New Advertising

I've added a Fan page to Facebook. Here I can reach more folks about my work and what I do. If you have a facebook page, please sign my Fan page!

I am also one of eight women featured in this month "Today's Charlotte Women" magazine. It was a kind of fun interview and you can click here to read more about why we do what we do. I'm always so excited to have these opportunities and I think I've learned that its all word of mouth and luck when your asked about what you do.

Click here to read!

http://www.todayscharlottewoman.com/features

Still going with my bottles, still the house is torn-apart and just enjoying my Monday's start to the work week!

How wonderful it is to work

The small amounts of time I've been able to be in my studio this week have been wonderful. Last night I got a full 3 hours in and this evening I will be able to do the same. Its not much, but its a good start to get the ball rolling. Once I've been away for a long stretch I appreciate how much I really enjoy what I do.

Here are a few shots.....
Small trays for working out designs. You'll see some cupcakes and more terra sigg work plus the colored clay. I'm really enjoying these new things on my tiles so I'm going to slowy branch out and try them on a few other things.

Some bottles lined up like soldiers...at least in my mind. Getting back into the mode of creating takes a bit of just good old production items for me. I like to relax, throw forms that I really don't think about and just make without looking/thinking....like playing the piano after you played the same song for years. Your hands just know what to do and where to hit the keys. Last night I cranked out a bunch of these bottles while watching a series on Ade and Mary Lincoln that was wonderful. Just the rhythm of throwing gets me thinking, moving and planning.
Here are some more guys getting ready for some arms, fancy hair-doo's and soon they will be "dressed" with lines and ornaments.
My hold up has been of course my teaching and getting the kids back into their little schedule and school life but mostly....my studio has been taken over. Its for a good cause'. Here you see the doors to the cabinets Joey is slowly painting. Last week the house got turned upside down again with the start of our laundry room being torn apart. In the process the men put things in my studio with no regard for what it is for. People who don't create I don't think know how important your working space really is! I didn't say anything but quietly moved everything last night when I finally got in there to work. I'm thinking in another week the whole space will be mine again and I can really concentrate on working.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend~

Pluggin' for a Friend

I have a good friend up in the mountain by the name of Cathey Bolton-Moore. We went to East Carolina together and had a crazy adventure in Russia many years ago. Lots of good memories in the studio with Cathey
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About a year ago she opened a gallery and studio up in Waynesville NC. I think this must be a tremendous adventure and such a responsibility and I"m so proud of her! I couldn't imagine trying to own and run a gallery on my own. She teaches classes and makes her own work as well and is a newly-wed. Nothing better than a friend to give ya' a little plug to say "good job"!

Here are some photo's of her gallery. If your a craft person, you may like to contact her and send her some slides and see if she needs any new people!

Here some information about her gallery if you'd like to check it out:

Art on Depot LLCStudio & Gallery

250 Depot StWaynesville, NC 28786

http://www.artondepot.com/http://www.artondepot.etsy.com/

Cathey Bolton-Moore(828) 246-0218 work

Show update

Evening everyone!

Ok..no photo's tonight..sorry. I did get out to my studio and worked a little bit these last two days but I mostly cleaned up paint mess and saw dust and mixed a little more terra sigg so..nothing to exciting, just trays and some bottles.

Lots of computer work going on. Updating mailing lists, writing syllabus's ( is that a word??) working on my class website so its all set for the semester and on and on. Guess I've also been chatting with my buddies out in cyber land.

I did update my show section here on the blog. Not as many shows as last year because I haven't applied to anything lately. I guess I'm taking a little break and I'm hording pots away until I have a huge new body of work to photograph and send out to the masses. ( Now that was a little dramatic but my cartoon thoughts are getting in the way.)

Quaid is really into Calvin and Hobbs lately and every night before we go to bed he makes me read to him in an animated way. I swear Bill Watterson must know a little boy who has ADD because Calvin reminds me so much of my little boy. Maybe Bill was Calvin when he was young. At any rate, Quaid and I laugh and laugh and he likes to find strips that remind him of situations here at the house.

