I've worked for over a month, off and on, doing a sculptural female figure. Lots of time-off during the holidays, then mid-January I came back to the BM studio to work. I only put in an hour the first few days I got to work (there were about 4 days that the studio was closed).
Then I finished the work, and am waiting for her to dry. As this happens, some small fractures have appeared, so this is not only a slow process, I'm doing some repairs with vinegar while waiting. Thanks to AJ for showing me how to use his little "rubber eraser" type tool. I'm calling her the Queen of Heaven, since she's different than all goddesses I've heard of, has wings, wears a crown of flowers and stars, and that's the name of the class I'm co-teaching right now.
In the meantime, I'm throwing with this same clay, the low-fire earthenware. I liked it for doing lots of sculptural things, and am just finding out how it throws. Pretty well, and since it's low fire, I'll be using store-bought glazes. But it does have a nice pure white body when it's fired to cone 06-04...much like porcelain, but of course not quite as vitrified (though it has had some ping when I've used it before).
The other good news is that there's a date and time set for the Raku class, which I've been waiting to take. Whoopee. I remember doing Raku in class at UF, and did several pots which are still around somewhere (I think). I enjoyed seeing DeSoule's workshop, as well as all his rather wonderful work...so I'm just hopping up and down like crazy.
Though there are more potters per square inch (mile?) in North Carolina, I feel pretty good about myself. I'm gladly tossing away the pieces that aren't good enough. Tai would be proud of me, because last year I would keep just about everything. Perhaps his influence has rubbed off. Or perhaps I'm tired of having all those mediocre pots lying around...some of which went to the hammer, and are now on the bottom of the fish tanks...and some are nice enough to be boxed up because of emotional attachments.
I hope someday to have a special part of my home to display just a few pots nicely. Not today however, cause my home is the most neglected part of my life right now. If it were my kid, they'd take it away for not caring for it enough. Something about householder identity crisis...or just laziness. Hopefully with Imbolc, I'll be more interested in my environment. Freezing cold must also contribute to it, because I do wish I could open a window to have fresh air sometimes.
OK, enough just talking to myself. There's only so much self-serving I can stand!
