STUDIO TOUR!

I spent the better part of last week in bed, trying to fight off some sort of summer sickness. But as my health has returned, it's brought along some kind of new manic energy. I have been working like a maniac for the last few days! Yesterday Rachel helped me photograph my new wine cups. I LOVE these cups. I'm tempted to just put them in the cupboard! Alas, I already have too many cups in my cupboard, (the latest hint was when I loaded our dishwasher with cups, and there were still a dozen that wouldn't fit.) I think this might be the most of one thing that I've ever had available for sale at one time before. It was very satisfying to line them all up on the deck and try to fit them into the picture frame. One of the difficult things about trying to photograph these cups all in a row, is that I really lack a place in my house to set-up a backdrop, get good light, and have the ability to get far enough away to get them all in the frame. So we used the ramp that leads to our front door. It is a pretty nice incline, which made things more difficult, the wind was blowing, and it was pretty darn warm outside, (only to cool off shorty after we were finished.) I didn't know Rachel was taking the picture of me with the cups, but I think you can see the frustration on my face.

The good news is, I got the shot I wanted!

As I talk to other artists and friends about this business of making and selling art, a lot of folks seem surprised when they realize how small my studio is and that I'm doing all of this out of a small room in my trailer house. It seems that there is a misconception about pottery studios, that they are very messy, they have to be big, and you need a lot of money to get started. Well, I love to burst the high budget bubble. When I tell people that I got started with less than $1,000 in equipment and supplies (including a Brent CXC wheel, a small electric kiln, clay and glaze supplies) I can see the wheels turning behind their eyes about what might be possible for them to do with the same amount of space and money. And as for the messy part, well you'll just have to see when you come to the studio tour, the studio is the cleanest part of the house! I don't think that space and money are huge factors either. It's much more about determination, passion, and of course, LUCK (that's how I got my wheel and kiln at garage sales for less than $500!) Not to mention the incredible support of family and friends who have helped me feel confident about what I'm trying to do. SO! In an attempt to further inspire others to start their own studios, (and to help bolster sales) I'm going to host a studio tour! Dates and times, coming soon!!!

Also in Trailer Fire Studio news... I'll be DEMONstrating at the teen room at the CCPL library at 2:00pm this Thursday. If you know any teens that could use some encouragement to pursue the arts as a career, send them down!

My wine cups got smashed!

As many of you know, I am not a big drinker, a little wine once in a while or a beer on a hot night is usually my limit. But a lot of folks have requested that I make some wine cups, and so I did. At the same time, I was also trying out some new glaze and I thought it would be nice on the dozen new wine cups I just made, as well as a dozen tall tumblers, and half a dozen space mugs. But to my surprise and their demise, the glaze shrunk more than the pieces, and it literally tore them apart as the glaze cooled. When I opened the kiln, disgust is the only word that comes to mind that even remotely describes how I felt. $#%& *$&^%# %$#@& Would also work.

It was enough to make even me want a strong drink.

Disappointed, but determined, I went back into the studio on Monday and made 18 new wine cups. I threw away all of the broken pieces with a little tear in my eye, then I threw away that glaze, with a little vengeance in my heart. "DAMN YOU DEVIL GLAZE!"

These little frustrations, miss-fires, and poopy glazes are all part of it I guess. And maybe I will eventually get used to it, or get so good that this stuff doesn't happen (that would be nice). But I will say, the sound of shattering ceramic in a dumpster is still a bit of a thrill even after all these years (or beers).