12 Lashing with a wet noodle!

Ok....I'm feeling so guilty about my blog! The end of last week was spent making up tests for my Art History class and only doing a little bit in the studio .YIKES! Today in Sunday and I'm getting ready to head out for a whole day of throwing while Joey is busy watching The Panthers play and the kids are occupied with a friend. AHHHHHHH.....escape!
Yesterday we took a quick day visit up to Raleigh to meet Joey's uncle Peter from London England. The kids loved his accent and Joey enjoyed visiting with him and his family for the day. Since Joey is the only boy in his family I enjoy visiting with his three sisters because they always have great stories about growing up with him. They love to tell me how much our son is just like Joey when I tell them the adventures I have with Quaid. We both are very lucky we have such tight knit families.

Ok....off to make pots for some upcoming show with the Charlotte clay Guild and Vicki Gils Fall Open House sale. I also have to throw in there a host of galleries orders. Good grief, I need to be "The Flash" these next few weeks!

Salt shakers

My new group of students asked me at the beginning of this session to bring in my salt and peppers sets and talk about them a little bit. I have to admit, this was fun. I love to make sets and talk about why I think I enjoy making them so much. The great thing about teaching is that you learn a lot about your thought process because you have to explain what your doing a lot. As I was out for my walk that morning I was thinking of all the cool and creative salt sets you could come up with. To me, it seems like the possibilities are endless. This session we are going to come up with some sets and I gave them the option of either doing something creative or just totally functional. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. I showed them a new idea for some houses that sort of came out of a box and teapot I did this summer. I can't wait to see if my idea is as good as it looks on paper.

Here are some of the sets I just finished for the Circle show. ( Wow, that's a lot of aqua!)I need to save one of these to get a photo of . Stay tuned for some images from the Salt and Pepper show that I'm in at Cedar Creek the first of October.

Quick hello!

I was just thinking today how much I am really enjoying being home in the peace and quite of my house/studio. I feel like I have been able to get so much done these last few weeks and I feel more relaxed about things. When I pick up the kids at school I look forward to spending time with them when I get home and I don't fret anymore about what I should be doing because I have gotten most of it done while they are at school. Its been a great start to the school year!
I'm back throwing this week. I was actually amazed at myself for getting back working on Sunday night. Normally I feel like I have to take a week off from the studio just to play catch-up on my MOM duties. This time it has been different!
Tomorrow I'll post some close-up shots of my salt and pepper sets. We talked a lot about them in class last night.
Have a good one!

Lights, camera...show!

I think this was the first day after a show that I was not totally whipped out. I have no idea how that happened because I still feel like I worked to hard to get everything made and done in time! We had such a great day yesterday for the sale that I guess it made all the stress that usually stays with me, go away. Having some good laughs with my friends and all the great folks the came out always helps as well.

Here are few photo's of our new set-up. Ron, Julie and Amy got this idea from the big sale they all have attended in Minnesota. It was nice not having to deal with my tent and the other big set-up that I have. We got a lot a great feed-back on the way the new set-up looked so I have to thank Ron for putting it all together for us. Thanks Mr. Philbeck! Here are photo of Ron with a mug made by fellow blogger Doug Fitch .

Here's a shot of my set-up. Look at those pink roses I got for $4 bucks yesterday morning!

Here is Julie's table. She did a smart thing and made a little dinnerware set-up for her table. The red was a nice accent for her yellow celadon.

Here is Amy's set-up. She spent most of the day going in and out of the house with little Guthrie. Watching her and Brain care for him all day really brought back memories of how different life is with a baby. She still did an awesome job of making some great pots before the show. My Hero!

Such a small Pottery world

I met a women by the name of Ann Lindel the last time I was at the Conference at Arrowmont. She happened to know my friend Amy Evans. This time while I was sitting down for breakfast the second day of the conference and we had just gotten our cup from the cup exchange, Ann sat down with my cup in hand. I of course knew my cup and was happy that I recognized the person who had gotten it. Even more funny is that Ann said she reads my blog and I found out today that she has one as well. Better than that.... I was told that a photo of my cup came up during a demo that Ayumi Horie did and sure enough, if you click on Ann Lindel's blog, you will see my cup. To cool! If your out there Ann, thanks! The world just circles around and around and it amazes me how one way or another we all have some sort of connection. Boy if you stop to think about that it can really get mind blowing!
( Guess I'd rather think of that rather than what is happening in the world markets these last few days....that has also been mind blowing but not in a good way...YIKES!)

