To market, to market!

I love to create. Working with the creations to move them from my studio space into the wide world is not something I am as adept with. In less than two weeks, I will be doing a holiday art market in Highlandtown, Baltimore. Before that happens, all of the pieces that are going need to be photographed, priced, and packed up. Big work! Exciting work! I am hopeful that this will create for me a bit more shelf space for new creations. Stop by if you are in the area...12/7/13, 10am - 6pm at  3402 Gough Street, Baltimore, MD 21224!

The Loonacy of Pottery

Pottery is an art form with much potential and possibility for frustration. Things crack or get bumped; glazes are applied too thick or too thin. Another piece in the kiln blows up and the debris rains on your own--or vice versa. This week when I got to the studio, my loon plates were out of the glaze firing. With trepidation, I walked to the shelf and found that they were...just as I had hoped...(and pottery is all about hope!) The paint and glaze worked and nothing foreign was permanently baked in during the firing. And this is the loonacy of pottery. This is what keeps me in clay. For all the pieces that don't meet my inner expectation, there are those that do. And when they do (and even when they don't), I can't wait to create the next hope filled piece.

S(no)w Chance

For the first time this season, snow is in the forecast! Well...there is a snowflake symbol on the forecast for tomorrow. There really is s(no)w chance of accumulation or even a late opening for school--but--the possibility got me painting! Instead of the usual snowman, I found  myself painting a small snow angel. Stay tuned to see if we see any flakes tomorrow--and to see how this ornament turns out. One of the interesting aspects of using underglazes is that the paints change when fired...so, I am never really sure how something will turn out!

Lens of Inspiration

Last night I had the opportunity to attend an opening for an art show by Paula Reynolds, a local photographer. The photographs are stunning and strong. Large scale photographs of waves, inlit windows at a steel mill, and autumnal wheat and corn adorn the walls. There is much to be gained by simply walking into the room and taking in the varied images. The power in attending the opening, for me, was to hear the artist speak about her work and the under stories that are reflected in each series. The wheat fields were then transformed into a portrait of a person and a time. A context was provided which gave another dimension to these beautiful pieces. The beauty was also present in the responses of those in attendance. It was a community experience of sharing stories of how people process the events in their lives. I left inspired to continue to create artwork that answers the questions in my own life.

If you have the chance, be sure to see the show. It is at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church through December.

Photo by Paula Reynolds

Open to Wonder

Halloween is fast approaching and my second grade teaching partner and I have decided that in order to meet the demands of the new curriculum and standards we need to have super powers. This led to a decision to be super heroes for Halloween. Naturally, Wonder Woman was the logical choice--not only because she must be able to work wonders as a superhero, but because we often wonder how we will make it through the year with all of these new demands and obstacles. In the creation of the costumes (which is filling my need for artistic expression in this busy season), I found myself wondering what super powers were attributed to the original Wonder Woman. I learned that she is known as a skilled fighter for justice, love, and peace. One of her accessories is a 'Lasso of Truth' which compels anyone within her realm to be honest. She also has a tiara which can not only be used as a boomerang type weapon, but also as a means of communicating telepathically with ancient wisdom. Apparently, she even wears earrings that allow her to breathe in outer space. Perhaps she is a more fitting choice than I knew. So, I will don my costume on Thursday, and will try to carry her powers into Friday and beyond--along with my sense of wonder!

Beauty on All Sides

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be at the beach. After a picture perfect October day the sun began to set. The clouds enhanced the bright colors and it was exquisite.

It was difficult to turn away from the painted sky as the darkness began to deepen, until...a fellow observer began to hop up and down and point in the opposite direction. Upon turning, we saw an enormous full moon rising over the ocean. 

To be so surrounded by such beauty was truly awesome. I am filled with gratitude for the person who called me from what I perceived as loss of the day to the promise of a moonlit evening. Beauty often awaits on all sides if we are just able to turn and look.

Back Behind the Wheel

This summer I had a break from working on the wheel. This allowed me to paint some of the pieces from last spring that I had not had the opportunity to finish, and it also gave me time to explore oil painting. Tonight I will be back in the studio and I am looking forward to getting my hands back in the clay. I plan to start with plates, a pitcher, and some more reindeer! I will also be able to glaze the painted pieces and get them moving towards the shop. Now if I could just find a way to add additional hours to the day so that I could do all the things I would like to do!