Yawn.... (Or, maybe even a growl!)

Where have I been? Two simple answers. One, I haven't felt too inspired lately and creating art has been a real drag. What stuff I did create is just that..... stuff. It's full of what I'd call, "Blah!" The other is simple, I have found a corner of a world that I enjoy. That corner is in the on-line game, "World of Warcraft." Many an hour/day has been spent moving my mouse and pressing various keys enabling my character to interact with the other bits-and-bytes that represent other players.

Other than the occasional class taught at the Bay Area Glass Institute, I have not had the opportunity to do any in-depth glasswork. That all changed one day, in early December, when an e-mail crossed my browser. I was commissioned to create a glass chessboard. "Cool," I thought, then I continued to read.... "goes along with handmade ceramic chess pieces" and "need by Christmas." Hmmm, still an interesting challenge. I inquired about the size of the chess pieces. The answer came back, the largest piece had a diameter of 2.5 inches. Then it hit me. A chessboard is 8 squares by 8 squares. There needs to be room on each side of the chess piece to allow for easy movement. Each square needs to be 3 inches by 3 inches. 3 times 8 equals 24. 24 inches is the same as 2 feet. WAIT A MINUTE! THAT'S HUGE! In the fusing world, pieces that are larger than 18 inches on a side are quite large. After some running around town, coordinating resources and sweating, the chessboard was completed. The customer is quite happy and often uses the chessboard.

That work awakened a hibernating feeling. The feeling of creativity. That feeling that was locked away, beaten down by the man and forgotten. My mind is racing. Silverwork, beads and fusing. Projects I had once put down are criss-crossing in my cerebrum seeking a way to express themselves. Workshops and learning opportunities are beginning to make themselves known. Now, the only hurdle I need to overcome is that of my arch-nemesis, time. Carpe Diem!