blue bowls

I am buried people.
Between, preparing for shows, taxes, getting work done to take to NCECA and a few other top secret adventures that I can't talk about just yet, I just haven't had the time to write.

I wanted to pop in to say hello and at least give you a little eye candy.

These bad boys will be available for purchase Greenwich House "Made in Clay' sale/auction that opens on April 3rd.

Happy Spring!

the morning after

I started to write a post two days ago but was so beside myself with joy that I just couldn't focus. One minute it was tears, the next minute the hairs on the back of my neck would be standing, and then there were the gleeful tourette like squeals that would escape from my mouth at random moments. I haven't worried too much about what people think. I see that many people around me are experiencing the very same thing. You all know what I am talking about...It begins with an O.
(and we all like things that begin with an O!)

And just look at all the smiles on your faces!

If you want to see some celebratory pottery happiness just
press this button.

Now I can focus again!
It felt so good to get back in the studio yesterday and work until my legs ached from standing all day. I am cooking up some new things for my upcoming Studio Sale on December 6th. I'll post more information about it as the date gets closer but mark it on your calendars not to miss it.

Oh and speaking of calendars...I have been getting many emails inquiring whether there is a 2009 calendar and I am sad to say there is not. I got so darned busy with all my back to back shows that I just couldn't pull it off. It's good to take a break and who knows maybe I'll make up something special and limited edition at the last minute.
If I do you'll be the first to know.

Now it's time to get to work!

come and get it

Dear Friends,
Even though history often repeats itself, some things only happen once in a lifetime. So please listen very closely because I fear if you do not, you may be gravely disappointed to have missed this opportunity and it would break my little heart in two if I were to blame for you
not knowing about what it is.
The event I am going to tell you about will only happen once.
Yes you heard me right, only once!
In a single word my friends,
OBAMAWARE!

the sale begins,
Sunday October 19th
8 p.m. (eastern standard time)
Preview the work here.

this platter is still available for purchase here.

For those of you not in the know,
think pottery, think art, think politics, think statement, think humor, think satire, think a good cause, think Barack Obama, think serious, but in all seriousness I think you you should not miss this.
Now I can go on and try and describe what others have already done in far more eloquent manner than I could ever manage to do myself so I'd rather give credit where credit is due and introduce you to the amazing people behind this effort.

First off,
Ayumi Horie, whom you've heard me talk about on more than one occasion is the master mind behind this phenomenal event.
Ayumi asked twenty-seven contemporary potters and ceramists to donate Obama and election themed work in order to raise money to help support Barack Obama and his campaign effort.
Of course everyone said yes and then
scurried back to their studios and got to work and the result...Well you are just going to have to go and visit the online sale yourself to see what everyone came up with.
The range of work is diverse;
From hand made mugs and cups ,decorative pieces to sculpture.
It is an excellent display of the versatility of ceramics both as functional object and as Art.

Also you might want to put on your reading glasses before you head on over to the site because there is an essay by Sarah Archer that is not to be missed. Be for-warned, it is lengthy and dense but I promise you every word of it is a golden nugget of information that you will wonder how on earth you managed to survive without for so long.

Oh and did I mention...
I happen to be one of the twenty-seven Artists that are participating in the event.
I really only have one thing to say about being included.

Honored.

So go on folks, check it out!

Tell you friends, buy something
and be proud that you are not only participating in making history but that
you will actually have the opportunity to
hold a little piece of it in your hands.

the real story

moment...um

I am not sure why but for some reason I have lost my blogging mojo.
I think it is a little like exercise, when you do it regularly you feel great, all glowy and fit but as soon as you get out of your routine, it's harder to get back to it. Ironically while I have been away from blogging I finally got back into my running regime...and you'd be proud of me, I ran seven and a half miles on Sunday but my poor blog isn't getting any mileage from me is it...It's just sitting in cyberspace, eating sweets and getting more lethargic by the minute. It's not that I haven't been working in the studio either, quite the contrary. I have had so many deadlines this summer that I never got a break. In fact I feel like I am ready for summer to begin now and the thought of autumn and winter coming up makes me feel uneasy. I am not ready for sweaters and hats yet. And Christmas, please, don't even mention it! The good news is that I have so many wonderful things happening right now and coming up well into 2009. In fact I am pretty booked with shows through 2009...Some really exciting ones that I am already scheming for.


