Huzzah for 10 Years!

We're back!!!
Did you guess the names right?

The year was 2001- I had my studio & the kiln all set up in the living room of my small apartment in Long Beach.  I had passed the fire inspection; I had a city license, and a CA Seller’s Permit that read Velasquez Artistry, 10/10/01.  I was ready to make shiny ponies!  It was an exciting and occasionally overwhelming time.  Having learned my craft from Joan Berkwitz of Pour Horse Pottery (who greatly supported me, especially in those early years), striking out on my own in earnest was truly a “trial by fire.”  I was a Junior in college, pursuing my B.A. in Art from CSULB at the time I started my business, and sometimes it was quite the juggling act to do horses in between homework!  The summer months proved much more productive.  I’d like to say I learned a lot with each horse I produced.  Falconbridge and Brigand taught me about bases (never again, in ceramic!), Skara Brae taught me about OF production, Black Jack Davy was crucial to developing my CM skills, Sheila taught me about contours in sculpting (i.e. muscles are not necessarily flat!), with Jitterbug I figured out that a fancy pattern could be done in OF (if the run is small, and you’re up for a challenge!), and with Jellibaby, Toot Sweet & Callahan, I began to realize just how important it is to really study good reference material when you’re sculpting (and that you need lots of it!).  And in the background of all of this, I was continually being pushed, guided, and greatly inspired by other artists in our industry.  Many thanks to Joan, Kristina Lucas-Francis, Lesli Kathman, Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig, Lynn Fraley, and to every wonderful artist out there who’s taken the plunge into the ceramic realm, for your parts in making me the artist I am today.  I also owe a great debt of gratitude to all of my wonderful customers who have supported me through the years- you’ve allowed me to make a living doing something I love, and I cannot thank you all enough.  Lastly, I remain ever thankful to God who granted me these talents in the first place- I always and ever hope to use them to bear good fruit and I look forward to the places they will lead me in the future.

I forgot to thank the Academy… oh, and my dear, supportive husband, who put the ‘Hude’ into Brightly Hude (thanks, Honey)! 

Now then- I promised a bit of fun, didn’t I?

Trivia Game!

Let’s start out with a bit of Trivia!  Fun things you just might know about Velasquez Artistry/Brightly Hude.  To play, just zip me an email with the word “Trivia” in the subject line (Adalee [at] BrightlyHude . com). I will draw a name from the folks with the right answers, and the winner will get a $50 gift certificate!

Questions:

1)    What is your name? (and Quest/Color, if you like)

2)    What is the name of my cat?

3)    Which sculpture of mine had the largest OF run?

4)    How many different pins/pendants (not ornaments) have I sculpted?

5)    What movie inspired the name of the “Bring Out Your Chinas” show?

6)    Bonus question (optional)- What do you wish I would sculpt?

Poll!

Next up- a poll!  To the right of the main blog page, you’ll find these questions.  No contest here- this is just for fun & curiosity’s sake! What kind of Brightly Hude collector are you?

a)     I’m new- hurray!

b)    Been there from the beginning!

c)     It’s been few years now.  :)

d)    I discovered you maybe a year ago…

e)     I like penguins!

Give-Away!

Now for the Big Fun… Give-aways!  Who doesn’t love give-aways?  I’ve got 10 items I’ve collected to give away to 10 people.  They range all over the 10 years I’ve been in business (and the moving/packing really helped me to find these things!).  I’m going to list them, in no particular order.  If you’d like to enter, email me, or leave a comment here with the ones you’d be interested in winning.  I will draw names at random for them, and post the winners here in 10 days (so you have 10 days to enter!  One entry [and one win] per person, and I ask that you be a legitimate collector). 

Items:

A. The original “Brushwork Horse” Tile- set into a frame with shelf
B.  “Jitterbug Artifact”  This was the original I used in making a rubber JB mold- his legs all broke off in the process, so I decided to make him into an “artifact!”  The base is real marble.

C. A Traditional Scale Arabian Halter I made some years ago
D.  Original 2007 Sketch- “Ringtail Lemur”  Used in my old Cafepress store
E.  Original 2007 Sketch- “Hippo” Used in my old Cafepress store
F.  “I Have No Egrets”  Matted 5 x 7 Print, 2010
G.  "Autumn Ginkgo" Matted 5 x 7 Print, 2008
H.  TB Horse pin in Black Appaloosa
I.  TB Horse pin in Grey Sabino
J.  2003 “Brigand” resin- Produced by Resins by Randy.  Unpainted- a little yellow, with a choice of base to the winner (the natural ground one has a little primer/overspray on it).

Click for larger images!

 

A.

 

B.

 
C. (Too big for Brig!)


 
D.

 
E.

 
F.

 

G.

 
H.

I.

J.

So, either email me at: Adalee (at) BrightlyHude . com with the words “Give Away” in the subject line, or post a comment below!  You have until 11/10/11 to enter both contests.  Winners will be announced on 11/11/11.  Best wishes to all, and thanks for playing!

:)