Do Over

Here's the second version of the bowl I made last week. I made the bowl form wider, added some texture to the outside and like the balance of the foot and bowl better than the first version. 

As a beginning potter, I kept every piece I made – good, bad or indifferent. Just to make a pot from start to finish was a goal. I think most people new to clay feel this way.

Now, especially when I’m making a new form or creating an idea from my head, the process to getting it right outweighs just getting it done. And clay can be very forgiving in the early stages before it is fired.  So after I have made a pot and it’s just not the way I want it,  I will break it apart and recycle the clay. No harm, no foul. This permission (to myself) to take a ‘do over’ has freed me to experiment and grow. It’s not always about just getting to the finish for me – it’s about enjoying the process along the way and making something I love in the end.

A trip to Michaels craft store for one item, often leads to some new finds for the studio! 

Oh! And I had my first ETSY sale this week! A recipe box similar to this now resides in Colorado! 

Compare and Contrast

I think what I’m about to say is a common thread for artists. I can’t help but compare myself and my work to other artists. Ego is wrapped up in each item I make. It is an expression of me. So once a piece is finished -- maybe for sale, a gift or just for my own use -- I feel it makes me vulnerable to outside opinions both positive and negative. Too much comparison can lead to self-doubt.

Over the years I have come to realize that all the influences, education and practice I’ve attained has evolved into a reflection of me in my work and how it is different.  This unique contrast is a really good thing. In finding my own artistic voice I’ve learned to appreciate that other artists make work that I cannot and vice versa.

Compare and contrast. Each helps move me forward in my art journey. And overall, that’s a positive!

Just off my knitting needles! The lace pattern was a bit of a challenge, but I love the results. 

I added my own personal touch to this sweater by including the lace pattern to the sleeves. The sweater is on display at The Knot House in Frederick, Maryland.

This custom bowl and square platter are ready for a wedding gift. 

This unique bowl in process is a gift for friends who own some race horses.

Spread the Wealth!

I  am starting my day with my new favorite coffee cup by Julie Wiggins, a friend and fellow potter from Charlotte, N.C. This photo is especially apropos because it includes two pieces of my own work I made while living in Charlotte where I first met Julie and many other wonderful clay artists. I didn't plan it that way, but noticed it after I took the picture!

I was out and about this week at several art-inspired events.  Not only did I end up with a bounty of creative endeavors and a chance to catch up with artist friends I haven't seen recently, I also gained some new art friendships along the way.

I had a fun evening catching up with Andrea, seeing her detailed and inspiring paintings, photographs and collage work. It's a beautiful show and worth a trip to DC!

The Frederick Festival of the Arts benefited from spectacular weather this weekend! This festive crab by Alex Benitez from Baltimore, Md. caught my eye and will find a perfect spot somewhere on a wall at home.

If I see a piece of art that inspires me, I never wonder where will I put it? Does it match what else I have? I purchase art because it makes me happy and always seem to have room to fit it in to my 'collection.'

Sunday I traveled to Virginia to reconnect with Julie and her pottery during a home show hosted by her brother and sister-in-law.  It's been a couple of years since we've seen each other. We were studio-mates at a clay studio in Charlotte in the 2004 -2005 time frame. It was fun to catch up and talk clay. Julie's newest work shows off her steady artistic hand with dabs of soft color. 

Each time I use this bowl, it connects me back to my friendship with Julie!

Not all art has to fit on the wall. Karin Birch makes all kinds of wonderful fiber art -- some of which I can carry on my body! The Muse featured her work during First Saturday this weekend. After I completed my clay demo there Saturday evening, I couldn't resist a purchase of my own. 

Buying art I love gives me just about as much pleasure as making it. It connects me to the artists, reminds me of a special day or event and helps a fellow crafter continue to do what they love. 

Love and Learn

I had a GOOD week of clay.

I completed and installed a new custom-Totem project. I like taking on a challenge of creating something unique and special which often means creating work I’ve never made before. In this case, the new shape I made were letters to stack and spell out the word LOVE. I’m pleased with the results!

The placement and message of these totems were made to encourage the proper 'chi' to this home and garden.

It's great when the image in my mind works out in the final results!