But enough of me moaning about my atrophied blogging muscles! I want to give a shout out to my friend Ayumi Horie, who just had an interview published in American Craft Magazine. All you aspiring and not so aspiring potters should give it read. Ayumi lets you in on some of the things 'they' never told you in Art School about making a living from your work.
I guarantee, you will be inspired.

Also my show at Warm Springs Gallery opened on Saturday. Most of the work seen in these photos (plus some things not in the photos) are available here.
Here is a link to my fickr photo set of all the work that is in the show. If you are interested in any of the pieces please make your inquiries directly to the gallery.

OH and just one more thing, then I'll promise to stop bugging you.

Have a look here.

Okay, that's all I am going to say for now.

Other than that,
I've missed you all terribly!
And thanks for not forgetting about me.

P.S Thank you Etsy!

T*H*A*N*K Y*O*U

new cylinder vases
now available here


Wow, I can't believe how many of you showed up for the fourth & clay sale this weekend!
Saturday we had non stop lines extending the length of the gallery and studios.
And boy, you cleared me out!

Thank you all for coming and a special thanks to Victoria, Ahn-Minh and Jan for putting the word about the sale and to Josie for hosting the fabulous event and including me . I was able to raise a nice sum of money (see photo of me in action here...who knows what I am saying!?) to help my sister because of all your support. All my seconds were gone by the end of the day on Saturday except for a few little stragglers.
It was an amazing weekend and it's always so much fun to see you all and to hang with my beloved pottery posse.

Now I am officially pooped.
I feel like I haven't stopped since last October and come to think of it, it's true, except for a small jaunt to L.A. in February I haven't taken more than a day off since then. It is starting to catch up to me... I have had a sore throat that keeps coming back but never quite becomes a cold (a sign of exhaustion). So I am taking today off and hopefully will do some more relaxing this weekend. I will be filling my shop all week with some new goodies (like the vases above) and some of my new small vases as well. If I owe you an email I am slowly trying to catch up but do need to check out for a bit so please hang in there, I haven't forgotten you.
Oh and I forgot to mention I did add some new canteen vases to my shop so if you have been eying one for yourself or a friend you can find a few here.

4 sale

8oz, 10oz & 12oz cups


They are available for purchase here.

***

happy weekend!

closer to hand

I am so excited to introduce this weeks guest blogger to you!
::
Back in December
Renee wrote to me asking me what I call the dreaded question..."What is your process?" I wrote back, trying to gently couch the usual response I give to people who ask me to give missives of my process via email (I don't even teach workshops on my process...sad but true, I am a hoarder this way). Which is, thanks for writing, but sorry, I'm not gonna tell you. I hate doing this but as much as I believe in sharing I don't believe in sharing everything. I try to be nice, give a little something in return without giving away my secrets but never the less I know it pisses people off.

Renee, did not respond right away to my answer of "no". Then about a week later she did...She was honest in telling me that she felt sort of "miffed" as she put it but then thought about it a little and what I got in return was a very thoughtful and understanding response.

I was so impressed by Renee I thought to myself; Man, I wish this girl lived closer to me... She's my kinda lady! Bold enough to ask questions, strong enough to take the answers (even when they aren't what she wants to hear), honest enough to tell me what she thinks, thoughtful about the information and kind enough to tell me she understands.

Well the rest is now history. Renee and I exchange emails as often as our busy schedules allow. If we did live closer to one another, you would most definitely find me loitering about her studio, chatting, sharing stories of clay battles won and lost and maybe even sharing a few well guarded secrets.

Welcome aboard Renee! We are so lucky to have you.


::

First, a word of thanks and appreciation to Diana for being such a dedicated blogger.

Reading about the struggles and successes of a
fellow potter motivates me to work harder in the studio. At times,
living way out in West Virginia leaves me feeling alone in this crazy
pursuit of making pots in the 21st century. It's amazing how a few
well crafted words have spurred new thoughts and approaches to my
work.

 Reading and responding to Diana's blog has given me the chance to
develop a dialogue with friends I have yet to meet.   Thanks One
Blackbird for hosting guest bloggers like me.  It is my hope that
these guest blogs will encourage other clay artists to create a
larger community of bloggers who know about all things clay.

