This morning I got up early and went back to the studio to unload my kiln.
Okay, it was still a “bit” warmer than I would have liked it to be. Whatever – it was hot!
But I needed to unload it and get them ready for the weekend’s art fair. So I put on the gloves
and started unloading right into boxes to bring them home. Then they were added to the rest
of the boxes, packed into the van and they were headed off to the art fair set-up!!!

And I was quite pleased to see my kiln full of adorably cute monsters staring back at me!

We worked all afternoon, and into the evening, setting up my booth in the Lower Barn.
It’s always a lot of work getting it all put together – so we LOVE the Friday set-up. Although
it always feels odd to set up and leave… with it all there sitting wide open. luckily they have
security guards all night. And it is always SO nice to show up tomorrow morning and be
pretty much ready to go. And I’m hoping that my new little “monsters” are a big hit!!!

I stopped in to the studio to check on my kiln… and it was still above 600 degrees!
I pulled the peeps – and now I’m hoping that the kiln cools quickly overnight.
My plan is to go back early in the morning to unload if possible?! I’d like to get it
emptied and bring all of the new “monsters” home so I can price & pack them
for this weekend’s art fair!

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…

With “Art In The Barn” just a couple weeks away, I kind of feel like I’m ahead
of schedule by loading my kiln tonight… and firing tomorrow. No last minute
unloading and shlepping hot pots to the fair for me this time!

Tonight I loaded my work into a high-fire kiln for a cone 10 gas reduction firing.
I am sharing the kiln with my friend & studio neighbor Karen Patinkin. The back stack
is mostly mine, with the exception of her big bowls on the top. The front 2/3 of kiln
was loaded with Karen’s stunning large platters with intricate glaze detailing and
some of my smaller “kiln filler” bowls around them! Tomorrow we fire…
and it’s up to me to get it lit up & started very early in the morning!

Another night of glazing. Tonight I glazed more work in the studio
including these ovals. I lined them with temoku and inlaid the stamps. After
drying overnight, I will dip the exteriors in an accent color… and hope for the best.
That being some great glaze interaction & stamp accentuation! Fingers crossed…

So camp is over, but my studio work never ends…
especially with Art In The Barn just a couple weeks away!… 9/25 & 9/26.
So tonight I worked in the studio trying to pack away the “madness” of my stash
of summer camp supplies – to make room to get some work done! I’m scheduled
to share a cone 10 reduction kiln with studio-mate Karen Patinkin next week so I’ve
got some glazing to do! I want to be all done before she gets back from her weekend away!

I started by waxing the bottoms of my latest bisque pots to help keep the glaze off
the bottoms. Much easier to clean them up if they’re waxed ahead of time. I recently
bought a bottle of wax resist from Aftosa and it is a nice shade of green. The color
and the wax will disappear during the firing, but for now – it make it a bit easier
to see what you’re waxing as you’re doing it!

Then I spent some time inlaying glaze into the stamping to help accentuate them.
I find that frequently the cone 10 glaze tend to obliterate & cover-up the stamping
if I don’t inlay glaze and dip in more transparent colors. So tonight I inlaid temoku glaze
and I’m letting them dry. Hopefully I’ll get back into the studio over the weekend to dip
the top coat of glaze. Well before Karen’s return… I think we’re loading on Wednesday?!

After a little splash of clear glaze… and nice electric firing…
my niece Taylor’s handmade set of dinnerware is all done! And ready for her
to cook us all dinner and serve it up on her new dishes! Shhh… don’t tell her…
I want them to be a surprise. She doesn’t know they’re done yet…

As camp was about to start this morning, I was quickly loading another bisque kiln.
Hurry… and I quickly learned that my ovals don’t pack quite as tightly as I would like.

The second layer was glazed terra cotta… my niece Taylor’s plates being fired!
Don’t panic… that groovy green color is actually low-fire clear glaze!

The third layer packed much tighter than the first. I love when there’s enough
greenware to pack the kiln tightly – and not “waste” precious kiln space.

Thanks to my friend Katie Biderbost who had some smaller mugs & pitchers
that fit in “perfectly” and helped fill the layer. Katie’s been working at Lillstreet
for years, and is now making these precious little pieces with some really
tight slip trailing. I can’t wait to see how her beautiful blue glaze breaks over
the decorations!

Once I had loaded my work, and Katie’s pieces, I had to rush off to camp. I left a layer open
on top for another studio-mate Karen Patinkin to top off with a few of her beautiful platters!

Tonight in class we focused on making bowls on purpose…

…and not a cylinder gone bad. So I demonstrated how to make a basic bowl.
Followed by throwing eight bowls, then demonstrating some quick techniques
for simple designs, patterns & styles to make their bowls special. Anyone can
make a plain round bowl… but it’s more fun when you make it your own
with a little design along the way! Texture… pattern… slip… fun!

So the cylinders are not quite so bottomless anymore!
Thanks to a couple free hours between summer camp & my adult wheel class.
Now they’re “ovaled”… as well as stamped and slab bottoms attached.
The bottoms still need to be smoothed out & finished, but they’re one step closer!