Showing posts with label pottery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pottery. Show all posts

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Accomplishments

Yet another day is almost gone and I feel like I've accomplished very little. Each night I go to bed with high aspirations of what I'm going to do the next day. "Tomorrow I'm going to tackle the sewing pile. I'm going to hem my jeans. I'm going to do some baking, make a new journal, retake some photos of items in my shop..." and so on. Here is a partial view of my sewing pile. Some of it is simple stuff like sewing buttons or fixing a seam. It's just a matter of setting aside a few hours of my time to finish it. But honestly, I'd rather be sewing the bindings of journals!

And at the end of the day, what do I have to show for myself? The same list of things that I went to bed with the night before. Why is that? What do I do all day??

Well, I answer questions all day from my 3 year old such as, "Mommy, where is North America?" and "Is there a monster in my closet hiding my books?" He will not be satisfied with a simple answer. All the answers must be given in great detail with full eye contact. If I try to mutter something while working I get, "MOMMA! Look at me!"

I also spend a lot of my time rescuing the dog from the toddler. He doesn't understand the dog isn't a peer and can't play cars because:
l) he has no interest in toys that don't squeak,
2) Hotwheels are not edible, and
3) he has no thumbs.

The fact that the dog cannot speak our language doesn't seem to bother my toddler in the least. He still yaks the dog's head off, telling him the ABC's, asking him questions, and narrating what Clifford is doing on tv.
I was able to accomplish a few things today. There are four finished Japanese paper journals in the book press. Tomorrow I hope to photograph them and list one. The blue paper next to the press is part of a new Sand and Sky Seaglass journal. I'm making one like my avatar, only with blue paper inside instead of tan. I hope to get the pages cut tonight and maybe start on binding the book.

I work best at night after the little guy has gone to bed. Or I should rephrase that...after he has gone to SLEEP. Just because he's in bed doesn't mean the questions stop. The other night he called me in there because he thought the Pooh bear on his nightlight was a monster. I surmised from this event that Scooby Doo is still too scary for him; we watched some old Scooby cartoons that day and he talked about the Willawaw for days afterward. "They are big walking owls, but they really men inside. Like when I wear my Halloween costume. They try to get Scooby Doo but he runs fast."
I also made some Parmesan-Pepper Bread. I wasn't too sure about the pepper part, so I only put a little in and it turned out great. I'd like to pretend that I made that mug, but I'm not that good a potter. My friend Rae is the expert potter. Maybe one day I will be able to make a mug that isn't an inch thick and lopsided. Until then I will buy them from Rae!

So that is a summary of my typical day. Tomorrow I will tackle that sewing pile, hem my jeans, finish a journal...here we go again!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Thursday's Treasures

This week's favorites! Click the links below to visit these talented artists' shops...
8x10 Assisi Print by ValeriaH
Vintage Cloth Journal by SewDanish
Purple Charm Bracelet by circ
Shades of Blue Vase by potteryhead

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Thursday's Treasures

Dog With Ball Tile by GretchenKramp
Peaceful Puppy Painting by AlloverArt
Sway Photograph by LenaBrown
Blue Candy bracelet by kimfoulger

Friday, September 26, 2008

The Kiln Has Cooled...

...and my pieces have been unloaded. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out. You experienced potters, keep your opinions to yourselves and let me enjoy my perceived success! I could hardly wait to photograph them. In fact, I ran outside inbetween rain showers to take these shots.
I took three semesters of pottery classes in college, but didn't really learn anything. The instructor was one of those watch me and now you're on your own kind of guys. My pieces in college were clunky, chunky, and lopsided. I've been taking classes at a local art gallery and have the best teacher in the world! She's really good and takes the time to work with me and show how to improve. My new work is still a bit lopsided but I'm getting better!

The slab vases, pictured above, I built during the tropical storm that hit us a few weekends ago. It was time well spent, since I couldn't really go anywhere during the storm anyhow. I learned a lot from reading this tutorial I found on how to do slab construction. I was worried to death that I did something wrong out of ignorance and they'd blow up in the kiln, but apparently all was well. Whew!
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