the place to be happy is here...

So I may have mentioned that I'm very happy to be working on site where the kiln is ... oh I'm sure I've mentioned it once or twice.   But now that I'm heading toward my first firing since the move, there are a million little ways I am reminded of the importance of staying in place throughout a work cycle.

In this case, a picture speaks many of those ways:

In the foreground are the mugs I'm waxing, preparing to glaze.  If I don't finish them today, I get to keep them right where they are and pick up where I left off.

Above that is the platter I threw yesterday.  Shortly after I started waxing, I noticed that it was at the perfect stage for trimming.  Before my studio move, I probably would have wrapped the platter to make sure it didn't dry out while I was packing boxes of bisque to schlep to the other studio for glazing.  Stop, trim, keep going.

Above that are the demo pots I threw for my new student.  Schedule a student during the days you have to prep for a firing?  Ridiculous!  Not any more - gave her a demo, and while she was working I was laying out bisque to wax and even trimmed that platter.

And above that, under the cute table cloth is the pugger.  I may not actually pug today, but in addition to everything else getting done today, I've got clay drying in the sun that I'll pug up in the next day or two, perhaps as a break from glazing.  I may have laid out clay in the old studio while glazing off site, but odds are it would either stay wet under plastic or dry out too much, having missed the times when it needed to be turned.

I don't always need to nor do I plan to hop around from task to task, but it is an absolute joy to do it today ... because I CAN.  What I've done just to this point today may have been spread over several days before this move, having to choose what to focus on based on where I would be and when.  Including this post!  Now perhaps an afternoon coffee break and then back to the waxing...

definite progress!

So the down side to having to stop production to pack and move the studio right after a firing that was less than stellar (I believe the technical term would be 'crap'), is that the first kiln needs to make up for all those that shoulda been as well as hopefully start stocking the will be's.  The upside is that I have no lack of what to make, although because I'm filling very specific needs for this kiln, I'm a little all over the place, doing this mug for this client, these for another, only this many of this plate for another and odds and ends here and there.  But once everybody's caught up, I'll be back in a good rhythm and able to work in larger batches of each form. 

For now, it feels like I'm both racing and crawling to the finish line, with time for one more bisque before glazing and firing, making as much as I think I can cram into the bisque ... yet with today's rain the drying has screeched to a very slow crawl.  The upside to that is I took a short break and ran to the West Asheville Tailgate, which started its season today. 

So working through the branded client work, then finishing more individual orders and looking forward to enough sun tomorrow to dry things out for the bisque.

And then, the extreme joy of staying right here to start glazing work already bisque fired ... what a concept.

Back to watching clay dry ...

getting ahead on mugs for the ChoLo

branding some new service plates for Roots Cafe

taking advantage of a break in the clouds to dry out
some Roots mugs and dinner plates

feels like a bit of progress...

Ok I was going to skip today, then I saw my pal Karen did her post so here I am ...

Today was a day of clean hands, but still much got done.  Spent time at Echo Gallery putting all the 3D work in place, including newly received work by guest artist Emily Reason.  I didn't have my camera, so you'll just have to come to the opening on Friday or wait till I get pictures up to see how nice it looks.  But take my word for it - it looks niiiice!  Our other guest artists are textile artists Jen Swearington, Barbara Zaretsky and Libby & Jim Mijanovich, and our core members have added new work.  Don't take my word for it - come see it!  Details HERE.

The other fun for today was going to a Clay Club meeting.  I usually miss them as they're usually just far enough away to make the trip seem more optional the later the day gets, but this month they met in town so it would be just silly not to go!  It was a great turn-out, with potter folk from all over, including the northern territories!  Got to see many I hadn't seen in a while, meet many I had only known of indirectly, heard about lots of cool upcoming events at Curve Studios, Michael Kline's studio and with Tom Turner in town, ate way too much and just in general had a good time hobbing and knobbing. 

Back at the studio, I unloaded a small kiln load that included mugs for Echo and the first batch of work that will go to the Tree Gallery, tests for a new client and kiln fillers that were a lot of fun to play with.

 new tree mugs - can you find the 'easter egg' hiding on one? 
Studio member Rebekah added one of her owls to some of the mugs...

