Pottery by Lisa

Taking Care of It

2013-05-08T19:15:00.001-07:00

As an update to the last post, I do want to note that I CAN infact meet all the guidelines and make a pregnancy, Lisa digestive friendly meal. My 9:30 2nd Dinner is pictured here, vegetarian pasta. It was mildly good and I ate about 10 bites and now I'm full and ready for bed. And I can eat these leftovers tomorrow :)

I made the dinner and the bowl. Take that!

On Being a Crazy, Hungry Pregnant Woman

2013-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

She looked in the mirror and realized she didn't recognize herself. Then she realized she was being reinvented.

I don't really like this pregnancy thing.

7 Months ago I knew her not. Now she is me.

I don't have much legitimate material to complain about since the whole thing has been relatively smooth and healthy despite the fact that the first appointment I had to confirm the pregnancy the non-listening, non-thinking, non-feeling, non-educated doctor told me I was either on my period or having a miscarriage. So, in light of that visit, I should be super excited that he was very very wrong and I'm growing like crazy every week.

Today is the first day of my third trimester- whoo hoo! 28 weeks complete and roughly 12 to go. And please please sweet Lord, let is pass quickly.

There are some day to day things that I'm just fed up with. And let me just say, the kicks are sweet, the end result will be precious and wild and insanely wonderful. But I'm just tired of the journey.

I can't get over not knowing my body. I have all these new needs. Like they are needs of another beings or something...

It started with the first trimester- I get extreme, painful, fatiguing hunger with little warning or pattern. And unless I eat the right thing, it won't go away. So, if I lay down at 10:30 to go to sleep, at 10:35 my stomach could be screaming at me to get up and fix fish tacos with avacado, sliced tomato, cheese and salsa and no matter now much I don't have an appetite and would rather sleep, I have to get up. And cook. Uhg. This also happens at 5 am or 1 am or 30 minutes after lunch. Usually the 5 am ones can be appeased with microwave oatmeal though.

And in addition to this increased, urgent need for food, I have all of these eating stipulations. First of all, I was pescatarian before all this started (not vegan- I eat animal byproducts, but not vegetarian since I would eat seafood. But no chicken beef or pork, etc.). I'm also lactose intolerant which cuts out the majority of regular dairy milk, ice cream, real butter, and cheese. I pretend I have a small tolerance for it and eat these in small portions but I'm basically sick from it everyday. Sigh.

So, in addition to not eating meat and trying half heartedly to avoid dairy foods, when pregnant you have avoid all of the following:

Caffeine- I did but was plagued with headaches that lasted for weeks (truly) at a time and a smart, kind loving doctor told me to get back on coffee and just limit it. It has worked ever since.
Seafood more than 2x per week- I was eating seafood much more often than this- maybe 4-5 times per week. This one is killer to me since I love fish, it is one of my go-to filling foods and it is healthy. of the 30+ meals I consume in a week, the two seafood ones seem very few and far between
Soft Cheese- Sure, I shouldn't eat this anyway being that I can't digest it, but it sure does but a damper on a mexican dining experience. Especially when you can't have a margarita or a negro modelo. No shrimp chimichangas covered in queso? Sniff, sniff, boo hoo.
Frozen Yogurt from Restaurants- This is a lactose intolerance loop hole! Yogurts often have good bacteria in them that will digest the lactose for you and not bother your digestion. And then pregnancy comes along and says the yogurts could have listeria and you and your baby will die from it. So that is out.
Leftovers (because of bacterial growth)- This also sucks because despite the numerous times I need to eat, I usually don't eat a whole meal so leftovers are par for the course. But, those darn articles about bacterial growth and such freak me out and so then there is another plate of food off limits to me.
And eat lots of calcium- Otherwise the baby will absorb their calcium from guess where.... your BONES and then you will get osteoporosis later in life. CRAP. Lactose intolerance makes it TERRIBLY HARD to take in calcium. Aside from dairy, the recommended source is green leafy vegetables, with one of the leading ones being spinach. So, 2 cups of spinach have 8% calcium in it. So if I eat 2 cups of spinach 3x per day, I'm at 24%, plus the 15% in my prenatal vitamin. Not even close. And who eats that much spinach? (And therefore I have soy lattes daily- regular in the morning and decaf in the afternoon, which gives me another 20% or so...)

And I'm sure I'm forgetting something. If I had failed the gestational diabetes test I would have just died because I just can't handle anything more complicated in my diet- and not being able to eat chocolate.

I gave up on my animal saving, earth friendly, heart healthy, stroke preventing pescatarian diet because I simply couldn't find enough "real" food to eat and fill me up. That first trimester hunger was killing me and made me realize how much I just didn't eat before pregnancy. Meals were optional before- now they are completely essential and will send me into panics and confusion and faintness if I don't have them 5-6 times per day. This is basically me everyday except for the f bombs.

And then there is the exhaustion. Which I would discuss here but I'm frankly too exhausted from complaining and typing and need to do something more positive like go glaze 100 pots downstairs for a bit before I go teach my class- which is my favorite part of my week.

So, perhaps later. But for now, I'm just happy to have off-loaded the food complexity conundrum I face every day. Thanks for listening.

For the record, I love the baby, just not the pregnancy.

Love,

Lisa

27 Weeks, Blue Ridge Mountains, Copperhill, TN

Race Day

2013-03-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was a runner in high school. I ran track freshman and sophomore year and cross country sophomore-Senior year. I really loved it though there was much to not love. People dropped out of the sport right and left. But to me, the people, the accomplishment and the joy of doing something hard always won out and it remains one of my most fond memories of my youth.

Running is all about putting in the work. The day before the race, even the week before the race, our coach would say, the hay is in the barn (ie, you've done the work. Let's see what happens). And it always was as my team worked hard. We knew that if you show up on race day with no preparation, no practices and without your heart in it, you will fail. You can look in shape, wear the right clothes and talk the talk, but when the gun goes off, you will not perform. Your body will not be able to process oxygen quickly enough, side stitches will cripple you, the heat will take over your system and your legs will wear out the first mile. Talent is important but nothing can replace hard work.

Preparing for a show is a really the same thing. I sweat and work and prep and plan to pull a show off- especially the Starving Artist Expo, since I plan and host the event in addition to participating in it. My work starts months in advance of a show. Pottery takes time- more time than one who is experienced in the art form can even fathom when they sit down to work. And after that time consuming piece is formed, it takes more time to dry, fire, cool, be glazed and decorated, and fired/cooled once again.

This is my last week to prepare for the show. I'm already sliding into the "Hay is in the barn" mind frame. All my pieces are formed and the last bisque firing is heating up. This week is all about glazing, firing, getting price tags on the pieces and getting organized. I can't make anything else new. I can't order any more supplies. I can't change my mind. The plans have been laid. I'm just carrying them out this week.

As for the show organization side of things, much of my time will be spent there too. Prepping my house by collecting all my regular decorations and packing them up to clear space for the 12 additional artists showing here this weekend. Planning the shopping trips to have all the drinks, decorations, etc. on hand. Delivering postcards and flyers to those locations that are out or are asking for information.

If my preparations were saved for the day of or the week of, nothing good would be accomplished. And underneath, I would know my heart was not in it. Not in it for the art and not in it for the show. Yet though I have those nagging worries in the back of my head that I should have created a few dozen magnets and some medium sized asian bowls and another couple sets of goblets, I know where my heart has been. It's been with me, in the studio, working, cleaning, shivering, yawning, sighing, and enjoying. My heart is with me in bed at night as I make my lists and check off items on the to-do list for the show. It's with me as I get excited hearing about one of the participating artist's breakthroughs and excitement for the show.

Despite the stereotype, being an artist is all about planning. It's all about timeliness. And developing your talent through hard work.

The Starving Artists' Hay is in the Barn and I hope you will come see it.

Historic Oakdene, 7 Coral Ave., Rome GA

Slip Trailing

2013-03-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Slip Trailed Advent Wreath

Slip Trailing. It's my favorite thing.

I thought I could never find anything I liked as much as throwing so I can't explain how exciting, life changing and refreshing it is to find another clay outlet that captures my heart like squeezing liquidy clay out of a bottle does.

I like to save slip trailing for Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings as it's almost celebratory and because I feel guilty for using my "high productivity" time for such an enjoyable step. Which is ridiculous.

Slip trailed Salt and Pepper Shakers

There is not much info out there on slip trailing. I've found some, but most of what I learned I learned on my own. So, here is a compilation of my findings from my trailing experience.

