it's never good enough....

Recently, I a couple of my mezuzahs have been getting some attention.  Having a picture of one of my pieces in print or on the web is a real honor and a thrill.  The Brownstone mezuzah, which is a part of the Mizel Museum's collection, has in featured in Metal Clay Magazine, The Metallurgy Online Exhibit on Crafthaus, and was chosen to be in the 2011 PMC Annual Book.  The Zentangle Mezuzah is also featured in these publications.  I am very proud of both of these pieces, but I suffer from a common problem many artists have.....It's nice, but the next one I made was so much better. 

When I finish a piece, at first I am usually a bit disappointed.  Most of the time, the result isn't quite the same as the original vision.  Maybe I am a bit hard on myself because after a couple days, I get excited about the piece again.  Sometimes I have the piece professionally photographed.  Getting a professional pictures taken of your work is always a good idea.  I wish I could afford to do it more often.  I am quite sure that the quality of the photographs of the work was as important factor as the work itself in getting it published.  But as I examine the work I am constantly looking at the flaws in workmanship, and the improvements I could make in the design.   And, if I make a new piece based on what I think I have learned from the previous, it too has it's own list of flaws and design problems.  I guess this is what artist go through and why we are constantly challenged.  It one reason I love my work.  I love to create, improve, problem solve and then make more problems for myself.

Here is a new version of the Brownstone Mezuzah, fresh out of the kiln and ready to be patinaed and polished.  Don't even get me started.