Button and Earring Day

Day; 72. Very warm and sunny again. T-shirt weather; Temperature on outside kiln; 65 degrees.
Firings; glaze firing to cone 6. About 7 seven hours to 2,210 degrees. Soak for 8 minutes at temperature.

What a day! So incredibly beautiful! It is days like today that I am reminded why exactly I forsook the beach for the desert. Sadly Southern California just does not have skies like this anymore. The bluest of the blue..
Of course being at 7,000 feet in altitude helps....

And although I wanted to be out in this glorious  spring sunshine I spent 8 hours, yes from 9 am to 5pm,  standing on concrete glazing pots. Of course Pepe-the-shy-but-hard-working-intern was here to assist me, which was good because it was button and earring day and that means reaming out countless little holes full of glaze.
Happily he sat for a couple of hours at this particular onerous task which happens to make me crazy after 30 minutes....

I'm  thinking I might give him  a failing grade just so he can't graduate and leave me alone with all my work...
What will I do come fall semester without him? I suppose there is another senior needing 80 hours of practical experience at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and come September I will be the first person in line to snag them....

Back to the Studio

Day; 71. Sunny and warm. Definitely spring around here. Temperature on outside kiln; 65 degrees

Plum tree in full bloom..... Ahhhhh. Can't wait to buy some annuals but that doesn't happen until May 1st around here and that is a  month away, and 2 weeks before it is commonly suggested I do so ( possibility of a freeze until May 15th!?) Damn, guess I have to be patient. Not my strong suit....

 After what seems like weeks, but is only days, I am finally back to the studio with wet clay and making stuff today. I threw a dozen small one-serving sized bowls ( 1.5 pounds of clay) and a few larger ones. Rolled out a few milagros for my special order and received an order for, guess what?!, more bowls. I am starting to think seriously about just making bowls and cups for the clay fair and studio tour. It is all people seem to want and at least it is easy for me. I would really do just that  but after the 2nd day I would be bored silly so I will just make as many as I can stand to and then switch to plates...
 I love plates, I really think of them as clay "canvases", they are just so much easier to glaze than more 3d-type  forms with handles and feet, etc... trying to poor a liquid over a round form means it drips in all sorts of unwanted directions, while pouring glaze over plates means I can control where it goes much easier and so takes a lot less time. I do not have to use wax or laytex resist on plates as much as mugs for instance, trying to prevent one color from running all over another. Plates also lend themselves much more to the collaged images I love to use; they are really just little paintings one can also eat your dinner off of....

However, here is what is in store for tomorrow for myself and Pepe-the-shy-intern... you guessed it, an entire kiln-load of cups and bowls to glaze..... !! Crank up that espresso machine.....

Petitioning The Big Guy in the Sky....

Day; 70. Sunny and really warm again, t-shirt weather in March! Temperature on outside kiln; 60 degrees

Another day of not making ceramics.. hmmm  kinda a weird week, but trying to learn to pace myself, so I guess I will just call it "practice". Anyway I'm  a bit wore out from yesterday and schelping 4 large tables, 8 bins of pottery, four 35 pound weights,  half dozen very large tiles, two display units, a cash counter, directors chair, step-ladder, lunch, cash box, big bag of table shirts and 3 walls for ez-up tent... did I forget anything?!  oh yeah, two thermoses..... out of the truck and into the railyard, back into the truck and home again to unload into the storage trailer, no wonder I have back problems.....! this sounds like I am complaining but not really, I love what I do! Just a little hard on my late-middle-age bod....

After breakfast at Cafe Fina, where I saw half my friends ( Eldo is so small!), I received a phone call from a local woman beseeching me to help her.  It seems that a friend has pancreatic cancer and is not responding to treatment as well as she and her family had hoped. This being New Mexico ( bumper sticker spied today; "New Mexico; it's not new and it ain't Mexico!"), she asked me if I would be willing to make a pancreatic milagro. I paused for a second trying to remember what that was but after recalling my friend Kathleen's charming milagros, I responded by saying I would be happy to. This is a first for me, never in my studio career have I been asked to assist in a traditional healing by the making of a religious charm.