What you need

-Smooth, liquified slip. To make it, I toss slip (bucket slurry is perfect), a splash of vinegar, and H20 in a blender and blend like a smoothy (cross over skill from my Starbucks barista days). I was surprised at how much I needed to water it down. If you have to sweat to get it to come out of the slip trailer, its too thick. My blender can only make a little at a time so I do several batches and store the slip in a tupperware. You can also make slip using a sieve.
-A slip trailer. I use a Xiem precision slip trailer (pictured right) with interchangeable tips of different gauges. It allows you to switch back and forth from clay to glaze and adjust your line thickness.
- A leather hard pot

How to Slip Trail

-Squeeze and draw. I do really simple, free flowing designs. They are almost like doodles. You can also write, draw animals, numbers, anything really. It's fun to experiment.
-Don't like your line? Just wipe it off with a sponge. Paint brushes work great for touch ups.
-Let dry and sand down any sharp points very very gently once bone dry

Tips on the Technique

- A shaky slow dragging hand makes shaky slow draggy lines. Smooth lines laid on gently and confidently look best.
-My slip trailer does not touch the pot. There is a little space where the line "falls" onto the pot and has some air time. This ensures my slip trailer isn't botching up my line or the clay surface.
-Blow outs happen. Especially when the bottle is getting low on slip. Wipe away blow outs and keep going. Tapping it point down to allow bubbles to float to the top helps.
-Holding the slip trailer in one place and squeezing makes a nice dot. The longer you hold, the larger the dot becomes. Keep squeezing and move along and it will start with a fat dot, transition into a line, and end in a dot if you hold at the end.
- Your lines will look puffy when first laid on the piece. They will shrink down a lot so you want the puffy look, otherwise, they can look shriveled. The vinegar helps reduce shrinkage and prevents cracking so if you have a lot of that going on, add a little more vinegar to your slip.
- Gravity is annoying. I hold the piece in my lap and turn it so that gravity always works in my favor when slip trailing since my lines are literally falling into place on the piece. You have to work with the piece and see what works for you. I don't slip trail vertically. Some people do. But my pieces are always in some sort of tilted or horizontal position.
-Bands can be added on a piece while the piece is on the wheel and spinning. This works well on bowl rims and plates for me. Also, for glaze trailing, squeezing a little inside the rim while spinning makes a glorious dripping effect.
-If you tap a freshly slip trailed piece, the slip will flatten. Can be cool. Can be blah.

Glaze trailing. Glaze added while the piece was spinning slowly on the wheel.

More glaze trailing

Finding the glazes that break just right over the slip trailing is the magic ingredient.

I love that the lines add another 3 dimensional effect to already 3-D art. It's a tactile element to the piece as well as decorative. I had a visually impaired customer and he selected a slip trailed cup to purchase from me because he enjoyed being able to "see" the design on the cup. I love that people can see the same piece, but see it so differently. That's the mystery and beauty of art. It's in the eye of the interpreter.

-Lisa

PS- I'll do a video the next time I slip trail if I can talk Daisy into holding the camera or find my gorilla tripod. But, in the meantime, here are some of my favorite slip trailing videos:

Proof Vertical Slip Trailing is Possible
Making a Band and More
A "Loose" Slip Varation
Glaze Trailing by my Haystack Teacher, Sarah Jager

Recycling Clay!

2013-03-01T07:31:00.002-08:00

Baby diaper with a recycling symbol? Weird and gross. Like my clay recycling.

Clay recycling. It's a love hate relationship.

On the love side, there's so much good. Waste reduction, cost reduction, saved trips to Atlanta Clay, guilt free throwing, trimming and experimenting. The environment loves it. The clay angels praise it. The potter gets pounds and pounds of seemingly free clay out of the process.

Yet, on the hate side there are these two evil, dependable forces. Work and a Mess.

However, I recycle with a passion, gaining assistance from wherever possible. Paid labor, family members, guests, children, Daisy. No one is safe really. You come in my studio, you will be tricked, charmed, guilted or subconsciously wooed into reclaiming my clay for me.

And for the record, I'm not kidding. Daisy eats clay off the floor which counts as cleaning up the mess and recycling it. In a gross doggie digestive way. At least she doesn't wear the baby diaper.

So this is my method, learned from the world wide intranet with a little bit of Lisa Pizazz. It doesn't include fancy machines, just time, muscle and effort.

Step 1. Grab a bucket. 3-5 gallons preferably, and lay an old shirt or two, towel, rag, etc. on the bottom of the bucket. These will soak up extra water. And mildew really grossly. Line the bucket with a pillow case.

If you don't take me seriously about the mildewy rag precaution, just be ready for your pillowcase bottom to rot away and then the bottom will fall out on you like a massive wet clay explosion you have never experienced before. And if you try and save this clay, just enjoy all the rock and crud you will be throwing along with it. This never happened to me or anything. But rocks do explode in the kiln and bust your pieces up. K?

Step 2. Put all your scraps in the pillow case bucket. This includes throwing/hand building bucket slurry, and dry clay. To reclaim clay that is hardening and past being able to wedge it back up for use, lay it out to dry. This can be thrown wares you don't want to fire, trimmings, random hard clay wads, etc. I lay mine on a small piece of bisque slab covered in canvas. This helps suck moisture out. Then beat it up with a rubber mallet into small pieces (Mask on!). My drying board could be bigger but then I would stall on getting it into the slop bucket and just take up space. I give dry clay at least 24 hours to slack down in the bucket before recycling it unless its thin tiny trimmings.

Canvas bisque slab used for drying clay

Step 3. Mix it up. This part does require equipment. I use a jiffy mixer attached to my drill. Charging the drill before hand is good. As is plugging in the charger to the wall. Don't know how many times I have to remind myself of that. Jiffy mixer attachments cost about $10-15 from a ceramic supply store. I use mine all the time for clay and glaze mixing. Love it. The drill was a k-mart special and cost me $25. It is not nice but it works and I'm proud to own such a high powered spinny tool. Guests ask, Jon, do you have an electric drill? To which he replies, no, but my wife does.

And, I used to bribe this guy at work to let me borrow his drill and he hated doing it since I'm a girl. How sexist. So he let me borrow his cheap one from time to time. Now I have my own and he can keep his little toy drill.

When you are done mixing, it should look really smooth and not chunky. I also add a bit of vinegar to help keep the clay plastic (like gumby). It doesn't make your clay stink, promise.

Step 4. Hang it. This is when you thank yourself for the mildewy towels and kick yourself for not recycling 10 or 20 pounds ago because a full 5 gallon bucket of clay slop is HEAVY. The website I learned the pillow case technique from recommended hanging the clay from a tree. HA. Ok, mental illness runs RAMPANT in my neighborhood and I would certainly be added to the ranks if I had this hanging from the trees. Not to mention the rain would be a quite frustration for the drying process so I hang mine in an out of the way corner of the basement from a nail in a joist on a rope (or a bungee cord). Actually, Jon hangs it. And he's the one that didn't have a full bag of clay bust open all over him while hanging it. Poor guy.

One note- hanging it out of the way is important. I once had several bags going at once and we thought it would be good to use a nail in the middle of the basement. Hmmm. Yes, I walked into that bag REPEATEDLY. Which is like walking into a mud puddle head first. UHG! It's gross even to a potter.

This probably weighs 40 lbs.

Step 5. Wait for it to dry and start a new slop bucket. In a dark, damp basement, I can leave mine up for weeks before it dries. Probably a good month to 6 weeks. If you have plenty of clay on hand, it's not a big deal to wait that long. I check it every week. Once finger prints start staying, you know you are getting close. The tricky part is the outside hardens much faster than the inside clay. So I let it dry a few days beyond what feels like the correct hardness and that usually works for me.

Clay bag after taking it down. Weighs less- maybe 30 lbs.

Step 6. Wedge. This part is the messiest. You will flip the pillow case upside down and pull it off the clay. (No, my clay did not transform from white to brown, these are different batches).

The clay takes the exact form of the pillow case of course and I always think it looks like an Easter ham. I shake the pillow case outside to get the worst of the dry clay chunks off and then throw it in the wash with my pottery towels.

Then I cut the clay up into smaller pieces and wedge it up. If it's the right consistency, I put it in a bucket ready for use. If it's too wet like this batch was, I go to the next step.

Step 7. (Last Step!) Inchworm. If your clay is still sticky wet, it needs more air time. So, the best way for your clay to dry evenly is to inch worm it. So I wedge best I can, roll and squeeze it into a tubular shape and then set it on it's ends on a board and let it dry until ready to use. Takes a couple days depending on your studio's conditions. Then, wedge it, and reuse away!

The End!

A couple variation options:

1. You can take a small amount from the slurry bucket to make slip for slip trailing. I throw it in the blender to ensure smoothness.

2. With white clay, you can add colorants to make colored clay or slip.

3. Plaster can remove the whole pillow case thing. My friend Toby makes fun of me for this process. Then again, he makes fun of everything I do. If you have plaster wedging boards, you can just lay your slurry out on plaster and let it soak up the excess moisture. It speeds up the process a great deal. It takes up space but if you have space and stay on top of it, it's a really good option. I have a bag of plaster with my name on it ready to be made into boards but I've not gotten to that just yet.

4. If your clay gets too hard, you can wrap it in wet towels, place it in a plastic bag and let it sit a few days. Same idea as this video.

And a bonus:

If you lost a tool, you will probably find it in your recycling. I've found sponges, a tip to my slip trailer, and other random objects in this process. Careful with those needle tools and metal ribs. No one wants to find one of those while wedging.

Be Curious, Not Judgmental.

2013-02-22T06:39:00.001-08:00

After over a year of enduring comments about my occupation and how I choose to work, I'm going to share my thoughts on manners and basic acceptance of the "artist" and the "home employed." I have held my thoughts on this, thinking, over time, people will see my sincerity, they will see my dedication and the respect will follow.

But the comments keep coming. And it's almost enough to make a girl a hermit.

So, sometimes things need to be said straight, hit on the head. And I will say that I know no one is intending to hurt me. But perhaps these thoughts will help someone out there better understand another artisan, stay at home/working mom, writer, or other self employed person that conducts their business at their residence. It just takes a little thought and openness.

Do not ask someone:

Are you still just at home? (AKA, I see your "job" as temporary.)
So, you haven't gone to work anywhere? (You haven't gotten a real job?)
Do you enjoy the homebody life? (Well, I would love to have company actually.)
Still living the life of luxury? (How are those daytime soaps?)
Do you sell anything? (Aka, do you have any success with your silly choice of business at all. I mean ANYTHING??? Would you EVER ask a shop owner if they ever sell anything? That would be so rude.)

Or comment:

It must be nice to be at home. (True... but is typically said accidentally condescending)
It must be nice to not have to go to work. (Excuse me? I love to go to work. It would be terrible to not be able to go to work)
It must be nice to be retired. (This is the worst one.)

All of this is repeatedly soul crushing.

I patiently explain, where I practice my art and what I have chosen to do for a living does not equate to retirement, unemployment or playing.

I've simply responded, "I am not retired, I work in my studio almost everyday of the week (Sundays are off)" to which I've gotten a curt, "Well yes you are practically retired, you are doing POTTERY."

Sometimes I buckle and make it easier on the person and say, "Oh, well, I also teach classes at Earthworks and Gallery 318." This seems to appease them. I'm not at home, so that means I can't be on the couch eating bon bons. But in reality, teaching classes are a fraction of what I do with my time. The majority of my working time- and pay check- is made from the home.

And this is what it is like working in my home. And in all sincerity, many people have no idea what I do so hopefully this helps bridge the gap.

***

Winter Studio Version

I typically work in the studio late morning until early evening. This helps with the cold mornings and late nights teaching. I go down my little staircase, passing through my laundry room where I typically get hung up for a bit realizing there is souring laundry at my finger tips, and when I make it to my basement studio, I turn on 17 different light sources and two radiator heaters, and then go back upstairs while the heaters warm up and finish up whatever business might be at hand. This could include printing shipping labels for Etsy orders, responding to customer inquiries, brushing my teeth, walking my dog, putting away breakfast dishes, etc.

My basement is normally 51 degrees in the morning and rises to 54 by the afternoon. Thank God I'm in Georgia.

I usually know the exact temperature because it is constantly displayed on my kiln. Unless the kiln is on. And then it reads anywhere from 51 to 2205. And I do not use the kiln as a heater. I do not want to breathe hot kiln fumes- I value my life. A kiln does not equal a heater by any means.

I can get my wheel room up to a comfortable temperature as long as it is not below 40 outside. But, the remainder of my space (sink, glaze "room", kiln area, shipping area) cannot be heated as it is an open, mostly dirt floor space, with way too many cracks to the great outdoors.

I start the day finishing up pieces I started the previous days. Trimming, decorating, handles, knobs, signatures, etc. easily devour a good 50% of my day. But, when that is over, I get to throw more pieces! Oh, wait, I have to take the trash out first, clean up all those trimming that hit the floor and weigh out a dozen pieces of clay.

Throwing (working at the wheel) is the fast part. You feel the most accomplished after this is over. I can fill my shelfs in a few short hours dedicated to the wheel. It is very inspiring.

Then more cleaning, and prepping for the next day.

Every couple weeks comes glaze day. This occurs after a batch of pots has dried thoroughly enough to withstand a bisque firing. A batch to me is about 30-40 pots. Then I get to glaze in the chilly room until it is done. You may see me complain about glazing on facebook. It is quite intimidating as I usually am on a deadline to have things ready for a show or customer, and the glazing makes or breaks the piece. And about 20 pieces in I'm tired and ready to do something else. So, sometimes this splits over a couple days, but it is always a huge step for me to finish this last leg of the journey to completed pots.

Some days I am sick. More often so now that I am pregnant (as you read about in my last post). And dusty cold studios with spinning machines and delicate pieces that reflect all the emotions of the maker do not lend well to sick people. So if I have the option to take a break, I do. I think it is what any humane boss would allow. And sometimes, if I'm sick of being sick, I find ways around it, and sneak clay upstairs or work or blog posts and photography. But sometimes I just sleep.

***

So, in the end, I know so many hard working people that receive similar disrespect for the jobs they do in the home. I'm sure there are lots of stories from other sole proprietors and stay at home working parents that get similar judgmental comments thrown in their face everyday.

The world is a vast, ever changing place and the world of work is no different. Working from home can be a blessing in so many forms- great parking, less milage, low overhead, accessibility to children and friends, pet companionship, getting to go home for lunch every day, etc. etc. But don't confuse these perks with the value and authenticity of our work. The judgment hurts. My business is no different from the mechanic down the street. I'm building a business. I'm making due with what I have. And I'm growing in a field I love.

Lisa

And so it begins...

2013-02-19T21:31:00.001-08:00

I'm laying in bed next to my sleeping husband and pup while the most fear filled thoughts run through my mind. Our unborn baby became more real than ever today with the exciting gender reveal ultrasound and 17 week doctors appointment.

And here I am with a fever, chills, headache and painfully sore throat.

I'm never sick. Headaches are common and colds too but I cannot recall the last time I had a fever. Yet, with pregnancy comes a slew of complications like a compromised immune system, loose ligaments, and difficulty balancing.

Sicknesses such as the flu, kidney infections, and gestational diabetes loom over your head as you carefully avoid second hand smoke, too much seafood, frozen yogurt, caffeine, medications, pot lucks, leftovers, and sushi.

So illness is the last thing you want to strike as a first time extra careful mom to be. Anger rises at the doctor's office as to why they didn't take my temperature today. Why did the doctor answer his cell phone in the middle of my appointment that I waited an hour for cutting our time short before I could mention my sore throat.

Fear swells up that my temp will rise above the definitive 103 mark that will certainly harm my sweet daughter if I don't check my temperature ever 30 minutes.

And all this prevents me from getting much needed rest as I embark upon my third hour of laying away and hoping my child is safe and that the Tylenol, cold wash cloth, and light blankets will do their job and keep my fever low enough to protect my baby from harm.

And so there goes my aspirations to be a cool, collected calm mama that knows no panic and only the sound, calm responses I've read about in all the books. I'm just a girl that knows not what is happening to her body and is just hanging on for two dear lives.

Pray for my sleep, for my ability to be calm and my beautiful child to blissfully kick the night away as she sleeps softly and soundly.

Love, Lisa

*** Update ***

I'm much better now. My fever went away with my sleep that was granted after spilling all of this out on here to you. I've been battling some lingering head cold type symptoms and now am ready to invest in one of those Monday- Sunday pill organizers but today, I feel so much more myself.

I think she looks like me.

She is definitely worth it.

Starving Artist Expo. THE VIDEO!

2013-02-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's..... a baby!

2013-02-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

The time has finally come.

God willing, Baby #1 is on her or his way!!!!!!!!!!!!

I looked upon this milestone wish such distaste over the past several years of my life. Me with a baby did not seem like me. It seemed so foreign, outlandish, and incredibly difficult to handle a top a career of pottery.

