Showtime.

I should have posted this already, but I've been super busy lately. I'm one of 18 potter's in The Clay Studio's...

Pitchers: An Exploration

August 7 - August 30, 2009

So, if you find yourself in Philadelphia, go check it out!

I really do love making pitchers. I have about 5 new pitchers sketched out and ready to be made. Now that I have about 200 pounds of fresh new clay sitting and waiting for me in the studio, tomorrow might be the day...

Yummy, yummy.

Yo! Gabba Gabba - Party In My Tummy from Sundtrak on Vimeo.

Here is some inedible yummy-ness.
I think I'm officially going nuts...but it sure is cute. You can find out more right here.

I've been working on ALL new stuff. I made a dozen large nice sized planters with my gray porcelain (AKA the reclaim from all my black and white scraps).

These are upside down waiting for their bottoms to be "signed" and carved. They were coated with white porcelain slip and then carved. So when they are all finished, they will be white with the gray porcelain showing underneath. I'm not sure if I'm going to add any color to them. They may just get a very thin coat of a clear glaze.

I also been making LOTS of pitchers. All different, all one of a kind. Some have been made into animals...of course. In fact, I'm off right now to make some more.

In hiding.

Okay. So this has been out of the kiln for several days and I'm just now sharing it. Every once in a while, I unload a kiln and get so excited by a new piece that I hide it in my studio. At times, I can be seen huddling in a corner, gently caressing it...I'm really not kidding. This bird pitcher is one of those pieces.

Today, I finally felt ready to part with it. You can find it right here.

I've been spending my evenings this week sketching. I have loads of new ideas and guess what??? They don't involve animals. Well, I guess they do, but of the bipedal form. And I don't mean Emus........

Sore hand.

Yesterday I was a carving machine. This morning I woke up with a sore forearm...I made a ton...well, a bunch...of owl creamers, a few "stump" jars to match and a pair of TALL owl vases. I plan on making at LEAST 2 more of the owl vases. I need 2 to send out to a couple of galleries and I'd like to have some back-ups and maybe one for my Etsy shop. I also made one of these guys!

And the menagerie grows... I'm going to make a few more penguins in different sizes. They look cute all sitting together.

I tried to take the day off today. It's still really hard to make my mind shut everything out. I plan on doing a bit of drawing later. I guess that football game is on now. I'm so happy we don't have TV. I didn't even realize the super bowl was going on until I was at the gym on Friday. I've never watched one in my life, why start now. Hmm. Anyway. I have a really good idea for a salt and pepper set and I'd like to try it out tomorrow. I just need to draw it out a few more times...

And now I leave you with Dudley in the snow...eating a branch from our deceased Christmas tree. It's a little blurry. I took it from the porch.

Finished.

Everyone really seemed to like these, even before they even saw them finished. So, here is a finished set.Both sets are already sold and I don't have any more. I AM making more...I'm starting today after I write this. I'm still going to make just the solo owls because I prefer making them a little larger. People have also asked about different colors and I have pretty much decided that I will ONLY be making these with green. That color seems to suit them best. I'll also be making more owl vases. I have tons of requests for those as well. Again, as for color? Only blue interiors...Just give me some time. My last couple of kilns have been filled with orders for galleries and shops that carry my work and some special orders from Etsy. I didn't have a lot of time to play around with all the ideas I have drawn out in my sketchbook. I've been toying with the idea of really cutting out most of my "normal" work...like bowls and more simple vases. That will free up some time and some space in the kiln.

ALSO, I'm running a little Valentine's Day special in my Etsy shop. I've marked down everything with red, pink or purple, 10% off. Click here to see! And look at the new addition to the shop...can we say swans?

Stumped.

Actually, not stumped at all. I figured it out. I had wanted to design a sugar jar for my smaller owl pitchers and when a customer mentioned that she wanted one, it pushed me to finally do it. These are not something I will be making over and over again, so don't expect to see a lot of them. I only made 2 sets so far. One is already spoken for but if they both come out with no problems, the other set may pop up on Etsy...not sure about that though.

Everything is getting loaded and bisque fired tomorrow morning.

Woo.

It's been a looooong week. I had an opening last Saturday in Catskill, NY. I really hate going to openings. It's mostly those group shows where I am the youngest by about 15 years and no one realizes I am one of the artists...it doesn't help that I don't look my age either...and I'm pretty anti-social... I think that's why I don't go out of my way to get shows within driving distance. Not that I don't like having gallery shows. If it's someplace I like or put on by someone I know, it's waaaay more enjoyable, even (dare I say) fun. I did actually sell one of the 2 pieces at the opening. I'm assuming this was after we left to go get sushi. Anyway, to promote holiday sales they are letting buyers take the work when they purchase it so I sent them another piece.

One of the pieces I'm showing is an owl vase. Similar to this one.

Unfortunately this one has a crack in the bottom. It's small and was completely filled in with glaze, so it's still water-tight. I'll probably be posting it on Etsy since it's not gallery worthy. I have another one that is much taller and has little feel at the bottom. That one also has a crack at the bottom but it goes all the way through. I may just keep that one for myself.

I'm not one for trends. I know owls have been big for a while now. I thought they would be "out" by now, but they are still going strong. I've really been on a bird kick and wanted to make a vase. Owls just seemed like a logical choice.

I've also made some small pitchers.

Again, the owls just seemed to work with this shape.

In other news, I just sent more work to Tilde in Portland, OR and to the Kohler One and Only show and The Clay Studio in Philadelphia now has some new snowflakes. Oh, and guess where I will be on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2008 from 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM?

Yup! This will be my one and only craft show of the season. So if you happen to be in NYC area, come to the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street and say hi! I'm really looking forward to meeting some of my Etsy friends in person.

That's all for now! I've got to go make lots and lots and lots of work...

Pitcher love.

Yes, true love.

I've been throwing a lot of curvy forms lately. I decided to go more geometric with this pitcher. This was the result. I resurrected my turquoise for this one. I tried to stay away and I just couldn't resist. It just looks so fantastic with the crisp black and white and helps to soften up tighter, more calculated shapes. These are all sitting in the Things that pour section of my shop.

Thinking spring.

I don't really have anything to report. Firing a glaze kiln tomorrow. Again, mostly special orders. I was on a bit of a pitcher/creamer kick last week. I have 4 in this load. All larger than a creamer but too small to really be a functional pitcher...I don't know what I was thinking. I mean I do want my work to be used, but it goes back to what I said about certain forms working better at certain sizes. Anyway, other than that, I still hate winter. So here are a few spring time pretties...