 First things first; straight to Google Images to see what  a pancreas looks like and then to Wikipedia to find out the origins of milagros. Dear Readers, warning!,  the pancreas is not the cute part of our bodies and looks remarkably like another more erect  part of the anatomy, if you get my drift. I decided to use an image with  context ( showing the liver and stomach as well) not wanting to confuse any deities that might be invoked...

 Milagros, in New Mexico anyway,  are basically a small piece of tin embossed with the image of whatever body part the petitioner is having problems with...

In the case above, the heart, it could  symbolize either a  romantic problem or  blocked coronaries...

Either way, the milagro, also known as an "ex-voto",  is a religious folk charm traditionally used for healing purposes or as a votive offering. It is used to assist in focusing attention towards a specific ailment or body part. It is often attached to altars, shrines, or other sacred objects. The use of the milagro is traceable to the ancient Iberians who inhabited coastal Spain and is thought to have traveled  to the New World along with the Spanish conquistadores.

 How interesting! One of the things I love about living in New Mexico is the tri-cultural nature of our state. We may not always get along, but the Gingos, Native Americans, and Spaniards who make this desert their home are certainly each rich in cultural heritage and I am honored to be a part of it.
  May the humble clay charm I fashion here at Magpie Pottery be successful in petitioning whatever Gods may be listening....

Warm Sun, Blue Skies, Short-lived Pottery

Day; 69. Sunny, warm, incredibly beautiful. Almost like summer. Temperature on outside kiln; 70

The most beautiful day I have seen in many, many moons... Really incredible! Warm, no wind, the bluest sky and views of snow-covered peaks from downtown Santa Fe, I am feeling lucky today!

I spent the day in my ez-up tent downtown in the Railyard District selling pots outside the Farmers Market.

 I love Saturdays in the Railyard! ( as opposed to Sundays when I fall asleep from boredom), so much energy, incredible food, musicians, kids running around, friends saying hello, it just feels good. And it is really satisfying to set up my tent in the middle of it all and talk to people from virtually all over the country, and most often, the globe. A real cross section of humanity strolling through the market... great fun. ( except for the 4- 35 pound sandbags  I have to lug with me to keep my tent from becoming a kite.. Did I mention my trip to the chiropractor 3 posts back?!)

And I sold a lot of pots today.. Including one of my favorites... (large white and yellow bowl on the right)..

Sadly it had only a few more minutes of life left after I sold it. I warned the man that the bag I had  with paper handles would not hold it's weight and to carry it from the bottom. He assured me he would, however he was back 5 minutes later looking very chagrined. He was handing it to his wife and let go of the bottom, consequently dropping it and shattering  into countless pieces. I felt really sorry for him, he really loved that bowl,  we even  haggled over the price for a minute or two in order for him to be able to purchase it. 

What to do? I warned him!...But I felt slightly responsible so ended up giving him another little bowl in consolation. I offered to throw all the pieces of the first one away for him but he refused, he insisted he was going to go home and glue it all back together!! Poor man, he must of really liked that bowl!....

I think I will look around on the internet for some cheap plastic handled bags that can carry some weight!

Wish I Was in Rhode Island

Day; 68. Almost like summer, a t-shirt would suffice. Temperature on outside kiln; 63

Another non-studio day...! This week feels like a complete wash.... Sometimes it is like that and the best thing to do is go with the flow. You cannot force creativity or control what others do, all I can do is adjust my attitude and seek alignment with Myself, capital M, instead of little m. In other words with the better part of myself, which I failed at today. Completely and utterly.
Spent all morning at the Surgery Center with Dave getting him fixed up. Nothing serious just an outpatient one-day procedure. But boy was I annoyed all morning, it was like a weasel had gotten ahold of my pant let and just would not let go. I could not shake the bad mood I was in until after I came home and crashed on the bed for an hour.
I think it had to do with the fact that I had had my wrist surgery at the same place and they made me wait 4 hours until 4 in the afternoon  until they finally began the procedure.  This was with no food or water since the night before. Consequently I was not only starving by the time they started, I was dehydrated as well. After asking them to call my husband so he would not assume something had gone wrong, they neglected to do so. So, I guess I was pissed off went I walked in.
This morning,  Dave instructed me to drop him off and go home to deal with dogs, wet clay... etc. But oh no, they WOULD NOT LET ME LEAVE THE BUILDING. I hadn't eaten breakfast, taken some meds I was on, or even brought a book or my Ipad, thinking I was going home and coming back to pick him up post-surgery, sometime in the afternoon. They made me sit there for 5 hours with absolutely nothing to do... for whatever reason this infuriated me! They should have warned the patient at the pre-op meeting to have the driver be prepared to camp out for several hours, but they did not. Argggggggg

