Heather Kouri has been assisting me in my studio for the past six months, and today is her last day at the pug mill as she prepares to go WOOFing in Europe. To say that I'm grateful for Heather's help these past months seems insignificant compared to how much I truly valued her great attitude, good judgment and dedication to keeping me on an even keel. Heather was my first studio assistant, and she kindly rolled along with my own growing pains in learning how to best utilize her talents and willingness to help with anything needed in the studio. I'll miss her, not only because she's my pug mill queen, but because I always enjoyed time in the studio with her. An accomplished potter herself and graduate from the Haywood Community College, I hope she'll find ways to get her hands into clay other than on the farm while she's off on this next adventure, and I wish her lots and lots of adventures!Studio members who didn't know she was leaving may still have a chance to say good bye, as she'll be coming in to glaze some last pots next week before she literally takes off.Thank you Heather - the studio wouldn't be what it is without you, and you will be greatly missed!
I think I remember a time when there were periods of crazy busy intermittently dispersed throughout the year. Now it seems more like moments of calm, intermittently dispersed throughout the year! But whenever the brink rears itself into view, I know it's time to take a moment, breathe and remember how grateful I am to be in the mix at all!Today's reflections go to my much appreciated studio assistants.Heather and Micah each come in one day a week and help keep the floors cleaned, drains cleared, clay stocked, me prepped and little projects done. They don't get in much else during the week for their own work, such is the delicate balance of keeping the bills paid and keeping time in the studio, but I'm happy that I can at least provide them that place to go when they can carve out the time. I am also grateful that the harder I work, the more time it puts me in the studio, and watching them reminds me of my years working in theater when having essentially two full time jobs was the norm (the job that paid the bills, then another 40-60 hour week in theater).
it's kind of a 'chicken & egg' quandry to know where it all starts...but here are the scraps (and non-survivors) of a recent trim session...
... that Heather turns into beautifully pugged logs ...
... that Micah wedges into beautifully portioned balls...
... that allows me to just sit and throw between answering calls, emails, planning marketing, doing the books, teaching students, packing orders and all the other things that come with the business end of 'the business'...
...that will then be trimmed to jump back into the clay 'cycle of life'!So here's to my helpers, thanks for all you do, now get in here and throw something for yourself!
