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I hear tuna!

October 17, 2011 in art, events | 6 comments

Faster than a fat cat at the sound of a can opener, the first Cap, Cup and Mug Sale, Show and Trade came and went.

The days and weeks preparing and gathering for the sale generated a certain energy.  Unpacking boxes of beautiful cups and mugs is very much like the anticipation a potter experiences when the kiln is finally cool enough to open after a glaze firing.  Or…in more practical terms…it’s like discovering significant money forgotten in the pocket of your jeans.

Everything about this sale was intimidating (I documented my fear here) and unexpected.  When I first threw out the idea, I was afraid I couldn’t get enough work together to create a sale.  Instead, 34 artists participated with 623 cups and mugs.  (Thank You!)

Then, the panicked thoughts…what if no one shows up?  But, Friday’s crowd was unbelievable.  WOW!  So many people came to check out the sale, buy mugs, chat and contribute to our sock and knit cap collection for a local homeless shelter.

Saturday was more relaxed, but had steady traffic.  Again, unexpected.  The budget for promoting the sale amounted to the cost for a short-run of postcards.  I really depended on artists and friends to spread the word.  Free paid for space in several events listings in the on-line versions of the local papers (does anybody read those?) and a couple community magazines…that, and Facebook.

Our collective efforts yielded 25 knit caps (not an easy find in Arizona in the fall) and 185 pairs of socks. (pause here for a quick happy dance!)

The Monday following the sale, I spent checking inventory against unsold work; spending time meditatively wrapping and packing up mugs and cups.

As artists have come by the studio to collect their work, they’ve asked if I plan to do this again.  You know…yes, I think I will.  But today, I need to get back to clay.  I’m out of mugs.  Go figure.

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run with perseverance

September 30, 2011 in art, events, life, Uncategorized | No comments

…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Hebrews 12:1

Those words express my general approach to each day.  Though, there are times when I think I’ve shown up for the wrong race.

I use to be an athlete…now I just ache.  I was a gymnast and briefly (very brief) ran the 4×4  (4oo meter relay).  Track and field is a big deal where I grew up in the high elevation deserts of west Texas (with exception to Texas football, which is an entity unto itself).

However, my membership card for the track team was short lived.  Made the team, but the track season conflicted with gymnastic competitions.  Truth is, I wasn’t very versatile on the oval.  I could run my forth of the 4x, but that was about it.  Done.  I remember my hesitation when coach Reed suggested hurdles.  Gymnasts may have great coordination and flexibility, but we are generally short.  Wrong race.

Lately I’ve been running hurdles; get up a good head of steam just to be interrupted so I can launch myself over an obstacle.  It’s nerve wrecking.  Running full out toward the hurdle: playing chicken.  Not pretty.

With generous momentum I approach the first hurdle; catching it with the heal of my lead foot.

Despite my best efforts, the soaring Arizona heat got to my clay before I did.  A week’s worth of work destine for the reclaim bucket.

The second hurdle is but three steps away.  Stumble over.

The glaze firing won’t reach temperature.  After hoping for more, I shut the kiln down.  Burned out element.

Looking for a quick recovery.  Clear the hurdle, but trailing behind.

Replace the element.  Reload.  Re-fire.  My clear glaze doesn’t really like to be re-fired.  Praying I don’t lose the entire kiln load.

The color was a bit off, but the glaze behaved.

A few more hurdles ahead.  My…knee…tags…every…single…one.  That’s gonna leave a mark.  My timing must be off.  Count.  Three steps.

As the artists’ deadline approaches for the cup and mug sale, my calendar is suddenly congested with personal appointments of some urgency.

The finish is in sight.  Just run now.  Run!

With a slushy delivery deadline and a week until the sale, my days have been punctuated by the most beautiful handmade cups and mugs.  Not a bad finish.

Cap, Cup and Mug Sale, Show and Trade

Looking forward to seeing you!!

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the ways and means

July 25, 2011 in art, events, life | 1 comment

As I write, I’m sitting in my very warm studio firing a bisque.  The AC is set at 90°.  An occillating fan is moving the air about a little (it helps).  My kiln is old (read: not computerized), so I’ve got a few more hours in the studio while I turn up switches.  Once I get them alll on ‘high’, I’ll head home – only to return at the approximate time and temperature the witness cone should drop.

My faith in the kiln sitter has been shaken since I had a pyrometric bar fuse to the sensing rod on the sitter.  Overfired the load and warped shelves.  Created several redundant shelf sculpures that took endless hours to chisel apart (no fun).  So then, I make every attempt to be back when the witness cone goes down.

This firing is the first I’ve done since May.  Feeling a bit unproductive during these sizzling summer months.  Nevertheless, I have lived vicariously through a few ceramic artists’ blogs – people that seem to have more creative energy than I ever will.  They are not just productive, but prolific.  (Wow, feeling tinges of guilt…call me a slacker)  I guess I should be doing much more.

But, the day only has so many hours.  And, frankly, there is a correlation between the dry summer heat and clay work.  That delicate balance to successfully deal with handles without them cracking (tea bowls vs. coffee mugs)…or the precise hour available to trim when the clay is still cooperative (light, well designed work vs. paperweight).  If you do any decorative surface work early in the process, your window is shorter still.

Excuses? eh….

What I’ve taken away from those prolific producers of ceramic wares is that I’m not them.  Ceramics.  Clay.  Art…is what I do.  I love what I do.  Create.  On many levels it’s how I communicate – through process, image, surface and occupied space.

However, it is not who I am.  If I were to make a list of roles I fill, ceramic artist would be but one.  Those roles will change over time.  But, who I am will remain constant.  I am a child of God, a follower of Christ.  That doesn’t change.  Yet, it drives the ways and means of the things I do.

Fabens

What I do is secondary and clay would follow things like wife, mom, friend, chief cook and bottle washer, preferred human obsession to our quirky dog (seperation issues), et. al….

I suppose until clay makes it’s way closer to the top of the list, I will never be as productive as some artists.  I think it important to keep perspective.  What I do is not necessarily who I am but an avenue to be myself.

(Man, it’s getting hot in here!)

 

Mark Your Calendars!  Plan to Attend!

Cap, Cup and Mug Sale, Show and Trade

October 7-8, 2011
Friday, 6-9pm
Saturday, 9am-4pm

dessadog studio
1410 W. Guadalupe Rd, bldg. 1 ste. 103
Gilbert, AZ 85233

~a sale of handmade cups and mugs by more than 30 local artists.
~bring in a new knit cap or socks for Set Free Ministries and receive a 10% discount on one cup or mug.

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