Now that I have that off my chest we can go back to the subject at hand which is ceramics! I am an Instagram junky,  I admit it. I  look at it all day long curious what Eric is making in Copenhagen and wondering how the glazing went at Ridgeline Pottery in Tasmania......It makes me feel connected and part of a much bigger community when I can see what is going on in other studios across the planet! How incredible is that, the best use of the current technology I think, creating connections with otherwise isolated artists/humans.
For the last 3 days all my compatriots have been in Providence R.I. at the annual ceramics conference mentioned earlier and for which I sent one complete dinnerware set. This is a huge conference with everyone who is anyone in attendance, except me!! Feeling a little left out as I see all the pictures coming back all day long via Instragram documenting all the demonstrations, slide shows, exhibits, and images of La Mesa; 160 different place settings on one long giant table, one of which is Magpie Pottery. I would love to be in that room and see the best of the best in my field, how inspiring that would be! I have been seeing all the Iphone snaps however so that has been fun. Most of the work I recognize from either grad school or just my own explorations but I have yet to get a glimpse of my own place setting. I would love to see a random shot of  my work on Instagram!, just a stack of plates sitting pretty amongst all that other work. Might even e-mail a friend who is there and have him take a quick shot for me so I can see what Magpie looks like and then beg him to post it!

I absolutely love how the ceramic arts takes over the entire  town; there are  Airstreams converted into mobile ceramic galleries parked outside the conventions center,  cup swaps in the hallways, and my favorite, a pop-up ceramic sale  in room 204 at one of the nearby hotels. Didn't get into one of the official NCECA shows? , No problem, turn  your hotel room into an exhibit space and post/advertise on social media!! This is brilliant!  I love the young potters who are coming  out of art school these days; so ballsy, creative, tech savvyy. They are really questioning the traditional means of selling artwork and I think it is about time.
I just wish I could be there to buy a mug from Amanda Barr Pottery.....

As soon as Avra of Santa Fe Clay gets back from Providence I think I am going to talk to her about joining everyone in K.C. next year for the big NCECA shin-dig there...YES!

Beautify..

Day; 67.  Sunny and warm but with brisk chilly wind. Temperature on outside kiln; 55 degrees

Another non-studio day, my arm and shoulder still killing me and my creativity. Sister Merry came over and delivered some life-saving gifts, hung out in the garden with her and just tried to relax while being in great pain.
About twice a year I get my hair cut and a color treatment of 3 different shades of light brown/blonde woven in to disguise my increasingly silver/grey mane. And  today was the day, GOOD TIMING VIC!! It had been about 8-9 months since my last appointment,  last summer sometime!, and I looked very close to someone's grandmother, not acceptable to me. Again my dear older sister sponsored me and gave me a beautifying treatment for my birthday. ( I also have a massage on Sunday due to her generosity, what a sister!)
My hair dresser gave up her store front several years ago and for the same price as previously just shows up at your studio door! Ahhhh, just what I needed today. Although the process is a bit hideous and smelly ( I think I was able to receive a radio station somewhere in Timbuktu)..

...the results are always worth it, if not for just the enforced 3 hours of relaxation in a chair, but also for taking 5 years off my look.... Thanks Vic!

I Love My Chiropractor

Day: 66. Warm and sunny, stunning spring day. Temperature on outside kiln; 60

Another bout of tendinitis or???!! After loading truck on Saturday I have been in a lot of pain since..  As I read on Instagram today, " ceramics isn't for sissies"   Fu*k, can't move my right arm again, kinda difficult for a potter.  Argggggggggggg!!!
The good news is my chiro has an office right in Eldo so as soon as I could this afternoon I raced over there. After being punched, prodded, stretched, and yanked, I do feel better. Handful of Ibuprofen 3 times a day not helping..Hopefully can get some sleep tonight.