Back in Business

Quaid found my camera today and got a $2 reward for it!! He was thrilled and so was I!

I'll get snapping some photo's soon because my kiln is cooling this evening. Lets hope for some great pots!

Busy week catching up on stuff with my Art History students, the house, the kids and getting ready for our fall Circle of Eight show. Did I mention that my good friend Brad Tucker will be our quest this time! Brad makes some of the nicest functional pots I've ever seen!




If your in the area please stop by and say Hi!

Ron is making some Peach Tea for the occasion!

A few more thoughts

Monday nights for me means class time. I told everyone all about my adventures at the conference and brought a poster to show them all the work in the show.

Everything has still been fresh in my mind. I even did a demo on a dry thrown plate that Ayumi Horie demonstrated. Today was a great day in my studio and I got so much done for our up coming show this weekend.

Conference Thoughts/Observations.

I wanted to report from the conference some overwhelming themes that came to mind while I was dashing in and out of the demo's. Lots of talk was given to the web and how its really hot right now in selling and promoting one's work. The next theme and how we all need to go green with our work ( boy, that is a big one!) and third, what I would like to talk about today is just my own quiet observation that I know I've said before - likeness of ones work to there personality.

I'm always intrigued how most potters fit the pots they make. I really enjoy seeing the person behind a pot that I love. I guess the majority of the buying public feels the same way. For this reason alone, those people that have galleries or store fronts at their home I think must do pretty well. People enjoy interacting with the person who has made the object they want to use or have in their home.

Here are some examples of people's work who where presenters at the conference that I had never met before. Once I listened to them speak or saw what they finally looked like, the connection between the object and the artist became clear to me.

Victoria Christan's pots are colorful and fun and so animated. A few minutes listening to Victoria and she had me smiling and feeling easy about being in the same room with her. Very bouncy and colorful. She also fires these in a salt kiln at Cone 6, which I would like to do with my work.

Ursala Hargens work is also fun, colorful with a bit of seriousness in form but quirky at first glaze. I could really connect to Ursala because she is a mom with young children getting ready to move her studio home because her family needs her. I could tell when she spoke of this issue that it tore at her and I felt so connected to her feelings. The good news about this was I think there are many more females today trying to make pots and be a mom/wife, so I'm curious to hear more stories about making this work.

Lorna Meaden spoke about how people always come tell her that her pots remind them of Alice in Wonderland or that they are cute. She really didn't like this compliment and was hilarious when she spoke about this. I too always have people tell me this about my work but I guess I don't take it in a bad way if they enjoy the work. I think I've learned that the source of a comment matters to you, not the comment. I'm sure if one of my instructors years ago said my work had been Cute, I would of gone off in a corner to cry. Since customers tell me this I just feel good that they want my piece in there home. I really enjoyed Leana demo's as well because she was very Witty and I could see this in her pieces.

I'm going to have to stop there for the day. I have pieces of my own to finish and look like something out of a Disney cartoon.

PS....yes, yes I hate to admit it but I can not find my camera anywhere, so I'm covering up by posting already posted photo's from the web. AH!!! Very fustrating.

If you want to see some great photo's from the conferance go to Tracy Broomes blog, she has some great ones.

Utilitarian V ( report)

I came home a day early from being up in Gatlinburg at the Utilitarian Clay Conference. Tonight I'm sure the beer is flowing and everyone is dancing and having a good time.

I took three days off from my usual to get re-energized and educated in a few new things. I always go to workshops these days with the attitude that I need to learn some new "tricks" for my students ; not necessarily for my own work. Years ago I would seek out people that I wanted to emulate and now I think I'm at a place where I want my own voice so bad, that I try really hard not to do this. In all honestly I think it does still slip in here and there and from what Pete Pennell lectured about in the evenings, it always will seep in. But that is a whole different topic that I'm not sure I want to take on.

Tonight I thought I just say a few things about how I personally felt driving back and thinking about what I saw and heard these last few days. Maybe during the week I can kind of break down my other observations on what I saw.

In a nut shell, the longer I'm in this field the more I realize I just need a few days of talking about nothing but clay to give me a real boost for a good year or so. I feel so re-energized and focused on goals and taking small steps with my work one day at a time. Slow and Steady is what I always tell my very shy daughter every morning when she timidly goes into school unsure of herself. This motto rings true for me also; Slow and Steady..just keep plugging' along. In the past situations like these where there are so many big names and lots of networking, I only felt lacking in confidence with my work. This time I realised that I feel pretty alright with where I am even if that next kiln load brings does not bring the prospect of better pots than the last. Kind of deep stuff to talk about but being immersed in something always brings deep thoughts to topics.

(Ok...enough deepness...back to surperficial fun stuff!)

On a lighter note, if they gave out a badge this week for the most antsy person, I'm sure I would of won. I must of jumped around from demo to demo more than anyone else there. I kind of felt like the fly on a wall that couldn't stay still to swat! I swear our house must be the poster family for ADD.

............I'll think I'll end there tonight.

I'm in the Weeds!~

(If you've ever waited tables, you know what this means.)
Yesterday we got back from some fun in the sun with the kids and I ran off to teach my first class of the fall session at Clayworks. Today I had to grade tests for my online students, work in my studio, get my family organized for my departure tomorrow and .....I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed but its ok, I know it will all turn out fine in the end. ( I have a big hunk of wood sitting next to me!!)
I'm excited to be going to the Utilitarian Clay Conference for a few days. I hate to say that I"m going to be cutting my trip a day short to come back and make more stuff for our Circle of Eight sale next weekend.
I still have yet to locate my camera but my mom is nice enough to let me take hers so I'll get some good shots to bring back and share.
I'm out of here!

6 Random things...........

So Ron Philbeck tagged me last week as well as Judy Shreve so I here I am playing along! The game is 6 random things about me .
I'm wondering if anyone is left to tag?

Here are the rules of the game:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog. (this is what you're now reading.)
3. Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them. (This is only a game.)
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

And here are six random things about me:

1. I have to have an ice cube in the bowl when I eat cereal. I don't like warm milk!

2. I had the opening for my thesis show on September 15th, 1999. On September 16th, hurricane Floyd hit Eastern NC and my entire show was UNDER water!

3. I married a guy who was wearing a skirt.

4. I repeated 2nd grade.

5. I have three college degree's.

6.I spent many Saturdays at the Moose wood restaurant in Ithaca New York.( IE. Run by the people who are famous for "The Moose wood" cookbook.)I grew up on a lot of carob as a child.Who invented that stuff anyways?

So, who hasn't been tagged yet??? I'm coming to get cha'!

End of the work-week check in.

Aren't Fridays the best day!

Today the weather was warm but crisp on my walk and it just put me in the best mood! As I was hoofin' it around our neighborhood I noticed tons of different kinds of mushrooms and it took me back to one of my visits to Penland. I think I was taking a jewelry class at the time and there was a guy in the wood class ( I think ) that was an expert of "mushrooms". ( Yes, you can laugh.) I recall one day he was going to take a group of people on a mushroom hunt through the woods to find some varieties your could eat and then he was going to cook them up that night! Only at Penland.

Onto pots! Here are a few shots of salt and pepper shakers in various stages. At the moment they are in the kiln and I'm onto making another kind of set so I'll have two to choose from. I was working on the trays this morning and .....can't find my camera again. SORRY, I'll keep looking tonight.

We are off to the coast tomorrow for our first family vacation of 2008. Joey has been planning this beach trip for awhile and even though Hanna is about to hit, we plan on going after it clears somewhat. We both are old masters with hurricanes. If I can get the time to do "6 random things about myself", (that is being pasts around the pottery blogs,) one of those things will be about a hurricane. I'm a bit antsy about leaving my studio for three days but I learned last year that I need to balance everything so off we go. Next week I'll be in Gatlinburg at the Utilitarian Conference V. I can't wait!