We'll see if I can get some photo's up tomorrow and some more pots made.

Monday!

Still no work in the studio. This weekend I had to sacrifice my studio so my kitchen can get finished. Joey is slowly painting all the cabinets and needed my area to "spread out". I do have lots of beginning of the semester computer work to do along with updating my resume' and mailing list..so I'm here at the computer anyways instead of out playing with clay. I keep telling myself...soon...soon.

Today Ron Philbeck and I spent the afternoon trying to come up with a creative snap-shot for our upcoming fall Circle of Eight sale. We decided to go with a mug theme for this years card. I got a little carried away with the marshmellows today.This year our quest is Ronan Petersons. The date of our sale will be October 3rd and as the time gets closer, I'm sure I'll have a lot more information for you. Here are some funny photo's of a marshmellow guy we were playing with today. The final image for our card will be decided soon. ( No marshmellow guy made the cut I'm afraid.)

Tomorrow I start my class at Winthrop. Today I was there getting all the final things in order like keys, lock combinations and asking lots of questions about policies and such. Its so funny how all Universities have a different sort of feeling to them weather it is relaxed or formal. I went to two polar opposite art schools so I'll be curious to see what Winthrops "vibe" is. I am really not to nervous about teaching the class at all but I am nervous about leaving my crew alone on Tues/Thursday nights. The homework this year has doubled and I'm not sure Joey and I are up to the challenge of it all. I think by next week we will all have our "groove" down and I'll have my studio times set and everything work a bit smoother. I'm just going to keep saying to myself that after Christmas I'll be back to days and I can hopefully pick-up any loose ends that may get away from us this fall. Wish us luck!

Saturday thoughts

Last night I got to work a little bit in the studio. I cleaned and worked on some little soup/spoon rests. I like to use these to just work out new pattens and thoughts for designs. Simple exercises. Today was spent doing house and Mom stuff.

Still more thoughts on friends and sediments while I sat at the computer tonight working on Art History stuff and listening to some music.

This song brings back many thoughts from my days at VCU and leaving Richmond. Isn't it great to rediscover old songs!

Tomorrow, hopefully a little more organization. I want to take down all the plastic on the walls of my studio. Get rid of old posters and put up some cork boards to get organized with my calendar /events and keep track of how I'm pricing things and weights of items I make. Slowly I'm trying to get rid of being so "loosy- goosey" but I'm sure not all of that will go away. Its who I am and part of my charm.....I guess.

Enjoy a great tune by the band "THE SUNDAYS".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBwU1sNfAU&feature=channel

Friends

I've been thinking a lot about relationships and friends this year. The topic with my kids come up a lot and I guess the older I get the more I really appreciate the people who are friends of mine. It hard to teach you children how to be good friends but I always stress to them how important friendship is because I love all my friends so much and once I've bonded with someone, I don't tend to forget them.

I have a great "crew", if you want to call them that of a support system. Weather they are friends from my school years, friends from college or the relationships I've made in my adulthood..girlfriends, motherhood, pottery/art friends ect., they are a great bunch. The best thing, as most people know about friends is laughter. I love anyone who is silly and can make me laugh. Last weekend at Blowing Rock two of my old pals from my years living in Raleigh came up to help me with the show. Needless to say they had no idea what all goes into setting-up/breaking-down, and they had lots to say about that in the form of jokes and such. I knew having them in the booth "promoting" my work would also bring about lots of silliness, which it did. I'm sure some of my customers did not know what to make of our banter and jokes but it made the day fly by.

Laurel, my friend on the left is one of my best friends and no matter what the situation, the two of us can find humor in it and each other. Laurel and I one time went on a trip to Paris together and I don't think I have ever laughed so hard and I still laugh to myself thinking about the trip. We have had many halarious moments in our years together and she is very important to me. Anyways, here are my final photo's of the Blowing Rock show and segway back into the "Friend" topic, here is a photo of my morning meal with a mug by Jeff Martin. I think its great how I've met so many blog friends doing this for the last ( is it) 4 years? Jeff is, or was, a fellow blogger and I use to enjoy reading about his daughter and art adventures. He has an interesting way of viewing his world. He came driving up to the show last week and sold off all his mugs and cups to fund a trip he's taking in a few weeks. He seems like a guy full of life and I enjoyed meeting him. We traded mugs, talked a bit and I felt like, since I've read his blog that I've known him for awhile. Funny how that work here on the web.

