Sucked into the mudS

Spring is SO distracting! Everything is blooming in abundance and all I want to do is play in my other favorite kind of mud: my garden!

Oh, my bleeding heart!

There are so many blooms on the azalea that it's sagging!

Lily pads ripe for pickin'!

We also had a couple of big orders that have been time consuming and I'm still giving lessons which is so much fun it's criminal to get paid for it!

I've been wanting to show you how my stamping adventure turned out but I wanted a pic of the Japanese ikebana vase.  I keep forgetting to dig out the epoxy to glue the flower frog in but you wouldn't know if it's glued down or not, would you? So here it is...

And the stamped mugs that didn't sell at the Wayne Valley HS show...

This glaze was too thin but shows off the stamps very well.

This glaze was a little thick and filled the stamps in too much.

And, of course, the ones that came out just right were sold!

I continue to struggle with my photography. My latest set up is on the front porch in the afternoon when the sun's on that side of the house. That might have something to do with why I haven't posted here or added too many new items to my shop lately. Timing is everything and who's home that time of the day?

I did get some birdhouses posted though.  Even after photo editing they still look too dark to me.  Any one have any tips they can share? 

I made a bigger sign for my show display. It's a bit heavy but much more visible.  What do you think?

Fog & Snow

There is something about fog and snow that I love.  I hate snow and am so over winter right now.  So maybe it's the fact that I know the air is warmer than the snow covered ground that causes the fog.

WHAT? WHAT???

WARM AIR?

DID SOMEONE SAY WARM AIR?

WHERE???

Surely, this must be a sign of spring!

I know.  I'm delusional.  A girl can dream.  Can't she? (grumble, grumble damn ground hog. And stop calling me Shirley!)

Good Things are a'Comin'

I just wanted to share a quick post to show you the latest bisque firing....

Birdhouses, bowls, leaf dishes, banks and mugs

.... and let you know what's coming up this week.

We're giving our very first pottery class tomorrow night (very, very exciting!) and ALL of the in-laws are coming in for the weekend.  You would think "Not so exciting." but actually it is.  There's no room at the "inn" so they're staying at the local B&B so that isn't exciting but it's less stress for me.  It's been many years since we've had the honor of all of them visiting at once.  It's gonna get loud!

The reason for the invasion?  Craig's dad is being honored for being an inspiring coach and roll model in Mount Olive HS football.  Some of the alumni and former football players have organized a weekend of activities and surprises starting at the season's opening game this Friday.  So you can imagine we'll be a little busy.

Hopefully, I'll get some pots glazed but I'm not optimistic.

The sunflowers are fading but the sedum and mums are gorgeous!

Everyone's enjoying the sedum.

The proof is in the birdhouse???

This past summer has proven to be monumental in the development of our birdhouses.  We have quite a few of them on our deck, trees and patio.  We started putting them on our deck for decoration but last year put some in trees and under the deck (which is on the 2nd story) to see if we could get any birds to nest in them.

One birdhouse was in a grove of poplars in the middle of our yard and I'd seen a bird going in and out of it but couldn't make out what breed it was.  My dog, Oliver, was sniffing around at the base of the tree one day acting kinda funny.  When I went to investigate I found a baby blue bird on the ground!  Oliver and I sat back and watched as the momma coaxed the baby to fly.  The birdhouse they happened to habitate in was a baby blue fish.  Ironic, huh?  Unfortunately, I was so excited, I didn't think to get my camera.

A few weeks later, while resting in the shade after weeding (my favorite!) I heard a fluttering ruckus nearby and looked up to discover a house wren going into a birdhouse under the deck!  I think I actually clapped my hands (yes, I'm a dork!)  I sat very still and strained to hear tiny chirps.  We had several babies!  More claps.  I ran for my camera and started shooting.  All I can say is "Thank heaven for the person who invented digital photography" because I would have had to pay for several rolls of film to be developed to get the half dozen good shots I ended up with.

 

As if this wasn't enough excitement, Mother Nature has also proven to be no match for our birdhouses!  We experienced a 5.8 earthquake on Aug. 23 followed by hurricane Irene later that week.  They all survived unscathed! 


Can't wait to see who moves into the neighborhood next spring!

A little insight to my process

A 3 lb. lump of muddy clay.

Ready to be bisque fired,
then glazed and re-fired to cone 6 (2232 degrees F).

Home sweet home for some lucky birdies!

It's been awhile but I'm back and I'd like to share the latest addition to our birdhouse collection:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80106838/catapillar-leaf-birdhouse-nest-garden

The Art of Being an Artist

My dad's been trying to get me to be an "artist" since I was a kid.  I was always making crafty things and sketching.  He encouraged me to go to an art school.  Besides the fact that the thought of going to college scared the crap out of me, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do.  I couldn't see myself as an artist.  The literature in the high school guidance office talked of Graphic Arts and that didn't appeal to me.  My four years of art classes in high school was mostly limited to painting and drawing, neither of which got me very excited.  So I did nothing.

For some reason having family and friends tell me I had talent didn't make me feel that way.  I guess I acknowledged it, to an extent, on a "crafty" level.  It wasn't until my pottery teacher's husband told me I was under pricing my birdhouse for a student studio show that I began to think of myself as marketable.  This took a while to sink in and take root.  I started selling at local shows and when I saw almost everyone who looked at my booth smile or even laugh I finally realized the definition of my gift.  I knew it was there but having third-party confirmation helped solidify it in my weak ego.  Seeing some of the joy I get from creating being passed on to someone else just from looking at one of my pieces.... priceless!

So, does being marketable make you an "artist"?  It shouldn't.  But in my mind, apparently, it does help.  Making something that excites my passion and seeing the intended impact in a strangers reaction makes me feel more like an artist (and that will be $40, please).  They're shoes I'm growing into and starting to feel more and more comfortable in.  But I need to walk around in them a lot more!