at the Boston Center for Adult Education. The workshop starts May 1st so now I'll have access to a kiln. Here's to working towards a more productive & satisfying Q2. Labels: life
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