I'll actually have just a handful of new for the opening on Friday, as my big kiln won't fire till the end of the month.  But squeezing in this cone 7 kiln will give me a little and gets me much needed tests for the next load.  I love the feeling of opening a kiln - like a prezzie each time, and even if it's not the prezzie you thought you wanted, the info is always good and the more you do it, the more it's really like waking up first on Christmas morning!

 figured I was testing materials, why not test some new trees?

And then for something completely random ... I needed kiln fillers for this firing, and I had some slipped cups that were extra from a previous project.  I had wanted to roll out some tile tests to play with some ideas that had been floating in my head but didn't get it done in time, so the cups became my test tiles.  Of course, not related at all to any work I'm doing now, so it was kind of fun to play with - got to see how the underglaze crayons acted at cone 7, learned about some other underglaze colors.  Not sure when I'll do these tiles, but it was fun for a test and great for kiln fillers!

Tomorrow: gallery business, drying out clay, makin' a bunch of stuff, having a bit of henna fun, makin' a bunch more stuff, pugging.  Now off to see if I can liberate those pictures on my phone...

I get by...

...with a lotta help from my friends.  So I've been away from the blog lately and I have a long list that could follow 'because...'

But I think more than a few of us are going through a whole lotta that, and really while I'd love to rant it just doesn't feel like it'll accomplish much.  I'd rather say that in spite of seeing a lot of other people going through a lot of other struggles - many like my own, many not so hard, many so much harder it makes me want to cry ... what I see, hear and feel far more are the smiles, words and hugs of support.  I certainly have a wealth of it in my life, and I see it in and for other people too, and it's not that other people are 'going through a rough time' too that makes it easier.  It's the other people who are there to help, whether it's by packing up a box or just being that friendly voice on the phone. 

I do have many things to catch up with on the blog, and they all involve some of these incredible people - pictures of the move, of the new studio, of the work finally getting made.  And an incredible weekend with the 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Candle Wax' ... as soon as I figure out how to get the pictures off the phone ...

For now, I just wanted to share that my return to enthusiasm for the blog is fueled by my friend Karen.

 She goes by K., but I'm one of the few allowed to stick with 

Karen as that's how I met her and I'm just stubborn that way.  

Karen and I go back to the days of yore, and she's been a big source of inspiration to me through my own artistic travels and continues to do so with her own fearless exploration.

 This is a link to her blog, Big Fat Art Cloth.  

She's entered a challenge with artists she knows to create art and blog every day.  This is a great motivation for me as I've been stupid busy without getting much done lately and needed goals with the right motivation.  That being said, for now my big commitment is to read her blog every day.  Maybe I'll just blog about what I read in her blog. I've been planning this post for two days myself, so that's a good first step.

I'm looking forward to finally seeing more of Karen's work 'out there', but more so I'm excited to be able to hear her voice in these posts.  Her perspective comes from a great depth of experience - personal, professional, academic and artistic.  It's about her art, but you'll get a lot of who she is (and isn't that what we get with any of our art?), and if you follow this blog you'll get to know one of the best people around.  But don't call her Karen unless she says it's ok.

And if you need more motivation in your own studio, check out my blog links and read some cool blogs. Then check out the links list on those blogs - some of the best summer reading, and you never now where the next burst of new inspiration will find you!

Signs of Spring...

Well just a wee bit of catching up to do ...

The studio move is just about complete, and once I collect the holiday lights from outside the little red building on Domino Lane and move some scrap wood, we'll be focused on just one location again. 

I'm grateful for the past two years in that space and all the experiences, good and bad, that came with it.  My studio members shone like the stars they are in helping me get packed and moved and unpacked, and I am most grateful for their support and friendship.  And while the digging out is still in process, I'm already enjoying the new space and am so excited to be in the same location as the reduction kiln ... now just gotta get the work out and fill it!

It's still a jungle of boxes and temporarily placed furniture, but member Matt made it in to throw the first pots yesterday, and I tested out my own work space with a couple at the end of the day.  We have a kiln scheduled just a few weeks away, so if I needed any MORE motivation to get things done and ware on the shelves ... well there it is!