But for a long time, when you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say, a stay at home potter mom. And that time is almost here.

And it seems so wonderful.

It is crazy how things can flip flop so quickly. But this is how I am. Prior to getting married, I could not stand the thought. It seemed reckless. Life endangering. Goal shattering. Now I think it is the most sacred, beautiful thing that can happen in this earthly life.

Prior to adopting my pup, I reveled in having the freedom that petlessness brings. I could leave town for days on end, stay out as long as I cared to, and sleep late without having a dog in my face. But now, listen. Jon took Daisy with him today and left me at home with no dog and it was just terrible! I love my baby so much I will risk getting defriended and blocked on facebook just for the sake of having her win a dog contest. Who wants to go out of town when a sweet pup will kiss your face when you get home?!

So now, here I am. 16 weeks pregnant and trying to picture my life, my pottery and my child that will be here in a short half of a year. Just as I do now, I know I will lean on my wonderful husband for tons of support as I start this journey and continue creating pots as much as I can. I will also lean on many many other people to keep this dream of being a stay at home potter mom alive.

But mostly, I can't wait to see my baby's life unfold, surrounded by clay, love, God, art, people, puppies and backyard running. I picture it in my mind, my studio that opens up to our yard, and my child(ren) playing, running, and making a mess with me. It sounds like the perfect life for me.

15 weeks, 5 days. Baby is the size of an apple.

Love, Lisa

Love Mugs are Here!

2013-01-23T16:32:00.002-08:00

Last year I introduced Love Mugs to my pottery line. Their fun, whimsical little hearts and bright light hearted colors seemed to speak to lots of my customers as I didn't have any left after February 14. So, I made a few throughout the year, on an off, just as the mood would strike, but it was a lot of fun to have a reason to made a bunch of these guys.

Here is a look at my newest bunch of Love Mugs...

I love anything in celadon so I had to show you this one first.

I call this red lipstick red. Can you see this mug putting on his lipstick?

I made a set- I'm so proud of myself. One heart is flipped but hey, everyone is a little different in real life too.

Celadon but on Stoneware. Love these deep olivey effect.

My go to "manly color combo"

My kind of colors

A new look for me- but I adore it. This one is called Landscape love mug because it reminds me of water, earth and sky.

And I made some trays too with hearts. I thought these would compliment the mugs well and prove useful!

Here's to a New Year!

2013-01-16T13:39:00.001-08:00

Life seems to be settling into a new norm now. Especially compared to the last three months.

The Christmas season was crazy for me. I had so many custom orders for businesses, friends, facebook fans, etsy shoppers and more that I barely made anything to stock my own shelves for online or local browsers the month of December. And after two December shows and one in November, that pretty much wiped me out of stock for the year. Yay for that- but an apology to anyone that visited my etsy shop and couldn't find what you were looking for. :( I guess it is all part of the season.

A really great thing about the holiday season was that I had plenty enough business to merit an assistant. A local high schooler that has taken a couple of pottery classes from me came and took care of much of the "other than making pots" work for me to free up my time to get my orders done. She took care of shipping, recycling clay, photographing work and cleaning tasks. She also hung around and worked on some Christmas gifts for her family and friends which really gave the studio some life and a new hum. I enjoyed her special touch she put on the studio and her company in the few short weeks she worked with me.

So now that all the gifts are delivered and I've taken my time to rest, my classes are back in swing and I'm back in the studio. I have two adult wheel throwing classes in swing at Earthworks. Here are two ladies from Monday's class having a blast...

I also started teaching home school art class at Gallery 318 on Broad Street. I really enjoyed our first two classes yesterday. It is fun working with young minds that are used to being in the student role. They are open to learning and find pottery/art much more interesting than the rest of their work! Adults often take time to adjust to being in this role- a learner- rather than a boss or a teacher or a parent (myself included). I love working with adults as well- but it is nice to have a variety. Here are some of the home school students:

The older group made Easter baskets.

The younger group made pinch pot animals- a great intro to clay project.

My current big project in my own studio now is the creation of Love Mugs in time for Valentine's Day. I hoped to bisque fire this week but these darn things don't take up much room in the kiln and I don't quite have a full load. Compounding this problem is the rain we have been having for a week or more now makes me want to move in slow motion and prevents my work from drying out even worse than usual (dank unsealed basements are the worst for drying out pots).

So I have a several dozen love mugs about ready to go in the kiln by the end of the week (dry or not, they are going in) and then I'll start getting work ready for the Starving Artist Expo scheduled for March 23, 3013.

Thanks to everyone that helped make my first year a success and carry me on to this new year that is full of promise and many more pots.

Love, Lisa

Kids and Clay

2012-11-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

Last week was a fun week. I was exhausted from getting ready for Chiaha. I did four firings the previous week and wow, that will wear a person out. The festival was actually the restful part despite the chilly air. So, the week after, I gave myself some wiggle room in my schedule. I photographed work in the living room. I visited a friend. And then I found a homeless pottery wheel seeking temporary shelter at a pawn shop in Chattanooga and went and rescued it.

That was fun.

I brought my bucket, a couple pounds of clay and a sponge and gave it a spin to see how it worked there in the store and you would have thought the people of the Pawn Shop- employee and customer alike- were seeing man walk on water or an elephant fly.

"Can you like, make goblets and stuff?" - Hooded Lady in the records section

"So you just saw this on Craig's List and drove all the way from Rome?!?!" - Toothless Man in guitars section

"See, I told you the pedal went on the other side!" -One employee to another that set up the wheel- with the pedal on the opposite side of where one sits

I really liked everyone there and wanted to take them home with me. They were so happy to have some afternoon entertainment, a home for the orphaned wheel, and I was happy to have some enthusiastic company. They had her loaded up in no time and I was on my merry way home, enjoying the changing leaves, a dip in the Ann Taylor Outlet, and my diet coke.

And so Saturday, I had some little friends over to play with me and my new wheel. Here is a look- don't worry, I turn the video right ways after a bit.

Little Lanna was very gentle with the clay and almost always remembered to rest her elbows.

Micaiah had the steps down pat and though it took two tries, made a bowl all by himself.

Roane is the master handbuilder. Did you see those seahorses he was making in the video? Amazing! And he made an awesome bowl as well.

So that's all! Orders from Chiaha and Oakhurst are in production and the remainder of my bowls for the Empty Bowls program will be out on Sunday. Or Monday.... I'm headed downstairs now to complete a couple more orders to try and stay on top of things. But now that I have two wheels, I can do twice the work, right ;)?

Much love, Lisa

Out with the Demolished, In with the New

2012-10-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

This week has been an interesting week. Some in good ways, some in bad ways.

Let us get the bad part out of the way first.

Remember that super cheap shelf I bought at Rome Resale last week? Well, they can take their cheap shelves and shove them somewhere other than my studio because look what happened.

Yes, it totally caved and dumped my stereo on top of no less than a dozen of my freshly bisqued nesting bowls, empty bowls and a lovely berry bowl. Two made it out alive for which I should be thankful but man, that was quite a hit to take. Of all the things that can go wrong with a piece, I would have guessed cracking or a glaze drip before I guessed a stereo would fall out of the sky and smash them like cartoon characters under pianos. (Hence the video to add humor to the situation)

Now for the good news. I had a BEAUTIFUL kiln opening this week. I mean, alllmooost perfect. Not quite, but pretty good.

Here are some of the new variables I've been working with that added to my success:

I altered my firing method. My kiln has been firing really hot lately, and I've been getting some bubbling and drips because of it. So, the girls at Atlanta Clay advised me that Skutts often fire very hot when you use their definition of cone 6. So, I dropped it by 40 degrees (eeek!) and added a 15 minute soak and wow, it made such an amazing difference! It's the "mastering cone 6 glazes)" technique and I really recommend it as do my witness cones that were very happy with this firing. I'm going to shorten my soak a bit next time because I think 15 minutes is a bit long but overall, I saw no blistering, pitting, or bubbly clay. Yay!

2. The majority of my work was done in a cone 6 porcelain clay body- P-5. I've only thrown a bag of it before, and liked the results but had a lot of cracks and other finicky porcelain issues. At Haystack I learned some good compressing techniques and that if you let the clay harden up a bit, it is much easier to work with. And overall, I had very few problems.

3. Since I was working in porcelain, I used some of my very shiny and iridescent glazes to play off of the translucent quality of the clay. My blues, greens and white really perked up with the bright white porcelain beneath it and the slip trailing stands out really well too.

4. And I have this new white glaze. I figured I needed one if I was going to be playing with white clay. I didn't use a lot of it this go around since it was my first time using it but it works wonderfully, is amazingly pristine and just precious looking.