I was proud of myself today however, I did managed 3.5 hours of singing today with the Girl's Garage Band. An hour of just me and Julie playing her incredible baby grand, and another couple of hours with the full band. Why is singing with just the piano so scary? I guess there is just no where to hide, one voice, one instrument, big room... Such great practice though, I vow to keep up the extra time singing and training my ear.
Back to the wet squishy stuff tomorrow hopefully!

Two Cool Chicks from the North....

Day; 65. Sunny and warm, oh it feels good... Temperature on outside kiln. 55 degrees.

A teaching day today and glad of it. A two hour workshop with two lovely women from Cordova, Alaska (small city  near the mouth of the Copper River and the head of the Orca inlet, east side of  Prince William Sound) who were looking for some sun and fun in the Southwest at the end of a wet and dreary winter....

Through the Santafecreativetourism website they found my Image Transfer workshop and booked an afternoon with me. As most of my income is through art fairs, and subsequently schelping my work hither and yon, the gift of staying home and playing in the studio for the afternoon instead is extremely appreciated. What an enjoyable and interesting way to make a living for the day and meet wonderful artists from all over the country, I loved it. Thank you ever so much Paula and Natasha!

One Last Sunday with Miya and Her Uke in the Railyard

Day; 64. Overcast but not too cold. Temperature on outside kiln; 48

I was a bad girl last night... After being treated to a delicious green chili cheeseburger and large cold Cosmo at Harry's Roadhouse, I came home and collapsed into bed. I should have written my daily blog but I was weary in every part of my body so I am trying to make amends this morning.

It was a funny day yesterday. I went one last time to the Sunday Railyard Artisan Market to sell my wares and hang out with Miya and sing some songs with her and her ukelele. I realized that after one sale by 3:45 that maybe that was what I went for, singing, and not selling! I had a lot of fun doing so, so what the hell. I was abashed to have to borrow $7. from her to pay my booth fee however, but then I found an extra 20 dollar bill in my cash box, so all was well in the end....at 4 I packed up my booth and hightailed it to Harry's for an early dinner..... a good day really, sometimes it just isn't about the money! Bonus; I am all rehearsed and ready for band practice on Wednesday!!

Feeling Kinda Sheepy, I Mean Sleepy....

Day; 63. Sunny and warm. Temperature on outside kiln; 52

I don't know why but I didn't sleep a wink last night.... wide awake at 3am. Slept for 3-4 hours and then got up at 7 (which is still really just 6am to me, having just sprung forward with the clocks last week) to help a friend walk her dogs while hubby was away. Spent 4 hours in the studio with Pepe making plates with my new "toys" and then loaded the  truck for the artists market in the morning. Crashed around 3 in the afternoon and now after dinner looking for something to watch on Netflix. Nothing interesting to talk about or report, it was bound to happen sooner or later!!?
Stay tuned for Railyard Artists Market report tomorrow. At the very least singing songs with Miya and her Uke, one of my favorite things!....( I better not forget the donuts on the way into town!)
Happy first Sunday of Spring!

Fun at The Party Store

Day; 62. Overcast, chilly and damp from yesterdays rain. Temperature on outside kiln; 45

Everything in the studio is so damp and wet as to be unworkable. Amazing what a little humidity will do. Slows everything wayyyyyyy down. So I decided to make an excursion into town and go to my favorite place; The Party Store! But not for the reason most assume, no, I was not in the market for some bunny ears or vampire teeth, rather they have the best selection of cheap plastic serving bowls and platters in Santa Fe.

  I know what you are thinking... Whatttt!!!?? after all this talk about hand-made ceramics and food tasting better, etc, etc.... I know, I know, but they are perfect if you are a potter and you want to make plaster molds; slime them up with some vaseline or spray with some Pam, mix up your hydro-cal plaster (much better and harder then Pottery Plaster #2,  BTW), and fill er' up. Voila! A beautiful bowl, platter or plate mold with endless ceramic possibilities. My old molds are getting dinged up and I needed some new ones. I also need multiples of some of them so I can make more than one square plate at a time.. So here is what my new toys look like..

Gosh, if I wasn't a potter I might think these toys look boring as compared to other people's toys,  but I am! so no problem!... Excited to roll out some gooey clay tomorrow and get Pepe-the-hard-working-intern cracking on plates, plates, and more plates. Square, round, ovals... salad plates, pasta plates, oval servers, etc.... oh boy, I'm so easy to please!

