It's All About the Monkeys

And maybe just a little about the clowns, too!

Jim Sheely's artwork is weird and wonderful and he has quite a following, not only in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, but all over the world. His wood carvings and drawings come from a place that most of us can't even imagine. Since I'm partial to monkeys and have no clown phobias, this is definitely my favorite piece. If you'd like to see more, you can check out his photos on Flickr, too. I'd love to get some clay in his hands and see what kind of magic might happen.

Speaking of magic, there's nothing quite so magical as seeing Leslie Blackford creating something/anything out of clay. She's one of those rare people who don't have to think much about the process. It just seems to come out of her hands all on its own. I love this green monkey mask which I believe has found its way into Hollie Mion's polymer clay collection.

Chris Henry, my guildmate here in West Virginia, is still making wonderful bottles of hope. You may remember her cool red art deco cat that I showed you a few months ago. I wish I could give you a link to more of her work. She makes fabulous dolls, as well. Since she has no web presence or even a Flickr site, I thought that with your help, we might be able to change that. I've written her a little note and if you have a free moment or two, here's what you can do. Copy the highlighted text below and click here for an email form addressed to Chris. Paste the text into the email, sign your name or Oprah's name or really any name you'd like and send it on. I'm hoping she'll receive so many emails that she'll get the hint. She has a wonderful sense of humor but I'll be sure to let you know if she's still speaking to me after our next guild meeting.

Dear Chris,

You probably don't know me but Kim said I should write to you and let you know that I really enjoy your work. A Flickr site is so easy that anyone with a camera and a computer can get one started. What are you waiting on?

Sincerely,

____________

I just wanted to say how much I appreciated all of the comments and emails that I received after my last post. It's a wonderful feeling to be part of such a supportive community and although I know that not everyone agreed with what I had to say, I appreciate that your opinions were presented with dignity and a sense of respect for all the readers of this blog. Thank you for that.