I tidily packed away the camera and only found it the day after the move, so here are a few catch up shots.

We had beautiful weather for the move, and then the next day ... snow!  Here's the new building. 

The great dumping of boxes and furniture....

things slowly coming out of boxes and onto shelves...

rewarded myself with a little wheel time last night...

happy to say the wheel works just fine in its new home!

If I could've crawled more around boxes and furniture to get good depth, there would be more pictures ... stay tuned!

2nd Saturday Artist Market starts tomorrow!

2nd Saturday has finally arrived, and we're all very excited about the start of this season's Artist Markets. 

Excited to be in our new space inside The Rocket Club.

Excited to get the page up on FaceBook and welcome new friends.

Excited to welcome back good friends who were here last year, excited to welcome talented new artists and crafters joining us for the first time. 

Excited to feel the creative vibe of all these incredible artists and sharing that vibe with the community. 

Excited to add food to the overall menu ... excited that our first guest at the 'kitchen table' is Zeytoon. 

Excited to welcome Homeward Bound as our first guests in the Community Booth.  Excited to roll out the red barrel to accept donations for MANNA FoodBank. 

Excited too that right across the street, Drive-By Press will be printing t's at Asheville BookWorks.

Excited we got to flash our 'Asheville Grown' t-shirt and show off samples of the great creations that will be available on MY40 This Morning with Victoria Dunkle.

Let's face it, we're sitting on shpilkes here, we're just a little excited!

Come join us - Saturday, March 13 from 11:00am - 5:00pm (and the 2nd Saturday of each month following, too!).  The Rocket Club, 401 Haywood Road in east-West Asheville!

March Madness at Crazy Green...

Another month that snuck up on me! 

Lots going on this month with Crazy Green Studios - 2nd Saturday Artist Market starts next weekend, and I'm really excited not only for the new venue inside The Rocket Club, and for seeing friends again in those returning vendors, but also for the vendors new to the Market and all the great work they'll bring!  Check out the 2nd Saturday blog for artist profiles, and this month we'll also be getting a tasty preview of what will soon be one of my regular hang outs - Zeytoon.  The Community Booth also returns, and our first guests in the booth will be Homeward Bound. 

The other big news around the studio is moving ... well actually this studio is staying here, but me, my studio members and all our stuff are moving.  While the studio has been buzzing with ongoing and new business, the overall effects of the past 18+ months of running and building a new business in this ... challenging ... economy is starting to show more, and I needed to take an opportunity to cut some costs and start catching up so when things start cranking up this spring and summer I'll be in a better position to move with the flow.

I'm not going far - just on the other side of Haywood Road, actually, and into the WestFire Studio space.  Those of you who have followed along and heard me say more than a few times that I look forward to being on the same site as the gas kiln I fire ... well that's exactly what's happening!  WestFire is where I've been firing, and by the end of this month it'll also be where I'm working.  While I will miss the sunny studio on Domino Lane a great deal, I am more than a little excited to rediscover what it is to have a production cycle that doesn't include stockpiling kiln loads of bisque, packing and moving work, cramming a kiln load of decorating and glazing into a 1-3 day period ... and now my studio members will be able to join me in cone 10 firing and well they're all just a little excited about that too!

I'll continue a small palette of cone 7 work, and in fact will probably be able to develop it more.  I've already started making notes for the test firings on mugs I'll be making for The Beaufort House Inn here in town, and I've got slip trees in many forms in the works for several galleries.

So the studio is in transition - my new studio mate Laura at WestFire and I are starting to work out how our studios will merge, and here we're packing and also still churning out work as production can't quite come to a full stop (at least till it's time to move the big stuff!).

Studio members know we're on 'regular' hours, and anyone wishing to pay a visit to Crazy Green while we're on Domino Lane just give a call to make sure we're here.

Oh and if you know anyone looking for a really great studio space, send them over to check it out or contact me - it's been the perfect space for me for almost two years, and I know it's the perfect space for someone just waiting to find it!