I have been making pots since my freshman year of college.  Viewing
my transcript would reveal a very eclectic education; I knew that
college life should be about learning all sorts of things.  Much to
the chagrin of my mother, the one passion that has remained constant
is my love of clay. After leaving school, I was lucky enough to fall
into situations that facilitated my dream of being a potter and I
have had a clay studio for the past thirteen years.  My current
studio is twenty paces out my back door and is painted  a fetching
color of purple.  When I look out at my perfect purple cottage, it
makes me smile.

While I have had this constant desire to make pots, I have also had moments (or even years!) of distraction. Along with making pots, my life has been full. I am now moving into a new place in my life. My son is nearing his sixteenth birthday and my studio, which was actually slated to be demolished before we purchased it, is finally in order. I now have more time and energy to invest in my work and I am quite excited to enter this new phase in my life.

Over the years, I have pursued several different venues for my
pottery. I have worried with craft fairs (the lost business cards,
missing wrapping paper and the curtain that would not stay in place),
gone the route of consignment (the errant dust bunny nestled in your
pots, people who know nothing about your craft in charge of selling
your work), moved on to work only with galleries (nice, but pricey).
Yes, each outlet has its own particular down side. These experiences
have lead me to look for a better way...

In 2001, I went to Haystack, where I was Jack Troy's teaching
assistant. He wisely advised the class not to overlook our local
market. I remember him saying, "Your neighbors will not let you
down." He assured us that galleries, no matter how lovely, come and
go. I knew this to be true, even for "star" potters--Jeff Shapiro
once told me a story about a gallery that perfectly illustrated
Jack's point. Jeff was asked to make coffee cups for a four star
gallery that was representing him on the east coast. He was so
honored, he gave the gallery owner a good price and got busy making
the cups. They were to be commemorative cups, stamped with the
opening date of the gallery. When he went to unload the kiln, the
glaze had pooled in the stamped area making it illegible. Again,
back to the wheel to make more. After all of this effort, the
gallery owner got what he wanted. Guess how the story ends?
Shortly after delivering the cups, the gallery let him know they no
longer wanted to represent him.

This story allowed me to see the strength in Jack's advice and
reminded me of a phrase I'd heard: "closer to hand." I find power in
these words, and when I am grappling to make a decision I ask myself,
what is closest to hand? It often clears my mind and allows me to
see what is right in front of me. My goal is to sell my work
locally, giving myself the pleasure of meeting the folks who want my
pottery in their lives. I plan to take this year to explore things
that are closer to hand for me...Check out my progress on my new
blog: The Pondering Potter.

a fond farewell

The west coast pottery gals, as Whitney likes to calls us, the Pottery Posse, had a farewell dinner for our friend and fellow potter Christa Assad.

me (left) and whitney (right) enjoying dinner

Our gatherings are always fun and we all have a chance to catch up with one another. There is always plenty of wine to drink along with a homemade meal by whomever is hosting the party, this time by the ever beautiful and talented Sara Paloma.

Sara lit just about every candle in her Ikea tea lite bag though most spectacular was Sara's Disco Ball, it sparkled and gleamed and cast spots of light all over her beautiful home making it seem like we were having dinner in the stars! (see my last post for a picture of the Disco Ball)

We bounced Sara's beautiful daughter on our knees and talked about all things pottery and as usual, boys. It never changes does it!?

Rae bouncing Sara's beautiful babe

talking shop left to right; Sara, Whitney, Rae & Christa

Christa is off to the Kansas City Art Institute to teach ceramics to some very lucky people. Christa is an amazing potter and well on her way to the Pottery Hall of Fame.

We are all so very happy for Christa but also sad as it is never easy to lose one of the Posse. Best of luck Christa, knock 'em dead! We sure will miss you! sniff, sniff.

money talk

It makes me uncomfortable to talk about money. Especially when it comes to my own work. I guess on some level I feel I shouldn't have to explain myself or that it is unsavory for an Artist to talk about it. Perhaps it is but I feel it is important to offer some explanation of why things are priced the way that they are. If I don't talk about it then how will anyone know?

I know that people often suffer "sticker shock" when they see the prices on my work. I have been selling my work professionally for thirteen years now so I have a pretty good idea of what people expect to pay when they see an object that is made from clay. Especially if it is in the shape of a bowl, vase or plate. Even I do it. I have that preconceived notion in my head too, equating function with frugality. So when someone writes to me and asks "I would like to buy your large bowl, how much is it?" and I tell them $320. Often times I get no response in return which I interpret as "it is so expensive... How can she charge so much for just a...bowl?!" I have read it on blogs too, I love her work but it is too expensive for my budget. I understand that it is shocking and this does not upset me, $320 for anything requires some thinking about before splashing out.