This past weekend, I participated in a workshop lead by Lana Wilson at the Lee Arts Center in Arlington, Virginia. It’s an incredible clay studio that has been around for eons – I had some of my early classes there back in the 70’s. This is the second workshop I’ve participated in at the Arts Center recently. One of my favorite parts of workshops is the lively group dynamic that develops along with new friendships in the clay world. 

Lana began talking and demonstrating at 10 am on Saturday and kept going strong for two full days. Between stories of her life illustrating her own personal clay journey, she shared endless techniques, tools and wisdom from her 40 ‘odd’ years of enjoying what she made. My head is still spinning with this bounty of new direction! This is what I LOVE about clay – it offers me endless possibilities and continual opportunity to evolve, change, discover, renew, recharge, reconnect and be Happy!

Here are some more photos of the workshop.

Lana layers a variety of colorful underglaze on wet slabs. (Note the colorful tape on her tools. It's helpful for finding them quickly!)

Layers of the color are scraped away with sharp tools to reveal the colors below. 

The slab is used to create a form.

This Box with working drawer was created with leather hard clay. Lana not only demonstrated her process of making this signature piece, but also her decision making process during creation. 

This non-functional teapot is another signature Lana Wilson creation. She reminded the class frequently to observe what she demonstrated, listen to her suggestions and then most importantly learn to use that as a jumping off point to discover our own clay voice. I'm excited to get back in the studio this week and play!

Pictures from the studio

My studio shelves are filling up with new work ready for underglaze and a bisque firing. 

Bowls are a 'go to' shape I love to create. I've decided to make myself a new set of serving bowls. The larger bowls are wedding gifts in process. 

A high/low tide clock has been on my to do list. 

I completed a glaze firing this week. Here are some custom 'Toad Abodes' that are on their way to Bluffton, SC.

A good friend and studio supporter asked, "Could you make some garden markers for the herbs I've planted?" They are on their way now!

Repurpose

Here is my latest purchase from the Barn Sale. I use the buttons in several of the garden pieces I make. I was intrigued by the rusted bedspring and will look for a way to use it in my work!

Once a month ‘The Barn Sale’ opens its doors in a nearby town. After I found out about it, I try not to miss this special event! Multiple vendors sell recycled furniture, art, accessories and other interesting items in an old barn and several other buildings on the property. The vendors and products change every month.  It’s fun to see the creative ways people have repurposed items. And besides the ideas and inspiration I gain from attending, I usually can find a few items I’ll use to repurpose in my own work! 

One vendor made signs from recycled wood. I liked the message on each of them.

A good reminder!

True.

Take a look at my studio when I'm in the midst of creating something new to prove this one!

Something New

End results of the mixed-media workshop.

The studio space I now occupy is really special. I have plenty of workspace and room to conduct workshops in clay and other art forms. This past weekend I held my first ‘official’ workshop. My long time friend and fellow artist Cathy Grubman lead several of us in an abstract painting and mixed media project.  Cathy guided us step-by-step through the process and allayed all of our fears about perfecting our technique. Each of us was pleased with the results and the fully completed art we created to hang on our walls!  I’m already planning the next workshop I can teach which will feature a clay project. 

Cathy showed us work by Mark Rothko as inspiration for our first layer of color on the watercolor paper.

We started to layer textures of color on top of our background color fields. Sometimes we would repeat a pattern in two different colors.

We used acrylic paints in varying degrees of transparency.

I seem to make a mess when I work no matter what the medium!

We layered bits of paper on top of our painted surface. The 'tao' symbol was a guide for our layout.

Here's my completed project hanging in the clay-making space of my studio!

Losing and Winning

Wheel-thrown platter with leather and beads circa 1991 recognized in a Rockville (Maryland) Arts show

 Every once in awhile I enter my work in some sort of competition or participate in a show that gives out awards and prize money. In each case I am pretty sure my work is worthy of a win. I am hopeful and confident. But, I’ve only had my work recognized once in that type of contest and that was a long time ago. I’ve been a ‘loser’ ever since.

Words to live by

 Each time it’s a let down and reminds me that I don’t like that feeling. So why keep putting myself in that situation?  I have this quote of Eleanor Roosevelt tacked up in my studio.

Another quote from my studio inspiration wall

Part of my work is to try new endeavors and it includes showing my art to new and different audiences. Maybe the original goal of winning the prize is not accomplished each time I venture outside my comfort zone, but inevitably the experience teaches me and leads to something I wasn’t expecting. 

That's my positive spin.