New Pots!

Here are some of my latest pots. I'll post pictures of the installed BFA exhibit this week. 

Glaze Glaze Glaze

Three days, two firings. 

Here are some plates and bowls I worked on tonight. I'm pretty sure my plates are going to split in two and/or warp severely during the final glaze firing. 

Got a ton of glazing to during the next couple of days. 

Porcelain Problems

This year, more than ever, I find myself leaving the studio very frustrated. This irritation stems from a combination of things, yet the most apparent is because of the many technical difficulties I've experienced with porcelain. The type of clay I am using throws b-e-a-utifully but it is extremely temperamental. 

It's difficult to join things together. Even under slow drying conditions, handles literally rip off the body of the pot (pulling with it, a chunk of the original thrown form). These issues I've been having with porcelain, along with general 24-year-old-artist thoughts/questions/concerns make it difficult to work or produce anything I somewhat like. 

In order to deal with my frustration, I've been doing a lot of stream-of-conscience journaling.  I find it helps me process these in-the-moment, passionate "I hate art" emotions. Written words are safe. No judgement. 

I had a rough night in the studio yesterday, so I wrote when I got home. As expected, I turned off my conscious mind and woke up refreshed, carrying only subtle, residual thoughts from the previous night. 

Today I threw large forms and applied some slips. Overall a productive evening and the Black Keys helped me stay up beat. 

New Pots! 3/23/13

Reflecting

I was sitting on my front porch at dusk, catching up with good friends, when I noticed something. Gnats. Hundreds of them. Ew.

My usual repugnant fly-related thoughts slowly dissolved in this delightful moment. They were so beautiful at a distance, glowing in the fading sunlight. Hundreds of tiny glittering, airy specks, fluttering in and out of appealing patterns. How graceful. 

This sighting triggered images of photographs by Dutch artist, Sebastiaan Bremer. His work is incredibly captivating. I often feel an inexplicable deep relationship with photographs; whether a personal connection exists or not. 

And those flecks....How? How can something so simple add so much? So much playfulness, wonder, and mystery.

I'd say some of current pots contain a few glowing gnats.