Busted 10/28/2011
About 14 weeks ago now I tore the tendon attaching my bicep muscle to my forearm. I was moving something heavy from the roof of the car, by myself like an idiot, and on the way from the roof to the ground there was a sickening sort of pulling and snapping- super gross, and super painful, and one of those injuries that immediately lets you know you're not just sleeping this one off. So I had to have this thing reattached, which has basically meant no time working on the house, and no time working in the studio. For the first three weeks, it barely meant any time off of the couch. Disappointed. I got to read a bunch, which was nice, but sitting around and feeling useless while there is so much to do really stinks. But!! This is not why I'm writing! I'm writing to say that, after 14 long weeks, I'm back in the studio and making work! I'm going to have to kick along at pretty good rate, sure, but I think I'll be able to get my inventory up for the fairs and markets coming up this holiday season. I've been working on my mugs and handles, two weak areas, and I've been very happy with how much has come back so quickly- all that talk about muscle memory was more than just talk, I guess. I ran the kiln for the first time in a long time last night, and bisqued the crap out of everything- looks like I'll be able to glaze a bunch of stuff tonight and run the kiln again tomorrow. Which is very exciting for me- I've got a personal goal here of putting some new pictures of work Add Comment Having fun making sinks. 04/01/2011
We're looking to do some work on our house, silly people that we are. When we moved here to Vermont we bought an old 1870s farmhouse that we absolutely love, which is good: one, because you really should love where you sleep at night, and two, the house has got some serious problems. For one, it leaks heat like a sieve. When the previous owner told me that they only filled the heating oil tank up twice during the winter, he neglected to tell me that they must have also been closed down the entire house and lived in the car. Because the place is drafty, as old houses are, and we spend much of the winter plugging up the doors with old dishtowels. Makes it homey. The second thing, which is totally our fault, is that we bought a house for four people that only has two bedrooms. Which isn't huge- my brother and I shared a room for years, past when we needed to, for some reason- and my children could absolutely do the same. If they had to. Which they might not, because we want to do some work on our house. Anyway, my point is this; I get to make a sink, because I'm dangerously crafty. This means if I don't know how to do something I'm totally willing to try and figure it out, which has been fine with making tables and things but has earned me a couple of band-aids with electricity, for instance. My wife is not fond of this. For the upstairs bathroom we need a new vanity, which I am putting together, and in a new vanity you need a new sink, which I am also making. I'm very excited about this. The problem is that clay, when bisqued and fired, shrinks. The shrinkage rate is mostly uniform, about 15%. Mostly. I've made the measurements and think I've got it right, but I won't really know until I fit the sink with the drain, which I am strenuously avoiding doing. But it'll work out- I'm sure of it. So here they are. I have three, which is two more than I need, so if you'd like one...just let me know! Bowls 03/21/2010
 I'm in the middle of trying to make matching bowl sets. It's not going so well. I'm also in the middle of taking this Independent Study class at the Burlington City Arts place in Burlington- which is an awesome place, by the way- and one of the things that my teacher has been talking about is producing work with some consistency. It's interesting- you weigh the amount of clay you are using, take a couple of key measurements, and you should be able to spit out the same basic shape each time. That's the theory. In practice, I spit out a shape very close to the last one but still totally different every time. We're getting there, but still.... There is something nice about making a bowl. The relationship between the potter and the work is different in claythan other mediums I've worked it. It's probably closest to the relationship I had working with glass, except I'm not in danger of losing my eyebrows to fire. Not as much, anyway. In clay I'm constantly having my ego handed to me by whatever work I'm doing. Things are going along fine, and then BAM! Everything spins out of control. Things need to be easy, smooth, and I have to really be careful to understand what the clay wants to do. Usually I can muscle materials into doing what I want them to do- clay, not so much. I'm enjoying it, though. Making something to eat or drink out of is full of a different set of considerations, thinking about what looks good as well as what would be functionally appropriate. Not only should the rim of a cup be nice to look at, it should also feel good on the lips- can't have a sharp edge. You'd wind up with tea all over your shirt, and I would just carry that around with me for the rest of my life. Anyway, status is this- I'm much better at getting an appropriate thickness (this means my coffee mugs are no longer 2 lbs each), though my consistency is still questionable (meaning that a matching set will look like brothers, not so much twins). Here she is! 03/03/2010
 Ahhh...the studio. When my wife and I bought this house there really wasn't any place to work, and to be totally honest, I hadn't really "worked" on art in any sustainable fashion in years. A photo here, a painting there, a couple of weeks in the glass studio...it was all disconnected, sporadic. So to have a space now where I can close the door is great- I get to walk in, drink some coffee, watch the neighbor back in and out of his driveway, and work. It's luxurious. Though I'm questioning the wisdom of sharing a wall with the TV and Wii. On the other hand I can't say enough good stuff about Pandora. I'm working with pottery now, mostly, with some photography and framing projects mixed in. And I find I've forgotten one of the key elements of working in new media- practice is still the name of the game. So I'm generating tons of small tea cups, and working my way slowly up to teapots. And I can't get over how zen-like it all is. There's the constant hum of the wheel, the almost hypnotic circular running of the clay, the steady application of water and pressure. It's peaceful. Until I stop paying close enough attention and pull the clay too hard off-center, and then it goes so wrong, so fast. Hence all the practice. So if anyone out there needs a five-sip teacup, let me know. I'm totally your go-to guy.  | Oldies but GoodiesOctober 2011 Categories |
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