She Makes Me Look Prettier Than I Am

Day; 37. Very warm and spring-like, sunny and clear. Temperature on outside kiln; 60 degrees

Today was a non-studio day as I made my annual February trip to Albuquerque to get professional photographs of my work taken. Every year I do this right before all the summer and fall show applications are due. The point is to have new photographs every year to wow the juries with and just in case this  consists of some of the same folks, I do not want them to be looking at the same work every year. I want them to see how the work progresses and that I take the jury process seriously.

So, I loaded up the Saab with a few pieces this morning and off I went down I-25. It was pleasant and with my I-pod blaring made the trip to Old Town in just one hour flat from Eldo, stopping for a poppyseed muffin on the way of course at the Fina Station. For years I have only trusted my work to Margot Geist, she is the best photographer of  reflective work that I have seen and she is inexpensive. Glossy and reflective glazes are hard to get right and she is a master at it. She always makes my work look so pretty and alluring, much more so than when it is covered with dust in my dirty studio. If I am feeling not-so-great about what it is coming out of the kiln, all I have to do is look at her photographs and I suddenly feel like I am not doing too badly. As she fussed with the lighting, shadows, placement, design, I was grateful for her attention  to detail. As everything is digital now we get immediately feedback by uploading to her computer to review the results and can re-shoot on the spot. If there is dust, or hotspots, or other unsightly stuff in the shot, no problem, it can be erased immediately. I found myself so wishing I could do the same with my complexion;  remove the liver spots, take care of the under-eye bags, etc... She gave me an exasperated look and told me I looked just fine, I will take her word for it.
Here are a few examples of her work; 

     

Margot has taught me a lot about applying for shows as well; it is not just about good photographs. The order in which a jury looks at the photographs is important too. Spouts and handles should point inward not outward, the look and feel of the 5 required shots should read like a body of  coherent work, the booth shot should be taken just as seriously. This winter I was juried out of a show due to my booth; I was told my work was exceptional, but my display sucked! I will try not to make that mistake again! 

What would be great would be to get down to Margot's a couple of times a year as good work comes out of the kiln and not just in winter when who knows what is hanging around the studio. Alas it never happens, the work goes from hot kiln to hot-running truck and I careen down the road to the next show. So much good work never documented, never to be seen again. Oh well...

Lastly I stopped for cheap gas at the indian casino on the way home and decided to go inside to relieve my much abused bladder. With the  one dollar bill I had I decided to try my luck and see if I could make a dent in my 2014 federal tax bill coming up. I couldn't even figure out the slot machine... no more handle to pull down, no more sound of coins jingling as they fell into your lap. It was so complicated and automated as to be absolutely dismal and no fun at all. I lost 50 cents on my one dollar and gave the astonished drunk Native American next to me my remaining 50 cent payment voucher on the way out the door.....