Unbelievable... as my husband and I were out shopping for new, exciting materials for my ever expanding clothing line..... and we were driving our car quickly past BABS - the boutique that I am selling my one of a kind clothing line... WOW!!!!.... truly a dream come true... wow wow wow... they had ME in their display window on South Granville... well, not ME.... but one mannequin with one of my Asian Creations being the only thing in their window..... in our beautiful high end shopping district of Vancouver, BC.... I am so thrilled.... I have been told that I need a professional tag.... and I can't wait to get it designed.... believe in me... help me make this dream a continued reality..... YAAAAHHH!!!

A clay mural that I made... I would like to do a class sometime soon and let people play with the clay as I did on this day..... I was inspired working outside and used various plants, rocks, and sticks to press into the clay. This is one of the few large pieces that I have done that I did not glaze... I used acrylic paints instead.

My sister fell in love with this piece and bought it for her own home ... where it now resides in her living room in Ontario, Canada.

If you want a class, a special clay piece or clothing purchase... be sure to contact me at kjaerpedersen@hotmail.com

.... and now for something completely different...

Wow... I created so many new pieces today.... I plan to post them on www.kjaerpedersen.ca within a few days time ..... WOW.... I am tide... T. I. D. E. ... TIDE!!! (do you know the song?... 'cause I really am VERY tired!!!)... now I have to price and label them to package off for sale .... wish me luck.... I want them all SOLD this weekend.... now, wouldn't THAT be sweet??!!!?

Just some of the Asian Creations that I made and am delivering today......

Like hot cakes... they are selling so quickly... want one before the new material that I found... disappears......

Wine Goblets... I made these for a special gift... I love the way that they look and FEEL in your hand... they make drinking even more pleasurable.... mmmmmmm ....

WINE A LITTLE

YOU'LL FEEL BETTER.......

A wall mural that I did for a girlfriend's baby shower. I researched everywhere - looking at everything regarding a baby room and what might be found on a wall... I saw these words in the middle of a children's book... and thought - YES!!!! - what a wonderful way to grow up... reading the words simply "YOU ARE LOVED" - what more could any of us ever ask for in life... I made the piece from clay, added a mirror under the three little circles cut out of the clay, and then mounted it all on an old discarded kitchen cabinet door..... It ended up looking spectacular!

A huge collage of works that my secondary students did and then we glued them on big boards and mounted them in a massive - and previously empty - staircase.

I always hated to throw out their art work - hoping that they would pick it up one day - this 'mural' is a collection of left overs from my first few years of teaching art... only the charcoal self portraits are copies....

I should note here that there are still many outragously beautiful masterpieces that I left in safe keeping at MSS. One day soon there is a plan to sell works at a garage sale.... so sad.... to not have the owners OWN them... When I look back, I must take much blame... as I always insisted that we keep the art for display purposes... everything was available and organized in June... but, by that time, so many young people would very unfortunately 'forget'.... so....we displayed in the hallways, library, glass display cases, and... of course for years I had my students take over every window on the main street and display simply thousands of pieces of art... I was never a fan of showing only 'the best'.... I like to think that I DID get their personal best out of them at the time... at least... ha ha... it was not for lack of my trying ..... concentrate on the moment and it is simply remarkable what you can do....

All of these were made today.... the first one is a little jacket with pockets... very cozy... and quite versatile....the next one caused me much distress... the material would not cooperate.... VERY frustrating... should be my highest priced if you factor in the serious amount of time that it took....but would sell as second as there are imperfect places and I do not want to touch again.....
.....and then the one that I am the giggliest with... this morning it was in the discard pile of my husband's dress shirts... and this afternoon... a wonderful flowing big and simply gorgeous poncho.... with pockets!

.........email me at kjaerpedersen.hotmail.com if you want a price on anything.... special discounts for people purchasing before I put on Etsy or into my boutiques....

WHEN I AM OLD.... I did this bust from the poem.... it is bigger than head size.... it sits alone in my studio in the middle of the forest - high on the mountain side - gathering dust....

I remember jumping into the whole process of making her... throwing together a hunk of wood to build the shoulder foundation - and then a big old jar to form the neck and begin the process of the head... then swiftly scrunching up newspaper to develop the skull bulge and holding all of that mess that I was blindly creating with one hand as I wrapped around a clay slab with the other ... and somehow in my rushing, haphazard, and careless ways... somehow.... I formed a body of clay that I could work with and sculpt. Sometimes I amaze myself... but, in the process... I only stay focused on the final outcome and know that it will happen... and it does....

so... when I am old... hmmm..... like today.... slow moving today....

I can hardly believe myself.... I do tell my students all the time that the more they do... the better they get.... practice makes perfect... whether it is basketball, golf, or drawing (and you may recall I want to do more sketches myself) .....and I know that I am living proof both with my BYOB line and with my Kjaer Pottery .... I cannot believe that I refused to look at a sewing machine all of my life.... and inspired only a few months ago.... I bought a machine out of the blue..... and WOW... I am loving it and getting better every day!I wanted to create something special for my mother and it began with the shawl above.... it has big pockets so that when she goes out - she can throw this on and look great - but have a place to throw her stuff.... keys.... or whatever......

I went out and got some new material - I was so inspired... and this one above was created with again... pockets... and an easy little top/jacket... to throw on and go... it is sewn a bit at the sides so that it has more structure... but can suit anyone from little wee to a big voluptuous woman... it falls beautifully and is comfortable to wear.....

