The Glass Cannon

Glass cannons are a popular trope in television, games etc.  A thing of immense power that is also incredibly fragile....Allow me to introduce my artistic self esteem!

I can make absolutely beautiful and astonishing things but every tiny shred of pride can be cut down by the well placed criticism. I am not including constructive criticism or even the shit sandwich here. (Shit sandwich equals 'Good thing as bottom slice of bread' Something to improve/not so good thing for a filling 'Good thing as top slice of bread')

The criticism most probably will not come from an external source either, it stems from my eternal, internal uber critic. The voice that points out I still haven't made 'insert long procrastinated project' or made contact with 'insert business/gallery name' Unfortunately for me and like many other people attempting to make their way as artistic professionals, I am constrained by budgetry concerns...Essentially meaning that I do not have an art budget at the moment. That push for a new level of profesionalism and perfection....well I need a powered rotary tool...awww too bad!

Quite often this inspires me to push against the boundary and use my skill to make some money. In the four months that I traded full time as Purky Products I made a fair amount of gross profit but once the expenses came out my Net was hugely underwhelming. I now realise, I undercharged for my work in an attempt to breach the more general market and that I should not have been trying to breach the general market!

I spent the two months after Christmas looking for work. The plan being that I would find some temp or part time work, reboost the coffers and get Purky rolling again with a new collection in Spring. Work took 8 weeks to find and so of course now I am working to pay back my overdraft that I ate into!

So is, he is having a moan and a bitch? Not really folks, I am laying out to myself and the world that actually this 'Quit your dayjob' shit is incredibly hard work and that you may have to take steps back on your way up the mountain.

Currently I am working in a warehouse, in a hyper masculine and non-creative environment and must say I am holding my own. The tedious menial work is giving my brain the space to breath. Of course thinking time equals a fair amount of self-beration time but it also means external stimulation and new ideas.

I geniunely believe in the glass cannon analagy and will be bringing new products to life soon.

So you know, I did do my garden and some designing on Saturday. I also enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch with DB, Supervixeyasbo and her husband and took some time to chill out.

This Saturday, more gardening and designing is planned.

To everyone who reads, thankyou very much

I also wish to thank the artistic creative people around me who offer me their technical and emotional support. It is very much appreciated.

xx

An interim post

Hi folks, tis moi.

I have started my job and it seems to be going quite well. I am working in a warehouse, 35 hours a week which in theory gives me time to craft although at the moment I am still getting used to the daily structure.

I have also implemented a healthier eating plan to try and shift some of the Purky podge and reinvigorate myself.

I am going to spend Saturday morning in the garden sorting out my fruit bushes and trimming back the weeds from the perenials bed. Going to put my potted rosebushes in there and some other pretty flowering type plants whilst leaving space for the summer bedding. It is still too cold though to start buying it in.

Saturday afternoon, touch wood. I am going to jump into the studio and at the very least tidy it up so I have space to work. I find that helps me to be creative.

My lovely and only recently discovered friend Beth is heading back over to India to get ready for her next major move. As I do not know when I will see her again, I have invited her over for dinner Saturday night.

Its still a bit complicated over here at Purky Towers with regards the DB (dear boyfriend, downgraded from darling husband because he no longer wants to marry me) and all the logistical stuff of existing in an economic and social downturn.

Even Phil the cat is being very stressed and demanding.

Oh and an update on my lovely friends expecting their first baby, it appears the chocks are away and the whole grisly miraculous process is starting. My best thoughts and love to them.

Stay tuned for a proper Purky Products update in the next few days with real pictures of stuff wot I made :)

H

Super Secret Baby Shower

This is a post with a minimum of self, honest!

I did a lovely thing for a wonderful friend and her husband. He fronted the money (because I had failed so spectacuarly in the job finding) and I did most of the work. They love each other very much and work hard at their relationship. I have so much confidence in their ability to be parents and wanted to help them celebrate.