Back to Jen Mecca pots!

Hi Everyone, just a quick hello...a check-in if you will. As all the teapot posts where going on, I was working on pots for The Circle of Eight fall show that is coming up in a few weekends. Ya-hoo!

My wrists have been killing me the last few days because I took on some very stiff clay out of the bag and than decided that I really needed to pug it all. ( Side note......... even though I do not have the time and I should be able to use moist clay out of the bag that I just spent a lot of $$$ on.......) but...who's complaining. ( ....well, my wrists are as you know, any other time I love to visit my pug-mill !)
Anywho.....here are just a few shots for you. I'll get some more up soon. Lately I've been starting my new batch of pots for kiln loads by working large to small. Big bowls and platters started this new round of pots. I hate to say but the clay I used ( slop clay that was pugged) did not like my drying method so I lost some of the platters last week.

Below is how I normally dry platters so the rims don't get crispy while the middle stays dry. Still this way did not help the issue of my recycled clay that had just a bit to much silica from the bottom of my buckets mixed in.
I'll keep up the posting!

Final Tea...#4

Final photo's from the Cedar Creek Teapot show.

They had a little contest for "Viewers Choice award" at the show. I picked this guy. I'm sure the color and form had a lot to do with why I liked it so much. Plus the little tea strainer that went along with it was just such a great added touch.
So sorry, but I did not get the name of the potter who made this. If anyone knows, drop me a note! This teapot below won first place.
And here is my version of "Can you guess who this is"? I cropped the photo because the name was showing..........Ok...now don't cheat! This one threw me off when I saw it. ( My students out there....shhhhhhhhhhhh)

Back to teapots....post #3

Here we go..more teapots! This teapot is by Bruce Goldson. When I was working at the gallery I always loved his work and could kick myself for not getting one of his shino pieces at that time. His forms are so nice and his pieces so nicely done.
This pot was just so fun, I enjoyed its "wimsy".
This pot you could not ecnore. Look at that spout and that color!
Here is Brad's studio. I need to take notes on how clean he keeps this place.

I put the cabinet back up because "Mr. Philbeck" could not get a close-up of the pots from my last entry. This is for you and anyone else who couldn't open that last post!

Off Track...Kings of Leon

I had to stop on my way in from walking this morning before I head out to work to post something totally off the "pottery track" and my 3rd teapot post.

My husband use to play in a band years before we ever met ( I would of loved to have seen that..) anyways, he's really into new music..alternative stuff. He's introduced me to a lot of my favorite bands. At the moment, I'm the only one with an IPOD in the house, so he will sneak new stuff on my song list on days he needs a little music to listen while cutting the grass or exercising.

I now have a new band that gets me going in the morning when I'm out doing my morning run/walk. Its called Kings Of Leon. Oh to be in my 20's again..... I think this guy has the coolest voice!

If you get the chance click on this attachment and listen. If small kids are around..turn it down!) http://www.last.fm/music/Kings+of+Leon/+videos/+1--0sH3e_qr7c

Back to work!

Teapot show #2

Cedar Creek has all these very cool old cabinets that they display things in. For the show, the teapots where in two rooms and although most where on pedestals, some where in these old dish cabinets or glass cases. I always liked seeing the pots in this contexts because it always made me feel like these handmade objects where meant to be used!
I had Angela take some photo's of just pieces that stuck me right away when I saw them. Here's a teapot with terra sig and I liked the drawing because it told a story.
Here are Micheal Kline's pots!
This is by Elaine Coleman. I just can not imagine the amount of time she spends on something like this.
Here is Sandy Singletary's teapot. Sandy is one of our members in "Circle of Eight". At the moment she is in grad school and sort of being pulled to more sculptural pieces. I can't wait to see where school takes her with her work.