Then... I really really shocked myself... did my Dad help me with this one.... as with all of my pieces - I use no pattern whatsoever and just freely cutting and attaching... I created this beautiful piece of art to wear..... it can be worn inside out, too, for a darker look.... and the arms can be folded up for 3/4 length sleeves. I am just giggly happy with this one..... it probably would be too big for some women.... at least large to XXL

This is the back of the same piece. ... I will soon download these - and more - to www.kjaerpedersen.ca and to www.bringyourownbody.etsy.com. AND - when my mother sees the selection that she inspired me to make... she will have to choose which one she really wants..... and maybe I will even iron it first... note the lack of ironing on these little masterpieces......

A quick drawing that I did of my son, Quincy, years back... always want to spend more time drawing... painting.... watercolouring.... potting.... sculpting... sewing....etc..... and then real life happens.... even looking at this sweet young face and wondering where the years have gone... so many wonderful years past and so very many more to look forward to ...... remembering that the best time ever.... is .....NOW...... I am a lucky... happy - much loved - woman! Celebrating the moment!!!! YES!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!!!

Mom's birthday was yesterday, January 15th. I sat down at the sewing machine and made things JUST FOR HER. Now... I am so overwhelmingly inspired.... I just LOVE the stuff that I created with my Mom in mind and totally need to go off to Vancouver to get more material.

The mask here is made of clay and is of my mother. I think that, other than the blue/green eyes that I gave the mask for a bit of pizzazz - that it looks exactly like my mom. I added the lips in the hair because I was loving and kissing her in my mind as I made it.

I so wish that 3000 miles did not separate us. Love you, Mom!

What an unusual day... I finally have my sewing machine back - the repair man returned from Vegas - and as I am getting ready to sew something special for my mother, whose birthday is tomorrow, the lights go out. I then look over some old letters, cheques, etc... and discover that a major company short changed me... so ... made $250.00 with the lights out. I also had the time to complain about the Hydro people chopping up our 3/4 km long driveway the other day... and it seems that this will be fixed, too. Not bad, eh?

Then.... I take a quick cold hair wash as we are on well and with no power we cannot get our water running... so.... as I gasp in freezing horror to prepare to escape the lightless house... the power comes on.

At this time I decide to quickly check my Emails- before sewing time- and find that a friend has written to comment on the beauty of the last mural that I posted.... so... I then decided to 'show off' this student made mural that I had the Grades 8 to 12 students do in my classroom last year. We studied aboriginal art from around the world and then they replicated or used as inspiration their favourite in clay. A HUGE magnificent piece of art work that has not been mounted on a wall for it's permenant home... yet! Hopefully - soon!!!!

Off to sew.... because I have unexpectedly realized that I CAN sew and only a couple of months ago .... and so... I am now a little sew and sew... like my Daddy..... miss him SO!!!!!:(

Just yesterday, I walked into the high school where I had been teaching Art for years. It was so wonderful to see the student's beautiful young faces. My heart soared with their smiles and kind comments. I did many murals with my students over the years...... and the one below is the one that I did on bike safety with over 200 kids. It has been hanging for quite some time at the Mission Leisure Center... and the greatest pleasure that I have when I happen in - is simply to see the little wee ones tracing the outlines of the clay images with their fingers as they patiently wait for their parent to check in at the front desk..... oh... the small, wondrous joys of life...

SPEAK NO EVIL

This is a mask/mural that I did some time ago. I was given some old stamps from a demolished bank and used it to stamp strips of clay and then attach them on the main clay piece. This one has not been on display much because my sister said that she wanted it... heh... sis... do you still want it?

One of my son's friends is modelling my beautiful silk ruana.... I was just in Paris and saw a similar one for over 300 Euros.... and I am selling mine for a meer $79.00. It is a lovely piece.

Today I am realizing that my bedroom is showing that I have been in this home for 15 years. I am releasing AND cleaning... I am already breathing deeper... letting go....

Like this wonderful bamboo hand printed shawl that I made .... I feel like I am just hanging around... in limbo..... waiting... waiting to go to Ontario to be with my mom... waiting to sell our home.... waiting to move to our new home... waiting to create with my clay again... waiting to get my sewing machine back to create new works... waiting to start my new position.... waiting waiting waiting... and yet... I am so not hanging around like my shawl... doing non stop.... so much to do as I prepare for ...... so many changes....
This blog is not beginning at the time of my life of having any time or space for my creations... but, within a short while... new excitements creatively will be mine again.... just have to grieve, organize, pack, and eliminate eliminate eliminate from 15 years of living in our big log house.... soon.... very soon.... I will be a flurry of creativity again..... and plan to be surrounded only by what I LOVE AND USE.... no more storing and saving.... eliminate!!! and release!!!!!... Not easy for me to do.....
It is like spring time outside in beautiful BC today... a time of renewal.... feel the gratitudes of my life and enjoy.......

My Daddy.... the best artist that I have ever known.... I watched him perfect a portrait of my mother as I was growing up.... changing his pencil marks so many times over the years.... I watched him piece together wall paper because somehow there was never quite enough and he had to cut and paste little bits at the end... I watched him look at wood and see pictures... look at the clouds and see images.... and, of course.... sew sew sew... a master tailor trained in his homeland of Denmark...... following in his own father's footsteps.... my Dad... he died yesterday.... about a month short of turning 95 years old. Pictured here with his real works of art... his daughters.... me, Sandra, Sharon, and Cheryl.... not pictured are his sons, Mick, and Bent (deceased). My mom, Neletia, is his beautiful wife. We all miss him so much.......