Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Waiting to Go....

Day; 159. Hot! and windy. Monsoon clouds threating... temperature on outside kiln; 82 degrees.

More errands in town... boring prep for The-Big-Show.... Spray painting and sanding more display units. Not very interesting.... 
Dog walk in the Galisteo Basin Preserve, no rattle snake sightings today...!


Monday, July 27, 2015

What To Do With Myself?!

Day; 158. Sunny, hot, windy. Temperature on outside kiln; 88 degrees.

Almost don't know what to do with myself, there is nothing to roll out, fire, or glaze...
After wrapping up  all the pots up into plastic bins and organizing the cargo trailer, I decided a nap was in  order...


I will sand and touch up my display shelves tomorrow, shop for receipts books and make sure I have lots of long blooming flowers. I have a ton of vases this time around and image an entire section of my booth filled with them and bright summer bouquets! I am also washing table coverings- very dusty after being out  in the railyard this past month-  and shopping for other necessities for an outdoor show at 9,500 feet; zipties, battery operated lights, spray paint, and a pound of coffee for our hosting couple at jcleacockphotography.com. 

I could leave tomorrow! But I will wait until Thursday.... 

Sunday, July 26, 2015

2 Days Ahead of Myself!

Day; 157. Really sunny and hot, a scorcher! Just the way I like em! Temperature on outside kiln; 89 degrees.

I just cannot believe I am 2 days ahead of myself on firings for the Big-Summer-Show! Normally I would be getting work out of the kiln on Tuesday, loading on Wed. and driving north on Thursday. Today is Sunday and I am unloading the very, very, last kiln. We be rockin' it!!

Here is what the show looks like as I do the  last step of sanding and pricing ( if you don't count loading the truck and driving 300 miles!)...


Starting to get excited to drive north!

Saturday, July 25, 2015

To The High Country...

Day; 156. Sunny and hot! No rain today! Temperature on outside kiln; 84 degrees.

After singing with Maggie and the Magpies (AKA The Girls Garage Band) for a couple of hours in the sun and heat, I actually came home and finished up the last of the Crested Butte Art Festival work. Damn, I'm good! But now I'm exhausted again so off to watch some binge-worthy program on Netflix...

Kodiac the Kiln God on duty tonight for the last time this particular round.... Half the show is in there, yikes!, but I have a new thermocouple installed so I am feeling good! May he be kind and fly right on by this time...


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Glaz Is A 4-Letter Word

Day; 155. Sunny, warm. Temperature on outside kiln; 82 degrees

Thus ends 4 straight days of glazing. ... I am exhausted in mind, body, and soul. But I am caught up with the show and now only need to do a couple of image transfer firings. The panic has subsided....




Monday, July 20, 2015

The Glazing Never Ends....

Day; 154. Overcast, cooler, and raining! Temperature on outside kiln; 68 degrees.

Or at least it feels like it! I spent yesterday and today filling up Big Mamma Kiln. I have not fired it since I replaced the bottom element so I am saying extra, extra prayers to the kiln gods tonight. No time for a re-fire so I hope the electrical system is as it should be!!
Errands in town this morning, so I started my day here at the my favorite coffee shop...






















.. then a quick stop here for supplies...


And ended up here the rest of the day, you guessed it, GLAZING!!!

 More GLAZING  all day tomorrow for the last load in the little baby kiln....someday I will make something out of wet clay again.... !!

Sunday, July 19, 2015

If It's Sunday.. Then I'm Glazing...

Day; 153. Sunny and warm, no threat of rain. Temperature on outside kiln; 86 degrees.

A beautiful summer Sunday and I am glazing! But big-summer-show is T minus 10 days and counting and I have to start glazing today... I have two large loads to do and then the image transfer firing, it's gonna be close!? But when is it not? 4-5 firings in 10 days... Scutt kilns don't fail me now, please! Extra prayers to the kiln gods may be required!
If I have to glaze on a Sunday afternoon, then my trusty State Pen Porter is going with me...






















Dueling kilns under the portal; loading the last bisque firing while I glaze and load the big mamma glaze kiln...
Poor dog-sled team!, so neglected. Good thing dog-walking husband is due in from Alaska in two days...



Friday, July 17, 2015

I Always Learn Something From My Students...

Day; 152. Overcast all day long, strange...but warm. Temperature on outside kiln; 80 degrees.

After errands in town I helped Pepe pug probably 200 pounds of clay. The studio is stocked with newly mixed clay and all the bags of scrap clay, as well as buckets of throwing remains, are gone! It feels good to have that all day and bags of fresh clay stacked under the table. Ready for the next round....

