Saturday, February 18, 2012

.Most Valuable Lesson.

"Embrace and engage each stage of life as it comes; each offers opportunities for artistic as well as personal growth. I loved the time I spent as an obsessive, nomadic young potter, yearning to work hard and learn and see and do everything, where the focus was on discovery rather than sales. It was exhilarating and exhausting". -Elizabeth Robinson, Ceramics Monthly, December 2010.

For the past nine years I have been working in ceramic studios where I have had the pleasure and pressure to make my own glazes, load my own kilns, fire, unload, and re-make glaze recipes.

I loved the freedom. I loved the process.

While in the process of moving to this here city called Chicago, my fiance and I would have lovely biking expeditions inspecting ceramic studios.
Lincoln Square Pottery Studio (www.comeplaywithclay.com) was perfect for this lil'Alley Cat. The space is filled with natural light, the floors and corners are clean from particles, and the gal who manages the non-profit is AMAZING.
Her name is Meg. She is intelligent, calm, organized, and naturally sweet. No saccharin sweet-N-low near.

I AM PROCESS DRIVEN.
Learning how to use premixed glazes, allowing someone else to load my items, and ladida..I didn't like it. Not one bit. I was in like..a clay river bed..stuck.
I dug myself up.
In the new year, Meg asked me if I would be her Intern.

YES. YES. YES. !!!

I have been a happy maker ever since. Glaze makin', testin', loadin'.

I hope I can mop the floors tomorrow.

My goal is to make a solid stock of items for local craft fairs, an etsy site, and..um..see what happens.

oh. ya. and. get a job.