A treat to work from a live model

[Heidi Maiers]

Spent a few more hours on her tonight and finished up as much modeling as I intend to do on this practice piece. I wish I had your quest for perfectionism Garth - but I get bored easy and am always anxious to get started on the next piece.

[Julie Deane]

Wow! This is a practice piece?!?

[Heidi Maiers]

Sure Julie, that's pretty much the meaning of an open studio. A place to get to practice making a "quickie" from a live model.

Geary, thanks. I always enjoy reading your enthusiastic and humorous posts. I can well relate to what you are saying. Hand me a piece of charcoal, graphite, pen and ink, and I know what to do with them. Throw color into the mix and I am TOTALLY lost!

[Sharon Knettell]

Six hours! I'm still scratching my head at that point.

Wonderful!

[Mary Sparrow]

Wow Heidi, that is terrific! You amaze me.

[Michele Rushworth]

Amazing - especially the hair!

[Jeanine Jackson]

The joy you had in creating this is evident! Let my voice join my the chorus of amazed and admiring viewers.

[Denise Hall]

Heidi,

My husband and I are in awe of your work. I especially like the peach low fire look. I was a ceramics minor way back when in college and understand the process you must go through to get this fired without breakage and I know you have some sleepless nights sometimes.

Thank you so much for posting such great pictures of your work. I would love to see your work in person - do you show in any galleries on the east coast?

Denise

[Heidi Maiers]

Linda, Geary, Jeanine, and Denise,
Thank you all so much for your generous comments and I love looking at all of your works as well. This forum is a treasure indeed.

Denise, hi, I don't think I've run across you in the forum yet. Ceramic is a fun medium I did a lot of experimenting trying to figure out how to fire a nearly solid piece without even a single hairline crack. The secret is to steam dry, not air dry them.

The only piece I've ever had break beyond repair was, unfortunately, a piece that was not mine. A young gal had made a bust of her father's dog to give to him as a Christmas present and at that time I used to do some firing for people through the local ceramic outlet. I told her to make sure it was completely dry before she brought it over for me to fire. The day she brought it was a cold (minus 25 degree) morning and I just assumed the piece was cold because it had been in her trunk and it didn't dawn on my that it was still wet. She also was not sure what kind of clay it was or what the cone was. It looked like a terra cotta red, so I mistakenly thought it must be a cone 5 clay. Two days later when I looked in the kiln to take it out, I was mortified to see nothing but a pile of red dust.

To this day, over 20 years later, I still get a sick knot in my stomach thinking about the phone call I had to make to her to let her know that it was ruined beyond repair and not to come pick it up. She was not a happy camper. I never fired any one else's stuff again after that until just this month I fired a friend's first bust and it turned out perfectly, thank God.

The only galleries I showed in were in Idaho from 1990-99. Now most of the work I make are one of a kind commissions, so there are no pieces currently on display at any public locations. I thought about approaching galleries here in Phoenix, but there is so much competition here that I have often heard that the galleries resent being "confronted" by artists every day seeking representation so that has kept me away.

[Mark Branscum]

Originally Posted by Heidi Maiers

Sure Julie, that's pretty much the meaning of an open studio. A place to get to practice making a "quickie" from a live model.

Geary, thanks. I always enjoy reading your enthusiastic and humorous posts. I can well relate to what you are saying. Hand me a piece of charcoal, graphite, pen and ink, and I know what to do with them. Throw color into the mix and I am TOTALLY lost!

Hello Heidi,

Wow, So beautiful, I am at a loss of words to be able to describe how I felt when I saw it. I can say it was pure amazement.

My brother does that for a living. In fact he was just commissioned to do a 9' piece of Chief Supulpa, for Supulpa Oklahoma. He is probably one of the best I have ever seen. But, I can say this, your work reminds me of his, similar style.

His work on Chief Supulpa will be shown live via Web Cam step by step. As soon as it is online, which will be soon, I'll let you know if your interested.

But anyway, you should be proud of this work it is good, very good.
Oh and by the way, I dont see any of your weaknesses you mentioned in it.

By the way I tried getting to your site but the link wasn't working.


Mark Branscum