5. Interestingly enough, one of my glazes completely changed with my new firing method, clay or something. Previously firing brown, this glaze turned out some really beautiful reds this time.

Antique Jasper with white overlap

So, despite the little stereo set back, I'm very encouraged by these new discoveries and am ready to get back in the studio and use my new found knowledge to make more great pots. And potters, if you don't know Hsinchuen Lin I highly recommend his videos. I think if I watch all his material, I will have earned a higher education degree. He is that good. And kind of cute in a Taiwanese, older man potter sort of way. The videos are long, but very very worth it.

Ok, time to pack these guys up to go to the Oakhurst Arts and Music festival. I think I'll cry a little each time someone decides to take one of these guys home.

At least I have my pictures.

Love, Lisa

Studio Love

2012-10-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

My studio is one of my most favorite places. It's mine. It's what I've dreamed of having ever since I touched clay. It lies underneath my house, mostly in the back 25% of the space, and consists of a couple small windows, two gate doors to the carport, a wooden landing that leads to a bedroom sized room and lots of dirt flooring.

I use it almost daily and that means things get muddy, out of place, used up, dinged and just dirty. I clean up after myself and do some mopping on Fridays but just like any space, it is good to dedicate time on simply improving it and refreshing it.

Saturday morning I made a list of all the things I would love to happen in my studio, from cleaning to adding items to rearranging. I didn't even plan on taking on the list in it's entirety that very day but Jon was at work and I had the morning to do whatever I pleased so I headed to our resale home supply shop and began my treasure hunt.

I spent $11 at the resale shop and then grabbed a new bucket and another small item at Home Depot and spent about $9 there.

So, home I went with my goodies, grabbed my sister and we headed downstairs. After lots of mopping, putting away, and washing, we finally started using some power tools. First, we moved the stereo from a small shelf on the floor to a shelf purchased at the resale shop for $1.75 that we mounted above my wedging table. It opened up prime floor space and made my music come from over head, which just sounds better than coming from the floor. I also went through all my CDs and trashed the old, scratched ones, tossed Leanne Rimes and some others in the give away stack and threw away all the cases for CDs that have long been in possession of my high school best friend, Lacey. (And yes, I have all her missing ones here.)

So next, I stacked the little shelf I used for the stereo onto it's mate and made a 4 shelf piece. Then my sweet husband unboxed and loaded clay on it. I like to keep at least 500 lbs on hand at all times. I have around 700 lbs now so that means 28 bags of clay to line up. And since I bounce from clay to clay, we sorted it by type and labeled it. Writing with a sharpie on plastic is one of my small joys in life so I greatly enjoyed this part while Jon greatly enjoyed the heavy lifting. And this shelf does not support 700lbs of clay so there is clay lined up on the floor too. To offset the weight, I added my towels and tub of plastic wrap. Cost, $0

After this, I set up a new spot for my wheel. I have been needing more shelf access where I throw to reduce the amount of times I stand up while I work. I can make anywhere from 5 to 20 items per hour depending on what I am throwing. Multiply that by a full day of heavy wheel throwing and adequate space access for bats and boards is essential. It is really annoying to have to stand up between each pot (which in my previous arrangement I pretty much had to as my portable cart filled up after 6 items.) I turned my ware shelf perpendicular to the wall to make a barrier between the space for the wheel and the clay shelf area- almost making that area somewhat of a storage space (in my mind at least). And then I placed my wheel beside the shelf. I want to add a wedging table for white clay on the other side of the wheel so I can just wedge, turn around and create.

My big success at the resale shop was finding a peg board. This year my collection of tools has grown greatly and I've not caught up in the organizational area (I can't tell you how often I look for a pen or scissors). Peg boards are an awesome answer to this issue and I found one for $3. And, it is white which I love. I'm obsessed with white these days and you will start to see this coming out in my pots. I picked up the pegs for $2.68 at Home Depot and hung the board just to the right of my wheel's new location. That way I am close in proximity to it, can see all my tools, but still lean back against the wall without getting pegged in the head. Yet, I'm still getting used to this. I searched for my scissors a long time yesterday before remembering to check the peg board.

The last small thing I did was repurpose the small book shelf. I previously had been using it for clay storage but since I repurposed the stereo shelf for that, I had a spare book case. So, I moved it next to my red clay wedging table and lined up my slips, scale, banding wheel, slip trailer, magic water, etc, etc. on it. All this plus the peg board left my largest shelf mostly empty. I'm still not sure what to do with it. My original thought was it would be for finished work. But it is too dusty downstairs to store finished pretties in there. And the room shakes too much to risk them jostling around as I slam clay around. So, it has just been catching junk. My inkling is to make it sort of a challenge. I will face it when I sit at the wheel and my challenge is to fill the shelf space with my work. Not in a hurried way, but in a motivating way. Fill me with good, loved, beautiful work it will say. And I will work to do it.

I'm not usually so cost fixated but I actually surprised myself at how little it cost to do major changes in my little space. So, I wanted to celebrate that a little to remind myself in the future that it doesn't take much, just a little TLC and the weekend to spruce up a place.

My teacher at Haystack, Sarah Jaegger, told us all that you can make beautiful work in less than ideal work situations. So, with that, I'm thankful for my basement studio, it's piecemealed floors, it's vines that I get to yank out, it's soft spots in the floor, and red red dirt that covers everything from head to toe. It is mine and allows me to be me. And that's all I need to create.

Love, Lisa

A couple things in the works... upside down to help dry them evenly

And a cross stitch from my mom, my encourager of all things creative :)

Biscuits and Babies

2012-09-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

My cousin by two marriages recently had a little sweet baby boy. We got to see her gracefully go through her pregnancy- moving into a lovely house, hosting parties, inviting us over to swim and always remaining cheerful.

So, during this fun chapter, I helped host a shower for Cristine. I'm all about the shower activities. Nothing makes an event more fun than planned entertainment! (Had to say that since my sister hates planned socialization). So, I made some clay biscuits (I knew I would use those biscuit cutters I registered for!) for the guests to decorate with the letters of the little one's name. It was FUN! And, my nephews even helped by making Qs and Ss just in case we had a name change.

And just a little while later the Baby came!

Welcome to the world little one!

Thank you to Gorg for whipping up the beautiful wood to mount the letters on- even on our guesstimate measurements it worked out perfectly! He even included hardware on the back.

And for the record Carey Jr, it is called Dragon Red. Not pink.

Love, Lisa

The Haystack School of Life

2012-09-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week in a magical wonderland called the Haystack School. Basically it was Berry College picked up, placed on Deer Isle, Maine (where else would you put the campus with 12 deer per student) with a pimped out pottery studio. I would awake with the sunrise, dress for a day of making pots, and work diligently in our beautiful studio, breaking for yummy meals and inspiring faculty lectures.

I went with a list of things to learn. How to perfect by skills. How to avoid time costly mistakes. How to improve. Basic, type A personality goals such as that.

When I asked our teacher, Sarah, about how to achieve thinner, more consistent walls and use all the excess clay in the bottom of my pot her response was honest but different than I expected. It's fine, she said. My walls do that too. Just trim off the extra later, the integrity of the pot isn't diminished by a few spots that are thinner than others.

And then as she worked, gorgeous as her pots were, they were not perfect either. A bit heavy here, a wobbly form on a occasion, a cracking handle there. But it was ok. I felt a new freedom knowing that my rigid views of structure and steps could be relaxed and melt away. Sarah did focus on functionality. She focused on making pots that were generous, would hold plenty of soup for a family, would offer comfort as you hold it on your hands and were wrapped in lovely designs. There was no criticism this week. Students of all backgrounds and skill levels marveled in her ease with problem solving, encouraging and simply loving working with other potters. Humble, talented, hardworking and happy to share anything and everything she knew with her students. What a wonderful way to model your career and teach others about it.

The first couple of days I was a bit in shock. All of a sudden I was back in my college days. Beautiful days I thought I had said goodbye to long ago- for forever. Yet here they were again complete with an ocean, 100 other people pursing solely artistic endeavors, and 20 potters, many pursuing clay as their form of feeding their families, and we were to all spend the week together.

I needed these role models- these companions as much as I need rest and food. The road of an artist can be a lonely one. Especially when working in our private home studios, we pay the price of solidarity and seclusion. It's easy to think you are an anomaly. And in a negative sense. Especially after having a slow month or having to redo orders one, two, three times because it just won't come out right. But I learned so much from these potters about the value in being steadfast, hardworking and believing in yourself. Giving yourself credit, and loving what you do. I do love what I do. Sometimes a person just needs a little validation. A little nod that says, good work, keep it up.

