3.27.2007

Getting things Done

I feel like I've gotten a lot done this week, which makes me happy. I put up lists around the house so I don't forget about things. I'm sure anyone visitor coming into the house might think I'm kind of crazy. I have in my head that I know I can get all I need to accomplished in one day and I've set out to do it as best I can. I'm sure this sounds a bit elementary to most people but when you have two little girls at your feet its not as easy at it sounds. It almost like I have to pencil in down time for all the "antics" they bring up during the day. I have two very active girls and when my boy gets home if the TV is not on its usually chaos around here. I always had my kids on some sort of schedual so they know what to expect each day. At 4 o'clock, they have cartoon time and this gives me a chance to laydown a bit or get done things I still have to do with out interuptions. I'm pretty brain-dead at that time of the day and if I have screaming or chaos going on I usually lose my cool so the 4 o'clock TV breaks works well for everyone. I often think if I wasn't such a private person I try to get on that show "Super Nanny" because many days I feel like I need some wisdom and help to whip everyone in shape.

I managed to get to a great photographer today and have some professional slides made. I use to try and take my own and at the time I thought I did a fairly good job but I found a few years ago while entering big time sale/jury shows ( like the ACC and such), my slides needed improvement. My photo's did manage to get my into juried one piece shows but when you have to send a multitude of slides together, you need to take a bunch so they all look alike. Anyways I got that done and sent out a bunch of applications for shows. I've been back and forth on the phone with the city planning board about my kiln. ( And that is a whole nether entry in itself, lots of red tape this week). I've been working very steadily in the studio this week which has felt good. My teaching "gig" doesn't start back up again for another week so I'm enjoying my Thursday and Tuesday mornings kid free. In the afternoons I've managed to get outside to work in my flower beds as well because the weather here has been in the 80's. The kids broke out there pool and bathing suits this weekend so they think summer is around the corner. Boy am I not ready for school to end at all. Next week I'll have to add searching for lots of summer camps to my list.

2 comments:

Ron said...

Jen, In regards to your earlier post I have noticed a few things that certain potters do. For instance, I have noticed that potters like Ron Meyers and Mark Hewitt often make the same shapes over and over but the decoration is always growing and evolving, never exactly the same, or at least not for very long. The techniques stay the same for the most part but the imagery grows or becomes more simple, or more complex or whatever. On the other hand someone like Clary Illian or Cynthia Bringle can make almost any shape they want, and they do. Often the decoration is very simple or nothing at all, only the form. Or they work in series (esp Clary) where they will do the same thing to a whole range of pots. Example...double curves, double curves on cups, on bowls, on teapots, on vases, etc. Then this will lead (if one pays attention) to something new to do the next time around. I think both ways of working are valid and allow the potter to go 'deeper' into the work. I think it's hard (for me anyway to do both of these things at the same time ie change it ALL over and over. Doing that seems to keep me on the shallow end of the pool. I have found it very hard to restrain from doing everything I want to. I guess it will all sort it self out, but I have to be willing to go deeper, be open and see where it goes. I also need to listen to my desire (like wanting to decorate more), and to notice what I am good at and what I suck at. Okay enough for now, thanks for getting me thinking and good luck with all the kiln preparation. Ron

Jen Mecca said...

You hit the nail on the head! I can't do it either! Either I'm changing all my forms or the glaze or the decoration. I have such a hard time just sticking with something because I want to do it all!! I too stay at the shallow end! Wow, I think now it is the hardest to me in making pots! Maybe we'll get there when we are 80. ( You'll be wearing skirts like Paul and I'll be walking around in outlandis outfits and long grey hair like Beatrice!)