Getting Going

Whew!  What a long (and busy, but wonderful) day today.  Did some wall painting, used a staple gun for the first (!) time, and hung lights and ornaments in the studio.  After a break for lunch at Extra Perks where they always have delicious soups (and a fantastic weekend brunch!), I spent an eternity trying to get my table display for The Art League Artfête Weekend 2012 & Annual Holiday Ceramics Sale just right.  Maddening . . . here's the final (final, final) version.

Finished the day off with a brisk walk around Old Town distributing postcards for the sale at a few local coffee shops and bakeries.  The sale starts tomorrow at noon.  I'm really looking forward to The Artfête Open House & Holiday Party tomorrow evening (6-9 pm).  It should be a great time, with with music, food and drinks, and lots of artwork to explore!  I'll be working Saturday afternoon from 4-6 pm and Sunday from noon to 3 pm.  If you're local, please come see us!

Getting Set

I've been busy prepping a bit each day after work this week and have decided to take a couple of days off to finish.  Today and tomorrow I will be getting everything ready for The Art League Artfête Weekend 2012 & Annual Holiday Ceramics Sale.

I've taken over the basement for a staging area.  That's right, no dollhouse or cars/trains until I'm done.  So I'd better get busy!

The sale is taking place Friday through Sunday at The Art League’s Madison Annex, 305 Madison Street, Alexandria, VA. I'll be there quite a lot on Thursday.  First to help set up the studio for the sale (and party!) which should be fun.  Then, and this is the unnerving piece, I'll be arranging (and rearranging at least few times, I'm sure) my own display. I'll post a few pictures after. 

Getting Ready

To enjoy time visiting with family and friends, foods so delicious they're reserved for once (well, maybe twice) yearly indulgence, some time relaxing, . . . and only a little DC area traffic.

And just beginning to prepare works for The Art League Artfête Weekend 2012 & Annual Holiday Ceramics Sale, running Friday November 30 - Sunday December 2.  The Open House and Holiday Party Friday night are particularly fun.

The next couple of weeks will be busy gathering everything together but I'm getting excited!    

My Fallt

Where has summer gone?  It's still quite warm of course, but  . . . School has started back.  No more time to take - or even plan - week long trips.  Shorter - in feeling at least - days with less sunlight and more rushing around.  I shouldn't complain.  Whether it was really due to conscious effort or not, I can't say but this summer did feel a little slower and more like summer should.  

  

We got all the way to Puerto Rico, where I discovered I do like guava pastries - so much that they are one of my new favourites pictured on the left, mofongo, and all things yucca.  It's a wonderful place to vacation, only a few hours travel but worlds away.  

We set a goal to run in one organized 5k race each month, which we loosely met.  Two in June, none in July, one in August . . . but that meant much more running in between as well.  We'll be doing The Color Run this weekend - hope it meets the high expectations of our 4 1/2 year old!

I got a lot of studio time in too, which means some new works.  Which is what I imagine (and hope!) you're here to see.  I finally made some (actually functional!) lidded jars.  I also experimented a little more combining various components into one piece - wheel-thrown and then altered using hand building techniques. Like the "dress" vase in the collage to the left.   

                                                                                                                                                                                To finish the summer, I traded out the stock at Society Hill with some new pieces.  And now, comes fall.  Which in actuality is quite nice on it's own and I'm looking forward to cooler weather, maybe even a little more studio time, and the beautiful changing colours of the leaves here.  I just don't like to think that summer has ended, still feeling that we should have enjoyed it a little more.  So, I blame fall - it's all fall's fault, or is it my fallt?  

Summer Time

I'm so glad for summer - it doesn't always mean a slower, more relaxed time.  But it does always feel like it should, so here's to trying.  For a little more family time, a little more outside (when it's not too hot) time, and a little more studio time.

Here are a few finished things - 

and a few more in the works . . . 

Some of these are already at Society Hills Designs in Falls Church and some may make their way there in the next few weeks.  I hope to do a few local shows this year and still hope that some will fall in the late summer.  I'm still realizing there is never quite enough time to do everything you want to . . . and still wondering why that is.

Fresh Baked Clay

Doing a little spring cleaning - swapped out the stock at Society Hill Designs shop 

(inside Stifel & Capra) in Falls Church today.  A few shots of the new work below.  

This batch was a little more experimental - different clay bodies, finishing techniques 

and firing methods - which proved very interesting.  Hope you think so too!

My first attempts with porcelain.  What fun!  These were all
gas fired which gave some lovely rich colours to the pieces. 

 

Branching Out

For a short time - just two days overlapping, I'll actually have two pieces of work on view at the Torpedo Factory.  

The first show to go up is the Art League Student/Faculty Show where I have a grouping of three square dishes titled "Repeating Bird Series" similar to the ones pictured below left.  

The ones in the show are made with the studio standard white clay which has been my clay of choice for more recent works.  But the ones above are my first attempt at using porcelain clay - it is soooo soft and I'm already totally hooked on working with it.  I've yet to see how it progresses through the firing process though.  It's going to be an interesting study . . . but enough on that for now.  Back to the show - as it includes works from multiple areas of study through the Art League, it's incredibly inspiring to walk through and see what everyone else has been working on.  Show opens this week on February 22 and ends with a short ceremony on March 4, 2012.

And, switching gears almost completely, the second piece is in the Target Gallery March Madness Exhibition.  Another big show - with approximately 200 pieces of work included, from almost as many contributors.  All 10x10 inch square, like the one in the first photo below.

Panel Before

Panel In Progress

Panel Finished

I had planned to take shots as I worked but got on a roll so my "in progress" shot (in addition to being a terribly out of focus) is really about one step away from the finished product, titled "Goodnight".  I saw a few other works going in when I returned my panel this morning.  This is the second year I've participated in this show and once again, seeing what others have done with their panels is even more exciting than working on my own.  I can't wait to see all of them once they go up on the walls!  The show runs March 3 - March 18, 2012.  There is even a party on March 16.  10% of all sales go to March of Dimes.  Great fun for a great cause.  

Happy New Year!

2012 is here!  And I wasn't quite ready, as usual.  But a week later, it's feeling more like a new year.  We finally took down all of the decorations and are getting back to "normal" routines.  Which for me includes sending out much earlier promised gifts to their new homes.  

Now, just to pack them up carefully and they'll be on their way!