What goes into the making of those ceramic bowls, vases and plates is a lot more work than usually meets the eye. Anyone who has taken just one pottery course usually gains an immediate appreciation for the labor that goes into making ceramics. I often hear things like..."I took a pottery class intending to make all of my Christmas presents and all I ended up with is an ashtray...and I don't even smoke!" Any object successfully made out of clay is highly deceiving. That is the beauty of the medium. It gives off the air of simplicity, ease, some say a calmness but in truth the mastery of making things from clay that look that way require an immense amount of skill. People who work with clay do it because they love it and also because there is a bit of the masochist in them. When people say to me you must be so happy to "play with clay" I want to well ... scream. I rarely "play with clay" and really it is not respectful to the craft. In fact I heard Oprah say it the other day (did I just admit that I watch Oprah!?) while she was doing a spot on Jonathan Adler. He just smiled and was gracious but I wondered if that statement made his blood boil just a little. Anyone who is serious about the medium knows that there is nothing playful about it at all. The outcome may look playful in some cases but what goes into making it is a whole lot of work. Plain and simple...work!


When it takes me hours to make, paint, etch and glaze just one piece and then throw it into a kiln, not just once but twice and it may or may not turn out that is what goes into the cost. Also consider the cost for studio space, equipment, materials, education on top of the hours spent making the work. Honestly I don't think any ceramic artist/potter ever charges enough when you compare the hours they put into making their work to lets say a lawyer or a computer programmer. Those are professional realms where people rarely question their hourly wage. (we don't like how much they charge, but never the less we accept it). Even though those services provide as much function in our lives as the bowl we eat our cereal out of every day.

pottery paradise

spring studios at the sugar mill in Bequia

Earlier this week I journeyed out to an area on the island called Spring to visit the Spring Studios Pottery. Spring is a bucolic wonder... Swaying palm tree groves speckled with grazing cattle and a backdrop of sparkling turquoise ocean waters. The road that leads there is lined with bushes of jasmine, oleander, trumpet vines, flowering frangipane, breadfruit and mango trees. Humming birds and bright yellow banana twits zoom about to a background concert of bahhhing from the infamous Bequian sheep (that look like goats) that I affectionately refer to as sheep-goats . Getting there is dreamy, even in the heat of the day.





















I love to visit potteries whenever I travel. To me potteries are like churches...most places have one and well, in a way, clay is my religion so i feel very comforted and at home in them. Spring Studios are about as idyllic as they come. The pottery itself is in an old sugar mill that has been transformed into small individual working studios.Walk inside of what looks like a roofless stone ruin and you find small spaces where potters, painters and artists work.
Each studio, some larger than others, has its own unique feeling. Some are lined with large leafed plants, some more spare, enclosed by walls of large stones and all of them are open partially to the sky.

large pot on the wheel

The pottery attracts artists from all over the world. A french potter was working there earlier this year as well as Maria from England who is one of the resident potters currently working at the studio.

Maria throwing pots at Spring Studio

There is a large room with a gas kiln, a room where the clay mixing and recycling take place.

Lorencia (left) from Bequia showing off some of her creations as they are loaded onto the stacked kiln shelves.

Kerry (right) from St. Vincent was very proud of his work having just recycled all those bags of clay he is looking at.

...and a shop where the Artists can sell their finished wares.

Just to make you drool even more there is even a little pool in courtyard of the building. It really doesn't get any better than that...unless taking off to the beach (a five minute walk) and cooling off in the warm waters of the Caribbean ocean is your preference, which is exactly what I did.

I'll be back soon with more island tales and sneak peaks at some more local talent.

