And while I’m at it… I’ve decided to make some quick skulls for the kids!
I’m hoping to crank out some Halloween pendants for the kids to “buy” at
Art In The Barn… I’m thinking a dollar for kids under 8, and ten bucks for
everyone over eight?!!! How does that sound? Little kids need art too…

Okay, so the terra cotta “detailing” has begin… more festive fun!

Okay… so my next art fair is just over a week way. And I of course, once again,
am trying to crank out some last minute pieces. Now I don’t have time for both high-fire
bisque and glaze firings… so I’m going with a once-fired terra cotta approach! Not that I
need more work after last week’s glaze firing. But I tend to always put this sort of last-minute
pressure on myself for some reason?! Not sure why???… and not quite sure what these
little cylinders will turn into. I have a festive holiday plan… three different shapes,
three different ideas! So we’ll see what happens…

The morning started out very gray and gloomy. Clouds everywhere.
Above. Behind. All around. Even out over the lake. Not much hope for a sunrise.
But then with the wind blowing in from the west, the clouds dispersed just as the
sun was ready to peek out. And for a moment, the sunrise was quite beautiful.

Minutes later though, as I was almost done pedaling home… you could see the next
wave of storm clouds moving in. The sunrise was short-lived, and the rain began
shortly after I got home.

I wonder at what point will my “snail-mail” postcard mailing list become obsolete?…
and I can switch everything over to e-mail, blog & Facebook?! Will that day ever come?
Or do some people still look forward to tradtional postcards of art fair listings?

I know my gut tells me that I should continue designing, printing & mailing postcards.
I think that they are important. I think customers like them. I think people keep them.
I know my Mom keeps cards from her favorite artists on her refrigerator all summer!

But then as I’m updating mail lists, sticking on labels, buying postage stamps, etc…
I keep wondering if it’s all necessary?! E-mails are free. Facebook is the current
“favorite” in social networking. This blog is my personal favorite. So… what to do?
Not everyone is on Facebook. Not everyone is willing to give you their e-mail. And I
have a LOT of names & addresses in my old-fashioned mailing list. It’s a tough decision –
and I’m not sure there’s ever going to be a clear-cut answer. So until then, I guess I’ll
keep doing all of them?! So back to the computer & more mail list updates…

Tonight was the first night of my Beginning Wheelthrowing Class for the Fall Session
at Lillstreet Art Center. It’s always fun to find out who my new students are going to be.
And once again, we have a full class of eighteen students… to fill the room’s 18 wheels!
The class is designed for brand new beginners, as well as “advanced beginners”… or
“repeat beginners” as I like to call them. As it turns out, I have a lot of “repeat beginners”
this time – but many are returning after 10-15 years of not touching clay!

So we started with introductions & discussions about their clay experience and expectations
of this class. I found out that quite a few of them “did a little throwing” back in high school
or college. But now they’re lawyers, nurses, authors, and other corporate muckity-mucks
ready to come back and get dirty in the clay!

So it looks like this session will be a lot of “beginning” demo’s in an attempt at getting
everyone “back up to speed” so we can tackle a few tougher projects. During our group
discussion, people asked to learn how to make plates, larger bowls, taller vases, lidded jars
and the “challenge” for this session?… Hannukah menorahs!!! While I’m still thinking
that we need to work on wedging, centering, cylinders, the basics.  Wish me luck. Oy vey…

And how dramatically a sunrise can change in just a matter of minutes…

Quiet. Serene. Beautiful… as the clouds sweep in for another beautiful sunrise!