Hoping for a Happy Landing

This Blue Bird vase was shipped to the MudFire Gallery for a show of Clay Moders curated by Diana Fayt. Thanks Diana for putting this show together.

This is the first time I have shipped more than a piece or two and I wait now to find out if it arrived safely. Shipping these 10 pieces was yet another lesson in Pottery 101 and I'm not sure I passed this class. I ended up paying an astronomical amount as I shipped my large double boxed package via UPS. Both rae and Christa, my much more savvy studio mates, shipped via Fed-X. They also shipped in more than one package. Their shipping costs for essentially the same amount of product were about two thirds less than what I paid. Now I wait with my breath held hoping all my pieces arrived unbroken. Did I use enough bubble and peanuts? Did UPS use my box as a step ladder or a football? The shipment is due in Decatur today. Suspense.....

Jean On Jean

Jean On Jean (Molly Schnick) is coming to San Francisco. She is playing one solo show. I can't wait. Did I mention she's my daughter? Hope you can join me....


Jean on Jean Show in San Francisco
Solo at The Knockout
3223 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 550-6994

Tuesday, May 26th
10 pm

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Man, I hate GLAZING. I know, I know you've heard this before. Why is it so hard, so unpredictable? I just read rae's blog this morning and I am inspired to follow her thread. We both had rather disastrous glaze firings this week, the kind that make you scream. The kiln gods at fourth & clay weren't happy. We were preparing work for a show in Decatur Georgia at MudFire Gallery. Our pieces had to be shipped ASAP. My interior glaze on some essential cups crawled,a problem I had last firing as well. What kind of idiot would use the same defective glaze twice?...Ah, that would be ME! Time to throw that glaze bucket away and start fresh. I find the whole process so frustrating. I love the "making "process but the glazing sucks the life out of me. I HAVE to find a way to make this easier...maybe even fun ???? Is this a possibility??? Does any one have FUN glazing?
Glaze hating is part of the reason I have begun the new series of pieces that are done with inlaid clay. For now I am using Cassis Black Clay with Come 5 B-Mix with grog. It's a really direct way to explore surface patterns as well as pattern making on flat slabs. SO FAR what goes in the kiln is what comes out of the kiln - no surprises. I should be breathing a sigh of relief. However I don't think I'm ready to throw in the towel completely with glazing the thrown and altered pieces. I'm kind of on a Marie Antoinette/"Let them eat cake" roll these days. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

Feats of Clay

My husband John got a sculpture accepted into Feats of Clay. I had never been to this show before even though it's been held for 21 years and is only about an hour and a half from Berkeley. It was a thrill he got in...over 1,000 entries and only 75 pieces were accepted. So of course we put on our most artsy outfits and boogied up the road - at least 30 strip malls from Berkeley- for the opening.
The show, juried by Tony Marsh, was incredible but what was even better was the huge building the show was held in. Gladding McBean takes up half the town of Lincoln CA.It has been there since the 1800's and besides making gigantic sewer pipes has produced architectural ornaments for buildings built from then to now. The building the show was held in housed multiple bee hive kilns some of them firing, one of them housing part of the show. John's piece was in the third floor gallery. This floor was a treasure chest the old plaster molds. There was everything from Dante's head to Alice in Wonderland, from a HUGE eagle to glaring gargoyles. There were miles of these molds...boy, did I want to start digging, flea market style for the perfect piece. Here are some photos but they don't entirely capture the magic of the place. If you have a chance go see this show - we're going back for a second look soon. What I really wish is that I could figure out a way to steal a couple of those old molds....Do you think they would be missed?
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