day 18...things are good in the clay universe

The clay gods...or should I say the kiln gods?...are looking out for me.

I say that with a little trepidation as the little black rain cloud that seems to follow me around might drip on me.

I had a disastrous week before I went to Louisville for St. James Court. I lost a kiln load of things to complete some sets...cake bottom, apple, tea caddy...*sigh*. I was also rear-ended by a teenager approaching my evening gig at LVCC. Fortunately, everything was wrapped tightly and nothing...I mean nothing, broke.

After driving to Lousiville and FINALLY finding the place to get my packet, I find that, after unloading, I don't have all of my tent. I almost lose it, but realize I can work without a tent...just throw a tarp over the work at night. Clay doesn't get ruined in the rain. I asked the organizers about the weather...rain...toldl them my situation and a guy named Mike, pipes in and tells me ai can borrow parts from the second tent he usually carries. WOW!
Anyway, all went well in that respect. We traded the tent parts for a piece of my artwork.

I had 2 nice meals at Proof, which is part of the great Muesum Hotel, 21C. That wonderful food made up for the sleazeball motel I was in...DIRTY floor, hole in the bathroom ceiling, creep bedspread, a non-working phone, a liquor store and a gas'n go right next to me. Yeehaa.

I had two profitable days on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday, with two hours to go, I had two fabulous sales. I am now in the personal collection of DNC-F of Louisville and a gallery...Swanson-Reed. Thanks ladies!

St. James Court proved to be my best show this year!
A quick teardown and off to St.Louie in the car.
One more to go...KCCG Holiday Sale and Tour.

day 17...art westport

had a good weekend at the fair...did better than my own low standards.
Sold all the big, single t-pots, all small BG's, Marie's tray a a cuppie cake, as well as other cups and beakers.
yeah!

day 16. blah blah blah

yep. the clay world is blah today...
well, this week...
well, since august 21, the last day I posted.

I have been spending time in the garage and at the saws making new display. I like what I have so far, but am going into 'crunch' mode to get the shelves done.

Last Friday, Cindy (one of my collegues at Eclectics) came over for 'clay day' at my house. Cindy tried my kick wheel and I don't think she cared for it. She did make some nice little trays using the press mold (into foam) technique. She took them home to slip as the day was way too damp to apply slips.

I made some larger cups for Art Westport.

I also need to get busy making some other things for art fairs...been in the garage, not the studio.

day 16

did I miss this day??????

day 15.

friday. august 21.

I am going into the photo studio
to take piccys
of some pots someone wants
to purchase.

Then I hope to make
it into the studio
to actually make something.

day 14. I'm not here.

thursday, august 20.

I took another day away from clay only to teach the way of clay in the evening at Longview.

day 13. Lazy 13~ Lucky 13~

Taking another day off from making.
I did the morning shift at Eclectics and
finally sold something to a customer that
*I* made...2 BG charms.
::
I am going to take Fiona to Blue Bird Bistro
for dinner. I figure she needs to be exposed
to that wonderful restaurant.

day 12. a day off

tuesday, august 18.

Took a day off [yesterday] from making
pots to get ready for my first day
of this semester at Longview.

I had a wonderful class.
My students seemed overwhelmed.
There is so much for them to do.

day 11. E-lEvEn

monday, august 17

I dEcidEd I nEEdEd to makE somE trays

...for all thE cuppy-cakEs

...so I made thrEE

...with forks

....NicE.

hard to rEad.

ExcusE thE 'pEEEEnk'.

day 10. X

sunday, august, 16
Spent the morning in the clay room with an idea that I would try to create a mug using a technique I thought I had figured out...like how I make teeth on BoneGuy cups, only using flower and bird stamps. It didn't work...back to square 1.
*sigh*
went to the farm.

day 9. numba nine or is it...

nine, 9, nine, nine, 9, 9, nine, 9, nine...

Beatles or Firesign? I digress.

saturday, august 15
40 years ago, Woodstock began. I spent the afternoon watching/listening to a docu. about Woodstock and then the movie! Yay!

::

Ahhhhhhhhh. Canned Heat's "Going Up the Country". One of my favorite songs...one of the first played in the movie.

::

I decided to create some cuppy-cakes for MarieA. I sold out all I had in Minneapolis. I thnk I made a lucky 13 of them. I need to make some big cakes and some wedges and some diamond shaped petit fore.

day ei8ht. i thought about making pots

friday, august 14
soooooooooooooooooooooooo...
I did nada today as far as clay goes.
::I did happen to put together some
:::::quizes and other things for my
:::::::::Ceramics syllabus.
I am kinda depressed that I did not go back to
::public school this week.
I have friends back in cell block KCK that have
::me convinced that I should be glad...
:::::with all the $$ cutbacks and bull-shit
::::::::::going on in the schools I was at.

day 7. ten percent

thursday, august 13, 2009
Never went in the studio to make anything yesterday. I am still wiped out from the trip to Mnpls. I did my trip take and I made more than I thought. yay!
::
I was thinking about what I could do for my customers and ppl who come in my booth. I decided to create a 10% off reward coupon to use at art fairs & on line (that means that I must update the online stuff!) I went through my recent guest book emails and sent each person a coupon. I think that I should send them right before the show...instead of a card...maybe I will also send the card. Anyway, I thought that might help things at fairs.
I have been working on and off all day updating my website images. Yay! I reconsidered some price points as well.
I need more photos.
::
I made some fajitas for Fiona and I, but they are NOT as good as hers. YUM anyway.
::
I am saddened to hear that Les Paul died today...
...to quote part of my favorite Les Paul/Mary Ford song:

"Somewhere there's music, how near, how far

Somewhere there's heaven, It's where you are

The darkest night would shine

If you would come to me soon,

until you will, how still my heart

How high the moon"

day 6. what shall I make today?

wednesday, august 12
gotta get ready for the board meeting at KCCG tonight.