So, I returned home from my trip with lots of tips and tricks that can be applied in the studio. But, most importantly, I feel free. Free to be who I am, to work hard and love my job without being so focused on perfection and flawlessness. I can focus on good work, improving my forms and focusing my attention.

And to feed my type-A side (and to remind me of what I learned), here are some items that I identified as things I will focus on:

Me and some of my pots

1. Series- making groups of pots, 6 at a time, 12 at a time, to help improve my forms. As our teacher said, if you repeat a form the 20th will certainly be better than the first.

2. Trimming- pots needs a little extra clay in the base for support when they are being thrown. Especially for soft clays. Taking time for trimming, and other finishing touches like handles, carving, slip, etc. are so important and rewarding.

3. Slip Trailing- I just adore slip trailing and will continue to explore how I can work this technique into my pots.

4. Glazing- Take enough time for it. And wear gloves.

5. Meaningful work- Do what means something to you. You can also make the things that are in demand at shows, online, etc, but make sure to take the time to make things you love, if only because you love them.

That's what feeds an artists soul and keeps us going.

Much Love,

Lisa

The view from the main deck to the ocean. A classic image of Haystack.

Pottery Day at the Mall

2012-07-25T06:39:00.002-07:00

The Mount Berry Square Mall invited me to come out and share my love of pottery with children as part of a four week kids program they are offering this summer. I was glad to do so and had an awesome morning yesterday answering questions, seeing happy young faces and laughing at their antics.

The kids all received play-dough compliments of the mall and their awesome program organizer, Tricia Dillard, and wow, those kids can make some awesome creations out of play-dough! They were all very intent listeners and watched the potters wheel like it was their favorite television program. Overall, it was such a fun fun day and I was-yet again- very blessed to be around such wonderful children.

Thanks to everyone who came out and to my helpers, hubby Jonathan and neighbor Savannah, and the mall for making this super easy on me! It was so much fun and am also very thankful to the parents that took the time to expose their children to something new. Almost every child I asked said they had never seen someone work at the wheel. What a great way to share!

Much Love,

Lisa

P.S.- As I've been out and about in the community this summer, I've had several people ask me if I do private lessons for kids. I do offer private lessons in my home studio. Click here for full details.

The Youthfulness of Summer

2012-07-19T11:42:00.001-07:00

What does summer mean to the studio potter?

Kids! I've done two weeks of kids camps this summer and spent some extra times with three of my four nieces playing in the mud- and one nephew. With the kids out of school, it seems like everyone wants their babies to get their hands in the clay. Which I think is such a treasure to have artistically supportive parents.

My first camp was held at my home. I deliberated about the location but decided upon my home due to the fact that all of my equipment is there, it is a central location and it would keep tuition more affordable. What an amazing week we had. The girls were precious. Our projects turned out beautiful. I had an awesome potter friend, Whitney Crouch assist me. And the students were all little blessings. One would just come stand by me to hang out and enjoy some company. One kept us laughing the whole time with her random outbursts of ridiculous stories (I now know all about frankenweenie and how annoying little sisters are). Some were perfectionists and some were there to play. Every time I'm around kids I'm reminded how precious they are. They are so innocent, impressionable and surprising. From dancing solo in my living room to making me little clay rocks- these girls kept me guessing- and laughing. And their excitement for art was just incredible to share in.

I'm now holding a week long camp at the Boys and Girls Club of Rome thanks to the generous support of the Rome Area Council for the Arts. It is two hours each morning and we are doing hand building projects and surface decorations. These kids are truly blessings on me as well. We have anywhere from 11-15 each day and I have an awesome lady with the club helping me- who is pretty good at pottery herself. And, the room I am in is huge! I have more table space than I need, AC, counter space, cubbies, drawers, a sink... you name it. I almost feel like a real school teacher in this room!

I love sinks!

They always get silly during clean up time... :)

These kids have impressed me so much. They have fantastic manners and make me feel so welcome and respected. They open doors, help me set up, clean up and carry in items. One little girl forgot to come to class the other day and she wandered in after everyone was gone and just helped me clean for 15 minutes. Precious.

It's very fun to watch the personalities in the class. Some are dramatic. Some are snappy. Some listen to each and every word. Some just want to put muddy hands in their friend's hair. It's so cute :).

One girl who is very well spoken and grown up for a 12 year old asked me if I liked teaching children. Not sure if she mean children her age or children or younger, I asked for clarification. She responded and said, "Oh, I don't know. You are just always so calm. It seems like you really like this." To which I responded, I do, very very much.

It all makes you learn a lot about education. Class and budget size are huge factors in determining class content. It makes me think back to my schooling days and see where we skimped by and where we had all we needed. We've definitely been blessed beyond belief in both of these camps and I can't imagine where these dozens of pots they have created will end up down the road. I'm honored thinking about the fact that these pieces can be the ones they look back on as their childhood ceramics creation. They will be treasured, laughed at and remain on parents shelves long after the kids are gone.

So, in the end, Summer, I love you. You make the year go round and round. You bring new spice to my life and a freeness rarely felt.

Love,
Lisa

Five Months into My Life as a Studio Potter

2012-06-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite pieces
that arrived last week

I've been in my new life for five months now. And I love it. I feel inspired on a daily basis. I find plenty of opportunities to interact with others despite having a home office. And I use my education and work experience day in and day out. I thank God I'm able to use my degree- major and minor- and the roundness of my Berry College liberal arts education on a daily basis. I find myself reaching back into my college days and using tidbits from here and there- and of course slide into my marketing/pr/business persona on a routine basis. It feels good to be me.

There have been lots of surprises and lots of lessons. I'll share a few here to help me remember them- and remember how far I've come.

1. I almost never get migraines anymore. I had one last week which reminded me, that was the first one I've had in 2012. I focus on my health and well being much more now and it has been very rewarding for me. (Yet, I still didn't stop working when I got the migraine- I need to adjust my attitude about working through pain I think!) I go to a gym regularly, play tennis sporadically, walk and even run sometimes. I feel good most of the time and can pretty much do anything I want to physically.

2. I truly believe anyone who wants to can start a business and be successful. Yet, it takes some very important ingredients. Knowledge of and talent in your field. Ability to run and sustain a business. Motivation, Motivation, Motivation. Love and the willingness to press forward are huge in self employment.

3. Impatience is bad. I have the tendency to be incredibly impatient. At the beginning of the year, I was so concerned about doing well and seeing fruits of my labor that I lost sight of my end goal. Rather than focusing on the task at hand (make pots!) I focused on things I couldn't control (when will my kiln come in!) and lost productive juices on uncontrollable issues.

4. The first year is like a practice round. I'm figuring out the show schedules, finding my pace, seeing trends in the online world and trying new promotions and marketing tactics. And even though I've been a potter for a couple years, this feels like my very first year since it's the first year I am serious about it. I've only gotten my feet wet before now and am slowly wading in. There's so much out there for artists and I'm slowly learning more and more about this field.

5. Leaving room for creativity is crucial. My work has to evolve if only for my professional satisfaction- but it also helps with keeping viewers interested. So, allowing time to experiment and try new things even if they fail is so important to me. It makes me happy (even if it fails) and adds a flavor to my days.

6. Planning and organization are key. I'm a list person. But I often loose my lists now that I don't have the structure that comes with an office and a desk. Keeping things in order and planning out my week, days and hours are important to keep myself on track. Firing schedules are time consuming and very inflexible so making sure I am respectful of that and take the time to properly prepare for each day makes my ability to create much much better.

7. Distractions are almost impossible to eliminate- multitasking is a reality. Sure I could crate my dog and make her hold her bladder all day. I could let the laundry sit and mildew. I can ignore my phone calls and emails. I could tell my sister to beat it when she comes for a visit. But, I actually welcome most of these because they are needed breaks. My dog makes me get exercise with her twice a day. My laundry gets dry and is ready for Jon to fold when he gets home (I don't ask him, he just does it!) And my sister keeps me company and sometimes reads to me when she comes by. My phone and email- I can choose to ignore or operate with muddy fingers. Really, whatever mood strikes me is how I deal with it! Though- I do set aside times to give attention to it which helps make sure I don't totally destroy my phone in the studio.

8. I spend so much less money. The wardrobe of a potter is very relaxed. I do not dress up daily so my dress clothes are usually clean and ready for me when I have an event- and don't get so tired looking. I don't drive as much. I eat breakfast at home everyday and most lunches and dinners. I rarely see Starbucks. And I don't need retail therapy as often. When you are happy, you just need less stuff. Naturally and mentally.