Now off I go for a sail.

a good combo

Back in 1999 I had the honor and pleasure to attend Penland School of Crafts on a teaching assistant's scholarship. It wasn't for ceramics though, it was for a drawing class. I liked my drawing class well enough but being the teacher's assistant made it difficult for me to concentrate on getting any of my own work done. I spent most of my time in class helping the students and teaching them some of my own drawing techniques. Finding myself distracted I wandered about the campus, in my free time, only to find myself loitering around the clay studio, hmmm imagine that! At the time an amazing potter, Cynthia Bringle, was bestowing her golden wisdom on the lucky students who were taking her workshop. I kept going back to the clay studio until I got the nerve up to say hey, to some of the other students. I immediately befriended Adrienne and Mark who were the teaching assistants for the class. Before I knew it I was in the studio in all my spare time, often at midnight, drawing all over everyone elses pots. I was in heaven! I tried to stay low key and out of the way as to not disturb and take up the students, who were actually taking the class, time and work space. Cynthia would walk by me and look at what I was doing, scold me not to blow on the pots as I drew (clay dust is deadly) and then one day she asked me if I had ever worked with clay before. I shyly nodded my head with a yes response and then lowered my head back down to work. I had already making work (out of school) for seven years but the presence of this woman and her skill was to say the least, intimidating. She is one of the best teachers I have ever encountered. Teaching, aside from one's own craft, is a true skill, and she is both a skilled crafts person and teacher. By the way, I immediately ceased blowing on my ceramics then and there and think of Cynthia with great gratitude anytime I am tempted to do so.

What was so exciting about working in the studio at Penland was that I was exposed to all kinds of materials and methods of firing that I usually don't have access to. It is pretty hardcore stoneware, highfire pottery country in North Carolina, with a strong emphasis on wood and salt firings. Some of my favorite potters reside in that region of the United States. None of this namby pamby, west coast, urban dwellers, electric firing with bright colored glazes that I am used to (and make). This was the real deal.

Mark, the teaching assistant, was happy to hand over his beautifully thrown pots to me and let me go wild. Mark's pots were a perfect canvas for me. Strong form with clean simple lines. I was a little challenged by the engobes available, everything was dark and that does not lend itself well to my drawings being visible. I did find some white and a wee bit of albany slip (the brown) to use. They were salt fired in a kiln that Adrienne and Mark nurtured and tended throughout the night. The pitcher in the photo (one of a pair, Mark has the other one) was the result of our collaboration.

Collaboration has been on my mind quite a bit these days. Mav and Steph have a wonderful new thing going on over at 3191. The result is gorgeous and inspiring. All the Artist's and Craftspeople with Lisa, Stephanie and Gerry at the helm, collaborating together for the greater good to help and support the Kim Family. I hear the other Lisa is up to something collaborative these days too. Any one else out there collaborating? I would love to hear about it.

If Mark were to invite me back to North Carolina to draw all over his pots again, I'd be there in a minute, well maybe five minutes. I left Penland with new friends, new ideas, new experiences and this pitcher, which is one of my most treasured pieces, to remind me that working together can produce some amazing results.

Diva Dinner

Last Sunday night (a week ago already!) I hosted a dinner at my place for the ladies I like to call the West Coast Pottery Diva's. Seated at my dinner table were four amazing, talented, gorgeous women; Sara, Christa, Whitney and Rae (and myself, guess that makes five). A couple times a year one of us hosts a dinner at our home. It is a chance for us to catch up with one another, eat good food, drink wine and to use all the lovely pottery we have collected from our ceramic making friends. It is also an opportunity to exchange hot tips like, how to pack ceramics efficiently with corrugated cardboard (fascinating, I know!) and where to get the best deal for boxes. I know I am making you jealous with all this cardboard talk. We talk about other things too. Sarah has a brand new baby, (she was filling a one hundred piece order right up until she went into labor!) and well okay, we talk about boys… but not too much, well maybe a little more than I am letting on. Through the ups and downs of life, baby having and boy drama, all of these ladies never stop making their work AND they support themselves solely with their Art. Very Impressive! I feel the cross connection between Artists is essential to survival in a profession where one must carve out their own path. There are times, serious times, when I have wanted to throw in the towel and say “I give up, it’s too difficult, I am poor, I am heartbroken, I am overworked …” then one of these ladies will simply say “you can’t give up.” They understand how hard it can be but they also know that the benefits far outweigh the hardships. I know that I am not alone and so what I do becomes something larger than myself and the work I make. As a group we share common agenda; to make our Art, to make a living with it and to enjoy our lives while we do it. Without these ladies (and many others) I don’t know if I would have lasted as long as I have as an Artist. It’s because of people such as them I am able to feel validated and that the so called impossible task of supporting oneself with their Art actually is possible, very possible. Thank you ladies, I am humbled and inspired by your talent, your passion for your work and your downright loveliness!