School Pictures

Here are some shots with the backdrop.  I still can't help but think they look like school pictures ;-)

It's an entire day to photograph, download, transfer files, resize, clean up and then list them on Etsy!  It's good I worked on a computer all day for years, I have the stamina!  But man, it's a time suck!

I have to keep 'working my angles' and getting these a little better, but it's a start.  Right now as I am filling out applications for shows, it is important to have these.

Dogwood Vases

Work in progress; new Dogwood Vases averaging 12 - 14' tall.  Working on a pitcher form and large oval servers!

feedback/conversation on photographing work

I just unrolled my new, static-y, pristine backdrop ( thank you Adorama - for the giant plastic bag! - I can use that ) and spent some time photographing some pieces - this is mainly for use on my ETSY shop.

I know most ceramic artists' present their work with the standard gradient backdrop and most of the time it looks great.  It works.  For formal submissions, I believe, it's the standard.  It's unquestionably ideal for photographing most work.  I know it's the go-to visual platform.  BUT....for the Etsy environment, I'm not sure it's the answer.  It's easy.  It's a no-brainer.  But, like most easy no-brainer's, it's also kind of, well, dull.

Anyway, I'm trying to find a 'backdrop' that works for my work.  The wood looks good, but the blue and white isn't  working.  Can you tell I've been spending too much time on Etsy.

I know each person has to find the right look.  It's not always that easy; I like the idea of critique and suggestions for  improvements.  

Any comments, experience with etsy, photographing, input.  I like input.  please.  do.  

this one feels different

Today for whatever reason 'feels' like a new year.  I don't remember feeling so much like I've 'entered' a new year quite the way I do this time.  I'm not sure why, but there it is.

I don't know about you guys; last year was a bleepin' bleepity bleep of a year?  I lost my job, got a boy, he moved in, he moved out,  people showed up, people left, people died and babies were born....and then the holidays came.   Even though it was a royal ass pain, I'd do it all again, all of it critical, even necessary.   The hardest lessons are the best teachers!  I love it.

But, what's curious, what's odd, is 'last year' already feels more like years ago.  It doesn't feel like just months and weeks and days have just gone by.  Today feels like everything somehow got fast forwarded, much like an era ended and a new one suddenly started.  People must have their own personal eras.  It is almost like flipping through some old photo album wondering who is that person I'm with and why the hell did I wear that?

I've still no "real" job.  And my definition of that is rapidly changing.  I've been operating as if clay IS my real job and will keep doing that until I figure out what a "real" job is for me now (my bank accounts' are in charge, however).   I don't know what it's going to be; I can tell what it isn't: working for a massive company, ushering people and paper here and there - with two actual hours of work each day and 6 hours of politics.   After 25 years of that nonsense, I'm having an allergic reaction to any thing resembling a cube and 360 reviews.

I applied to 4 shows - would like to find a couple more.  I'd like to keep to a pretty regular studio schedule, and spreading events out over the year every couple months will keep me on my toes!

Started my Etsy shop - we'll see how that goes.  I have a lot to learn there.  I'm going to design some t-shirts, note cards and maybe some other stuff...

I just found a bigger kiln (needed).  I need an electrician.  ...actually, I need a plumber too!

Brushing off the remaining dust of last year and (smiling) and looking forward.  Hopefully, next year I will have some really fabulous pictures to look back on?

...I just started cranking out some Valentine's Day stuff - waving goodbye to last year, and looking at 2012 and saying "Hello Sailor"

fun times ahead!

MC & HNY Everyone!

in a way only the bumble can say...

see you in the new year!
best,
Linda

Shots from the November Show

The Santa Cruz Sea Glass & Ocean Art Festival photos.

This almost didn't happen;  things went south right before the event - it took some luck to make it happen.  Added to the shenanigan's at work leading up to the thing - Santa Cruz is an hour south of where I live - I had lost "my ride" and wasn't sure how I was going to get there...  but, the cavalry showed up in the 11th hour.  I do have some bad ass friends.

I had the the display built for the cups, the bench was lent to me from an old cookhouse shed - the thing is probably 40yrs old, and the little yellow cabinet I got for $25 at a local flea market (SCORE!).  There's a grim story in all that, but it's now not worth the telling...live and learn.

I didn't have time to really plan or set the booth display up in advance or see the space so it was a total gamble and I think it worked.

