GIVING AWAY MY HEART TO YOU!

Heart of my heart. In February 2009, I created a new line of textured ceramic hearts using luscious colors. Chopping up a 25-pound block of red clay into roughly triangular shapes, I rolled it quickly to about 1/4" thick, generally making a heart shape. Then I made and bought several textured rubber and clay stamps. Stamps that look like hearts, lace, and leaves. I stamped the clay with interesting patterns, then used my trusty chopstick to incise more lines. Using a needle tool, I cut the outline of each valentine.

But how to make the texture really POP? I painted a black underglaze lightly over the top of the texture to make the pattern really stand out. The sculptures were fired in a kiln to cone 05 (almost 1900 degrees). After cooling, I painted them with underglazes and cover glazes, using vibrant color combinations. One more time in the kiln. Then I strung copper wire through the holes and attached them in a delicate fashion to form the hanging mechanism. And voila! A great addition to my new romance collection.

In honor of my blessed mother, Mary Marshall's, birthday I shall select one winner among the fans on my Fan Facebook page. SO SIGN UP AS A FAN ON THE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kanika-Marshall/50402302085?ref=ts KANIKA MARSHALL FACEBOOK PAGE and see if you are the winner on May 31st.

More hearts can be seen (and purchased) from my webpage: http://kanika.us/1gifts_pp.htm.

What is Genius?

A friend recently e-mailed me a thought-provoking presentation from Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" that lead me to write the following. Listen to the presentation first (click on the tan word above), so the following makes more sense. Or will it?

Interesting presentation. I am normally a rationale, realistic, logical (I think!) person, but I truly do believe that my ancestors work through my fingers to help me create my artwork. I rarely spend a lot of time (any time, really) thinking about what I will create. I simply say to my muse/universe that I would like to make a figurine, or plate, or tile piece, or goddess. Then I get the bag of clay, cut off a piece that approximates the size of artwork that might work, and then I look at the clay, trance-out, dive into the clay (in my mind, of course). Very soon, I receive - from somewhere - how I should proceed. Either roll it out and see lines and shapes in the clay and incise it there, etc. I do not draw a picture first. I do not imagine what colors the finished project will be - I throw glaze on and mix, layer, paint wherever my fingers lead. Almost all of my work is freehand, non-prethought. It makes for a liberating, exciting experience. And I thank my ancestors for inspiration.

But I don't believe in fairies (well, there might be a few of them . . . )

To Artists: Scam Alert!

Hello all,

A word to the wise: beware of e-mailers claiming interest in your artwork.

I know all about scammers who try to buy your work using a Money Order or Certified Check. I know about scammers who promise to pay you MUCH more than what your product is worth. I know about scammers who steal your digital images for their own $ use. I know about scammers who claim to represent stores or galleries or art shows and want you to send your artwork to them for photography or prizes or advertisement.

Yes, I am wary. But a couple of weeks ago, I received the following e-mail from STEVEN PALLIN (probably not his real name):
Hey There,

Just moved into a new apartment did some search on-line and came across your.I am considering decorating the wall along the stair case with either a painting, ceramic or sculpture. The wall where the item will be hanged is already painted with my favourite coluor ( Cream ) so the displayed item have to be catchy. Am considering a price range of between $900- $1,500 for this commission.

Conversely, most appreciated if you send me a link to your website again or attach and send to me some of the images ( between 3-5 ) of work you may recommend so that i can choose. My address is 1017 Oneida st. Fort Wayne,IN 46805. Your swift response will be appreciated.

Your's Sincerely

Steven Pallin

So the guy left his name, his address, and some detail of what he wanted. The red flags went up immediately: poor spelling, why would he need my website URL again? The only way he could get my e-mail address would be from the website URL. He mentioned prices up front before letting me know which piece he wanted.

So I attempted to qualify him as a bonafide customer by sending him an e-mail asking him to e-mail a picture of his space so I could better choose which of my sculptures might work best. I figured that a scammer wouldn't respond to questions, but he did and indicated he did not have a digital camera. He again asked me to send images of some artwork to his address. I sent another qualifying e-mail asking him to describe the types and colors of artwork he likes (e.g., figurative, landscape, bold colors, abstracts), again thinking he would give up if he weren't legit. But he responded something bright and figurative. So I sent him a couple of low-resolution images with the prices and sizes. He selected one of the artworks that I sent and asked what type of payment I took, to which I responded PayPal. He said he could only do a Certified Cashier's Check. WARNING! I responded that PayPal is all I could accept. I haven't heard from him since.

I have made many safe web sales over the years, but most of the smaller pieces on my website have PayPal "Buy" buttons that allow the customer to easily purchase what they want without my inervention. PayPal verifies their credit card and e-mails me the buyer's contact info so i feel confident that PayPal will deposit the purchase money into my bank account with no problems. Some people do not like PayPal, but bonafide customers would try to work with the artist regarding payment terms. Anyone who insists upon a Money Order or Cashier's Check as the only payment option is likely a scammer. So be careful.

This guy may have obtained my e-mail address from any number of sources. Since I have a new Facebook account, I decided to change my e-mail to something that I can easily identify as coming from Facebook, just in case scammers are using that means to work their dirty business. Be safe out there in the world wide web.

Mental Block Against Breast Cancer?

