Wouldn't you know that on my flight out of Texas I meet a real cowboy? The VP of the Sandhill Rodeo on the way to Las Vegas for some committee meeting before a rodeo. I told him I've been in Texas for three weeks and he's the first real cowboy I saw. He was reading magazines on horses and cattle wearing his cowboy
hat, boots, silver encrusted belt with the big buckle, even a briefcase that looked like saddle bags.. He laughed at my "Rice Cracker" jokes. We exchanged cards so he can prove that he met a whilted flower child hippy art teacher and I can prove that I met a real cowboy who has cattle and horses, as well as a few oil wells. Roger Turner, looked like a young Randy Quaid.

But I digress

All three workshops were too fun. I had two hopes going to Texas. (1) that folks would laugh until they farted. (2) that they would learn so much their heads exploded. I feel both were accomplished.

For the Austin Polymer Clay Guild's wood grain, leaf and flower petal we got the wood grain and the complicated chevron flip with the jelly roll blend, sandwiched veins, and did the brain massage of "If it's a dot it's a snake, if it's a line it's a sheet and if it is a gradation of color it's a blend". We didn't make flower petals but I had tons of examples from demos and we reviewed the technique of reverse engineering designs. Clayers who never "raised cane" did so that day. I got to use a white board and I felt like a cross between Mick Jagger and a tele-evangelist. They never heard the rant about being creative is God given and not to do art is a sin of omission.
http://www.norajean.com/2007/11-18-APCG/001.htm

Denise dyed my hair in three colors and I'm sure there's some pictures coming of how it came out. I love it, it's very Leo, like the color of a lion's mane.

I got to go window shopping with Denise and Jen in Austin. Are they cool in Austin or what? Jen was part of the Austin Artist's Studio Tour and her work was exhibited with a collective of artists in CARGO CONTAINERS, (can you tell I was impressed?) stacked like leggos. I tell you it was a mind blower. Jen and I went out on Friday night to help her husband, Wes, and their friend Buck, set up lights and hang her collection of trypitchs if contemporary saints, like the saint of firefighters, the saint of mechanics. They got good reviews but I'll let Jen share that part of the story.

For the San Antonio Polymer Clay Guild we camped out in Eva's Texas sized living room. Everyone came in thinking they can't sculpt. Everyone walked out with an aluminum foil armature covered with leaf shaped muscles to finish at home. Denise came to that workshop and brought "Neo" from "Matrix" http://tanstaafl512.tripod.com/Neo.html I was so proud of her I could have busted vest buttons.

http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/Review-FacesFigures.htm

I got to go to the Alamo with Eva in San Antonio and I was quite moved. I got this thing for the real Davy Crockett and it turns out that Randy, Debbie's husband, is related to him. Small world indeed. Eva took me on the River Walk and we went to La Villita http://www.lavillita.com/ and went to art galleries. I button holed this guy at a gallery to tell him that what he was selling as
polymer clay earrings were so 10 years ago and "This is polymer clay jewelry" and I showed him my snake necklace. We promised to exchange email when I got home. Odd thing about that necklace, when I first shared it with the list here I got "ugh, snakes" and now it's what gets the most comment when I wear it.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Jewelry/necklace4a-grp.htm

For Debbie's Star Fleet gathering we made chevron flips, blends, taking the blend and doing a jelly roll for the fish scale. Mark and Lynn came back for a second day. Folks, Mark is going to teach me some of what he knows about pewter and working with resin. We both have a lot of ideas of using LEDs and fiber optics for mini lights. Our heads are spinning with new ideas.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Faux/FishScale/Thumb-grp.htm

I made a cane with the Klingon trifoil and wasn't all that happy with it, burnt 8 first efforts, but had enough cane to give it a second effort. Debbie had Mark take some pictures of them with a cell phone camera. I took the burnt ones home for my Quarter Jar.
http://www.norajean.com/Rambles/QuarterJar.htm

We reviewed some techniques that might be useful in a SciFi environment.

http://www.norajean.com/2007/Dec-1-Arlington-SciFi.htm

I started on some Star Trek Next Generation communicators and brought them home to finish. When done I'll send them back to Debbie to put pin findings or tie tacks on the back and then give away as gifts.

Traveling Kai did his strip tease at all locations and got big laughs.

I had a great time, and yes it went by too fast. The members of both guilds said they'd like me to come back and do two day workshops. I did over estimate what I could share in one day. But it's a good thing to know. I know I'm leaving a lot out and I thought I'd blog as I go but didn't. I thought I'd post more, but I didn't. So much for intentions. I did discover that teaching polymer clay is a great excuse to do amature stand up comedy. LOL

Well I best put some time in with the family. I have gifts to unpack and hand out.

xoxo

NJ