As a couple they have gone through a lot of pain and misery to bring their bundle of joy into the world. There are no pictures of (other) people here because I havent had chance to ask for permissions. However in updates I may add some more pictures in.

The big thing here is that the party was a surprise. All the ordering of supplies, booking the venue, hiring the china was a secret and normally it was things that my friend would be involved in. Was very odd being duplicitous.

Without further ado, some pictures of cakes, china and stuff!

a selection of nuts and seeds being toasted ready to be added to!

70% dark chocolate! nom! Also some lovely dried fruit was added.

It was poured into a tin and refrigerated to become this tasty rocky road :) Easiest bit of baking for the party.

Less successful were my exploding brownies which were tasty but lacked that good factor sadly. No idea what triggered the explosion.

The theme of the party was 'anarchic tea party' so I made tiny tiny scones :)

They were served with a selection of Jams and a lot of clotted cream!

I made my own salmon terrine which I served in sandwiches as well as tuna mayonaisse, egg mayonaisse and cucumber. All were made fresh that morning on brown and white bread. Veggie sandwiches are on one side and carnivorous sarnies on the other. The menu was based on tea at the Ritz hotel :)

My DH made the centrepiece cake which has double cream frosting and the inside is marbled blue and black. It weighed a ton!

Check it out next to the jam jar for a sense of scale!

I borrowed a tea urn for the occassion and had lots of kinds of lovely tea. I also rented vintage china and had great fun picking out all the different pieces. How kitsch, British and fabulous?

This is me looking rather plump unfortunately, handing out some of the presents. Our friends brought some lovely gifts for the expecting couple which actually surprised me because I told everyone gifts were optional! In the end there were so many I had to set up a table to put them on, oh and run home to fetch a tablecloth for it!

Another shot of my handmade mini scones, I was 'Very' proud of them! They are on a lovely platter made from bits of china glued together.

The beautiful coffee pot that I wish I could buy! There is something about good china that makes me all gooey inside.

This is the teapot I picked out for the guest of honour and she was very enamoured with it. The ruse for the party was that I was having an exhibition in the local community hall and was inviting guests. I actually went outside and play acted at being very stressed and unable to cope as she arrived.

She walked in and everyone yelled surprise but she just couldn't take in that her mother and best friend (who live in London) as well as other friends and colleagues were there.

It took a good ten minutes for it to sink in that this was a baby shower in her honour.

In all it was a solid two days of  baking all the cakes and icing them and such, plus a lot of secretive running around. I think it was entirely worth it and made me very happy. The only thing I am dissapointed with is the lack of photographs. I wish I had either borrowed a photographer or a couple of digi cameras to put on the table.

For good measure here is my DH looking absolutely gorgeous. Check out those brown eyes that I fell in love with nearly ten years ago. (only been together for three of those though, tis a long story) We are having a hard time at the moment with money, employment, the future directions we want to take. I want him, our cat and to make enough money from being creative to support us all.

Anyways, catch you all later and if you want me to organise you a tea party I would be absolutely delighted.

I hang my head in shame!

Faithful blurkers and followers I apologise for not posting for eleven days, that seems like an eternity.

I this time I have thrown a very successful teaparty which will have  a blog post all to itself once I have edited the photographs.

Found a job, phew! Which means I can now pay the bills, impose a structure on my life and will ironically free me to produce more artwork. Its not exactly glamourous but the pay is pretty good.

My DH is away in Cardiff at the moment investigating his/our future.

The cat is being a nag as is his perogative, the gerbils are being antisocial and my land snail is continuing to gain mass.

Its been a huge emotional rollercoaster lately but things are starting to stabilise a bit and I will get some art done :)

Lazy post

Hi guys, sorry about this but it feels like my life is boiling down into a few catagories. Those being 'failed job applications', 'unrealistic expectations' and 'why are you not making stuff'.

