Re-entry is Rough
Roughly 3 weeks ago, I swung by the Colorado Potters Guild to pick up 25# of clay in anticipation of a clay reboot during my winter break between semesters. Alas…the clay is still sitting in the mudroom unopened, chastising me for being such a procrastinating wuss. The truth is, I feel rusty and a little intimidated by the fresh clay. It also doesn’t help that my work space in the garagio is a freezing mess and hasn’t really been organized since we moved here back in August 2009. (see below)
What a mess!
See – my wheel (far left) is barely recognizable underneath piles of stuff and while I wired our garage for my Skutt kiln, I have never fired it even once since moving here. I have two other kilns that are buried under other stuff somewhere else in the garage. sigh…. It also doesn’t help that the garage is not insulated – makes working in there pretty unbearable this time of the year.
So what’s a girl to do? I need a flexible warm space that’s convenient and works with my crazy school schedule – what if the clay mood strikes me at 1am in the morning? I could work at the shared studio at the guild when I have the time to drive cross town, or I could utilize part of my basement (if I can talk my husband into this) – though I don’t really like the idea of clay dust in the house. It’s a conundrum that I’m going to have to tackle this weekend because my last semester of school starts January 17th – a date that is rushing towards me at a lightning fast speed.
As an aside, we might be moving this summer – so I don’t really want to get too cozy. As for the clay – I know I just need to open it up and start by just touching it – the rest will hopefully follow.
Happy 2012!
Yay – it’s a new year! Like many other people, I welcome the new year as a time to take advantage of a semi-fresh start to make resolutions and to rekindle flames that may have dimmed a bit over the past year (or several).While one could argue that simply flipping the pages of a calendar from 2011 – 2012 is really part of the space time continuum – part of one long trajectory, it is still symbolic and clearly worthy of celebration by people all over the world every single new year. It is in this vein, that I celebrate 2012 & all of it’s glorious potentials and opportunities.
2012 is also the year I graduate with a MLA (masters of landscape architecture) degree – a path that also sprang from a new year’s resolution (2008) to finish something I had put aside years before. While graduating is a huge accomplishment for me and my family (who have suffered through the past 2.5 years of my harried presence), it has also been a great learning experience and one that I hope to apply to my dusty pottery career. Yep – I often joke that this MLA might just be the best MFA I ever earned! ;D
Seriously, I recently sat down with a wonderful friend of mine on the eve of 2012, and we mused on the state of the economy and how I might use my new credentials come May. I have some small landscape projects on the horizon, but nothing that constitutes a full time job, with benefits, and the promise of a gold watch upon retirement (and do I really want that?). More than anything, I really miss clay & the clay community. So, why can’t I do both? My friend asked me, “Don’t you think that this is part of the new economy?” Meaning multiple streams of income.
I wonder. In retrospect, I think this is what a lot of potters & all artists do really well. Multi-task – teach, make, sell, market, etc., etc. I know this leaves us feeling pulled & tugged in multiple directions, but would you do anything else? Would you settle for just any job for the sake of a job? I realize that my question might sound privileged – but I am going to have to invent myself since I’ve been unemployed & have been MIA in the pottery world for the past couple of years. In my case, if I really want a full time landscape architecture job, I could probably get one in Asia – it’s where a lot of $$ & construction is happening. In the US, it’s much, much tighter and competitive for a newly minted landscape designer – beggars can’t be choosy, as the saying goes.
So, I made a couple of resolutions towards stepping back into the clay world – while still completing my schooling and venturing into landscape architecture come graduation.
- I am going to reinvigorate my blog – this blog – it’s a great way for me to be involved with the clay community and to get my thoughts in order regardless of audience.
- I am going to set aside 1 day a week of working with clay in lieu of a landscape internship (I did one last summer-fall) in order to explore new ideas and to make some work for sale on Etsy - my shop is looking so forlorn right now.
- I am going to make work for the biannual Colorado Potters Guild Spring show in May and take advantage of the studio space – I have been giving the guild my monthly dues for studio upkeep & maintain the website as a volunteer without any benefit for the past couple of years.
- I am going to revisit all my favorite clay bloggers & find new ones to foster community + inspiration.
Meanwhile, I’m really becoming addicted to Pinterest – I’m going to have to curb this if I’m going to be a productive, multi-tasking aficionado.
xo,
Cynthia
Colorado Art Studio Has Its Own Scannable Bar Code
Colorado Art Studio bar code courtesy of http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
Last week, the ever so talented Jafabrit, posted a few links about bar codes that caught my eye. I’m not even going to mention [oh wait I just did] that I was *oh so* jealous that she had her own scannable bar code posted on her website. I wanted one and set out to discover how to make it happen. We’re all familiar with bar codes – they’re everywhere anything is sold. I discovered, however, that information now uses bar code technology too.
It’s a weird intersection of life and technology and is mainly used for cell phone users to grab information with their camera phones and is pretty popular outside the USA. In Japan, bar codes are even being added to tomb stones for family and friends to maintain an electronic scrapbook of the deceased.
Maybe, instead of using a quaint little lotus and my initials for my signature chop, I should capture my bar code and add that instead – wait, I could make a ceramic decal of my bar code!! That would be way easier….
I went to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ to grab my bar code. One has the option of inputing text or a url – and seconds later, a unique bar code is displayed. So, how are ya supposed to be able to scan and use a bar code? There are apps available to download to your cell phone – even Google has a reader – zxing.
So, if you’re already using bar code technology, will ya scan mine and tell me if my bar code really says Colorado Art Studio and not silly gullible twit instead. It seems to me that this is sort of like real world book marking.
~Cynthia
& Inspiration">New Jewelry & Inspiration
I have worn the prototype of this necklace for about the last 6 months now, and get a ton of compliments and requests for duplication. I have a problem though, I have a high amount of breakage during the making and firing of the piece since it’s so delicate. Anyway, 2 survived my last firing and I may have figured out the secret to making these successfully.
The original necklace was inspired by this sculpture that I made in college my last semester. I love the organic shape and have been meaning to do more work in this direction but wince when I recall the cracking and baby sitting of this piece during the drying process. I never did glaze it, because I couldn’t decide how to do so – but have some ideas now. I just need to do a little sanding and will most likely glaze it the next time I fire to ^6. I don’t know about any of you other ceramic people out there, but glazing doesn’t come easy for me. Sometimes I need to think about it a few weeks – sometimes years.
Meanwhile, I’m recovering from a nasty cold that struck the state of Colorado and am feeling much better today. I am also not scheduled to sub this week and will most likely turn down all offers. I really want to spend some QT in the garagio this week. Because of my teaching affiliation with Anderson Ranch Arts Center this coming summer, I received an invitation to submit work for possible inclusion in a fall show at their gallery. I need to get cracking – the deadline for application is fast approaching and I’d really like to submit something new.
Have a good week everyone,
~Cynthia