Teapot Show *1

Last Saturday I took some folks from Clayworks to the teapot show at Cedar Creek Gallery. It was a great trip and I'm glad some of the students took me up on going "on a road trip" to look at pots! There where about 200 or so teapots plus the rest of the gallery. We also got to visit with Brad Tucker and Tim Turner, which was an added bonus because they are both just so nice and funny to chat with.

Here are some photo's that one of the students took. Did I mention that I forgot my camera that day so................Angela was so nice in snapping anything I asked her to.

Here are my two entries. Wow, my pots are sitting next to Sam Chung!

The two teapots below I just liked. There was so much to see that I think I could of found something I liked in every teapot I saw but you can only have so many photo's ..right?

A place like home

We did finally get our house painted. It felt good to know that most of the money that helped get it done came from my pots.

It was once just white but we jazzed it up a bit. I love the pumpkin colored door.

About a year ago I started thinking about what it meant to me to be in the house everyday working, taking care of our family and really enjoying that fact that I did not having to go to a 9 to 5 job in some office. My office is right here at home and home and my hours are 6:30 to about 11 everyday! But, it is always a trade off.

I think I've said before that in my mind some of my pieces remind me of creatures or figures in some way. I have lots of customers tell me that as well. I worked a year or so ago on some sets of salt and pepper shakers that I wanted to enclose in some way and give a home to; not just a tray. I felt like I needed to bring my feelings of security and the comfort I feel being at home everyday into my work some how.

The set below is what I came up with. I called these guys " My opera house". All the frills and decorative elements that I embellished this tray with just screamed "Opera" to me.

I took this photo along with me to be critiqued by a well known potter I was doing a workshop with. At the time, I thought it was one of my best pieces. After the critique, I felt a bit different about the whole set. I was told it had a feeling of contriteness to it and was over done. I at that point agreed and put these pieces on the back burner for another time.

So...stay tuned.....I'm in a salt and pepper show and at the moment I'm back to my Opera houses. Photo's and thought to be posted soon!

Transitions

Summer just seemed like a splash of light that flew by for me.

Today was the second week of school for the kids and since I got back to my normal "school day" of getting everyone up, fed, to school, quick clean-up, a brisks walk and then out to work...I realised that something about today was different. For the first time I really did take note of all the time I had to myself. All the work I was getting done. All the sounds around me. And the fact that all my kids for 7 hours, 5 days a week will be ....with someone else. It was a strange feeling.

As I worked I realised that here I was, like every other potter without children who planned their day just as if they where off to some 9 to 5 job. For a moment I even said to myself " wow, I'm not going to have to come work out here every night now?". Of course when I took note of everything else on my plate, I realised that that statement most likely won't come true that often. But being home from 9 to 2:30 is such a long stretch of time for me with NO ONE around! This hasn't been my world in the last 7 years.

I realised what a transition this is going to be for me in the next few weeks. I had such an urge to call school and could not wait to see their little faces at 3. Last week I was so wrapped up in the beginning of school and my Art History course that the days flew by. I guess being in my studio, throwing pots and having the silence all around made me go to that place we all go when we are doing those repeated motions of throwing and our mind wonders here and there. The clouds where in and out today so I had sun and rain on and off. This can also play with your mind and mood.

We have lots of transitions going on in our house-hold. I can only think that new adventures open so many doors even though it may be scary to walk through them.

Today was a very interesting day......

Found HER!

...she was hiding in a Sid Oakley bowl up on the shelf...my camera that is!

Her I am at Blowing Rock. I'm happy because Joey's with me for this show.

Here is the last of the small Flower Blocks. I've got to get out and make more today for our up coming Circle of Eight sale!

The one thing I love about doing Arts in the Park is all the animals people bring to this show. Now, I'm a big cat person and I know if I where a cat I would NOT like being here or being on a leash.

( Have you ever seen a cat who is happy on a leash? )

This cat was so pretty I had to take a shot of her but the whole time I was thinking about all the expletives this cat must of been saying under its little kitty breath about its owner and all the people wanting to pet it. Especially all the kids! I had to ask this lady what did the cat do when all the huge dogs where around? Always an interesting day.....got to go!