9. Home is a wonderful place to be. I had my sights set on finding a studio outside of my home but I've grown to love it here. My workspace has everything I need and is in the most convenient place ever. I actually know when the mail man comes, when the neighbor kids get home from school and what its like to sit on the porch in the morning with a cup of coffee and my computer.

10. I'm exactly where I need to be. I had doubts in past years about where my life and career were going. I looked at law school, MBA programs, transferring jobs and taking other positions. But my sweet husband (fiance then) looked me in the eye as we sat at Paul's Oyster bar and told me he believed in me. And that was all I needed. I love him.

So, anyway, here are a couple of new pieces that are in my etsy shop. I've been having a lot of fun playing with porcelain, slip trailing and am about to try a new customized firing schedule that should help my glazes glisten and glow even more. If you are local, I hope you will come out to Cave Spring this weekend. The bulk of my show is in the kiln now so it truly will a tent full of brand new pots.

Love,

Lisa

Home Stretch for the Dishes Set!

2012-05-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Jon and I worked out a plan with some friends of ours- furniture for pottery. Our friend Gorg made us a beautiful table for our wedding gift. This was at our request since at the time, we had a shorter table and our puppy kept stealing our breakfast from us. And though she can still reach the taller table top, she has quit this lovely habit. (Wow, the magic of consistency and training!)

So, since last August, I have been working in a piece here and there to get this set in in the works. We didn't set a deadline for each other since we both lead busy lives that often require us to do other things than accessorize our friends homes- and have projects with more pressing deadlines to attend to.

However, the set came together piece by piece. Through all this, I realized my kiln is not very plate friendly- My kiln is 24 inches wide. The shelf is 22 inches. So, for 11-12 in plates (they shrink from 12 to 11 in the course of firings, etc) you can only get one plate in per level so at most I was getting three plates per firing, and usually just one or two. So, to get twelve of these through took quite a few loads! However, with the plates and bowls complete, I had to make a delivery to keep my studio shelves from being over loaded. So, here is a look at my progress thus far- a couple pieces were not up to my standards so they will be replaced- and a couple more mugs are on the list, but overall, the set is looking ready for many meals, snacks and festivities!

This is my sister Andrea and Mindy's youngest girl, Vanora. We told V to give a big smile and this is what we got. When we laughed, she refused to smile again.... as you can see in the rest of the pictures.

Micaiah and Gideon

The little lost butter dish. I realized after unloading that he was missing.
This made for a fun treasure hunt through the boxes to find this little guy.

Happy mommy, kids- sad Vanora

Gideon- and sad Vanora

Mindy and me

Here are the jars I did for their kitchen back in December.

They are really only able to sit at the table without punching each other for so long...

Poor Vanora.

This has been a great project for me- it has really pushed me to pay attention to specifics like size, curvature, design, etc. to make things match just so. Several of the plates intended for this set ended up under my plants as drip dishes due to not being up to par with the others. But, like anything handmade, these are not perfect by any means and have their unique maker's mark on each one. But, that is life and that is what makes it interesting, spicy and special.

Love,

Lisa

New Addition to my Mug Collection

2012-05-25T14:28:00.001-07:00

My mug from Jim Gottuso came- figured I better get one and preserve my well being :)

Daisy approves.

Coffee tomorrow!!

Let's Get Picky

2012-05-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is one I obsessed over wall thickness.
Pick it up and it will fly away!

Lots of mottos in life encourage us to let go. To relax. Not sweat the small stuff. Let the details take care of themselves. Breathe. Don't stress. Come back later. Etc. Etc. Etc.

To a point this is great advice. Too many people are overly thin, overly stressed and over worked. Yet, we can't let these attitudes drive us to mediocracy and indifference in our lives. At some point, once we get down the basics and are rolling along smoothly, the details and the small things are what make all the difference.

I realized the other day that my pots are getting heavier. Five years ago Janda, the owner of Earthworks and an amazing potter, and fellow amazing potter Vicki McKenzie would poke fun at me and my "magic clay," saying that my pieces would just fly away when they picked them up they were so light. One day they snuck into my clay bag and pretended to steal my "magic clay." They were exaggerating but I was minorly obsessed with paper thin forms at that point in my life so I like to think that I was throwing rather thin then.

But I seem to have gotten away from that. All too often someone picks up my pottery and says "Wow! This is so nice and heavy!" People think it is a compliment. I smile graciously in response but am crying inside.

Unlike jewelry, heavy has nothing to do with the authenticity or genuinely of pottery. Heavy means the walls are thick and there is much extra clay in it that simply adds clumsiness and bulk. Thin means that deft hands used clay to its maximum, tread through delicate waters, and came out successful

A couple of bisque explosions showed me how thick some of my pieces really were in the bases. And I realized I was being way over cautious with my pots and rather inattentive to their details beyond function and form.

I've been contemplating this and compiling a list of things in the studio that I need to be nit-picky about. That I need to stress over. And need to not just let go. So, beginner to experts, enjoy this list and if you are a beginner, you may want to read these items first (where I recommend that you ignore this post completely in step 3). I would also love to hear your additions to the list so I can be extra sensitive to more attributes of my pieces. Really- I want your comments! And pottery enthusiasts, you can get a glimpse into the care and thought (or lack thereof) we put into each piece

1. Clay Distribution. Are your walls even width top to bottom? Have you cut open a piece lately to see what it looks like top to bottom? Is the base fat and rim paper thin? Or are they thick top and bottom with skinny middles? Or are they just thick all the way up? I like to cut my pieces open in class sometimes to show students what the walls look like top to bottom. It's a great moment when they are even but humbling when you can see your flaws to openly. Yes, some pieces need a little extra clay in the bottom to support the form. But, that weight should be trimmed off after it is leather hard. I saw one trick where you can stick a push pin through your piece near the bottom and trim until you hit that pin. Works well for freshly made pieces that can be trimmed right side up after being thrown.

2. Trimming. This step can make or break a piece. If you miss it entirely, it's definitely a break. Trimming defines the base and the curvature of the base of the piece. Does the piece sit smack flat on the table? Does it have some lift through a glaze rim, under cut or a foot? And speaking of a foot, does it's width match the width of your rim? Does it carry the form of the piece all the way through so that it looks like you could remove the foot and you would have a perfectly, evenly sloped bowl?

3. Smoothness and Grog. Speaking of trimming- ever notice how little bits of grog can drag along the trimmer and make small cuts in you pot? Or what about if you smooth out the rim with a sponge and all of a sudden, the entire lip feels like its sandy. Managing grog is important. If these issue come up, I address them immediately. After trimming, I take a plastic card (credit card or hotel key is perfect) and smooth in the roughness. Hard edges smooth, soft, absorbent ones bring sand to the surface by wiping away the soft clay in between the grog particles. For rims, chamois are cool (attach to a cork and you won't loose them in your bucket!) And, for leather hard pieces, burnishing your pot with a metal rib really seals the deal and makes you want to rub your face all over the exposed fired clay. It's that smooth.

4. Keeping the Bump. This goes back to #1. When throwing, you must first undercut (8 rotations of the wheel= 1 good undercut) and then place your outside hand underneath that band of clay with your inside hand slightly ahead of your outside hand. This will create a bump. And a narrower base. That bump should last until the very top. This guy is the bump master. He demos this perfectly with a knuckle pull.

This is not the best angle- but you
can see the purple glaze
bring out my name

5. Signature. Everyone does their signature different. I always sign my name and add the year with a regular ballpoint pen. It's natural to hold, writes at a good thickness and doesn't dig as deep as the needle tool. But, I've been totally ruining it by signing my name too early pre-leather hard stage and then slapping it back down on its base squashing my writing to where it's illegible. So, now I'm making myself wait.... until.... it's ready... and let it dry upside down... and then sand it down before bisque firing. So, when you glaze the piece and wipe the bottom clean, it gets all up in your names and your piece just screams that you are it's maker. Amen.

Call me weird, but when I do pay attention to details, stretch myself with my clay, and the glaze accents the form just right, to me, the piece that comes out is just like it's edible. Succulent, juicy and irresistible. That's what I want. I see tents full of juicy pots at fairs and know that this is a potter that has arrived.

This mug is totally edible. I think I might die if I don't own one...

I'm not there yet but I'm heading that direction.

And sometimes its the trip that is the most exhilarating.

Lisa

If Your To Do List Makes you Gag, Change it.