In the afternoon I had Kim and Suzanne come and work on their tile project, almost done! They brought over the most amazing photographs- images of vegetables and nature patters- back lit on a light table. They look so incredible transferred onto their tiles that I searched Google for similar copy-right free images that I could use. Sadly they are not free and I must purchase the rights to use them, this makes it unworkable for me. But I did find some lovely stuff on Graphics Fairy and download several new images I am excited to use. I  am so tired of my old images I hardly want to use any of them anymore, I continue my search for interesting images that are not copyrighted...
Here are some of the images Kim and Suzanne brought, and some of the tiles they are transferred onto...



Good work girls! I love them! So wish I could steal some of these designs but that would be bad juju!!

Thursday, July 16, 2015

We Get What We Think About; Whether We Want It Or Not!

Day; 151. Sunny and warm, no change there! Big puffy New Mexico clouds but no monsoon. Temperature on outside kiln; 84

This past winter/spring I decided to teach more and make inventory for big summer shows less. I just figured the students would show up if I focused on what I wanted and Voila!, the Universe delivers! I am always completely bowled over at how I  get whatever I focus my attention on. The Law of Attraction seems to really function in my life, don't know about anyone else's! Therefore, I attempt to only think about what I do want, and not about what I do not, but my success rate is intermittent at best.

However, as regards to teaching, it seems to be working. I have had more students call for lessons in the last 3 months than the entire last couple of years combined. 3 more students showed up today through the Santafecreativetourism.org site. I gave a very enjoyable two-hour class on hand-building and wheel-throwing with Millie and her two boys Benjamin and Alexander. Lovely, lovely Swiss family  who now live in Miami but have a New Mexico native for a father. Why does French sound even more wonderful/cute coming out of the mouth of a 10 year old boy, I don't know, it just does. We made a series of wonderful textured cups and then attempted some small bowls on the potters wheel. While throwing on the wheel was challenging, everyone got good and messy and a great time was had by all....





Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Two Weeks and Counting..

Day; 150. Sunny and warm again! Monsoon clouds in the afternoon. Temperature on outside kiln; 78

I leave for the big summer show in Crested Butte, Colorado in two weeks; that means it is time to stop making wet work and get on with  glazing. It will take me the next two weeks to get everything I have made so far in and out of the kiln 3 times. It is always so hard to stop making stuff...."just a few more mugs, just a few more plates..." especially when the show is two weeks away, it seems like a long time, except if you are a potter. Then it is time to buckle down and start up the kiln!!
Tomorrow I have 3 students coming in the morning and then Pepe-the-intern is arriving right afterward to work with me for his last day! Oh nooooo, what will I do without him?! So I think we will just recycle all the scrap clay and then break out the glazes, there is really no more time to make new work for the show. As I write this, I am resistant; I am thinking,  well maybe a few more pieces..... It is such a great show and I want so badly to have a booth full of amazing pieces. The truth is, I will have what I have when the time comes to drive north and that is all there is to it. Give it up girl and start glazing....! ( really?, can't I sneak in just a few more cups...?)

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Back in the Studio and Back to Walking Dogs....

Day; 149. sunny and warm until this evening; major monsoon downpour! My garden is so very happy. Temperature on outside kiln; 75 degrees.

Started the day with the first walk since "the snake"! Decided to brave the Galisteo Basin again and get the dogs out for some exercise, they have been climbing the walls since Friday and chewing everything in sight. We did however choose a different trail, one without hills and lots of rock outcroppings , prime rattle snake habitat. Instead we chose a wide open path, flat, and fairly easy. We also went a little later in the morning hoping that the reptiles would be back in the holes by then hiding from the heat. I have to admit I was a little nervous and decided to put 3 of the 4 huskies on leashes. My dear friend Carl, who helped me walk the dogs this week, was a real trooper and held onto 65 pounds of bucking, jumping, thrashing husky even when the mosquitos swarmed us. All present and accounted for when we got home and I was hugely relived.

Students Suzanne and Kim came for one of their last lessons and to finish up their tile project. We got everything glazed, cleaned up and loaded into the kiln. I can't wait to see what their new kitchen counter looks like!



Monday, July 13, 2015

Love Reigns Supreme

Day; 148. Sunny and warm, the absolute perfect summer day. Slight breeze. Temperature on outside kiln; 84 degrees.

Back in the studio today after taking yesterday/Sunday off to relax and recoup from Friday/Saturday's sick dog episode and early morning market.

