Blog Catch-Up

Short synopsis of the past oh...nine or so months:

• Went to University summer program that changed my life.
• Experimented with making sculpture using functional techniques.
• Realized I look best when covered with clay.
• Nearly vomited the night before my first art show.
• Actually managed to stay vertical through first art show.
• Decided that pretending to pursue a real career might not be for me.
• Mentally playing with the idea of following my clay dreams no matter how unrealistic.
• Taking last official college ceramics class, an independent study, as I try to create a portfolio.
• Shamefully ignored my blog...though no one was reading anyway so hmm not as shameful.

So in essence, I would really like to try and blog more regularly and create a forum for myself and any one else who might come along to talk about ceramics, art and anything even somewhat related. 

Count Down

So I leave for my ceramics adventure in seven weeks.

Ok I know seven weeks is not exactly tomorrow, but since I am the type of girl who plans, obsesses, worries, and thinks ahead, it feels like tomorrow to me. The time between today and when I leave will fly by and then the reality of my future clay experience will smack me in the face. I just want to be ready for the smack. It is much nicer to be smacked with your feet planted and in ready position. So in order to get ready I have to vent a little and prepare my self to let art take over my life.

When I say take over, I don't mean steal my life against my will or anything like that, really I promise I am giving it over happily. However, it means I am at a place where I never really pictured myself being. I had a plan. An artless plan. Obviously because it lacked art it was not a good plan, but it felt like the plan I needed when I left for college. A plan that offered stability and sensibility.

Goodbye plan A, hello plan B. Plan A: Major in something sensible, get lovely internship in which everyone says how great I am a communication, from lovely internship get stellar job, get exciting raise, publish something, exciting raise.....live a sad life about money and following all the right (though not right for me) steps. Plan B: ............................................

Here lies the problem. I am addicted to planning so by taking on Plan B, which in my mind sort of begins by ditching the internship idea and replacing it with clay filled adventures, I lose a little bit of my comfortable brain zone. So in the end Plan B involves a lot more guess work, but a lot more fulfillment in the form of art. I want to feel the clay in my hands and just let it become what it wants. If there is one thing I know about clay it is that there is no use in trying to make a piece of clay into anything against its will. Sometimes the clay just absolutely refuses to be that delicate teapot you envision and instead demands to be a lopsided heavy bottomed bowl. So there.

In the next seven weeks I need to let the clay be what it wants and attempt to give Plan B a shot so that I can fully enjoy my ceramic adventure and let it be the best part of my summer.

Summer Clay

So I here by declare that this summer of 2008 shall be fully devoted to CLAY!

Ironically enough many times when I talk about clay people think that I am in an intensely steamy new relationship with a sexy man named clay or that I have decided to become a full fledged Claymate and follow Clay Aiken around drooling as I go. Not so much. By having a summer of clay I really mean clay as in the malleable substance. Summer of clay. Done.

Ok well not done per say because it is only the first week of summer, however, this is a summer for clay if there has ever been one. I will be spending a month of the summer doing a ceramics program up in western New York state. I have no doubt that it will be all at one time:

Thrilling
Terrifying
Overwhelming
Wonderful
Challenging
Life Changing

I think that covers the most of it. Also I just found out that I will be having my first ceramics show in October of 2008. Upon hearing this news instead of rapture I experienced pants peeing terror because this means that I really have to come through for the gallery that is showing my work. I need to make the show I promised them happen even though not all the pieces are done yet. Oh and by done, I mean not even imagined!

Somehow I am pretty sure it will work out and I keep reassuring myself with the memory that at this same gallery I once saw a display of crayon scribbles on scrunched up pieces of paper. So officially my goal is to top that show and do something that I can at least be mostly proud of!

So here it goes, summer of clay. It just feels so nice!

Some stuff currently in the works!

In search of a "Happy Bowl"

I have begun to consistently use the word "happy" to mean all sorts of good things. If I make a happy lunch it could mean it makes me happy, it tastes good, or that nothing was burned or smashed during the course of my making it. So now I have decided I am in search of a happy bowl. This is a bowl I eventually hope to make, but that I would also like to find some inspriation for aswell.

My grandmother is quick to criticize my pottery for being too heavy compared with what it looks like it should weigh before you actually pick it up. So part of the happiness of this bowl will be that its weight will match its looks. I also want the sides to flow upwards and the lip to be of the right thickness. I would also love for this bowl incorporate some sort of surface design glaze or otherwise that really sets is apart.

I have made a bowls before.....if you can call them that, however, they are often misshaped and look like they were drudgery to make. Probably because they were drudgery to make. So this bowl needs to have an easiness to it a subtle grace that sets is apart from the bottom heavy slightly deranged looking bowl-like items I have previously turned out.

On this search for both inspiration and in actual practice I feel certain that the words of my first ceramics professor Kreg Owens will be echoing in my head.....if you want to find one that looks right (or in my case happy) go ahead and make a hundred so you have something to choose from. Many sad bowls for one supremely happy bowl. Ok.

Artist Statement

Today was the first time I have ever been asked to write a true artist statement pertaining to a show I would like to have. I generally abhor putting things like that into firm writing because my emotion/brain changes so often that usually it is not a wise life choice. However it had to be done soooooooo........................here it is. I am hoping to have a show at some time in the coming year in which I explore function and the idea of whimsy......hopefully it will develop a little more by then!

Clay is my current obsession. I enjoy the deep connection between my hands and a medium that requires constant touch. I have chosen to move out of my comfort zone of more traditional thrown forms and into a space where the function of a piece is played with. This show will illustrate the ways in which function can be humorous and deceiving. I believe that even a sculptural piece can be functional when its purpose is to provoke thought.
I am deeply influenced by my desire to make pieces that are structurally sound while still being whimsical in their essence. This show is meant to toy with the definition of both function and whimsy and how they can be partners in the way the different thrown, handbuilt, and combination pieces relate with one another. These pieces are an expansion of my love of the very basic thrown form and transforming that to be more complicated and amusing with handbuilt touches.


Ta da heres to hoping I can make it happen!

New Bisque

I had an embarrassing moment today.
Let me preface with the fact that I am not a trained dancer and in no way claim to be talented in the area of dance. However, my body just starts wiggling when I get really happy. Thus, today when I got to my current ceramics class and there was a bisque kiln that had just come out I danced/wiggled/made happy movements. These movements were misinterpreted by a guy in my class who asked if I was ok and if I was feeling alright. Apparently my moves are so sexy they make people want to have a doctor examine me. Oh good.

So despite the fact that I am no dancer, I was pretty ecstatic about the kiln that came out. It was the first firing from this class so far and I haven't thrown with this particular clay before so it was interesting to see how it came out. It is a Cone 6 clay and when bisqued it comes out a lush pinky color. I had some cups with handbuilt saucers come out that completely exceeded my expectations. They are the true manifestation of my idea that the less I try to be perfect, the better my work is. This said please be aware that I consider myself nothing more that a total novice, however it is still delightful to see your work come out without exploding or anything of that nature! Also I am thinking about applying to be in my first art show in the next week or so........we shall see. Hopefully they aren't to selective or it will be a while before I can show.

I need to sleep now and sadly I am totally going to calm my brain by imagining new teapot designs. But obsession will do that to you.