Today I'll be delivering some pots and I'm still cleaning the studio. I'm hoping this weekend I'll be throwing a bit. I'll let you know!

Jen

Blowing Rock photo's

Well here are a few more shots of the pieces I took to Blowing Rock. I had a good show considering I was teetering on a slop with my booth. That was not fun! You can't see from this photo but all my stands are up on so many shim, I'm not even sure where we found them all. The entire set-up was also held together with bungee-cords attached to my tent. Good thing it was not a windy day or I think I would of must packed up and went home.
I took this photo because I wanted to show my new mug display. Once again, like everything else, I'm so sure now that I bought it weather I like it or not but I'll try at one of my indoor shows and see if it may look a better. I guess it takes awhile to get use to things and see what is the best way for them to fit into your display.

I'm experimenting with many more colored clay bodies on my pots. Below is a square flower block with orange flowers on the top.
My pillow tiles are always a good way to work out designs and experiment. Here are some more examples of the colored clay.

I need to get to bed!

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel checking in!

Finally today I had some time to devote to my blog and I realize all the photo's from Blowing Rock are on my internal memory and well....a few cable issues going on there so I'll wait to my Tec Guy gets home. If stuff didn't happen like this once a month with my blog, you all wouldn't enjoy reading my adventures as much!

In the mean time I just thought I'd say Hello! School started for all of us this week. York tech started today so I'm making sure my Art History class is all fine and looks good up on the web and my kids went back yesterday so I'm getting back into the swing of things. I'm sort of like that guy in the Staples commercial singing" Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". I do miss the kids and love to pick them up from school but this summer I do have to admit it was hectic trying to do my normal routine and still take care of every one's needs. If I could just have no cares in the world and not work responsibilities it would all be great but that is not reality so I have to learn how to juggle. The kids and I did have a great summer but now its time for everyone for everyone to get back to learning along with myself!

I have not been in the studio but tomorrow is clean-up day and I'll be sending out some work like I do after every show. I like my routine of getting back organized before I start on a new batch of work. I think we all must like doing that!

In the mean time I know you all are enjoying having Ron Philbeck's blog back and running so enjoy some his "English" adventure and I'll be posting some pottery talk hopefully soon.

Jen

Late Saturday

I just got back from another Blowing Rock show. Before I left a took a few photo's of those pots I had to re fire when my kiln had so many issues. Thought I'd share a few shots of those pots. I think I sold all of these today but one! I'll post more about Blowing Rock soon!

The first photo is of some mugs that I put terra Sig on. Much happier with these results but I'm still working on this.

Below are just a few of the re fires.

Nice Surprise!

When I got home from my trip the other day I had a nice little package addressed to me from fellow blogger, Tracey Broome . She enjoyed my post about the word "conundrum" and made a tile with that very word on it. It now hangs right above my stove where I can see it everyday and here is where this word will segway into another topic I"ve been meaning to post about.

" Opportunities that Fall Into Ones Lap"

About two weeks before we left for our vacation I got a email from the head of the department at Winthrop University in Rock Hill asking me if I'd like to come teach a class in the ceramic department. The class is a beginning pottery class and the time was set for the fall session on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. And yes...once again, the word Conundrum comes up in my thoughts about this opportunity.

If you recall I decided to leave my classes at Claywork in Charlotte this spring because I felt like the time away from my family and the drive back and forth and Charlotte was just to much for myself and the rest of the people I share my life with. Conundrum.....do I take this job where I'm away two nights a week ( just for the fall until the Spring schedule could be worked out so I could teach days.) Or do I pass up an opportunity to teach again at the University which is a great career move.

