Upcoming exhibition, "Earth, Air, Water, Fire" inspired me to construct another Goddess Box. This one is called "Pele - Goddess of Fire", honoring the Hawaiian Goddess Pele after the recent eruptions on the Big Island in Hawaii. 
I create these boxes out of leftover framing materials, found objects, materials, papers, yarns, jewelry elements -  (I am a pack rat), and each box will have a piece of jewelry which matches the jewelry worn by the Goddess on the box top. 
It is interesting to me to be asked "why" I do these creations....I often feel if I stuck to just one aspect of my art, I'd be really good at it....however, I'd be bored spitless, and probably my work would begin to bore the viewers as well.  I am inspired by life - by other artists - by nature - learning new things.  Often, my work takes on a life of it's own - I may start with an idea, but it develops while I work - sometimes taking complete left turns. 
I like to interact with others - it usually makes me think about my viewpoints, perhaps altering them.  I love to learn new (to me) things, from techniques, approaches, data about a wide variety of aspects of our existence.   Enjoy the trip!   For more images of this box, and other constructions click HERE.

So, after 2 years of "rehabbing" myself health-wise to almost "normal", I've gotten my hands back into clay:  sculpting figures, and making platters and other misc. items.  Started with clay donated by a neighbor more than a few years ago - reconditioned it (water in a bucket, mix by hand, dry it a bit on a plaster table, wedge the shit out of it...)  And have been having fun.  Yes, it is a LOT of work, but it definitely helps me physically & mentally. 

The sculpture above is drying slowly, and will then be bisque fired, then glazed & fired again.   The platters below are part of a process - roll the clay out, use my carved clay rollers (which I made years ago) to impress a design into the clay, shape, finish edges and bottoms, dry, bisque fire.  I'm at a point where I've must applied an iron oxide wash to bring out/enhance the textured surfaces of the white clay.  Next step is to glaze them.   Early glaze testing (top photo) I like the green glaze, and the clear and a white and a gold, so I'll be playing with all of these.  Tried to do these in sets of 6.   Yes, I've been busy.  Want to get these finished for our "3 of-a-Kind" exhibition in October.

Latest show, "Ravens Flying" @ the White Raven in Felton is up and running!  I have a bunch of digital paintings, some new, 3-D constructed Raven Altars, and Raven cards.  Celebrating 1st Friday Art Walk in Felton, March 2, from 5 - 8, so come on by and say hello, enjoy some refreshments.  FREE event.

On my "health" front - a lot has happened.  My doctor felt my imbalance symptoms have gone on too long (almost 2 years) for the original diagnosis of Vestibular Neuritis to be a correct one, so have been going to Stanford Ear Clinic for a bunch of evaluative tests.  The upshot is they have given me a diagnosis of "Superior Canal Dehiscence"  (SCD  http://vestibular.org/superior-canal-dehiscence-scd ) confirmed by an electrical nerve stimulation (VEMP) and a CT showing a hole in the bone which forms the superior canal arch...meaning the liquid in that canal, used for internal gravitational balance is compromised.  They also did a test with a tuning fork, which they touched to my left ankle bone, and I could hear/feel it in my left ear!?!?!?  (Go figure!)  So while I am elated at having a good diagnosis, my future path is a bit "muddied".  There are a few correctional surgeries, none of which are trivial - involves opening up one's skull, moving a brain lobe to expose the hole in the bone, and "resurfacing" the bone - or plugging the canal.  There are problems associated with these procedures, so I'm seeking some more opinions, evaluations, etc.  If I do nothing, I'm still faced with imbalance issues - and I feel I've plateaued on how far I've come with constant balance exercises, etc.  At the end of the day, when I am tired and lose focus, I am like a drunken sailor - and this is how I fell July 30th and broke my arm (yikes!) which is now mostly healed - I have worked on getting range of shoulder motion back so I can at least do some exercises.  So it all goes!  At least I can enjoy the creative spirit once again.  Thankful for this.
Hugs and Thanks to one and all!

Image above is about a White Raven flying over an old map of the Santa Cruz Area, with some "forest" trees (from a sketch) composited into it all.  Currently on exhibit at the White Raven in Felton, CA.