Long time no see...

I know it's been awhile since I've entered anything here, but I've been quite busy with my newest venture - Springs Gallery (link on this site). It's a retail gallery in Yellow Springs, Ohio. But I haven't forgotten about the animals: I have an idea which I'll talk about soon, once I've worked on it some more, to bring animals to the forefront where they belong. So stay tuned....In the meantime, here's a little 6" x 8" oil painting I made recently of my quirky Himalayan cat - Lucy. Her full name (she's actually registered, just for fun) is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." I have this painting, and others, available for sale on one of my other sites: www.klingerart.blogspot.com (link on this site), or you can email me and I'll send you a paypal button. Enjoy!

The Year of the Tiger

In the Chinese astrological calendar - 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. The tiger is an animal known for its strength, fierceness and beauty. I am proud to have been born in a Tiger year!

Animals 'R' Us!

Here is a little list of some of animal art and services we are (or soon will be) offering. It will, no doubt, grow and change - so please stay tuned. Feel free to contact us at info@klingerart.com or via the klingerart.com web site (link on the right). And if you know any human animals who may be interested in what we're up to -drop them an email by clicking on the envelope below. Thanks for stopping by!

Art--
Art Cards
Jewelry
Paintings
Pottery
Photography
Raku ceramic wall art
Sculpture

Services--
Pet Photographic Portraits
Pet Sitting (in and around Dayton/Yellow Springs, OH)

Raku Zoo

As you can see by my earlier posts (below, of course), many of the animals we have created are raku-fired, ceramic wall art. Here is some info. on the raku process, along with some pictures showing Jim in action.

RAKU
The ancient art of raku dates back to 16th century Japan. Originally from the Chinese, the character for raku means: "contentment, enjoyment, pleasure, and best in all the world." The first raku pottery pieces were created by an immigrant potter who was chosen by an influential Japanese tea master to produce wares of refined simplicity for the sacred Zen Buddhist tea ceremony.
Raku has been westernized over the years, but it is still, basically, the process of firing clay in an outdoor kiln to a temperature of around 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. The clay piece is then removed from the kiln with tongs and placed into a can of combustible material, such as straw. After the piece flames up, the can is covered tightly with the lid, thus depriving it of oxygen; this is called post-firing reduction. The flames seek oxygen from the clay, so they leave their colors and markings on the piece in random patterns. The colors on the finished piece reflect the interaction between the flames and the precious metals--copper and silver--in the glazes. Each raku piece is therefore unique; it is impossible for any two pieces to be the same. Raku is fragile and should be handled like glass.

Here kitty, kitty, kitty....

Here are a few of the many photographs I have made of cats over the years. The titles, clockwise from top left, are: "Let's do Lunch," "Daydreaming," and "Curiosity." They can also be viewed on klingerart.com, with contact information and info. on how purchase prints. Original print notecards are $5 each. A link to the site is on the right. Enjoy!

Looks like Lucy

This beautiful cat looks like our Himalayan - Lucy ("in the Sky with Diamonds") and could become a logo (or mascot) for this, our newest venture - The Animal Attraction. Here we will offer animal art of all sorts - mostly original, mostly made by us. You can see more on Klingerart.com too, a link is on the right. Thanks for visiting!
P.S. Whenever you wish to visit us here - make sure you include the "The" in the address - otherwise you'll go to an online dating service for pet owners - which could be good too! LOL!

The Life Aquatic

Here are a couple of Jim's original raku ceramic wall art pieces that you may enjoy -our Koi and our Dolphin. You can click on all of the images to see them bigger. (I'll get some sizes and prices on here soon).