Once a year these past three years I sign up to make a Fairy House for a summer program at AnnMarie Sculpture Garden just down the road from where I live.  I have yet to go see all the houses installed – the kids love to track them down all summer.  I do it because at the end of the summer I get to bring them home.  What this does is focus me and force me to do something I wouldn’t do otherwise:  build a house like imaginary space.  It requires measurement, not something I’m fond of or have the patience for.  Except for this project (and this year I also made the birdhouse for their new Home Tweet Home program).  I’m greatly in favor of these program.  They definitely spruce up my yard!).

This year I challenged myself to go bigger with my Fairy House.  The result is 24″H x 14″wide x 14″ deep.

And I’ll tell you a secret:  I stacked the clay to fire, and the back wall bowed significantly.  So I just had to add things to make it look as if it was all planned (and isn’t that what art is all about?  Don’t get upset, see it as a part of the process and the energy making itself felt in its own unique way).

When I made my very first house, it was very “rustic.”  I assumed fairies would use materials at hand.

And I had a lovely gifted oriole’s nest to adorn the house as a kind of hammock that was just waiting for the perfect place to be art.  It was simple and last minute.  It is my granddaughter’s favorite house because she can “open the door” and touch the “chair” and the “bed.”  But I was inspired to bigger and better each year as I participated and saw the fabulous fairy houses others brought to share (maybe this year I’ll get around to pictures!).

Iam grateful to AnnMarie Garden for supplying the impetus and to my Muse for hanging in there with the measuring and other things she pretty much loathes.    I am already thinking that if I start now, next year’s house can have a moss roof!

(click on the photo and it will take you to the photo on its own page.  Click again, and you’ll get a really nice enlargement that will let you see all the details!)

Enjoy!