Easier Inside!

Thanks all for your insight about the s-crack and well, cracks in general in the pottery world.  Am monitoring the drying process more on the bigger bowls and well, being sure to compress the bottoms of bowls more before I continue to throw them.

Tonight after trimming some bowls late this pm I decided to try something new.  I brought some bowls inside my home--- surrounded by LOTS of thick plastic to my couch and started inscribing on them while sitting on the couch with this sgraffitto tool.  So much easier than being out in the cold garage and doing the same.  Notice the blanket- a fleece one under the plastic.  Etched four bowls tonight and a simple vase.  Am real careful to keep the tiny bits and scraps from the etching on the plastic.  Won't do this much--- it's just great when I can.

Tomorrow it's off for a quick 48 hour trip to be with family.  Life is too short to not do the same!
Love the blog world!  Thanks for reading and for all your comments...

First Time- Crack Question!

So, this is the first time this has happened to me--- a crack which turned this bowl quickly into a flowerpot.

Question- what causes this crack?  Is it from the bottom of the bowl being too thick?  or uneven drying?  or not compressing the bottom enough?   What???

Wisdom please!

Am back from time in Costa Rica.  Good trip, although so exhausting!  I'm happy to be back home.  Soon will be working on new forms- first to finish a few orders.

Thanks for reading and your comments.

Soon Off

Well, soon I am off again on another trip.  While it will be a good one, I must say that at this point I'd rather stay here and make forms like this.  

But thankfully, the clay can wait.  Tomorrow morning I hope to have time to etch some words onto some small bowls--- working towards finishing commissions.  I'm so ready to experiment a bit with vases too.  

Costa Rica is my next destination.  Will travel with a group of 18 from work.  

Thanks for reading this and if you're a blogger, thanks for blogging!  I continue to read the blogs most every day, regardless of whether I spend time in the studio. 

Lark & Key Gallery!

 Went to Lark & Key this past weekend while I was in Charlotte.  Incredible gallery- check it out here!  I must admit that I always am a bit hesitant though, to take pictures of such gorgeous pottery.  So, I took few pictures...  Here are the mugs and from this one--- one caught my eye so I bought it.  This particular mug just came in along with a few others and was created by an artist- and I haven't seen any mugs made by her until this one!  It's almost in the center...  Will show a pic of it at the end of this post.

 Meanwhile, here is the pottery at the front window of the gallery.  Jim Connell piece in the middle.  See that house by Tracey Broome at the top center?  Gay Smith Pottery at the top left.  Mark Knott on the middle right.  Amy Sanders on the bottom left.  Mark Knott on the bottom center and Amy Sanders on the bottom right.  Paul Smith's piece is on the top right.  I love it that I'm learning who the artists are in this part of the world.  Didn't have time to get pics of all of them either...

 Shelled a few fava beans that I bought at a hispanic grocery store in Charlotte.  Love the taste of them; they look like lima beans, but taste a bit different.  Easy to find in Bolivia.  These were grown in Mexico.  Put them in a soup.

And here's the mug on the left that is already used each morning.  Thanks Suze Lindsey!  The Michael Mahan mug on the right will have a long break after being used daily.
This was all inspiring--- to encourage me to make mugs and vases--- and well, different forms than bowls.  :)  Now, just to get out into the studio to do just that!
So, I recommend gallery visits at least one per month for inspiration and ideas.  Nothing like picking up a piece of pottery!

Back to Life Here

Being away for 12 days or so made me really crave a few foods that I normally don't.  So now that I'm back to feeling 100% I made this above.  Chocolate chip/peanut butter chip cookies.  Took the recipe right off of the Nestle bag.  Yummy!  I'm rationing them--- eating only a few a day.  The cookies remind me too how privileged I am to have access to good, clean food and clean running water as it was not too long ago when that was not the case.  

 Still selling these--- bowls!  Slowly, I'm getting more and more interested in making other forms....  this takes time to think about it alot before even creating it.  Guess I'm a dreamer of sorts!

 I must admit that it has been a big culture shock to return from South America.  It always is.  Living in a city for a few days where the altitude is 12,500 feet was not easy.  No gentle adaptation to such either; this is what I saw in the La Paz airport.  Really!  Thankfully, I've never needed that though.

 It was great while in Bolivia to meet one of my dad's childhood friends.  Antonio-- on the left who is in the pic signing a short book he wrote about the Methodist church.  This is one of my favorite pics from the trip.  The hat Antonio is wearing is a traditional Aymara one.  Told my dad I think he would look great in one of those too!

Here's a pic of me with family.  Two nieces next to me and then an aunt, uncle, cousin and Dad.  It was a great trip overall- I tell myself that I am lucky that family there still loves me after 3 1/2 years of being away.  I was most proud of the girls for I knew Carolina and Marisol (standing next to me) ever since they were born.  They are now 15 and 13.  Beautiful girls!
Trimmed a few bowls today--- somedays it's hard to be motivated (especially when it's cold and when I exercise) as this pottery world is an extra, albeit an extra that I love.  I must say it that I do love being at the wheel when I get there!
More soon....

Amazed and Sales

Here's one of my latest forms- perhaps my next vase form?  

Somedays I'm just amazed--- amazed at how I can do all this!  I never considered myself an artist as a child.  Now I tell children that all of them are artists- for I believe that; it's just what kind of artist they are.  

 This is one of my favorite forms to make.  More of this kind of bowls to come!  I'm amazed at how it gets easier to make bowls- and how they are formed faster as I make more and more of them.  Sure, one of my teachers used to tell me that; it just takes awhile to believe it!

And now sales---

I'd much rather be in the studio making pottery then selling it.  I must admit it's a bit awkward selling what you love to do.  The reality is that I don't do this for the sales; I do this because I love making pottery.
I've found Square (squareup.com) to be the EASIEST and best way to take credit card sales.  My brother was a great help in getting it started; he's wonderful!  I mean if I can use it, it is great!  (I'm technologically challenged at times).  It is actually so simple to use.  I recently sold a bunch of bowls at an Episcopal convention; it was the EASIEST sale I've ever done- and well, as you can see, my display was so simple.  Customers loved how and it's free to register!  Find out more at squareup.com.  Above is the one picture I have from it and interestingly, almost half of my sales were via credit card.
Here's my reluctance about shows:  they're time consuming and usually alot of work.  This one was the exception!  I only need to buy some more tissue paper for the next one.
Am working on re-creating my etsy page and a facebook page.  Instead of doing sales at shows, I think most of my sales will be online to friends and family.  
Question:  What tips do you have for selling your pottery?  What works well and what have you learned doesn't?

Inspired

Lately, this magazine and Potter's Illustrated has inspired me.  Both are gifts from others.  I haven't been in the studio for a couple of weeks, and these magazines are part of the links--- and have kept me thinking more and more about what's next.  And dreaming too.  Thankful!
It's been a bit cold-  high of 40 or so today, so that means my studio in my garage is cold.  Will use the space heater to heat it up a bit tomorrow morning and then throw some new forms.  Pitchers, big bowls, and mugs are next I think.  That's after the few commissions I need to make.  More to come soon!  Thanks for reading...