Hook up woes

On my blog bio I joke about voltage.  But seriously I had no idea it was going to be this complicated.  The kiln is 208 volt not 240 volt.  I can replace all the heating elements or see what happens.  The electrician hopefully has a magic wand.

Well Coiffed Fish

Abel is usually the first one down to my studio after the bus drops them off from school.   There's always some new clay critter in the works to visit and his belly needs a snack asap.  Today he agreed to snap a quick pic before claiming the last Irish Cream Brownie.  It's amazing how he can keep his hair so fresh and perky all day.  He had a similar profile for his President's Day portrait silhouette.  

I am currently in gargoyle mode making down spout covers for spring showers (not the 5-8 inches of snow predicted tonight).  I have the corner window display at Handwork for the first two weeks of April.   It will be jammed full of bunnies, frogs, fish, astro turf and fake rain. Any ideas how to make fake rain...

Phase 2 complete

Before

After

While I was away picking up the kiln, Adam and Richard were installing my new studio floor.  The old floor I imagine was much like the surface of the moon.  It was a composite of undulating cement and river rock.  The new plywood floor is cushy on the feet and my fake laminate flooring makes it easy to mop.  I can even still wear my clogs in the studio despite having lost two inches of head space under my feet.  The next project or phase 3 is setting up the kiln and kiln vent.  Phase 4, lady sculpture storage...and some day a dreamy slate work top like those in grad school.  Abel is shown here at my old drafting table from high school.  Sad to say there will be no fall studio tour to show off my fabulous new space.  Maybe it will become a spring tour in 2012!

The Kiln Arrives, Potter Still Alive

Honestly, when I left Boston I had no idea we were getting blasted in New York.  As soon as I hit the tolls at the state border the first flurries appeared.  It took eight hours to get home.  The worst part was stopping in Owego (about 40 minutes from Elmira) for a celebratory box of fried cheese curds only to discover they were way undercooked.  Totally not worth the effort of leaving the interstate.  The best part:  Olive shoveled out the driveway for me.  Thanks Jaime for setting me up with a beautiful kiln.

In the window

 I'm pretty sure Bryan Adams saw my work when it was in the window at Handwork.  I saw his tour bus parked out front of the State Theater in Ithaca which is right across the street.

After my exhibit in Corning I brought my work home for a week until Lise suggested I put it up at the store where I sell my pottery.  Many people have never seen my sculptural work so it was great exposure.  The members of the artist cooperative got to know me better too.

And I got a candid view of people's expressions as they looked at the work while I dusted the glass ware just inside the store behind the window.  The relationship between the store window and a temple frieze is remarkably similar.  I wish I had had a web cam for those first few days the pieces went up.  Maybe a grant funded project has just been conceived.  Crossroads deadline here I come...

Seconds For Sale

The semi annual second sale starts Friday morning, January 14, 10am at Handwork in Ithaca.  I helped set up three tables full of coop members cast offs.  It's really fun to glimpse into the artist's process by picking through their not-so-good work.  Naturally, I had many pieces to contribute (three bins full).  I had almost one whole kiln load that I didn't like. I also still have three circus teapot sets left from when we lived in Green Bay.  Every time I see those monkeys, lions and bears (oh my) I can't believe I made them.  First, my son was about 8 weeks old when I began sneaking off to the studio in the evening to have clay time. That I could be as productive as I was that year is truly amazing.  Second, I am really not a big fan of circuses, however, I did feel like I needed a reason to use color.  Of course now that doesn't stop me.  It's surprising how quickly the pieces fly out the door.  Never fear there is always more so stop by often if you can.

Precious Melon Photo

I took this when I was consumed with blogging.  I should really show all three shots so you can get the full effect.  There must be a genre for these artful yet practical visuals.   You should see what I can do with a recycled cereal box when I'm not getting enough studio time.