The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

"Chicken Little" 

Every morning my hubster watches the business news and, as you all know, it's full of doom and gloom. I know we can't stick our collective heads in the sand, but there is something to be said for not getting caught up in the whole story of financial woe and having it ruin a perfectly good day.

All we can do is stay in the "now" and do the next indicated thing... Seems like throwing a pot is good idea. I've been away from the studio on a work assignment for a month. We're headed back to Cambria (California central coast) today and I'm looking forward to getting back to the studio!

Studio here I come!

I'm sorry to have neglected my blogging for awhile, but my "other" work has taken center stage.

I'll be back in the studio in early October, and then we travel from California to North Carolina for a visit to the Spruce Pine Potters Market and the Southern Highland Craft Guild Show in Asheville. 

I hope to see some of the North Carolina bloggers during my visit. Excited!

Etching and mark-making

I enjoy almost all parts of working in clay, but etching and making marks are among my favorite things to do. With a great big window of time, a quiet dog at my feet, my ipod playing an interesting podcast of "All American Life" or "Radio Lab"... Well, it's darn near perfect.

I was going to add Diet Pepsi to the scene of "darn near perfect" above, but I'VE KICKED THE HABIT. Day 4, but who's counting?

This teacup has some crazing and I'm hopeful my next batch

 won't suffer the same fate.

Happy Birthday Mae!

Yesterday, my studio pup turned 2. 

It's hard to take a photo of an almost all-black dog! She's a wonderful, brilliant standard poodle with a white stripe down her chest like she's wearing a tux. (It's considered a flaw by the breeders. Hah!)

She's not a pot, but she keeps the potter sane!

Sign of things to come...

I'm finally going to put a little sign up outside the studio-gallery, so that people can see it from the parking lot below. Here are the pieces. I'll post the finished sign when it's hung.

I've resisted "marketing" to the stream of tourists who march past here. I'm tucked away, above a cafe and in back of a couple of gift shops. To tell you the absolute truth, I still get nervous when people come in the studio. On a weekend afternoon, I'll get three or four people an hour (or sometimes little groups of people who are shopping together).

Most often, they're just browsing and not buying. They flow in from the shops next door. (The shop owners actually send them back to me! I have great neighbors). It's really the only way to find me right now. 

Etching and underglaze

Here's the start on a series of decorated mugs. I did some bowls like this inspired by wildflowers that grow on the hills and bluffs near my studio in Cambria. A few bowl-buyers asked for mugs with the same theme...  So mugs it is!

Mugs

I've only had a couple of hours in the studio the last couple of days and been trying to replenish my mug inventory.  Here is the latest batch that will be etched and decorated tomorrow. 

Thanks everyone who weighed in on the crazing problem. Your input was really helpful. I'm going to re-fire soon and then take the next indicated step.