Went to a community celebration/pot luck last  night which was really, really wonderful. The owners of the local shopping center decided to host a renewal of marriage vows for any- and everyone in celebration of the recent Supreme Court decision supporting marriage rights for all, including same-sex couples. There were 2 or 3 gay couples but most were just traditional folks, married for years,  that had decided it was time to recommit to each other. The ceremony was beautiful as a dozen or so older men and women looked into each other's eyes and reaffirmed their love for one another. We are so used to seeing young brides and grooms that witnessing older people stand up and marry again the same person as 30-40 years ago, made this ceremony especially poignant...



 As an added bonus, my band mates played with the Blue Mangoes  afterwards and we were able to dance and cavort in the rain to good old 60's and 70's rock and roll! What a night!


 






Saturday, July 11, 2015

Lost in the Void..

Day; 147. Overcast but warm. No rain yet today. It has been raining, raining, raining at all times of the day and night. My garden is ever so happy.....

Whoa, 5 days just went by... I have been feeling terrible while the same time having a house guest. All I could do was get through my day and then collapse into bed at night. Went to the chiropractor Wednesday  and that definitely helped. But for some reason my whole body ached for 3 days not just my back. Like pulling my back out affected all my joints, I don't know. Maybe it was all the rain??!

Anyway, feeling a bit better today and had my best day yet at the Artists Market in the Railyard. I was in the last spot again today but was determined to do well, and I was busy all morning. It felt so good not to be bored to death... And what a day it was, absolute perfection; sunny, warm, no wind or rain, just a perfect summer day...
I almost didn't make it, I was considering cancelling for today  but decided late last night to get up and go despite the fact of a very sick dog. Dave is in Alaska and I just couldn't decide whether or not to leave Oso, our youngest Huskie, alone all day..

That morning on Friday, we went for a hike in the Galisteo Basin Preserve and for most of the morning it went really well; none of the 4 huskies ran off and Carl and I were having a good time. At the end of our hike I heard Oso bark, just once, and then he came  running in with two puncture wounds on his face with two small drops of blood starting to ooze out and down his cheeks. I knew immediately he had been bitten by something and that most probably it was a snake. We hiked back to the car and drove home quickly. I could see in my rear-view mirror that is face was starting to change shape with extreme swelling. As soon as we pulled up I called the vet and was instructed to bring him in immediately. Easier said than done; Oso would not let me touch him and he screamed louder than I have ever heard a dog cry when I tried to get him in the car. It broke my heart to hurt him so, but I so desperately needed to get him to the vet's office..


 On the way to the vet, Oso  had started to pant heavily and drool uncontrollably. His face and neck were twice the size of normal. I figured if a cop stopped me for speeding out to Doc Callahan's office in Pecos, I would explain the circumstances  and demand a police escort. Nobody stopped me and I  got to  Pecos in record time. The staff was  incredible, they put all the other animals and their ailments aside while they worked to stabilize Oso. The question was whether to administer an anti-venom serum or see if he could survive without it. One vial of anti-venom is $700. but I knew I had to do it and I would figure out later how to pay for it... It has to be administered slowly or it can cause a reaction so I went to town and did errands while they slowly dripped the serum into his system.

Two hours later I returned and saw that indeed the serum had started to work and his breathing and swelling were starting to sound and look better. Later that night the Doc actually made a house visit to listen to his breathing and make sure he was continuing to improve. He told me it was good I brought him in so quickly and that initially it didn't look too good. He told me stories about other rattle snake bites and how some dogs made it and some didn't.
This morning Oso was looking better and even  ate some food. I went off to town fretting but feeling like he was on the road to recovery. The vet called again this morning to make sure he was ok. I really need to do something wonderful for this man in gratitude for saving my dog and caring so much, but I haven't figure out what just yet.
Here is Oso after his treatment but still looking like a chickmunk...

Poor little guy, what I brave boy he was.... !!

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Oh My Aching Back...

Day; 146. Sunny and warm again, well it is July! Monsoon clouds, no rain. Temperature on outside kiln; 85 degrees

 It seems Sundays are always recovery days from Saturday's art market. Really fu*ked up my back yesterday unloading 40# weights and had to lay low today. I have to go slower and be more careful,  I have many more Saturdays to get through....
I went over to friends Christine and Paul's house today to witness all of the house/garden improvements. On the way into the garden I spied one of my tiles permanently installed in one of their walls...


So nice to see  it get a good home... And on the other side of this door..... Paradise!






