Wow...my head pretty much exploded the night I got the call and Joey and I talked it over. The outcome was, I decided to take it, along with keeping my Art History classes at York Tech and still having time during the day to work in my studio. When I weighed out the time I spent driving back and forth to Charlotte teaching two classes with my 15 minute commute to Rock Hill, it kind of even out! I'm sure we'll have a few bumps this fall and I'll have my normal Mommy guilt, but it will be a new adventure that I'm always willing to take!

I'll be teaching under Jim Connell, who if your potter, I'm sure your familiar with his work. His wife Paula Smith , who is taking over the ceramic department at CPCC has also been kind of me in trying to get me teaching positions at her former place of employment so I'm happy to say the ceramic circles in Charlotte and word of mouth is a good thing. I really believe lots of time jobs happen because your in the right place at the right time and I guess, this might just be one of those times!

On a final note, all of you bloggers who are really missing Ron Philbeck, I got an email from him today saying " I'm not coming home"! I can't wait to see what he's been up to. He'll be back soon!

These are a few of my favorite.....

So, last Christmas my parents decided to rent a lake house on Skaneateles Lake in upstate Ny. I grew up in Drydan Ny, a little town outside of Ithaca and at the time my parents decided to rent the house, I hadn't been home in 12 years. My mother thought it would be a good idea for my children to see where I grew up and since they wanted to visit my Dad's relatives this summer, it was nice of them to invite us along to share a house with them.

It was a great trip and here are some of my highlights.

Finding this hilarious road stop on our way North. Its called "Foam Henge" and Joey and I get to the biggest kick out of it. Its all out of Foam and I couldn't tell you where it is, but somewhere in Virginia, we stumbled upon it! Taking the kids to Gettysburg!

Seeing follow blogger, Gary Rith famed purple house in Etna. As a kid I drove past this house at least once a week going shopping or to doctors appointments. ( I know it wasn't purple back than.) We rushed to Ithaca the first day we were in Central NY and since I didn't see Gary's car, we didn't pay him a visit and sadly, that was the last day we went past his house. Maybe on our next visit! Spending time on the Ithaca Commons and walking around DeWitt mall where I use to go with my mom when I was little. She use to call everyone who hung out there in the 70's "The Organie People". Now that I'm older, all those folks look pretty normal to me!

Being able to enjoy a good book without falling asleep after one page!
Taking my kids to the little zoo in Syracuse that I grew up visiting.

Spending time with my father's relatives and having them all bring those awesome Italian cookies my grandmother would make.
Being in gorgeous Skaneatles Lake with my family and taking the kids on a boat ride around the lake. The weather was breezy and in the lower 80's the whole time we were there. It was wonderful!

I enjoyed a few pod-casts on my trip thanks for Joey. The best one was on Sound Opions and it was about Purple Rain and a interview with Wendy and Lisa. I have to admit, I love to listen to Prince!

Seeing my southern children put there little toes in ice cold lake water for the first time. All the signs at the lakes would post the water temp. I think the highest was 72 one day!
See all the waterfalls and gorges that I grew up visiting as well. A few I would go to every summer to swim or with the same summer camp program at the college my Dad worked at. They are still amazing to see! Finishing up in DC. My kids have never walked so much and I think Quaid's little brain was so packed with all the knowledge he could cram into that little head it just vibrated while we went from monument, to art museum, to Natural Science Museum and ended up at the Air a Space Museum. Still so much to see and show them. I can not wait for another trip!

I'm back!!!!

Very quick check-in before bed....
I've been spending the last 2 hours going through a huge amount of photo's from our vacation. WOW...what an event it was. Absolutely one of the best trips we have had as a family!

Good news to report, the kiln is fixed! As I was heading down the Highway somewhere in Virginia, my electrician called and said the everything was fine with my element but there was a wire that he frayed along with my lower switch being burned out. So..I got right on the phone to Skutt, got some new parts sent to my electricians house and like magic, while I was away, it all got fixed. ( Oh I hope so because the kiln in running this evening!) Everyone out there knock on wood for me!

I'm re-energized and have a lot to post about so stay tuned for some great photo's!