this week...

Indoors: Teapots are birthing...spring is coming!!


Outdoors: Kiln is under supervision by a competent electrician--it seems some connections are unusually loose, unable to be tightened properly and require scouring the state of Arizona to find the proper connectors.....


Whenever I have a delay, or a setback in my normal workflow I get incredibly creative!!

new photo light box

Since I'm waiting for parts for my kiln, I'm throwing some new things and taking pictures of my work for my Etsy page
I built a light box and put it out under the Arizona sun and took some pix. I'll need to get some lights, but this is working pretty well for now.

so here's the link from Darren at Digital Photography School
Any of you potters who want to try to make a light box and photograph your work--this is pretty dang easy to do. I didn't really follow all the instructions to the letter, I modified it for speed rather than durability. (I actually used tissue paper instead of fabric, cuz there's no way I'm heading out to Walmart just for some 99 cent sheer fabric.

radical acceptance of what is....

so you know how much fun I had working last week, I made some new stuff, tried new things, made new glaze tests, worked on a commissioned set of dinnerware etc.
Well, f**kity F**K!!!!
my kiln decided to tank on me this afternoon in the middle of this firing of all this new stuff. The button on the kiln sitter, the thing you press to turn the kiln on, the main power button just frickin' BROKE in the middle of my firing and shut it down and nothing we could do could get it back on--the freakin thing melted apart.........yes, it was old, I know.... Everything is fired to about 80%. Can't refire it, as most of my work has shiny and matte glazes and the don't refire well, so the dinnerware is trash, or seconds.....the new glazes need to be re-done as I can't guage anything by this firing....and my new carved lotus bowls will not turn out as I hoped if I refire them...I am supremely disappointed, angry at myself, the kiln gods, whatever is to blame for this misfortune. A week of work in the trash heap. damn.
I know I am whining, but I will deal better with this tomorrow. Shit happens, and it was my turn to learn a lesson.
Today also happens to be my birthday. It has been a strange day, to say the least.
I am really grateful for my friends who watched me trainwreck this afternoon as this happened, made me drinks and fed me cake and ice cream. I love you guys more than you know.
I don't have any other pix than B heading out for a ride this morning while things were still all going well.
Life goes on.

today is a yummy day...

in the studio. Since the economic slow down, I have been given a break from my normally busy local wholesale accounts.
So what am I up to? I've been feeling really inspired to make some new things without that little voice in the back of my head asking when I'm going to get to production. Yeah, yeah--I'm still doing production, just a little slower.
So after making a bunch of mugs, I started to work on a larger version of my 'Lotus" bowl. I've been making these little bowls for years, but really small. And after loving the way the glaze came out on the last batch, I've decided to take the plunge on something larger and more complex.
So here is one of the new bowls that I threw yesterday and carved today. OMG! carving is fun. I hope they take to the glaze like I want them to...

Lookee! glaze test tiles!!! As you all know, or don't know, I really don't like testing glazes. Once I find a glaze that I like, I stick to it for years. What on earth is wrong with me? I am such a glaze fuddy duddy! So I made some tiles and now I need to make some eensy weensy batches of glazes--not my favorite job....I guess we'll see if you really can teach an old dog a new trick....I'll keep you posted.

A new day...

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
— Mother Teresa

kind of appropriate

No pottery news this time. Spent some time this weekend with the family up in Las Vegas for my neice's first birthday. Hung out, went to see Led Zepagain (Zep tribute band--yay!) and did the Hoover Dam tour. Family time always tugs at my heart in various ways, especially with my brother's little ones (and mine too) growing up so fast in our complex world. We couldn't be more different, my brother and I, and yet I always hope there is a bridge too span all those differences.

We went back down to Arizona and Bruce says we should do the Hoover Dam tour--we've never done it all the way down etc. So that was cool--what a feat of engineering and vision--just mindblowing! And the new bridge is coming along too. That wowed me even more, because it is uncompleted--already reaching across the canyon and still unfinished. I was really moved by this one sight--something so vast and monumental in process, and the metaphors for so many things in my personal life, and also in the bigger world right now.
So I leave you with these images, and a video of an old favorite song by Everything But the Girl that came up in conversation last nite and seemed to sum up my weekend of family, children, connections, hope and bridges.
Bruce says to me while we were driving and searching thru EBTG songs on the Ipod, "do you know the 'Caruso' song?" and I tried to find it, but it wasn't there. Yes, I know that song, it was in high rotation on my Walkman back when i was in college....and I don't think I've heard it in the last 15 years. So I looked it up last nite, and watched this video, (which is a bit heavy handed) , but the message is still there in the song, and it seemed just so fitting to my weekend. so here you go.

woohoo!

So here's the last day's work:  fired the kiln last nite--shut it down this morning at 7am, went back to bed cuz the young'un is home sick--yay!  And I just now unloaded the top shelves of hearts in the dark, carrying them inside wrapped in a towel.  I just had to have a look at them.  I don't know why, she's the same old kiln but in a new studio it seemed so much more risky or something--I was all nervous about her first glaze fire here at Ross.  I did need to replace a switch after we got her all wired up and she threw some sparks onto my dear electrician friend Paulie.....so I guess I was just nervous about how she felt in her new digs, out there under the eave, next to a lovely pinetree....She seems to have settled in.  I'm happy.  I'll unload the rest in the morning--we're a good team, she and I.  

Here's a couple of pics of hearts midglazing yesterday, and a new flock of birdies that I made while sitting under the pine tree in my funky yard, those baby birdies got fired last nite too.

I'm feeling damn good about work these days.   I actually worked on taxes *gasp* today AND threw a bunch of plates for a dinnerware order.  Even though I only got 5 hours of sleep, I may just stay up and throw some more tonite.  Monkey boy went off to play pool with the peeps, so I'm on my own....hehehe... where's the chocolate?

Big changes....

so here's the yard so far....just outside the back of the garage.  I don't have much room to walk around, which is proving somewhat challenging, but it feels good to be working in the new space.   I'm doing my first firing here tonight, may the kiln gods smile....

Finally getting some work done...

Etsy makes me happy!

In more ways than one...of course I love selling my work there but I love finding so many amazing artisans....
So my sweetie didn't know what to get me for Christmas, and I was like 'duh' go look on my Etsy favorites and shop away!!!
So, come Christmas morning, I opened some great packages including this wonderful necklace from Andrea at ArtisticCreations here's me wearing it in my new studio!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

So world, I have moved home and studio yet again....(the kiln guy said "again??") I have moved my studio only 4 times in the last 5 years....I don't know what he's talking about!
On December 20th I packed up all I have in the world, including my trusty old manual Skutt 1227 kiln and precious boy and shlepped it all approximately 2 blocks away to my new home. (kindly provided by one very adorable significant other, about whom you will hear more later) He's a gem.
Here are some glimpses of things as they stand at the moment...