I've been trying to get "green" in how I work in my studio, present my work and the packing I use.  I did not use any plastic, I've migrated to glass for all my slip and glaze and recycle my clay either to the local studio or for my own use.  So, going forward, all my packing materials are recycled and recyclable, down to the tape!  I'm also stoked that the entire display was built of recycled and re-purposed furniture and materials.  



This gal here in the last picture is Krista Hammond the show promoter and organizer.  I'd do any show she ever puts together.  This is an insanely organized and well orchestrated event.
I look forward to next year.

Check out her jewelry here:  Krista Hammond - Santa Cruz Sea Glass 
her work is gorgeous; it was featured in The Emmy's gift bag this year!

I took the plunge

My new ETSY Shoppe.

I welcome all input and feedback and tips and pointers.  I just did not realize the depth of Etsy-esque things I need to find out about and learn.

Happily, I did have a successful end of year with sales and don't have a dearth of inventory.  I did have a goal of getting this up and running before year end and,,,,well, I have.

It literally took me all day to get it up and list my modest 7 pieces!  I do have more work to photograph and list.  It's fun but takes time.  I especially don't know my way around so the learning curve is a tad steep!

ETSY veterans, please let leave some comments here or on facebook...friend me if you haven't already.  I'm doing my best to mine for information - but input by those that have gone before me is greatly appreciated!!

fun times ahead.  

Cuppas

Cups of love on top
Orange Dream cups- peek at pieces made for the Fourth & Clay DESSERT show coming up on Thursday, Dec 8
Blue Navigator Cups
and couple action shots from happy purchasers!

new head

Third in a series.  This is sculpture 412 from Imaco - great clay body.  All underglazes, low fired.  I used the matte glaze and clear gloss glaze on the eyes.  I didn't cut the matte in half with water which I normally do and got some pooling - waxy looking, but on this piece not too bad.  The face however does  give off a bit too much sheen....

new work; what I've been getting up to

here are some shots of work in progress and completed new work.  I am using cone 5 smooth body bmix.  I went through a period of trying a bunch of cone 5 porcelain clay bodies and I did have some even results.  I have found with my process, manhandling, the porcelain wasn't going to work, there was too much loss and too much frustration - literally coming apart at the seams!  I can say it's also the lack of patience and skill by the user, no doubt!   For pumping out a steady stream of functional ware, the bmix is so stout, so predictable, with enough elegance in it's final color, a smooth enough body for the detail...it's a workhorse.  In fact, the vanilla color of the clay body adds that little somptin' somptin' to the nostalgic flavor I'm looking for!  Still the porcelain is wringing in my ears.

favorite tool; a tiny exacto!

The best part is when I happen to get the clay at it's most perfect leather-ness -  drawing at that perfect time is absolute bliss...a million tiny lines.  I need to get out the house a bit more.  

WOW! what the hec just happened!?

hi!  anyone there?  it's me....I'm 'HOME'.

So much has happened since I had to sign off in August; sorry about that.  I am back up and running!
The short story is I lost my corporate job and have been adjusting to life as a ceramic artist...it has been a very interesting and, to be kind to myself, challenging process.  As I get back in the bloggy-groove I'll relate some anecdotal tidbits here and there.  I'm excited to be back focusing some attention on this, I'm grateful for the break.  Adjusting to working at home, not being tied to a large company after many many years of "service" and to be looking into the future uncertain of exactly what's down the road is very exciting and well, nerve wracking.  Thank god I know so many people who do exactly what I'm trying to do and are a great source of support and information.

It's been a break indeed; I've got a lot of catching up to do!

cheers!
linda

Blogger issues

Hi there! Having some issues with the blogger interface...hope to get things up and back to "normal" soon!

Sorry.

WIP, LIP

I am working out how to post via my iPad, so forgive any wonkiness.

This is the final underglaze layer, gave this one some eyes. Matte clear layer with a little gloss on the eyeballs.

Coming up; I'm taking a sculpture intensive with the amazing (seriously), ah may zing Susannah Israel for six weeks. I'm really excited about it and will warn you I will probably be posting about it to the enth degree...especially if I get this iPad iBlogger thing dialed in.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPad]

WIP and some new molds

 

Started glazing the WIP.  it's a beginning, though I'm not sure where I'm heading (haw! no pun intended).  Amaco underglazes, first firing, to be continued...

AND, making some new bowl molds - I've been using these bowls as slump molds and I think I can get a cleaner result with a plaster mold - so at it I went this weekend.  I actually really like working with plaster.  I found myself mold-happy walking around my house eyeing everything as potential molds...go mold or go home!