My intention is to join the Somerset guild of craftsmen and to do that I need to create a series of 'master works' to photograph and use as a portfolio. I have planned what I am going to make and thus far failed to create them. I am going to make some buttons, tile pendants, revolution pendants, drop earrings and a few assorted sculptural items. Photograph them beautifully, generate some text and them have an online service print a few copies as a photo book. This photo book could then be used to bolster my self esteem and to get wholesale accounts for my work.

Suffice to say this grand project has not yet happened. I have both time and clay but am lacking in motivation and determinaton. If I do this, then it will generate money. I need money so I should do this. Easy, or 'Simples' as a certain russian mammal would say. I don't know why my head makes it so hard.

Par example, these are revolution pendants made as earrings. I learned the swirling technique from the fabulous Desiree McCrorey and  I have been making them for four years now.

This is first pair of earrings. I love carefully measuring and cutting the clay then rolling it into the initial ball to start the process. I love how unpredictable it can be and how it needs precise attention.

I am not so keen on how my flab seems to roll about as I swirl the clay but nothing is perfect. Making these pendants makes me happy, again I have clay and material so why the lack of motivation?







My dear friend commision some charm bracelets from me and I had a lot of trouble getting started on them. Then it dawned on me to use swirled lentil beads and voila it looked fabulous.

All chunky and funky and what not.

Its time to ask that question. Am I depressed, demotivated or just plain lazy?

If I am lazy, then well I don't know what to do. I don't to be a lazy person, it goes against the fibre of my being. For other people for work situations I always push forward and work really hard. For me? Not so much.

I know there aren't many folks reading my blog but of those that are out there. Please comment and let me know what you think I can do to reinvigorate myself. Its really starting to get me down.

Catch you later

HJ Purky

x

Mini-Soiree

We hosted a mini party on Saturday which was kinda fun.

When I say kinda fun, I mean on Friday night I was dancing down the aisles of the supermarket filled with delight at the opportunity to cook (love cooking) and to socialise (adore socialising).

I did battle with my house to make it really tidy clean and presentable.

Would you like to see my spread?

I massively over-catered.

Cheese fondue, home made bread, meaty snacks and retro plates :)

Mmmm home made felafal!

Creamy, winey, cheesey hot gunk mmmmmmmmmm

My veggie side, home made roast vegtable pasta salad, home made potato salad, salady salad, indian veggie snacks, crudites and dips :D

Just for good measure here is my DH playing Guitar Hero

And my cat looking magical :)

It was a really pleasant evening and cheered me up immensely. Took my mind of having no money, no job and a poorly car.

I have secured a commision for some silver jewellery today which has cheered me up a lot and posted my work up on craftster forum for some critique and comment.

Catch you laters

H xx

Wierd Wednesday-ness

I am not doing brilliantly with the passage of time at the moment. How can it possibly be Wednesday? It would perhaps help if I went to bed when it was dark and got up when it was light and indulged the neolithic man inside myself.

However, I am going to bed at two or three in the morning and getting up between eight and ten in the morning. Same amount of sleep but a much smaller amount of rest. Last night/morning I applied for loads of jobs including one in a bank! Can anyone really see me working in a bank? I got a few rejection emails this morning which is a shame.

Had some cheery-ness yesterday (daytime) when I saw one of my items had been listed in a treasury, yay! However still no sales on the etsy front. I think that is mostly due to my listing style so I am going to attempt to remedy that soon.

In an attempt to stop myself being dragged down into that annoying self doubting misery I have been photographing things I have made and believe have artistic merit.

These tasty chaps are my large single bead pendants. Designed for that instant bit of colour :) I enjoy making them because pretty much each one is unique or of a very limited number.

I want to get back into making smaller beads and then using them to make necklaces and such. Really pretty ones with pearls and semi precious stones. Also kinda tempted by making much larger beads and wire wrapping them.

It appears there is a real trend in polymer clay at the moment for naturalistic items so may push myself in that direction.

Or just be multi-coloured. I was quite cheered when I found a stash of pictures lurking on photobucket of my older work :) I will do a post on them at some point, so I can do a sort of progress report.

I had best go now before I ramble even more.

Purky hugs

Harry xxx