As the Wheel Turns....

Day; 61. Foggy morning. Rainy afternoon. Temperature on outside kiln; 50 degrees

First day back at wet bags of clay in two weeks. It feels really good to actually make something out of clay instead of glazing or transferring images, or loading the Tacoma. Decided to start again where I always do; cups and bowls!

An unending demand for these two items, but I am not complaining. I am working on a special order for a friend ( Alex of the my-truck-and-trailer-were-stolen-at-my-last-show scenario) I feel compelled to make them as beautiful as I can to make up for last weekend's very bad luck. Not sure 3 noodles bowls is going to do it however, but I'll give it a shot!!
Also started on huge wholesale order that I am trying very hard not to have misgivings about.... Did I really agree to sell  my work at 60% of it's retail value?! Am I nuts?! A testament to the lunacy that overtakes all artists in the slow time of year......
If we don't get this order started this week it will not get done; the clay fair and studio tour shows are quickly coming down the pike. Starting to proof the final postcards and brochures for both so here comes the spring shows! My favorite two shows back to back with a family wedding in Sonoma in-between. Hold on to your hats......

The good news is that a year ago I could not have thrown all these mugs and bowls in one day, it would have absolutely trashed my wrists. But after two years of healing from surgery and a slow ramping back up, I can sit and throw a dozen pieces now without feeling it too much. Which is a good thing cuz I'm still paying my medical bills.....!

Teaching Again...

Day; 60. Overcast but warm and windy. Temperature on outside kiln, 55 degrees

Yesterday a  new  private student arrived at the studio door for the first time in several years. After teaching in graduate school and for many years after that,   I had put it aside for a life on the show circuit. However, after 10 years of  lugging pots, tables, e-z-ups, 40 pound weights, and heavy bin after heavy bin of ceramics, I decided recently that teaching others about clay looked very attractive again.

In walks Kristin from Traverse City, Michigan, coincidentally the same area of Michigan my husband is from. And suddenly I was back in my teaching mode; very comfortable and excited about helping someone else return to their creativity. I had forgotten how satisfying it can be to nurture this in someone else and to see a spark in their eyes that may have not been there when they walked through the door.

I began by asking many questions; handbuilding or wheel-throwing? Soft slabs or hard? Tight or loose?  Low-fire or high? Functional or sculptural? Colorful or more muted? Abstract or representational? As the answers tumbled out I began to get a ceramic profile of the person sitting before me. I learned about her painting background, her love of nature, color, and poetry. As well as what she thought of as her strengths and what were the areas of concern that she wanted to work on. We spent almost half the lesson getting aquainted artistically so that I could design our 6 weeks together in a meaningful way. I had forgotten how good at this I was and how much I enjoyed it. After two hours I was just as excited about the possibilities of working together as she was.

The last hour we got our hands dirty and started with just a basic lesson on the slab roller and the use of plaster molds. I showed her a quick and easy way to make feet for her drape-molded bowl and suddenly our time together was up.
 I think it will be wonderful for all concerned to document her journey and her progress here on these pages so I will try to remember to do so! I am really excited to return to teaching and am really looking forward to the next 6 weeks together. Stay tuned for in-progress photos!

Bad, Bad Doggies....

Day;59. Sunny and spring-like again today. Temperature on outside kiln; 50

Dave and I spent all day looking for our dogs out in Galisteo, I guess the training collars we got them with the zappers on them aren't working. Not sure what to do now... too tired to write tonight, just glad the babies are home safe and sound. And very tired after their 6 hour walk today....

Back in the USA

Day; 58. Sunny and Warm, it's Spring! Temperature on outside kiln; 59

Whew, you lost me for a couple of days there in the madness of Albuquerque.. I couldn't upload any photos of the show from my Ipad to this blog for some reason so I just decided to catch up when I got home. It seems boring to post a blog without photos!! Thought I might lose my one and only reader if I did (you know who you are!).