2012-05-11T08:23:00.001-07:00

I forget my purpose from time to time. I forget that I'm in a process of exploration. Learning. Discovery. I'm on an adventure.

With my custom orders attended to, my list of "to dos" in the studio looked like this:

_____________________

TO DO:

1. Make 40 Love Mugs for Mom

_____________________

I came down Monday morning last week and gagged. I love Love Mugs. They are selling great and are perfectly seasonal. But the thought of sitting there all week doing the same thing over and over again gave me mental tendonitis.

Why would anyone in their right mind do that by choice?

Why would any artist do that by choice.

So, I edited my to do list so it looked like this:

_____________________

TO DO:

1. Make 4 Love Mugs for Mom

2. Play

_____________________

So, here you are, a look at the fruits of my play-bor.

Fluted mug in a new glaze I've been playing with.

Splatter Scallop Bowl

Any idea what this is?

A yarn bowl. The bottom is weighted to keep the bowl from tipping while you pull your yarn through the swirl. And the bowl keeps your yarn from rolling all over the floor.

I played with Slip Trailing- which is basically clay lines applied with a squeeze bottle.

Butter Dish- Not perfect and a lot of work, but very cool.

6" Cake Stand

Balloon Vase

My four Love Mugs for Mom ;)

And even though I had some mishaps- I lost two large bowls in the bisque, a Love Mug for Mom in the glaze load and had some glaze issues on a sweet colander, the last couple weeks have been much more productive and artistically fulfilling than the factory style work I had laid out for myself.

So, now I am doing the fun process of pricing pieces and packing them up for the Rome Art Walk this weekend on Broad Street. Come see me if you are in the area- I will have my wheel and all these pieces plus more.

But only four Love Mugs for Mom.

Love, Lisa

Women in the Outdoors

2012-04-14T17:20:00.001-07:00

Today I got to return to the Floyd Wildlife Club to do a class for the Women in the Outdoors event. I had two official students- one who was a third time participant in my class. It was fun to come back and see faces I know just from this event.

I demonstrated an oval vase- you just make it on an oval bat. Ok, just kidding. Here's the actual process here:

I also made a yarn bowl (such an amazing idea!) and a jar to demonstrate how lids are made. A crowd gathered after a bit and we had a great audience with lots of questions and comments. Two were brave enough to try their hand at the wheel and did an awesome job.

Oh, and the best part of the day was our get to know the clay exercise. Since we were at the Wild Life Club where you practice shooting, I figured we should make our own clay pigeons. So we did. But no one wanted to shoot them. So, everyone has a souvenir clay pigeon. (And they actually looked like birds :))

Here are some pictures from the day. Enjoy!!

Third time was the charm for this student- she did awesome!

I Can Do Hard Things

2012-04-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

I graduated High School in 2002. My ten year anniversary is this year. Good. I can finally feel like I'm not a baby that doesn't know anything. I think one of the most grown up phrases I can remember hearing as a wee child was "Oh my! I cannot BELIEVE it is time for my High School Reunion!" So, now I can throw around my weight and exclaim over my decade of experience since I left that God Awful Place.

So, did your class have a graduation song? Mine did. Well, I think they wrote one just for me and Callie and Lacey and Emily because it came out right when we were graduating. So duh, it was for us. Sure, it says class of 99, but it came out in 2002 in Albany, GA.

One piece of advice from this video that has always stuck with me was the part that says "Do one thing that scares you every day." As an 18 year old, it liberated me, letting me know that you SHOULD do scary things and not just side step them. And it makes you realize how many things you are actually scared of.

Making that call that could seal the business deal. Or break it. Stating your mind at a meeting. Telling someone they hurt you. Telling someone you love them. Giving your heart to a child.

Literally a million things scare us that don't even register in our minds- we just don't do them because we've blocked them out of our realm of being.

Jonathan's cousin's husband was recently telling me about a book he is reading called Consciousness Explained. In one part he tells me it says that based on our early experiences, our minds set up what we believe to be real and true. And, if something outside of those parameters happens, our brain literally rejects that input. It cannot process it since it doesn't believe it is legitimate. So, whatever happened, is simply non-registering information. It also goes on to say that this is also how our brain translates information. It translates it into material that fits our belief system, in our own belief boundaries. No wonder two people can see the same thing and have such different impressions.

I think all this relates to our fears. If we fear something, our brain provides a solution so we don't have to go near it. That has always been my problem solving mechanism. If I'm scared of walking my dog a night, I walk her before it gets dark. If I'm scared of a scary movie, I watch a funny movie. All this is well and good until you apply this method to things that keep us locked up, trapped in a pattern and at bay from good things that await.

Quick side story and I will get to the point.... when I started my hospital job, guess what I was scared of. Of all things from dead people to CEOs to assignments falling flat on their face to loosing my job... no, none of those were scary (the dead people were always covered up anyway).

I was scared of the cafeteria. I wouldn't step foot in it. I went a freaking YEAR before I purchased lunch in the cafeteria. I didn't know what I had to weigh and what I could put in a bowl or what line I had to wait in. I was so afraid I would show up at the register, screw up the protocol, and they wouldn't be able to ring up my lunch. It was ridiculous. I ate Blimpie's 90% of the time that year. It was right next to the cafeteria. Like 5 feet away. But I just couldn't go those five extra feet for a whole new slew of meal options. So please people, friend your new co-workers. They might just be going hungry.

Anyway...

So, I realized while I was reading Pottery Making Illustrated this weekend, that I'm in a similar situation with avoidance/fear/running away. It's nothing huge, but when I consider all the things I don't know and am not experienced in that I tend to avoid, the sum of those things is huge.

I make my handles one way for everything. I make a large tapered piece of clay, and slowly stretch out a handle, cut it free, lay it on the table, and then make more. This is probably one of the most common professional methods of creating handles. Sure, you can roll them or extrude them, but the pulled handle is the highest breed so that is the technique I use 96% of the time.

However, there is a method where you can attach clay to your pot, and pull a handle directly off the piece. It creates a really organic, natural handle with a neat look and feel. The formation technique is the same, but the attachment step and look are different.

I was introduced to this style of handles in college. Our professor showed us and none of us could do it. Every time I tried, I just pulled the handle right off the side. So, after a handful of failed attempts, I quit.

That was six years ago.

In six years I have never revisited it. But, I have admired and drooled over potters that do utilize this technique and put them on a pedestal of amazingness for accomplishing this feat. But, with my mind knowing I had tried this in my youth and failed, it just rejected that technique as an option for me, leaving me with this belief that I can't do it.

So, the article I ran across detailed the steps in pulling a handle off the side of a mug. I read through diligently and decided it was time to do this. Or at least try. Why not? Seriously, what do I have to loose? A little time? A little clay? So, here is my step by step experience with facing my fears and trying a new scary technique.

Pulling handles off a pot:

Start with a tapered piece of clay rolled into a cone-like formation. Mine tended to be on the large side so I was surprised at how little clay I actually needed.

Score and slip your leather hard pot where you want your handle to attach. You can hold your tapered piece of clay (or the skeleton) up to the pot if you like to get a better idea of where you want it to attach.

Score your skeleton and then press it firmly against your top scored and slipped section of your piece. Using your index finger, gently but firmly press the clay into the pot. Go ahead and smooth in any escaping slip and really ensure you have a good bond to your piece.

If it looks funny- good! Mine look like ridiculous noses or beaks. Maybe because I used too much clay and didn't do any pre-pulling. Which you can do if you like.

Once you are good and attached, you hold your mug, pitcher, etc. in your left hand and pull with your right. Pull all the way from the top to the bottom, keeping it tapered. The first few pulls will feel very rough- like nothing is happening. Give it a minute and the clay will eventually just let go of it's ugly form and fall right into the pulling process. It's amazing.

(This is where my handle would always fall off in college. I think the consistency of your pot and the care you take with scoring and slipping make the difference here. I had no incidents here with my handing pulling off the pot this go around.)

Keep pulling... Now is when you decided if you want it flatter with narrowed edges or more rounded. You can square it off, add some interest to the top. Whatever you like.

And once it is pulled, attach it to the bottom scored and slipped area, pinch off the excess, and decorate.

Yay!

I was amazed at how easy it actually was after so many years of believing I wasn't good enough to do this. Sure, they aren't perfect and I fretted over them a bit more than my usual handles but overall, I was liberated by the fact that I can do hard things (credit due to www.Momastary.com). I can do things outside of my realm of experiences. And I'm not scared of these anymore. It's actually really exciting to have a new technique in my pocket.

So, go forth into the world. Do something scary. And you will win in the end.

Love,

Lisa