• National show
• new Resident introductions
• some class re-structuring...modeled on Northern Clay....what else?

I need to get ready for Hallowe'en & Xmas at Eclectics: Boneguys, Mr. Claus (bodies and heads), elves, reindeer, ornaments, etc...even cards with plastic sleeve thingees.

day 5. zippadee-do-da

tuesday, august 11
I did no physical work in the clay realm yesterday, just some paper work. I taught a throwing class at KC Clay Guild, some teens from Crittenten. It was fun, but I was wiped out.
Came home with a migraine and went to sleep.

day four. shit-ball to the album*

I am officially retired and this is the first day of school I have missed since I was aged 5. I am 55. I had been in school in some shape or form for 50 years. "Shit-ball to the album!" *[thanks go to Cinderelish for that little gem]

::

close right-that is my new buddy Joe, the horn player from "the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band" [courtesy of David Letterman]

far right- one corner of my booth..."Eve'n Adam set" with a new tableau...a new teapot with an 'arm beaker'...you can barely see the 'WitchDoctor' in the corner.

::
One of my best friends, Lori, woke me from my 2 hours of sleep this morning at 7:30 to tell me I was the luckiest girl in the world as I didn't have to go back to school today...and she did. It seems so wierd NOT to have a daily routine in a school anymore. I guess I will have to make a new one. Whew! I am paroled from Cell block KCK...33 years.
::
I am going to 'start' a new blog wi/the same blog. As of 'day 4' I am going to try to blog every day about my pottery career. There might be some personal stuff squeaking in from time to time, but that's life, huh?
3:30 am...I am home from Minneapolis and the Uptown Art Fair. I traveled with Cinderelish, a co-worker and new friend from 'Eclectics'. We left Wednesday. Thursday we set up my booth at the fair and then made my yearly pilgrimage to 'mecca' for clay in the Twin Cities...Northern Clay. We were there about an hour and half, jones'n over the artwork and the pottery itself...again, "Shit-ball to the album"...and shit!...what a place! Like junkies on crack, we twitchin' over all the pots. I think we both got our 'fix', purchasing several pieces from new and old favorites.

We moved onto the Walker Art Center and adjacent sculpture garden...way cool place. We went to see a ceramic exhibit, but that paled in comparison to seeing part of the collection as we wandered the building. Got to the hotel, ate at a common red-striped restaurant, had a jacuzzi (with 5 kids we didn't know) and stayed up having a little drink in our new cups. I now have:
a Maren Kloppman,
a David Allen...love the 'Betty Page' cup
a Colleen Riley [http://www.eurekapots.com/pots.html ]...amazing work
a Kristen Wetzig...
I have more, but can't remember who at the moment.

The art fair was either stormy or like walking on the sun. It was also not the best financially. It was indeed better than the two previous years (1. vandals and my best 'take' ever, 2. a prize and my worst 'take' every.) This show was in the middle. I was a pottery 'ho' as I bought or traded 7 pieces this weekend.
::
We did have a fabu evening at Nye's...Minneapolis's unintentional ode to the 60's polka/piano bar BAR. Glitter vinyl booths and fun clientel.
::
1:30 pm...writing this blog and trying to wake up. I must empty my poor car of all the inventory I didn't sell.
I must reconsider the pricing of everything...Cinderelish has convinced me I must be more concious of time, materials, etc. in estimating prices. I am a little off, but that would help. I may be a little overpriced at times.
::
If you are out there...what do you think a price for the item posted might be...?
'Shiva Diva' teapot, tableau, two 'Boddhisatva' cups, tea caddy 'stand'
largest object...19"H x 17"Wx 9"D
slab built, /\ 6 porcelain, stained and glazed for funk-tionality, fired in oxidation
Currently priced at $1500.00
Waddya think people?

**mid-80's reference to 'Waddel, the pink fuck'n dog and shit'.

day three.

Did a little glazing and fired a kiln...fired a bisque yesterday.
Sending a 'face vase' off to it's new owner tomorrow.
Gotta get in the studio and make something tomorrow...think it will be salt'n pepper.

I purchased some pine board to construct a new dispaly that is lighter than the old one...put together like an Arts and Craft shelf I have in the PineRoom...with pegs. This is just an experiment...hope it works so that I can ditch the heavy (but nice looking) display. Also bought blue stain to mix with the Pecan...to stain the shelving.

Talked to HiddenGlen (MS) about moving up the waitlist. Also called and emailed ThePlazaArtFAir (KBL) about being available to do the show should there be any openings.

I need to call Strecker/Nelson about my images. UGH! I should've left price points and more resume.

day two.

another day...another pot.
I just finished three b0ne guys and made another 0ne with something called a 'glimmer stencil'(?) I purchased at Archiver's. I like them...I think I will also use them as masks for spraying glaze or Riox. or stain.
I keep thinking about the wall on the Chinese temple at the Nelson...old paint worn off of a stone surface...a beautiful patina...ancient...peaceful...enduring.

day one.

Like most bloggers, I have begun this blog to let viewers know what I am doing in the studio.

I have a had a successful start to my art fair season...

won two awards in two shows.

• Laumeier Art Fair...St. Louis...Award of Excellence...I guess that is Best of Show...one of 5.


• Smoky Hill River Festival...Salina...Purchase award...money for a piece that will be part of the collection of the Salina Arts Council. Linda Ganstrom was one of the jurors and THAT is exciting in itself. She kept telling me that my pieces were wonderful. She even signed my email list. It was a good day!

I get to return to each show without jurying. I feel like I am moving in the right direction...making the work *I* like to make is paying off.