Moving anywhere, including somewhere else in cyberspace is hard work. My advice to anyone contemplating the same is to think wisely and be prepared to invest time and patience into the endeavor. I don’t want to reveal the link yet to my new blog since I haven’t decided whether or not to host my own wordpress blog, or to use the infinitely easier and user friendly one on wordpress.com site. I would hate to have everyone update their links, only to move again.
I currently have both types of blogs set up - but am wrestling with all types of code issues on my hosted site trying to make it look just right. I thought I was pretty savvy, but it turns out I have a lot to learn.
Having a wordpress.com site is very easy and intuitive - but the obsessive compulsive person inside of me wants to host my own blog. Hmm… what to do, what to do? I have a busy week coming up, so I’m going to delay the reveal until later this week when I can devote more time to the project. Maybe Wordpress for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson will help me.
Right now, I have to get into the studio and throw some pieces to include in the Guild’s free gas firing next weekend since I’ve pretty much neglected everything else for the past week while obsessing over my new website and blog. The guild is having an in house workshop on how to fire their new gas car kiln. Since I’ve only fired electric kilns, it’s a lesson I don’t want to miss. Gas firing opens up a whole new world in ceramics.
Meanwhile, I haven’t forgotten about anyone and have been checking in - though maybe not commenting. I hope to get back to my regularly scheduled life soon.
Until then, toodles
Hi all - I feel so neglectful for not posting in a few days - but, I’ve been very very busy. I’m not out in the studio, but I am on the computer. Yesterday, I spent almost 12 hours wrestling with Adobe Golive setting up a new site. Nothing like just doing it to learn how to use the software. I built a fairly simple site - nothing flashy and downright minimalist. I wanted a clean look with not a lot of bells and whistles. I hope to tweak it a bit more today and then upload to my new host.In other news, I am also moving my blog to Wordpress from Blogger. I have been meaning to do it for sometime now - in fact I’ve had an account at Wordpress for over a year, but have done nothing with it. I did check out Vox, Movable Type and Typepad before settling on Wordpress. While Adobe does offer editing for Movable Type in Golive, Wordpress is very easy to use. I was inspired by Heather over at Bad Kitty Art Studio who recently moved to Wordpress. My decision was cemented when I saw that she was able to import all her blogger posts and comments to Wordpress.The downside is that my counter will reset on my blog - but it shouldn’t affect my website since it is the same domain. I know just enough about technology to make things work, but am definitely not fluent, so this is all a huge undertaking for me.
Rest assured, when I go live, I will give everyone the links to my new blog and website. As it is, I’m still fiddling around with both.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend,
~Cynthia
Photo Credit: nkzs on Stock Xchng Royalty Free Photographs.
No huge plans on this Valentine’s Day for me, other than attending a party at my daughter’s school (can you say sugar high?) and a casual family dinner. I’m making my usual Valentine’s fare, shrimp risotto followed by chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert. Yum!
Clay extruder
This morning, I’m going to the
guild to watch an extruder demo - woohoo - do I know how to party or what? I haven’t used one since college so I could use a refresher.Meanwhile, it’s snowing again despite 60 degree temps yesterday. I just know that Spring is around the corner somewhere.May romance fill your day,
~Cynthia
Okay, I’ve got nothing right now, but, I’m still working. The good news is that I’m not subbing this week and plan on starting on some colored porcelain experiments that I mentioned in my last post. I was listening to a podcast yesterday on my run (the first run in 2 weeks since I got a nasty cold - it’s amazing how fast we lose fitness), and the interviewee mentioned that she starts a new project by cleaning her studio. She recalled a prof in grad school telling her that if she was cleaning, she had no ideas and was just filling up time.
I thought about that, and I have to disagree. Cleaning, paves the way to productivity. I don’t know about you, but after a project comes to a close or even just an extended period of work, my studio is a mess like a tornado came through overnight. Starting fresh, helps pave the way for a new project or period of work. I figured out that that’s what I do, I work in spurts. Making, glazing, firing - start over.
So, I’m going to take the time today to clean my studio, including wet mopping the floor. I have ideas in my head, but haven’t sketched them out. How do you start a new project?
Fondly,
~Cynthia
Colour in Clay by Jane Waller
Last summer, I started some experiments using mason stains to color porcelain to use in my work. I was inspired by an article in
Pottery Making Illustrated featuring the work of
Chris Campbell, a few years ago.
My colored porcelain pendant experiments
I didn’t get far and became distracted by other techniques I wanted to try and life itself. I still have a few blocks of colored clay, but at this point, they probably need to be reconstituted. I was reminded of my experiment the other day, when the green pendant on the right sold. I was quite pleased that someone bought it, and had recently been considering removing one of these from my
Etsy Shop for my own use.
My “agate” ware thrown pots from 2005 using 2 different stoneware bodies
I checked out some books from the
Colorado Potters Guild the other night when I attended new member orientation, including
Colour in Clay by Jane Waller. As I glanced through the book, the section on “agate” ware caught my eye and I remembered some of my own work, now long gone from my possession.I have a whole bucket of porcelain slip in my garagio right now that I plan on staining soon to use in my work here at home. In addition to Chris Campbell’s work, I love the work of
Jane Peiser and
Vince Pitelka.Meanwhile, I picked up 25 pounds of ^10 porcelain to make some work for a gas firing that the guild is going to do in a few weeks time. They’re having a workshop on how to fire the big gas car kiln and I’d love to sneak a few pieces in.
Have a good weekend,
~Cynthia