I don't know why, exactly, but lately I have had a mental block with talking about the subject of breast cancer. Perhaps it is because I have been concentrating on my new line of hopeful heart sculptures.

Perhaps because I've been more concerned about my dad's Alzheimer's Disease and how to help his wife accept that he will never be the same husband she married. Today, my siblings and I met with her siblings and a counselor who is knowledgeable about Alzheimer’s issues. To try to get through to her, I expressed the sadness that we had when we heard the doctor say he could do no more for our mother’s cancer. Traditional and alternative medicine therapies no longer worked. I recounted that we kids did all that our mother would allow us to do for her during her last months. We sure attempted to find out as much as we could to ensure that she was taken care of the best she could be. We had to face her impending death, but we did it together, and gave mom the grace to die as peacefully and pain free as possible.

Talking about this difficult experience today brought back a flood of memories. Mom would not allow us to get her a helper. She wouldn’t let us stay with her overnight, or bring her meals, or anything. She had been so very independent most of her life that she did not want to “burden” us. So although we desperately wanted to help, we gave her the dignity of continuing to make her choices. But one night mom fell in her house. She couldn’t reach the phone to call for help and had to stay on the cold floor all night long. When I came to see her the next morning, she was nearly frozen, sprawled on the floor. She had hit bottom, literally, figuratively, mentally, physically. She accepted that she needed help and we got her what she wanted.

I shared this story today at our intervention in hope that my stepmother would accept that she cannot fix dad’s medical problem and that they both need help. The counselor urged her not to wait until something bad happened - like dad falling down the stairs at their house. Unfortunately, my stepmother is simply not ready to deal with her reality.

It was an exhausting experience, to be sure. But I was glad both families got to talk about the elephant in the room. As my stepmother takes dad back home tomorrow, 5.5 hours away, overlooking the ocean, we hope she will think about all of the information she was given. And that’s really the moral to this story. When we are beset with a setback like breast cancer, learn about it, stare it in the face, fight it, and ask for help. Namaste.

A New Year Brings New Hope

Happy New Year One and All!

Not only will 2009 see the installation of the first black President of the United States of America, it will also bring a new sense of hope for the future.

Many of us have lost our jobs and our homes in the economic downturn of the past two years and families are still losing loved ones to cancer. The entertainer Eartha Kitt, age 81, recently succumbed to colon cancer, and there are many other reminders that more miracles are needed.
The good news is that the 5-year relative survival for localized breast cancer (malignant cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes or other locations outside the breast) has increased from 80% in the 1950s to 98% today. The 10-year survival rate may be about 80%, according to "Cancer Facts and Figures 2008." Hopefully 2009 will foster a gradual improvement in our country's economy, our status around the world, and the health of Americans and other world peoples.

Each year I donate at least 10% of all sales of my Kanika African Sculptures Survivor Art purchases to breast cancer research. The latest news is that the tide of new breast cancer reportings is starting to turn for the better. With our continued vigilance in leading more healthful lives and escalating medical breakthroughs into disease as a whole, we will hopefully see a reduction in all kinds of cancers.

Wishing you health and happiness in the new year. Sincerely, Kanika Marshall

4th Floor Art Show Adjunct to Freedom's Sisters Show

On October 25th, there was a fabulous gala reception for the Freedom's Sisters Show, as detailed in my Spirituality and Art Blog. Unfortunately, the local artist show on the 4th floor was not opened during the gala. I just had an opportunity to go to the 4th floor of the Sacramento Main Library (828 I Street) to view the local art show that accompanies the Freedom's Sisters Show. I enjoyed seeing the artwork of other female artists, especially those I did not know. I look forward to meeting the other artists, and I invite you to meet them too, on December 6th at 3 PM. We artists will have a round table discussion about our inspirations for the artworks. Come and bring your questions and give us your feedback.

The art show is open every day that the Main Library is open. Do check it and the Freedom's Sisters Show out. And bring the kids and grandkids so they can learn about an important part of African American history.

Kanika's "Fetish For a Cure" will be in the Freedom's Sisters Show

I was honored to be asked to participate in the amazing Freedom's Sisters show from October 25, 2008, through January 4, 2009, at the Sacramento Public Library, located at 915 I Street. Part of the Smithsonian Traveling Show, and developed at the Cincinnati Museum, this show celebrates the great achievements of 20 African American Women, including Mary McLeod Bethune, Myrlie-Evers Williams, Sonia Sanchez, Charlayne-Hunter Gault, Dr. Dorothy Height and Kathleen Cleaver.

Ms. Gloria Burt and her husband, Burt, came to my studio last week to select some of my sculpture pieces for the show. One that they selected has never been seen in a show before. Part of the mastectomy and Earth Mother series, it is a striking, somewhat disturbing figurative piece. The body is reminiscent of a strong periwinkle-colored tree trunk with a suggestion of legs and muscles pulsing upward to the pendulous breasts. Blood red feathers form a halo around the head. There is a suggestion of arms, or are they wings?

But the most arresting attribute, perhaps, is the left breast which is cut and flopped to the side, uncovering a brilliant blue color underneath. Instead of recoiling from the piece, though, Gloria found it interesting. I had no name for the sculpture. Burt suggested "Fetish" and Gloria put it all together by calling the sculpture "Fetish for a Cure." PERFECT!!!