day 24...home from 'wintering' in Laumeier

yeah...Went to Laumeier Art Fair in the spectacular Laumeier Sculpture Park (http://www.laumeiersculpturepark.org/) this past weekend. It is in the St. Louis area and I did all my fave things while I was there...Ted Drewes Custard, the Chocolate Bar (chocolate martinis!) and visiting my sister Mindy her family.

Wintering, yeah man, it was COLD and WINDY on Saturday. It is a good show, but teh weather there was less than stellar. I hunkered down in the back of my tent much of the day. When you get cold and there is nowhere to get warm...it makes for a long day...and sales were worse than BAD on Saturday.

I sold my 'Marie A' (Marie Anoinette) teapot on day One...nice surprise and some other things I do not have pictures for. Some KC artists I visited with while I was at the art fair were: Judy Thompson (pit fired pottery), Makenna Bartel (silver jewelry). I also spoke with Jennifer and Nathan Falter (Springfield...potters) and Caly Hobgood-Lemme (Champaign-Urbana...still-life photos) and Carrie Hoffnagle (Des Moines...silver jewelry). Google their names and check out their work.

Anyway, I am home and I am going to go make some glazes.

day23...reviewed at eREview!

In the midst of a pretty horendous week of auto accidents, kiln over-firings, art fair display problems and accidentally deleting a very important file from my computer...someone told me about being reviewed by Steve Brisendine of eREview online magazine. What a fabulous surprise?!?! Drop on in to Steve's blog where he reviews the arts and artists every day.
http://ereview.org/2010/05/01/where-fun-meets-funk-tion-susan-speck/

I am getting ready for The Laumeier Art Fair this weekend in ST. Louis. Visit me there if you are in the nieghborhood. I still do not have a booth assignment, but I am not under a big tent...but on the outskirts.

day 22...not much going on

Whew!! Not much going on in the studio this week. Got home from NCECA on Saturday afternoon, caught some kind of bug and have been sick the last couple of days.

I have spent the last few days at the computer loading CD's and creating a slide show for the juror of KC Clay Guild's Teabowl National. It has been exhausting, but fun to see all the work made by potters across the country...lots of soda and wood fired pieces.

Thanks to all who have entered...the work is amazing. Don't foget to pencil in the June 11 opening reception with the juror, Pete Pinnell. It will take place at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center in KCMO from 6-8 pm.

day 20...actually keeping up!

I wanted to post a photo of a teapot inspired by They Might Be Giants' song...well, I think it is "A Little Birdhouse to your Soul". I made a a series of three. I also made some small variations in teapots, pitchers and lidded boxes.

day 20...starting again...again

Just got back from NCECA and I am hyped to make pots and glazes...but I also have to get my art fair thing going. Here are some piccys of some pots I bought. XoXo is by Stepanka Horalkova. The 'twins' are pots I bought at the end of the Cup Sale at NCECA...2 for1...by Harmony Chapman...they were the ones I coveted all week and I got them!
I cannot remember the woman's name that made the 'bunny plate'...she was at the vendor booth and had a pet rabbit in a carrying case.

I went to KCCG and discovered I had a whole bunch of new entries for the KC Clay Guild Teabowl National. I'm stoked! There are over 140 pots entered! I brought all the CD's home and downloaded them and then set them in a PowerPoint for Pete Pinnell, our juror.

day 19...a new year...humphf

Haven't really done much in the clay world at my house. Getting blase' about clay again....humphf!
The studio is too dog-gone cold. Even the space heaters haven't been helping. It is way to cold to go and stain or glaze in the basement as well. Twenty or below...ya just can't warm up an older outbuilding...(dreaming of a new studio...maybe next summer!!!)

I *have* done quite a bit for KC Clay Guild lately. I/we have organized a painting weekend and the place looks fabu. We are mapping out a consignment/retail area behind the desk, bought display shelves and painted some shelves.
We have purchased new ware shelves for the handbuilding room and moved furniture about. Dale is also installing the 'new' sink near the front rooms. We are going to install a better system of clay sludge collection, too.

I need to go down to the donjon to stain a piece for KCAC (Kansas City Artists Coalition) today. It is 4:30 and I need to leave for rowing at 5:15...maybe I can get this done.
Here I goooooooooooooo.

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.