Where's the hand cream?

Just out of the kiln!

Most potters this time of year are working at a frantic pace to
get work completed for galleries, shows or holiday gifts. I belong
to this group, working to all hours and running my kiln twice a week. Working like I have and the onset of winter, I am constantly using
hand cream to replenish the moisture the clay has drawn from my sandpaper-like hands. I remember when I was a youth, there was a Jergens hand cream commercial— "Would you shake hands with a hairbrush? A lobster claw?"

I have just started to make my rounds to drop off lots of new work at
the three galleries which carry my work (listed in the right column).
Currently exploring some new glaze colors, clay bodies and surface techniques, I am hoping that they are well received. I have also continued to do some of the motifs that have been popular in the past. 

Some new work

Porcelain bird bowls for sale at the Museum Store.

Bunny bowl from the new stoneware animal bowl series.

This bowl freaked out my dog Mozzie when I first
made it. He obsessed over his likeness and tried to bite it!

Wall plaque for sale at the Museum Store.

Summer funk

Not sure if it has been the heat-causing laziness, an ailing mom, a new dog, or a focus on gardening, I just know my creative juices have not been flowing this summer. Or perhaps I have been spending too much time pinning on Pinterest. While it is a great resource for getting ideas, tips and hints, can it be that it is creating an inspiration overload?
Or perhaps it was just time for a rest from my normally obsessive pottery passion. I just know that there are five in-progress pieces that are being regularly misted so they don't dry out before I finish them.
C'mon creativity!

From my last firing, a gift for my aunt for her 90th birthday.

Ding-dong, garden bells!

My latest pottery jag is making hanging garden bells. They are fun to make—incorporating a little throwing, some big hand-built animal and round beads, and some Pacific coast driftwood. This bird bell measures 11-inches from the top of the bird to the bottom edge of the bell. It's the biggest one so far. Besides birds, other animals include a chicken, rabbit, fish and dog. 

I cleaned house!

It's hard to believe how many pieces of pottery that I have made and accumulated in this house over these past two years. Pieces that I deemed flawed, ugly or unsellable in galleries, were included in this weekend's spring pottery sale at the Potters Guild. The sale which coincides with the Toledo Botanical Garden's annual plant sale brought in a steady crowd. At first I was reluctant to participate however it was worth the effort monetarily and I got rid of a lot of excess inventory. Fifty to sixty pieces were sold at mostly bargain prices and I only brought home about 8 pieces which will now be donated to the 577 Foundation's Harrison Rally Day sale. Although I am very happy with the outcome, all in all, I still dislike peddling my pots and prefer letting the galleries do the selling for me.

Scott & I intermixed our work on these tables at this weekend's sale.

Busy April plus save the date!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Angelwood Gallery 

celebrates spring with art for your garden and home!

Printemps 2012

Opening: Saturday, April 28, 7 to 9 p.m.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I've been constantly busy since this seems to be the time of year "my" galleries are restocking their inventories—the museum store, Hudson and Angelwood galleries. I lost some studio time when I was in Rhode Island visiting family so in hindsight it 

was fortunate that my Florida girlfriends trip fell through due to flight cancellations.

I am debuting my wall plaques this month that I started working on this past winter. I like them and how often does that happen? I'm hoping others will too so I can keep making them. The plaques allow me to do the type of images that are similar to the linocut prints I had been making.

Angelwood has an "garden-theme" opening on Saturday, April 28. It is always the "in" place to be that evening with food, friends and a stocked gallery. All the artists' best works are usually sold that evening. On Mother's Day weekend the Toledo Potters Guild has a seconds and clearance sale that coincides with the Toledo Botanical Garden plant sale. I'm just faced with the dilemma of selling what I consider to be seconds and clearance versus not selling and just discarding those pots so no one ever sees them. I'll have to decide soon but I did volunteer to work a few time slots during the sale.

Working in the my own studio is really the best—I can keep check on the kiln firings and pots drying, work at any hour and when something should go wrong, I am the only one to blame. However it has been fun working at the guild with Scott, Stan and all the ladies (too many to name) that I've gotten to know. It's really nice to eat out with, bounce ideas and learn from the other potters. At the guild, I am using stoneware, oftentimes brown, so it keeps it out of my home studio so there's no cross-contaminating. I am experimenting with different surface techniques, using their extruder and learning to make my own glazes in their chemicals lab. Up until recently, I have only been using the costly prepared glazes. My goal is to develop a few reliable glazes that can become my "signature" colors. It will save me a lot of money and I'll be able to depend on them.

In addition to being productive in the studio, these past months I took the online course on surface techniques with Diana Fayt. Although I did not keep up with the suggested projects, I did pick up a few worthwhile tips and some techniques that I had not tried before such as mono-printing on clay. It really was a great way to have a workshop without traveling and times when I wanted. Questions were answered, feedback on posted student work was given and there was chat group on Facebook. Diana also seems to be someone whose company I would enjoy. I'd do another if offered.

I really need to get out and start working in the garden however I've been told I have an OCD and it's clay-making!

Don't Ask Us, No. 2. Remember my no. 1, a linocut print?

New toy!

New slab roller (ignore the mess in the background, it's my basement)

Have neither time (or is it patience) to write on this blog right now. However, I am enjoying my (new to me) slab roller. I was able to buy it from Maggie, a fellow potters guild member, and it is in excellent shape. I could have managed without one but it sure is nice to have it. It makes perfect slabs. I plan on doing larger handbuilt pieces and this will come
in handy.

This starts the third week of my e-course on ceramic surface techniques with Diana Fayt. I am picking up a lot of good ideas but have not been diligent about doing all the projects. Hopefully I will have more to post later after my Florida trip next week and the next wood kiln firing.