A Clean Studio

I cleaned up my studio today.  Hopefully this gets me motivated to start working next weekend.  I think having to pick up and clean my studio has been making me not motivated.  I don't like to work in a messy area.  Now that is is cleaned up I have no excuses not to work.  I have been sketching ideas in my sketch book today.  Now I am motivated to start making.  Bring on the clay!!!

A Messy Studio

A Clean Studio

Wow two updates in a day!  Now I have to keep that up!

Apologies

Sorry I haven't blogged for a long time.  I promise not to let this happen again.  I did do a few things since the last time I blogged. 

I invested in some business cards.  I ordered them from Vista Print. 

 






I did another glaze firing.  This one turned out better then the first one.

I also did a Holiday Sale at my Aunt Beth's work.  This was the first official sale I did.  I have done this sale in the past when I was in college.  I always have a good day at this sale.  It isn't a big sale it is just for the people in her office.  Hopefully I will get to do this sale again next year.  It felt good to be selling my artwork again. 

This all happened in November.  December I really did not work in the studio much.  I was busy at work and worked a couple of Saturdays.  So when I had a day off I did not want to make pottery at home.  My husband and I also made a trip out to Las Vegas to visit his parents for the holidays.  We always have a great time there.  Now I have to get motivated now that January is over.  I really don't have a good excuse for not working in the studio in January.  I think I was just lazy and with it being so cold outside I just didn't feel motivated.  Today I am going to clean up the studio and get it put back together.  Hopefully next weekend I will start throwing again.  I would like to do a sale in the spring so I need to get moving because spring is going to sneak up on me. 

Glazed Work!

I unloaded my first glaze firing this morning!  It was great to see everything finished.  I did have an issue with one of my white glazes.  So a few pieces didn't turn out.  I figured I would have some of that with my first firing.  Here is a picture of some of the work. 

I also made some new work.  I had  a big day yesterday. 

A Busy Week

I had a very busy work week this week.  I accomplished a lot since my last post.  I unloaded my bisque kiln and I waxed all the bottoms of the pots.  Waxing the bottoms is a little time consuming but it is worth it when it comes to glazing because the bottoms wipe off easily.  I also produced some more ware. 



I made some test tiles with my new glazes and I found some good color combinations.



I also glazed my work and loaded the kiln.  Glazing is not my favorite part of ceramics but this time it was fun to work with new glazes.  It gets very messy.  I almost fit everything in the kiln except for about 6 pieces which surprised me.  As I am writing this my kiln is running and hopefully everything will turn out perfect.  I will have to post again tomorrow when I open the kiln.  It will be like Christmas morning for me tomorrow.  I can't wait.  It has been 3 years since college and it feels great to be doing this again. 

Fired!

Saturday I got up around 5am to start my kiln.  It finished firing around 1pm.  Today the kiln was cool enough to open and unload.  Check it out my first bisque firing!

I also mixed up my glazes today.  I will start glazing my work this week and have at least one glaze firing next weekend. I can't wait to have some finished work!

A Loaded Kiln!

Next weekend I am planning a bisque firing.  I wanted to see if I needed to make more pieces to fill my kiln so I took time today to load it.  No more pieces are needed!  Loading a kiln is like a huge puzzle.  You try to fit as many pieces as possible into it.  In a bisque firing you can have pieces touching and piled on top of each other.  My kiln is packed full and I had a few pieces leftover.  I am ready to roll with my first bisque firing next weekend all I have to do is push start.  I did not produce anything this weekend.  I wanted to give my fingers and wrists some time off.  I need to rest them up so next weekend I can start filling up my shelves again.  This week I will need to mix up my glazes and get ready for my next step glaze firing. 

 

A Beautiful Fall Day in Wisconsin

It was a beautiful fall day in Wisconsin today!  My friends and I went to a glass blowing demonstration in Neenah.  It was so nice out we walked from her apartment to the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum.  We got to enjoy the fall colors on our walk.  It is a beautiful time of the year.