Anyway, driving down Central Ave. in Albuquerque Sunday morning I had an epiphany; I want to get back to water, as in the ocean, and permanently, meaning moving home to California. There was something about doing a show in an urban/desert environment that had me fantasizing about what I really wanted, and I realized it might not be New Mexico anymore. In 1988 I moved to Colorado to pursue an advanced degree in ceramics and after 9 years on top of the Continental Divide, I relocated to Santa Fe. That was 17 years ago..
I don't know maybe it was the dead body they found that morning in the church parking lot 2 blocks from my hotel, or the car that crashed through a front window a block from me in the other direction...
No, I got it, it was the grand theft auto of my friend/fellow artist Alex Kurtz's truck and trailer from her hotel that did it... Whatever it was, like the old song, I thought, "I gotta get outta this place.."

ALERT; DO NOT TELL MY HUSBAND ABOUT THIS! He would NEVER let me do a show in Albuquerque again if you did. When asked how the show went, I replied, "just fine"...


Lest I give you Dear Reader the wrong impression about my weekend, I must say here that I did enjoy myself. I sold some ceramics, mostly mugs, and I visited with many old customers and friends. It was fun and I thought my booth looked pretty good...

The best part may have been the music. I was very near the sound stage and was treated to a rotating line-up of  show tunes (grand piano), old cowbow songs (good harmonies), and best of all a Mariachi Morning just in case I was feeling sleepy on  Sunday, the last day of the show....

It's so good to be home after 4 days however! I am so grateful for my home, garden, husband, dogs, studio, life in general.  A day bodysurfing in yellow flag conditions would be so wonderful though, sigh....

Showtime!

Day; 56. Sunny and warm in Albuquerque

My home for the next 3 days.....Can' t upload photos from IPad. Check back on Monday for show photos etc...

60 Is The New 40..

Day; 55. Sunny and very warm on day 55! About that same temperature on outside kiln!

Rehearsal  with the Girls Garage Band today as I do every Wednesday...Love singing those Motown tunes so much, such great melodies and rhythms!

Two of our members had birthdays this week, both turning 60.. So we had a little party during break. Do these two women look like they are 60 years old to you!?

Not even close! Happy Birthday to Jennifer and Anne! I love making music with you both.

And don't forget....

Taking My Show on the Road....

day; 54. Sunny and warm again. Temperature on outside kiln; 55

Everything is out of the kiln!!:

I'm a hap, hap, happy girl! Pepe and I sanded, priced and packed for 3 hours today and consequently everything is ready for the  Albuquerque and NCECA Shows. I even got a special order all packed and ready to ship. We rock! The studio looks so bare, just a bunch of boxes and plastic bins... Tomorrow I will load display stuff into the Tacoma ; tables, coverings, cash station, curtains, tent, bags, paper, etc... Everything one would need to set up a mini-store for 3 days.

Also had the semi-annual Contemporary Clay Fair jury last night for a couple of hours.. 31 spots with 35 applicants. Not too bad, in the fall we had to jury out 15 potters, and of course we knew most of them so it was hard to say no to your friends! So,  two potters didn't make it and two are on the waiting list. It was good to take all the application fees to the bank today so we could pay for the venue rental, buy some ads, and print some postcards. It's always interesting to be on both sides; to participate in the show but  also to produce it. A somewhat different skill set....It is shocking to realize just for our little show it costs us 6K to put it on!! Thank god we have a wonderful group of 7  potters willing to take this on 2x/year and look after the endless amount of small detail it takes to successfully do this...

.Just enough time to recover from the current show and start over again making inventory for this one!! I hope Pepe the studio assistant/ceramic intern isn't planning on graduating anytime soon, I need him!

Just in the Nick of Time

Day; 53. mix of clouds and sun, but very spring-like. Temperature on outside kiln; 52
Firings; unloaded 1st image transfer firing, loaded up the 2nd and last transfer firing at 4pm.

Last firing for the Spring Show in the Duke City is under way!! Whew, that was a close one. Ah, who am I kidding all my show firings are close and down to the wire! Some sanding and pricing to do, but all my little lovlies are going here.... on Thursday;





I am really pleased with the results, the best of the bunch in my opinion looks like this;

  I am really loving the white background. This is a new design and I think it sets off the images really well. I just sort of paint the other colors on top of the white and it seems to work.

Today is my boy Oso's very, very first birthday and he went from this last May.....

To this on his first Birthday March 9th......

                                                            Happy Birthday my darling boy!!!