It was so peaceful and lovely here I almost fell asleep while visiting with my friends... I am afraid I was not such good company, just kinda a sleepy lump in the chair, but they understood..... I could spend all summer here.....

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Artists' Market Day...

Day; 145. Sunny and warm with the usual afternoon monsoon clouds. Temperature on outside kiln; 80 degrees

It's Saturday (and the 4th of July) so you know what that means... I am in Railyard Park selling my wares. This morning I walked through the Farmers Market around 6:30 as they were setting up, lovely morning and feeling luck to live in a place with incredible bounty...










































After getting set-up myself,  two of my favorite people stopped by on their way to get some vegies, Paul and Christine Drumright of BBgoochi.com.


Both wonderfully talented artists/cooks/gardeners  in their own right, as well as having  loads of personal style. I just love to see what they are wearing on any given day... Today did not disappoint, don't you agree?! I'm just sorry this photo does not include their shoes.....



Friday, July 3, 2015

Errand Day...

Day; 144. Sunny and warm but with the same threatening monsoon clouds. A few sprinkles again  but no real rain. Temperature on outside kiln; 82 degrees.

Spent the morning in town doing errands; dropping off a special order, buying earwires, getting supplies. Finally finished the earrings I started last week...



I really like all of them, hope all the tourists at the Artists' Market tomorrow in Railyard Park feel the same way! As it is 4th of July tomorrow,  Pancakes on the Plaza is happening downtown. I hope we have some business in the railyard as well, could be everyone eats a stack and goes home, but probably not.
 I will pack up at 1pm as fast as I can and race back to Eldo in order to not miss all the music  for the 4th of July celebration out here. I will miss the pet parade however, my favorite part! Friends and band mates playing music tomorrow so I hope I can see some of it... ! Happy 4th!

Thursday, July 2, 2015

A Glazing Fool...

Day; 143. Warm but rain on the way... monsoon season in full swing. Temperature on outside kiln; 80 degrees.

Firings; Glaze kiln to cone 6, (2,210 degrees) with a 10-minute hold.  18 hours to cool....

Unloaded the bisque kiln  this morning and stared glazing what was in it right away; stacks and stacks of plates as I decided to offer customers sets of things instead of everything being a one-off. Maybe someone actually wants a set of 4 plates instead of just one!? I don't know but it is wayyyy past time for me to find out. Of course that means I have to make 4 pieces that look the same, challenging for me for some reason... Is there such a thing as adult-onset ADD?! After seeing/making something once I am off in another direction, or at least changing it in some small way so that it no longer matches anything else I have made. I can't seem to stay with one idea for longer than a nanosecond. I get bored so quickly and just want to see what a different handle might look like, or what if I put the spout here instead of there? What if I change the color, scale, size? See what I mean?!  It's endlessly engaging but not really conductive to sets of anything.. I will see how I do, after glazing several sets of plates today I will probably ditch this idea and make pitchers tomorrow, I have been wanting to work on these for awhile... (ok, so the set idea lasted one day..)




Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Still Singin', But Not The Blues...

Day; 142. Sunny and warm but with massive monsoon clouds. A few sprinkles. Temperature on outside kiln; 85 degrees.

As it was Wednesday today,  I was here...


...instead of being in the studio. In the picture above you can just see my mike stand with it's new Ipad holder. I generally love it but  with Ultimate Guitar (the program we use to upload music to our devices) you cannot make any performance notes to any of the music, it is not re-writeable.  I am forced to remember when I start singing, who sings what, etc... Sometimes I miss my paper copies!

But mostly it is fantastic to be able to search for any piece of music, put it in our set list and change tempo and key signature if necessary. It even scrolls down through the lyrics at whatever speed you choose. So, if we ever sing on a windy day outside again, which I hope to never, ever do again, we will not have our sheets of music blowing into Texas....


We are (still?) working on a set of songs to be able to perform at a moment's notice; of the 17 songs I think I sing lead on 12 of them! Proud of myself for that,  I am making some sort of progress here...

Here is our set as of July 2015;
Across the Great Divide
California Cast Iron Soul
Closer to Fine
Dreaming
Galileo
Good Time Charlie
Ho Hey
I Want You Back
Just You and Me
Lean on Me
Love will Keep Us Alive
Lost Stars
My Guy
Ordinary Love
Soul Shine
Southland in the Springtime
Sunday Morning

 An extremely eclectic set don't you think?! We will add just a few more and then be the proud owners of a real 2-hour set! Gettin' there.....