Ed made the wood molds for me to be re-used, so just getting started.  If I can get some success, I'll make enough to up my production!  Actually, I've not made this type of mold before, I got some tips from Tiffany Schmierer over the phone and tried to figure out the rest.  Possibly not the best practice - I made a clay 'rim' for the bowl to seat on and made it pretty clean and tight.  I then put Vaseline on the bowl, which is made of bamboo, and poured away.  The bamboo is pretty snug in the mold, it hasn't yet released.  I'm hoping that when the plaster dries more the bamboo will lose some of the suction and be set free?

I probably could have watched a you tube video....

Julie Moon

Julie Moon is balls out.  I really like the energy and darty nature of her style.  Kitch with density.   Her website is image laden - not a lot of verbage on her - but feast your eyes, people.  Feast your eyes.

navigating major changes

New vases

Ed's newbie cup

My world is in flux.  I need a deflocculant.   Now, so I don't LOSE MY MIND; I am working to plant seeds, keep my feet on the ground, connect to what's important, learn and change, not have a meltdown while I'm at it.

Some parts I'm handling gracefully.  Some parts, uh, not so much.  See, I wasn't prepared for this change?  Funny how that works.  So lots of navigating and reorientation.  And guess what; introverts have pretty low tolerance...I think that's why I keep having fleeing fantasies - like going on a trip to fiji, walking out on my job, getting in my car and driving.....to LA.

So while floating around on a swelly sea; I really need to get to work in my studio producing work for a show in November.  that's probably the answer.  clay.

Katsuyo Aoki

Jenn Brazelton sent me a link to Katsuyo's "Predictive Dreams" series.   I won't bore you with fumbling for words to talk about this.  Visit HERE and take time to look - also read the artist statement, it's exceptionally well written.

accepted!

Hello Linda,  Congratulations - you have been accepted to the 2011 Santa Cruz Sea Glass & Ocean Art festival! We had an overwhelming amount of applications this year, with 55 artists and only 36 spaces. Each artist application was categorized according to medium and viewed by a 5 panel jury. Points were awarded according to originality, photo quality, technique, and overall artistic quality. It was a very tough decision for us. best, Krista

The coldest summer is the summer I spent in San Francisco...

I've been off the grid.  I spent 10 days in Gualala, CA and stayed with my boyfriend at his family home.  I had never been to Gualala until recently and this trip was my second.  The real gift, and there were many. was that there is no signal.  ZERO reception.  No iphone.  No computer.  No blog.  NO Facebook!  It's so exacting that when you cross into "no signal country" you now have no choice but to cross into "no signal country".   In our world, it's a lot like crossing "to the other side".  It can be a very scary thing.  There is little or no thought at all to even trying to find a signal.  I was a little bummed at myself that I was back "on" almost as soon as I had access - but I did value the time off and it did illustrate how much time and energy is devoted online.  I really got how much more space it opens up when you're not on, or distracted by, what you think you might be missing.   

The Mendocino Coast is breathtaking, Gualala is no exception.   It's beautiful up there.  It was hot, we ate, we worked hard, we played hard, and slept like the dead!  I can't wait to go back!

The property is 10+ acres of trees, meadows, gardens, old cabins and sheds.  It's beautiful.  There is a little trail to walk through the forrest on the property, all of it feels like being home.  The peace and quiet - it reminds me so much of hot summers at our family home in Glen Ellen when I was a kid.  The Gualala river is near by, not to mention an ocean, and the water is glassy crystal clear.  See where I'm going with this...so super easy to blow off your stupid signal.

on the clay front: 

I've applied to a show in November and we'll see if I've made it; tough competition this year.  If it's a go, it's time to ramp up production.  I've made some vases and cups in an effort to get my ass in gear and back in some kind of making groove...even the boyfriend recently got in on the act.  I have to say that it's an interesting thing to spend time in your studio with your significant other.  I enjoy his company in the evening studio time together.   I often need to work alone to concentrate.  There are some points in process when I still do need to just do my shit.  When someone in my studio with me, I notice I have a tendency to slightly downplay whatever I'm working on - I have no idea why -  I have to work harder to concentrate on what I'm doing which means I get very quiet.   But, I do like the juxtaposition.   He's a creative and talented builder in his own right;  I learn a lot from experiencing his approach and process.  Really, I'm just super stoked he get's it!  love and art are pretty fucking good together.

here's the boyfriend cup!  awesome, I think.   it's been glazed and going in the kiln tonight.....stay tuned.