Happy New Year...oh wait. It's April already.

Oh the neglect!  Four whole months and not a word on the blog.  2014 has had it's highs and lows: if you have been following along on Instagram, you'll be pretty caught up with the good, the bad and everything in between. 

Around the 3rd week of January I was in a bike accident and I fractured my right elbow.  At the time, the doctor told me it would be months until I was back to normal and I just shook my head and said no way.  It can't be.  I have too much work to make. But here we are in early April and I just touched my shoulder for the first time in months.  I'm in Physio twice a week and my arm still doesn't fully extend.  So needless to say, I haven't spent long amounts of time typing on the computer.  All my energy has been in making the work that was on order and finishing up my website.  And writing applications, responding to emails and generally trying to keep up with everything that was absolutely necessary.


So thank you for understanding if you have come here wondering where I was.  We managed to take a couple of long-overdue holidays (Palm Springs in February and Portland in March).  I finished a painting commission (above), made 2 more paintings and then started my 2nd painting commission for the year, which I'm pretty excited about.  New work was photographed by Byron Dauncey in the beginning of February leading to the launch of my new website.  The bottle vase grouping image above even made it into the latest Uppercase Magazine.  Orders have been made and shipped.  More orders are in the works, and thankfully I can throw on the wheel again, albeit I'm a little slower and tire easily.  I take a lot of stretching breaks these days. 

That's about all I have for today but thank you for coming by here.  I decided not to include this blog on my new website for now.  Partly because I'm not sure how to add it without losing old posts, partly because I don't think I can keep this space as active as I used to.  The age of blogs seems to have passed, and while I still feel like it's a good place to have, it doesn't feel like I have the time for it like I used to.  I'm trying to limit my screen time while I'm at home- not only do I need to be more present when I'm home for my family, but I need to be a better role model for my boys with regards to how much time I spend online/plugged in and looking at a a screen.

For breakfast

I am loving some of the pottery I bought this year. 
Eating organic yogurt, home-made granola with frozen huckleberries out of April Gate's feather bowl.
Oranges served on Gailan Ngan's citrus carved celadon bowl.
Panettone on Laura McKibbon's goldfish kidney plate.
Home-made truffles on Fredi Rahn's star plate.
And a latte in Gailan's mug.

Maple or Honey Granola Recipe:
4 cups large oat flakes
1 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup chopped almonds or hazelnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2/3 cup Maple Syrup or Honey
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie tray for 20 min, stirring occasionally.
When cool add 1 cup dried fruit (optional).

Home-made Truffles - Martha Stewart's recipe made with Callebaut Semi-sweet chocolate.

Re-grouping

I'm taking some time this week for things non-studio related.  It's been good to meet some friends for tea and breakfast, pick the kids up from school and take them to their swimming lessons, and go for a run perhaps more than once this week.  I really need these time, times to re-group.  To think about what's next, reflect on the past, and just be in the present. 
It's been nice to have Sarah in the studio with me over the past month.  She's been helping me in the studio once or twice a week.  Having an extra set of hands is a welcome change- the work seems to move much quicker than usual.  At the same time, I'm always reminded of how many little nuances there are in my work that I do without thinking.  Those little details that I've learned from figuring it out myself- from trial and error, and then trial and error again before I get it right.  It's hard to pass those things along to someone new without sounding like I'm being 'uber' picky.   But all in all, I think it's been good.  Having help and all. Especially when my hands have been feeling tired.
I sometimes wonder how potters who've been potting professionally for 40 years do it.  Making pots is hard on the body.   It's hard on one's back and shoulders, arms and hands.  So far I count myself very fortunate to have had strong hands and wrists to begin with.  Most likely practicing violin for 4 hours a day in my late teens made the transition to ceramics much easier on me. Clearly I'm not 18 anymore.  And I'm starting to feel it. 

Thanks for another great Crawl!

Thank you to all those who came by for another great Crawl! It was great to see everyone come out- I lost count at how many people came by, all I know is that my studio was a lot less full than on the opening night ! A huge thanks to Miriam, my sister, Dean and Andrew- all key people who helped me out over the weekend to make it a huge success! I'll post more pics soon !

Before & After

If you ask me what part of the ceramic process I like best, I would instantly say- glazing! I confess- I am a painter at heart and my canvas just takes on different forms as far as clay is concerned. I find it fascinated how mixing up different powdered minerals from the earth, adding water to make a creamy consistency, and then dipping in a bisque fired pot can create such amazing, smooth and beautiful results after it's been fired to 2200 degrees. Granted, there are a lot of variables that people have been figuring out for thousands of years... let's just say, hundreds and thousands of pots had to be made that didn't turn out to finally get the combination of glaze materials and clay that would eventually work well. I myself have thrown out my fair share into the shard pile. Recently I was cleaning out my parent's shed with all my ol' pottery from art school stuffed into boxes. I started pulling out pot after pot that had it's place in my development as an artist, but which really needed to be thrown out for obvious reasons- 90% of the time the glazes hadn't turned out well.
So here are some before and afters. I just spent a week glazing all those pots I had made over the past 3 weeks- I'm still at it this week with one last load, but there are definitely some gems to be had out of the pile! Some is already spoken for, but for those of you starting to think about Christmas: my advice is to get your orders in early!

back at it from the ground up!

I'm back in the ceramic studio for the next few weeks, after juggling both studios this summer, trying to get ready for my show- which turned out really well, by the way! The opening wasn't quite as well attended as I had hoped, however, it was great to see those who made it out- and there will be a full page spread on the occasion in the local Newspaper in the next few weeks!
Since my clay studio is bare- quite literally every piece of ceramics I have made over the past 2 months is gone- either at a gallery, at my show, or in someone's home... I'm back at it from the ground up, so to speak.
I start with a lump of clay. Then it's on the wheel for a little throwing action. After that everything needs to set up, dry out a little until it's ready to be trimmed, altered, a new bottom to be put on, some handles or a spout or whatever. I'm working on bowls, bottles, vases & platters this week. Next week mugs, teapots, teabowls, creams and sugars. I am hoping to try a few new things in time for Christmas- would love to try a cake plate and some other types of platters.
Also with me today was my son, who was on a mission to make an octopus. At this stage it looked quite human, but he when stuck a large lump of clay on the top of the head and I have to admit, not a bad rendition for a 4 year old...