2010-02-13 Saturday - Studio time

I didn't get to the studio until around lunch time on Saturday for three reasons:

1. I was lazy.
2. I wanted the bulk of the snow on the roads to melt before I left.
3. I was lazy.

Once I got there I tried desperately to make up lost time, but to no avail.  I got some more bowls thrown, worked on a couple of casseroles, and worked on my butter dishes.  I still need to slip those tiny pots I made ages ago, glaze a bunch of pieces, and handle some of the bowls.  This has really become like a second job, although a thoroughly enjoyable one.  I constantly over commit myself to what I can achieve in a day, and that's not taking any socializing into consideration.  I wish I could add 8-10 more hours to the day...

 

Stuff.

  

 Butter dishes.

(I hope they fit a stick of butter after firing...)

  

 A pretty good afternoon's work.

2010-02-12 Friday - Snow!

It was a quiet evening with snow falling outside.  It's a curious thing about snow:  the more furiously it falls the quieter it is.  It snowed well into the early morning hours and we got about 4-5 inches before I gave up and went to bed.  It's nice to get a little bit of snow in the winter and at least on a Friday night most people don't have to deal with getting to work in the morning.  It was peaceful and fun to watch it fall.

I'm still a kid at heart, especially when it comes to snow.  I can remember staring at the streetlights trying to will it to snow until my watery, unblinking eyes showed me falling snow that wasn't really there.  I think of those nights at the window every time it snows.  I check the windows more frequently than my kids do.  It's just magical.

 

  

  

The first daffodils of spring are coming up despite the snow.

  

  

  

  

  

Later in the morning...

 

 

2010-02-06 Saturday - Guess where?

Saturday was a fun day at Clayworks.  There was a huge crowd of people there doing what they do best --creating amazing things.  I am constantly amazed at what I see made in our studio.  My work can't help but improve just being around all this talent.  I think it's an immersion process:  I am surrounded by all this great work every time I'm there and it influences the way I think about what I'm doing.  Whatever the process, I am thankful for the opportunity to be around such a talented group of people.

I spent the afternoon there and I got a lot done, but forgot to photograph the work once again (argh!).

 

 Shelley was making a wonderful horse.

  

Ju-Ian was throwing her fine bowls.

  

 Guitta was making a great torso sculpture.

  

 Katherine was trimming her great lidded box.

(and making faces at the paparazzi)

  

 June was throwing some amazing forms.

  

 Pam was working on her excellent dog.

  

Elaine was making her super hand-built bowls.

  

Claudia was working on her beautifully decorated vessels.

  

Susie was glazing her lovely pots. 

2010-02-02 Tuesday - Class

Tuesday night wheel class with Adrienne Dellinger.  Don't blink or you'll miss her throwing something, or trimming something, or making something start to finish.  She doesn't mean to make it hard to catch her making something, it's just hard for her to slow down.  The clay seems to flow from her fingers in a continuous stream and it's a joy to watch.  So much so that I forget to take pictures and I sometimes can't figure out how she accomplishes something because I get so wrapped up in the way the clay just moves.

If you don't understand what I'm talking about, just stop by on a Tuesday evening and watch her throw.  (I'll be the one standing near the wheel trying to catch her throwing something.)

 

Cooper has "Who-Hands".

  

Just some of the things Adrienne made during class.

  

Amy is making vases.

  

Angela is speeding towards a finished casserole.

  

 Cooper has evolved fingers.

2010-02-01 Monday - Experiment

I tried out the video creation tool in Picasa and made this video of my glaze test bowls.  It works pretty well and I look forward to playing with it more in the future.