Getting Hacked and Getting Happy

Getting my email account hacked was bad enough but when I logged into this site and saw my blog had been hacked as well that was CRAZY.  I wonder where else the hackers will show up in my life?
Cyber-space living...UGH.

But on a much happier note.  My husband John and I spent the warm, sunny  weekend in Davis CA at the CCACA Conference.  John's wonderful sculptures are part of the 8 from ACGA Show at the Davis Art Center and I have a vase in The California Clay Competition at The Artery. I was thrilled to be included in this show and even more thrilled to learn that my piece had sold and won the Trax prize for Functional Work. 

                                   John setting up his video illuminated sculpture at The Davis Art Center

 

Blue Hole by John Schnick

                                                                                    Me and Dishcloth Vase 

Spring Fever

I LOVE this time of year.  I was born in April and have always felt it was MY time of year (although summer gives it a run for the title). The warm light, the blossoming trees, the smell of the earth after the light showers we've been having all fill me up with overwhelming spring fever. My work certainly reflects this...from the leafless birch tree pieces I was obsessed with (and still love) in  fall and winter to over the top floral work that is  coming out of the kiln now. Yesterday was my day to work in the fourth & clay gallery.  I came armed with dogwood branches and really spring-a-fied the place.

Scarry Bunnies

 

I couldn't resist posting these wonderfully creepy bunny pics. You can find more here.
Below is one of me and my daughter, Susannah.
Is there a scarry bunny in your past?
Hope you have a Hoppy Easter.
May all the eggs you find be chocolate!

A Little Help from My Friends

And now for some good news.  Just when I feel like throwing up my hands (see previous post) and taking a permanent vacation from pot making I open the kiln, peek in and cups, without any problems...truly a miracle, smile back at me. All this is thanks to the generousity of my friend Sarah Gregory. She not only gave me her beautiful satin glaze recipe but delivered 3 cups of  the magical  stuff for me to test.  Thank you, thank you Sarah.  I have a huge smile on my face. I know that some crazy new problem will eventually  bite me in the butt. Isn't this the whole challenge with ceramics? But for now I am cruising in a new satiny smooth  direction!

Upon reflection I think part of the pinhole/crater problem was the double underglaze/scratch technique I was using on the cups pictured in Tested.  I think due to the nature of the scratching there might just be too much dust ?  Though shiny clear glaze doesn't have problems covering these pieces so I don't know. You can see with these new cups I am changing things up but will continue to experiment with trying to get an unshiny glaze to be compatable with the scrath-thu technique. Thank you all who commented with sage advise.

Tested

Just when I am feeling confident in what I am doing in the studio something always bites me in the butt.

I spent January developing patterns for a new cup shape - one that isn't tippy,  holds a good amount, fits great in the hand and looks pretty.  I also wanted to switch from the glossy clear glaze I have been using (that fit my clay body and goofy underglazed work well) to a beautiful clear satin that many of my local claymates have been having great success with. Instead of testing this new glaze on my heavily underglazed and scratched-thru new cups I confidently poured it on and in, stuffed my kiln with this new work and fired away.  What I got out of this kiln load???
SURPRISE....An ugly, pitted, bubbly mess. 
My little test kiln is now my best friend.

Turning the Tables

One of my 2013 resolutions was to totally clean out my studio.  It's the kind of resolution that I make every year and 2 weeks into the year get distracted and never make happen (weight loss is in this catagory). This year, with the help of my amazing husband, I have managed to reach my goal of a "spotless" studio. WOO HOO! I know where everything is and I have gotten rid of everything I no longer need.  Man, am I proud of myself!

Part of the reason for this determined effort was that our studio-mate rae  has moved into her own brand new studio 3 blocks from fourth & clay.  Christa decided she liked rae's old space so is moving her area over to what was rae's and our new studio-mate Jessica Wertz (coming on Feb 1 from Virginia) will take Christa's old space. It's like musical chairs at fourth & clay and frankly I was feeling a little left out!  I certainly didn't want to be the only one with a dirty  space when all around me newness was happening!  Part of my plan was not only to get rid of all the ancient stuff I no longer used but to re-design my space so I had more room.  All this took was turning my big old table 90 degrees.  What a difference this made.  I feel like I gained several feet of breathing room.
The only problem now is that everything is so clean that I don't want to mess it up by working.....

Beatrice Wood

Some sweet inspiration for the start of Lucky 2013: