The Cost of a Cup

I was speaking to a customer at our sale on the weekend and was a bit taken aback by the comment that $10 for a cup is just too much because it is “just a cup”. Personally, I think $10 is a bargain. Let's say that I can make a simple cup (no handle) out of 200g of clay. This is the equivalent of .441 lbs. For arguments sake, let's say half a pound My clay costs about $26 for a 50lb box. So, the cost for the clay to make one cup is $0.26. The cost to glaze and fire this cup is based on the formula that the studio uses and it amounts to approximately $3. So, the absolute bare minimum that this cup would cost is $3.26. Nowhere in this figure is my time taken into account, or the overhead that I pay for using the studio space, the gas that it takes to get my work to the shows and galleries etc. I would say that to throw 1 cup takes me about 1 minute (not a production potter by any means). The trimming takes another 2 minutes, the glazing takes about 10 minutes and includes the waxing of feet, dusting of the pot, waiting for glaze to dry, wiping bottoms etc. So we are at 12 minutes for making and decorating (lets round to 15 minutes). The minimum wage is $9.75/hour in Alberta, so this would work out to $2.44 if I only put the same value on my work as that of a kid working in a fast food chain. The cost in materials and the making/decorating time (at the very least) is $5.70. The way I price my pots is based on the cost to fire and usually amounts to four times that cost, so in fact, the $10 cup, should be more like $12. So, when I have a conversation with a customer that thinks $10 for a cup is just too much because it is “just a cup”, I don't really know what to say. Don't get me started on matching sets. My personal belief is that sets should not be less per item than if you just bought one. So a set of six $10 cups should be no less than $60 and in my humble opinion, should cost a bit more. The effort to produce, by hand (not machine), a set of anything that perfectly matches is not simple. I can't blame the customer for thinking this though. We have been living in a world of mass production that has resulted in consumers that do not think about quality, only how cheap it is and can they get a better deal elsewhere. Pottery is functional, therefore it is not valued as a work of art by most people (unless they have tried to make it themselves and have an appreciation for the skill required).

Now, take that cup and add a handle. It is going to cost a wee bit more than $10. I generally charge in the area of $20 for a plain mug. The handle requires special attention, it is not just a strip of clay haphazardly squished into place. I pull my handles by hand, I don't extrude them, so this takes a little extra time and care. I then consider the mug and determine where it should be placed to have the right visual as well as functional balance. After attaching the handle, the mug is set aside to dry very slowly so that the handle remains an integral part of the mug and not a cracked mess. Do I consider the time it takes to dry these mugs under plastic for a week and then a few more days unwrapped to completely dry? Nope. If I am decorating my mugs, this will increase the cost a bit too. My black and white sgrafitto mugs take quite a bit of extra time.In fact, depending on the pattern, it can take upwards of an hour. I charge about $30 for one of these, so that means I am only getting $10/hour for that time. If I were to price my pots truthfully, they would be unaffordable and that is counter productive.

Tiny Wings, I curse you!!!

I have an app on my phone called Tiny Wings, and I have been trying to get to island 9 for like ever!!! I almost made it, I was on the cusp, and then I didn't.

UPDATE: I just did it, so I take back the curse, for now. The next thing I need to do is also proving to be a challenge, so the curse is still valid, I am just suspending it for the moment...

I should just work for dirt

Well, the tax man cameth and doth did taketh away. For various reasons, I owed a wee bit more in taxes this year. Let's just say that when I was laid off last January, I had to decide what I wanted done with my retirement savings that I had been accumulating with the company I was with. I could either take it in cash (less whatever tax they took off) or transfer it to an RSP account of my own. I mean, it was not a lot of money as I had only been on the plan for a year and a half. Well, I was a little short on funds and thought what the heck, I'll take the cash please. I invested some of it, I bought a new camera with a bit of it, and the rest has been sitting in my bank account (subconsciously I knew I would have to part with some of it, but was not sure how much). Also, I don't have taxes taken off my pay cheque from Ceramics Canada, so that had to be added on to the amount owed. Trudy, if you read this, you should just pay me in dirt, preferably with the sticks and rocks removed. Here's hoping that Saturday's sale is busy and profitable (aka breakevenable).

Digital Withdrawal - sort of

You know that feeling you get when you are leaving the house for the day? That feeling that you are forgetting something? Why do I never listen to that little voice until I am in the car and half way to wherever I am going (like work) and then like a bolt out of the blue I remember what it was that I forgot to bring with me. Today it was my phone. But it is not just my phone though, it is my watch, my camera, my photo album, my library, my alarm clock, my to do lists, my things to remember (ironic?), it is a whole lot more than just my phone. I am all for planned unplugging from the digital world, but when it is unplanned and accidental, it sucks.

In non digital news, I managed to price and pack most of my pots for the spring studio sale this Saturday. This is a rare occurrence. Not the sale, but the fact that I have priced and packed my pots a week in advance. I am usually doing it the night before the sale, which causes me to stay up late and then risk sleeping in. I have, in the past, actually slept in twice for the sale. I discovered that I can set up in 10 minutes, but am super crabby about it. If I am late, don't get in my way.

There is still a lot to do before Saturday, like getting the cash float for the sale, putting the sale accounting binders together, making sure there is enough paper and plastic for wrapping purchases, putting together a playlist for the music that will be playing in the background, pricing and wrapping the few odds and ends I have not gotten to yet, buying the coffee supplies and loading my car. The problem is that I will have to cram it all into Thursday and Friday night. I still have not done my taxes, so I have to do them tonight. I teach on Tuesday night and the taxes are due on Tuesday. I have a massage booked for Wednesday evening that will render me completely useless, so Thursday and Friday it is. I can probably get to the bank today, but all the other stuff will have to wait until Thursday and Friday. I am not the one heading up the sale, but these are the things I know that nobody is going to take care of or is even thinking of, so I'm it I guess. I could delegate, but it you want it done right, you gotta do it yourself.

I'm getting antsy without my phone...

It's all relative I'm afraid (AKA - I wish I had a Tardis)

This year is speeding by quite quickly, more quickly than I would like in fact. I think that the perceived speed that time passes is inversely related to the speed you wish it was going. If you want it to go quickly, it drags by and then when you really want time to slow down a little, it whizzes past you. There should be a button you can push for that...but now that I think of it, if everyone was pushing the speed up/slow down time button, things would get very confusing.

Anyway, it is almost time for the Fairview Studios Spring Pottery Sale. As previously mentioned, it will be on Saturday, May 4^th from 9am to Noon at the Canyon Meadows Community Centre (848 Cantabrian Dr. SW). I will have lots of salty pots as well as the regular cone 6 fare, including my new black and white sgrafitto work, among others.

Fairview Studios is also planning an OPEN HOUSE on June 8^th. More details will follow, but if you have ever wanted to see how pottery is made on a potters wheel, or wondered just what exactly a glaze is, then mark this date in your calendar. We will have lots going on, and you might just be able to take a little something home with you. I will provide more info after the sale.

More low fire porcelain

Before I left for Medalta I mixed up a 5lb batch of the 04 porcelain. This is what I did with some of it. I am going to fire a test with some different stains to see if I can get some colour on these pots. Otherwise they will just be white. Aside from the teapot, I threw a couple low wide bowls and a half a dozen tea bowls. I have another 5lb batch on the go right now too. It takes a while to get all the excess moisture out, so I will be wedging it on plaster for a while until it is workable.

 

Always learning, sometimes the hard way.

I spent the past weekend, from Thursday to Sunday, firing the salt and soda kilns at Medalta. I have posted a few pictures of the fired results and there will be more to follow, but I am going to wait for my new light box to arrive before I do. Anyway, there were a few things that I learned this weekend. First, we needed to introduce more soda into the soda kiln. Second, we needed to pack the soda kiln a little more loosely. Third, the salt kiln seems to fire very evenly but slower than the soda kiln. Fourth, we don't think many people drink wine in Medicine Hat. We did however pick up a very nice malbec at the Co-op liquor store (the lady there doesn't drink wine, she only reads the labels, so no help there unless you can't read, then she's your gal. Fifthly, I personally discovered that if you lean in too close when looking into the peeps, your eyebrows, eyelashes and the hair surrounding your face, will singe completely off. I lost half the length of my lashes, trimmed my brows, and now have a fringe of hair no longer than a centimetre at my hair line.

A few pots from Medicine Hat

The firing at Medalta was far from perfect but there were some pots that came pretty darned close. I managed to shoot a few good quality pictures before I came home and here they are. Overall I would say 1/3 crap, 1/3 good and 1/3 excellent.

Crippled

Susan and I arrived in Medicine Hat yesterday at 11 ish and were glazing by noon. It took us until 11:30 that night to get the kilns loaded. We turned the flames on low and went to the hotel. I took two robaxicets and fell into a coma. Just before I woke up this morning I was dreaming about glaze. I couldn't get it off my hands. Out out damn spot.....
We will be turning up the kilns soon, but first I need some nourishment.
Pictures will be forthcoming, but not till later.

Glorious or Gloriously Hideous

I leave tomorrow morning at 6:30am for the Hat. I have not packed a single thing yet (not counting pots and slips of course). I also have a massage booked for this evening, so I wont be home until 7:30 or so. I know, kinda dumb to book a massage the day before I embark on a marathon glazing/firing event, but at least I will be limber. I may need to book another for when I get back. I am taking almost every pot I have thrown since January as well as a couple flashing slips, some coloured terra sig based slips (green, blue/green, rutile & black) and a shino. There will be glazes at the studio that I will be able to use, but I have these on hand and can not really use them at cone 6 in electric kilns, so I am using them where I can. I am eager to leave and get started, but I am also thinking about all the work that this is going to be. I have approximately 100 pots to decorate, wad and load. Then there are the kiln shelves that will need to be scraped and cleaned when we are done. I am bringing a jumbo bottle of ibuprofen as well as a box of muscle relaxants. Perhaps a bottle of wine would be in order too.... It feels a bit strange to me to have not fired much in the way of pots over the last 3.5 months. All of my output has been geared towards the salt and soda firing this weekend. This means that I am risking most, if not all, of my near future sales on this one weekend. If something goes awry, I could have a load of crap. If all goes well, then nothing to worry about, but I come from a long line of worriers. I have almost nothing ready for the studio sale coming up on May 4th and if this does not go to plan, then I really will not have much to offer. I will have a quick refresher on how their kilns work (ie where the air is, where the gas is, etc, but then it is up to me to remember how we fired it last time (thank goodness for kiln logs and kiln gods) and what we might want to change based on the results from last time. To be honest, there are only one or two things I would change. I think we packed the soda a bit tight and I would cut back on how much soda we sprayed and increase the burritos. The spraying tends to cause the glaze to become a bit grey if too much water is introduced. It seems to trap the carbon in a not very pretty way. If we decide to stay with the same amount of spraying, I would increase the damper wafting and keep it open a bit longer in between applications of soda to clean up the atmosphere and brighten the colours and hopefully mitigate any greying of the glaze. The salt kiln (for me) gave results that I appreciated a bit more. I love toasty orange and brown orange peel. I love flashing too, and that will be more evident in the soda I think, but there were a lot of dry pots in the soda compared to the salt (from the over packing I am sure). I hate this, I keep thinking about what could be and then in 3 days I will be confronted with what is, be it glorious or gloriously hideous. I will take lots of pictures and maybe some video as we go and I will try to blog a bit as well (back pain permitting). We also have a visit planned at Plainsman too, so perhaps we can fit that in at some point on Friday (?)
Here are some pics from that first salt firing a couple of years ago during the coldest weekend that year in Medicine Hat, so cold it froze my power steering. This weekend should be tropical in comparison.

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go....

Well, my pots are packed at least. There are only 6 sleeps left until I leave for Medalta and it will be a weekend of extremes. Susan and I will be arriving in Medicine Hat around 10am on Thursday next week and right away we will be madly decorating our pots and loading the 2 kilns at the end of which we will probably fall down in exhausted heaps. We will fire them on Friday, so there will be periods of inactivity and then frantic salting etc. Saturday will be our down day while the kilns cool. Not sure what we will get up to, but we will find something to occupy us I am sure. Sunday will undoubtedly include both the excitement and anxiety of the unknown (think of Schrödinger's cat) and then when the kilns are opened and all possible unknown results are fixed with our observations, we will probably shed a tear or two over the pots that did not make it. I am sure however that there will be lovely results and hopefully the keepers outweigh the crap. Here are a few pics of what I am taking. These are by no means all of my pots, but they do represent a fair chunk.

Catching up

I have been a little distant lately. My apologies. Here are a few of the things I have been up to or that are going on. These are not in any chronological order, just the order in which I sent the pictures to blogger. First, we have some tea bowls. I threw these for the studio Open House coming up in June. We want to have a raku demo during the day so I decided to get these out of the way week or 2 ago. I had a bag of raku clay kicking around. I am not even sure where it came from. It has been sitting on my shelf since the studio moved locations 4 years ago. Needless to say, it was hard as a rock. I soaked it in a bag of water that I submerged in a bucket of water and then dried it out on plaster once it was all gooey. I did not relish wedging up a zillion little balls of clay, so i just threw the whole lump on the wheel and started throwing off the hump. I got about 25 tea bowls from the one bag. They have all been bisqued.

Next we have some really good ribs that I made. These were pork side ribs that I marinated for 24 hours. Here is the marinade recipe as far as I can remember. juice of 3 limes, a little balsamic vinegar, some olive oil, worstershire sauce, 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped, ground pepper, cayenne pepper, onion flakes, ketchup, fresh thyme (rough chop, brown sugar. Then I steamed them in a tinfoil lined pan for 2 hours in the oven and finished them under the broiler for 5 minutes.

Finally I have a shot of my crazy amaryllis plants that I started from seeds that I got from pollinating a store bought amaryllis about 6 years ago. If you ignore them for about a month in the winter and don't water them, they will flower (seemingly overnight)

Sucking is good

This is so true and applies to all things in pottery. I find that most new students have an expectation of perfection that is dashed quite quickly. If they can accept the element of suck, they usually can stick it out and become sorta good. It then follows that being sorta good is the first step towards being great (hopefully).

The Zombies are Coming, The Zombies are Coming...

I woke up with a start at 6:30 this morning. In my dream I was running away from zombies. They looked pretty fresh, no body parts falling off yet. But they were after me, so in my dream wisdom, I hopped into an elevator to get away from them. There was one woman who was not a zombie, and we got in the elevator together. As the doors closed, that is when I woke up with a jack hammer in my chest. The Zombie Apocalypse is not the best way to start the day. I wonder what the shelf life of the average zombie is? I mean, they are the walking dead. Bits are going to fall off. Eventually they would just be a non threatening (albeit disgusting) torso. Easy to run away from a torso I bet.

Biding my time

As of yesterday there are only 4 more weeks to go until I pack it all up to go to Medalta for a salt and soda firing and I have 1 more load to bisque before then. I am also still teaching on Thursday nights, in addition to my regular Tuesday nights. I have been doing so since mid February and will be until April 18th. As yesterday was Thursday, I was teaching, but only 3 students showed, so I did manage to get some work done. I have been fooling around with hand build platters made on an oval hump mold. I have been extruding long fat coils of clay and creating abstract patterns on the mold and then smoothing the backside with ribs and or paddling with sticks. I took down the first one I made as it was the driest of the 2 that I have made so far and began slathering on some underglazes. As these are very experimental for me, I thought what the heck, I will throw some caution up into the wind and see where the pieces fall. My plan was to apply different layers of colour and then erode through them once dry to reveal the different layers as I artificially weather the piece. Like layers of paint on old furniture, or those gobstopper candy's with the multi-coloured layers that slowly reveal themselves as you suck on them. I do remember trying to fit one of those into my 6 year old mouth once and it got kinda stuck. I had to suck my way to freedom or risk suffocation by choking the stupid thing.


Anyway, back to the pot. I opened up my pint of red velvet underglaze that I had purchased in Lexington back in October and to my horror, there was a big glob of green mold sitting on top. And the smell....it was definitely gag inducing. Seeing as how it cost me a bit of money, and I can't readily acquire these underglazes here, I used it, but man was it stinky. The other colours were OK. The yellow had a mild fishy smell, but no mold.

In other studio related news, the Fairview Spring Sale is swiftly approaching. It is on Saturday, May 4th this year and as always, it runs from 9am to Noon at the Canyon Meadows Community Centre. Fairview Studios is also going to have it's first ever (that I know of) Open House. I think I somehow got elected leader for this one. I will be sending out more information as it becomes available, but I can tell you that if you show up on Saturday, June 8th between 11am and 3pm (5650 C Burbank Rd. S.E.), the studio will be open to the public to check it out and see what we do. There will be a raku firing with little take away tea bowls for those that show (first come first served), coffee and snacks will also be available. The volunteer students for this event will also be selling a few pieces of their work. The idea behind this event is to make more people aware of our existence and hopefully attract new students. It is tucked away in a little industrial area and doesn't get any foot traffic. So if you have ever wanted to try pottery but did not know where to go, or if you would even enjoy it, this would be the perfect opportunity to see the studio, meet the instructors and students and ask questions. Any and all are welcome to attend this event. More deets to follow.   It has been snowing on and off for the past 2 days. We reached 12 above on Tuesday, but then plumeted down to -11 on Wednesday. I will be really glad with spring finally takes hold and doesn't let go. Hopefully before I go to the Hat.

Just a little snow

Well, I guess March decided to come in like a lion. This was the view outside the studio yesterday at around 11 am. I got up early and left my house at 8:00 to go pick up some stuff I had in the wee little test kiln at Ceramics Canada and the snow was not too bad. When I got to the studio at 9 I shoveled the entrance but within a few minutes you could not tell. I packed it in shortly after taking this picture and just went home and watched movies instead.

I'm in the 21st century now

This little doodad came in the mail yesterday. It plugs into my iPhone and lets me swipe credit cards. So now when I have a customer that doesn't have cash on them, I can take their plastic. I will take cheques, but I have run across a few people that actually don't know how to write them.

Getting Ready for Salt

I have been throwing cone 10 clay almost exclusively since the end of December in preparation for my upcoming trip to Medalta in April to fire off their salt and soda kilns. I have made a lot of stuff in that time, but I am in that place right now where I don't know if I have made enough, or if I have made too much. Each kiln is 20cu feet and I am splitting the firing with my friend Susan (aka Sooooozin). So I have a full 20cu feet to fill, plus all the extras like on bag walls, the space under the bottom shelves etc. The end of my last bag of clay was actually where I started to make really good pots (I hope – I still need to trim them). They are gnarly and full of texture just waiting for the salt to juice them up and soften all that craggy goodness. It would be ok if the kilns were here, but alas, they are 3 hours away and I need to transport them down there, and if I have left overs, I really can't do anything with them except wait for another high fire opportunity. I think I may just go for broke and make as much as possible. If I have way too much, then so be it, at least I will have lots to choose from. I got a bit stuck on the sgrafitto, so there is a LOT of it, but everything from now on is plain old clay that will get flashing slips or shinos.

Other than that, a few students and myself are going to put together an open house sometime in early to mid June to help boost the enrolment at the studio. It is located in an industrial area in the city's south east and the feeling is that some people are put off by the location. It is not in a trendy area with lots of cafes and boutiques. It is not in a residential area either. It is in a light industrial/business park area and because of this, we think that some people are nervous about it. It is not a bad area, it just isn't very busy at night, and it can feel a little isolated. The building is a Quonset, and that may not give it a very homey feel either. But you take what you can get in this town. Rents can be a bit steep for small business owners, let a lone a pottery studio owner. If we have an open house in June on a nice sunny day, when the birds are chirping, then we can open up the very large overhead door to let as much light in and make it look inviting. We can have demonstrations going on throughout the day with perhaps a stinky raku demo to attract the pyromaniacs and give away small raku bowls to the attendees. I really hate doing raku firings, but it does have that WOW factor as well as immediate gratification. I always go home feeling like I have been camping and sitting around wet smokey fire pits, but without the added bonus of smores. I usually also look like a bit bedraggled, my face is all red, my hair usually gets a bit fried from looking into the kiln to check glaze melt, and some article of clothing always gets a burn mark or two. Ya, raku and me are not friends. So, if we blitz our FB friends, our twitter followers (of which don't have), our personal e-mail lists etc, as well as advertise in all the free weekly magazines we can, then hopefully we will have a good day. If nobody shows, then it will just be a regular day at the studio. More on this to follow.

New Pots

Here are some of the lastest from the kiln, but more are to follow, I just ran out of time to take the pictures. All but one of these are in Centenial Gallery. The one that did not make it had a few small chips out of the foot.

As you can see, the foot has a few chips out of it.

Technology is like Frogger

Keeping up with the pace of technology is like playing a game of Frogger. If you get lazy, or think you don't need to keep abreast of new tech and the inherent changes that invariably happen, you will get squashed like the little frogger by the big TECH Mac truck, or if you are too afraid to even try to cross the Tech highway, you will be left behind and never get to the other side. BTW, there isn't another side, the lanes are endless and the traffic is ceaseless.


In an attempt to help prod the fearless leader of Fairview Studios into the 21st century, I have taken on the task of learning about using a smart phone as a credit card terminal. You might think that this would not be a big deal. If so, you apparently have not met our Fearless Leader. Only recently did he get a cell phone and by cell phone I mean a flip phone that only sends and receives phone calls when the phone is turned on, which it rarely is. Texting is not in his vocab.

The way the studio accepts credit cards is archaic to say the least. Do you remember the way we used to do it? Before swiping? That's right, we run the card through a card imprinter. The cost for using this is huge compared to what these companies charge.

I did some research on various companies that provide this service and I have shown him that he can save approximately 40% on the cost of taking credit cards, but he is still confused. Especially when I tell him it is free to sign up and that the device that swipes the card is free and there is no monthly fee (how can that be? he says). In an attempt to make this clearer, I signed myself up. I really should be able to take credit cards when I make sales, instead of hoping a cheque clears or having to delay a sale to wait for the customer to get money. Not many people carry money anymore. I like money, but it is a pain to have to always go to the bank to get it when you can whip out a credit card or a bank card and be done with it. So now I can track the cash and credit transactions and get a clearer picture of how my own pottery sales are doing instead of just blindly feeling my way along hoping for the best. It is a good thing pottery is not my main source of income.

Long story short, once I get my own little card reader, I will be able to take credit cards.

The moral(s) of this story? Don't think you can ignore technology, and when an old fart asks you to help, take a deep breath and count to 10 when their eyes glaze over in confusion. Don't get frustrated, just have patience because this could be you in a few years if it already isn't.

Fairview Studios Spring 2013 Pottery Sale

I know it's a bit early to post this, but I see that some people are already searching for this information when I look at my blog stats.
The Fairview Studios Spring Pottery Sale for 2013 will be Saturday, May 4th.

Wants, Wishes & Dreams

How does one achieve their dream(s)? I really have not got a clue. I have a vague, fluffy, romanticized dream which I can not see coming to reality. In this dream, I kinda know what I want, or sort of., these wants change regularly, but the core wants remain the same (mostly). The conflict within me is that the dream, to ever become a reality, does not dovetail well with my personality. I like the idea of the dream, but to get there I would need to change (I think). I think I need constancy and reliability (who doesn't?), but my dream, if it were to ever come to this side of the looking glass, would probably entail a certain element of uncertainty.

So let's lay it out.

My airy fairy, pie in the sky dream is this. I want to have my own personal studio (& show room?). I don't think I would want it in my home though. Right now, I couldn't do that due to space limitations. But I also know that if I did, I don't think I would have the self discipline to put the time in and not get distracted by household matters (ie: a good movie on tv, food, sleeping etc). So, this imaginary studio would have to be at least a few minutes away from my house where the temptations of being a sloth were not temptingly nearby. Once I get stuck in, I'm good to go as long as there is some music playing in the back ground. Often, as I drive around town, or walk around my neighbourhood, I try to envision myself in some of the retail spaces. I would need to be in a trendy part of town, not too industrial, and definitely not residential, unless there was some element of artsyness and had a good “cool” quotient. Also in this dream I would have a gas kiln dedicated to salt or soda firing (this would probably never happen what with the city bylaw restrictions on things like air pollution etc (I know city hall employees wouldn't understand the need to have one)) and at least 2 electric kilns (front loaders would be nice, but not necessary). I already own 1 electric wheel, but hey, I could always use another, or even 3. Maybe even a Leach treadle wheel for fun, but probably just a show room vase holder. This space would be (in my minds eye anyway) split front to back. The back would be the making area with a ground level loading door for easy unloading of clay and other materials. The front 1/3 to 1/2 would be a show room with a bit sectioned off for the packing etc, but there would be easy access to the back so that the “hoards” of customers would be able to watch me throw if they wanted. I have not cloned myself though, so this would require some thoughts on how to run a show room and an operating pottery by myself. I don't think I could deal with an assistant, that would require paying them and then all the associated headaches like payroll deductions etc. In the back there would be dedicated areas for wedging, throwing, glazing, glaze mixing & ware storage (ie pots waiting to bisque & glaze fire). The floors would be concrete, but sealed for easy clean up. Counter tops would be stainless steel and there would be a good sized sink with a clay trap. If enough room was available, then I could even think about a plaster room for mixing and making plaster molds, but I know nothing about mold making, so that would be a tentative want.

Now that I have laid bare my secret dream, the things holding me back are these:

I like a steady income – not so sure that a pottery in the inner city of Calgary would or could turn a profit, or even break even for that matter. My mortgage company also likes it if I have a steady income, not to mention the bank where my car loan is, my credit cards, and other things like that.

There is also the fear of failure and filing for bankruptcy. It is kind of funny though. I have known or heard of so many people who take the plunge into large projects or owning their own business without thinking farther than the end of next week and then of course fail when reality steps in and throws it's weight around. I on the other hand probably think too far into the future. All the “what if's” are imagined. Like “what if no one likes my work?”, or “What if I can't pay the bills?” etc.

It appears that I am an artist trapped in a practical person's body. I am fairly sure that this dream will never come to fruition unless I were to inherit gobs of money from a long lost relative (all the not lost relatives are poor), or win the lottery and my chances of that are less than being hit by lightning.

I could also look at it this way. I work so that I can pot. I pot in a place that is almost like a private studio except for the 50 or so people that also use the space and that I don't own it. I am there when I am not working or sleeping. In fact, I spend about 18 hours a week at the studio, 15 of which are dedicated to my own work. I would get a whole lot more done if I didn't also work 40 hours per week at my regular job. I might also get a bit more sleep, but probably not.
I know it's silly, but a dream is a dream, and if I can't dream, then what's the point? Also, if I don't put it out there, then how will my long lost relative with lots of spare cash know where I am and how to find me?

Back to reality. I unloaded the kiln on Tuesday, took a bunch of pictures last night and took a few pots down the Centennial Gallery. I will take more pictures tonight and hopefully get some of the ones I kept out of Centennial onto Etsy as that particular shop is bare. So maybe some pictures tomorrow?

One more thing - As I wrote this, I envisioned my realtor/mother (one and the same) reading this. So before you ask Mum, no, I do not want to move.

That Was Exhausting

I taught my regular Tuesday class last night and it was jam packed (14 people I think?) In contrast, I taught on Monday night, and there were only 5 people there, 2 of which are taking some time off to have a baby and were only there to finish glazing their pots. I like teaching smaller classes, but of course, that doesn't keep the studio doors open. Fairview Studios is in fact looking for more students as enrolment has been down for quite a while. This past summer we dropped the Wednesday night class as nobody was showing up. I know we would like to bring it back on line, but the demand has just not been there. Hint - if you are looking for classes and you live in Calgary, check Fairview out.

I can usually deal with large classes, but I had a couple of fairly new students, and I had to do 3 demonstrations when normally it is usually just 1. First the throwing demo (normal), then I had 2 new students from last week that needed a trimming demonstration, and finally I had students that had yet to glaze anything so they needed a glazing demonstration. I usually arrive at the studio at 5:30pm right after work so that I can get a few of my own things done before class begins at 6:30, and then I can usually continue to work on my own stuff throughout the class in between the odd question. Not so much last night. I was going to load a bisque last night, but that definitely did not happen. I will see if I can load it on Friday and glaze on Sunday. I really need to get some work finished to take to the galleries and complete commission work etc.

Work in progress

Lately I have been working on a few different things in the studio. I have begun making for the salt and soda firing in April, but I have also begun to experiment with a low fire porcelain body. I mixed up a 5000 g batch of this "porcelain" and threw a few little cups and even constructed a small teapot to see how this body throws and fires. Kurt Weiser talked briefly about this when I saw him at the workshop in Lexington, but only talked about it as a good formula for making beads etc so I was not sure how it would throw, if at all. The recipe is 50% New Zealand Kaolin, 50% frit3195 and an addition of 2% VeeGum by weight. It fires to cone 04, but just to be cautious, as the test kiln seems to fire a bit hot, I only took the first firing to 05. As you can see from the first 2 pictures below, it is quite translucent. I did not glaze them either, they became quite glossy on their own (although a bit pebbly in texture, I am hoping it will smooth out at 04). Nor did I stilt them. Although the "clay" vitrifies completely, the placing sand that I set them on buffed of with sand paper to reveal a satiny smooth foot. The rest of the pictures are just more of the sgraffito work I have been obsessing over.

Help an artist save his eyesight

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when a Canadian Citizen has to raise money to save his eyesight. What ever happened to universal health care?

Check out this campain and if you are able to help I am sure it would be appreciated.
http://igg.me/p/221310/x/2079866

Ouch!

Too many days spent with hands in wet clay leads to this....I think I need some hand lotion!

Large teapot continued

A while ago I posted a out a customer that is looki g for a large tea pot that would hold approximately 12 cups. After many back and forths on size shape and colour, this is what I came up with. It hold 11.5 cups or so and requires some muscle to pick it up when full, hence the extra lifting lug on the front. I have yet to hear back from her if is acceptable or not, we shall see. In the back groundw are the last batch of mugs with the black and white scraffito decoration.

A Christmas Orphan

Last year I was a Christmas orphan for the first time. My parents decided that humid Hawaii would be a better place to be than cold Calgary and they did not get back until after the new year. We had a pre Christmas dinner before they left, but it was not the same. My Cousin took pity on me and invited me over for their Christmas day dinner, but still, not the same.

This year, they decided to go on a Caribbean cruise and will not be back until late on Christmas Day evening. I had no plans, and wasn't really looking for anything to do. I don't mind being alone, I can do whatever I want, like go to the studio, contemplate the universe, eat cookies, watch movies etc...But last night one of my students asked what I was doing for the holidays. I made an offhand comment that I was not doing anything as my family was mostly out of town (not sure what my sister is doing). Later that evening, one of my other students, who joined up with his daughter, invited me to his family's house for dinner. I couldn't say no, being the charitable time of year, so I accepted and now I will have turkey.
When I got home, I got a message from my Cousin asking if I wanted to come over Christmas eve, and so now my calendar is full and I am no longer a Christmas Orphan. Now I just have to think of what to give these people as a thank you for including me in their holiday goings on. Good thing I make pottery.

A Weight has Been Lifted....Hallelujah

...Wait a second, nope, that was the stove shaped albatross. I had the junk removal dudes come by on Saturday to take my extra stove away as well as all the detritus on my patio. If you have ever wondered (although probably not) how long a person could live with a stove in their living room, then I can honestly say that 1.5 years is about as long as any person can stand it. I know, 1.5 years. It just flew by though. One minute in August I had 1 stove, the next I had 2, throw in a generous helping of procrastination, and you have 1.5 years of living with two stoves. It was pushed out of the way and was partially hidden under assorted pieces of pottery. It was as if I had an installation art piece in my condo that “...explores the human condition through it's dependency on electricity and lays bare the divide in western culture between function and art by juxtaposing the sad stove and hand made functional art....” or something. But really, it was just that I am hardly ever home during the day, and am often not home before 9:30 pm during the week and I am lazy (Sorry Mum, it's true, but I think you knew that already)

So Saturday was a write off, I worked until 3, went to let the junk guys in at 3:30 and that was pretty much it. Sunday I loaded a glaze with all those cups in my last post as well as a few other pieces and lots of other student work. I threw half a dozen mugs, slipped and scratched a bowl with a geometric pattern on the outside and my new Dr. Seuss inspired Who House motif on the inside, worked on a commission for another ceremonial firebowl, put a tea pot together and finished trimming a low wide bowl/plate. It too will be destined to have the Who Houses on the inside.

On Saturday I also took possession of my new tungsten carbide trimming tool and a 20kg bag of New Zealand Kaolin. The trimming tool is fantastic, but it will take me a bit to get used to it. I think it requires the pot to be a little drier than what I am used to trimming. The Kaolin will be something for me to play with over the holidays. I am going to try combining it with frit to make a low fire, highly translucent porcelain body. I am not 100% sure what I am going to do with it yet, but once I get my hands in it, the ideas will come (I hope).

Mugs, mugs and more mugs

These mugs and an assortment of bowls, plates and vases that were done in the same black and white sgraffito decoration were bisque fired on Sunday. I will be glazing them tonight. There are a couple in there that were done with a deep red terra sig slip and I have no idea how it will come out, so I will have my fingers crossed for those. I tried layering the red and black on one mug as well. I am really liking some of my designs, some not so much. One in particular is sort of an accidental homage to Dr. Seuss. It ended up looking like the houses the Who's live in. You can see the "Who" mug in the last picture front and centre.

Hoarding – a Confessional

Ok, so I am not as bad an actual hoarder, but I can see that I have certain tendencies in that direction. I also work best when faced with a looming deadline. So, with those 2 things in mind, I booked an appointment for the junk collector dudes to come around to my condo next saturday after I get off work. They are going to take all the detritus off of my patio and a stove. A stove you say? Yes, a stove. My mother, in all her best meaning motherness, foisted, I mean gifted the stove that she did not need anymore after my parent's renovated their kitchen a while ago. I'll grant you that it is a much better stove. It is a ceramic top, it self cleans etc, but I knew that the old stove would become an albatross around my neck. My mum seems to recall offering to take the old stove away but that I refused the offer. I however recall that they dropped the stove off and left like jack rabbits. I tried to get rid of it the cheap way by calling scrap metal guys but no one seemed to want it, or if they did, it had to be outside.

Long story short, I have been living with this stove pushed up against my wall between my kitchen and my living room for more than is mentally healthy. I broke down the other day and booked a pick up time with the 1-800GJ? guys for next Saturday. I will now have to pay to have it removed, but in the long run, who cares, I will get it out of my house and I can begin thinking of new furniture. I really really want to change my living room, and this will let me do that. The sitting furniture is staying, but the shelving is changing (I hope). The only snag in that plan will be to see if I can hang the wall units that will be affixed to to the wall above and behind my new sitting area by myself and if my skills are up to the job so that they do not come loose and concuss or kill me while I am sitting in the “new” sitting area.

So, there is a lot going on, and hopefully these new improvements will help me achieve a new level of unhorderliness. So let the purge begin. I hope the dumpster out back is empty, because I am going to fill it up.

Retired

I have come to the conclusion that there is a massive cosmic imbalance. At least in terms of the number of flat tires I have had and had to change when compared to the rest of humanity. I could understand it if I drove through fields of rusty nails and broken glass, or was a maniac with a blatant disregard for curbs and speed bumps etc. However, I am a normal person, I drive on paved roads, I do the speed limit (mostly) and I don't go off-roading and 4x4ing across curbs and cement barriers. Friday was, I'm just guessing, but at the very least, it was probably the 8th flat tire I have had over a period of 4 cars. I have driven 5 in total, but strangely enough, the little '82 Dodge Colt did not get a flat, at least while I drove it. Everything else was wrong with it, but never a flat. Anyway, in an attempt to be somewhat proactive, I got a couple of “new” all seasons put on the front of my car last Tuesday. On Friday I drove into a parking lot not 500m from where I work and got a flat tire. To top it off, it was really cold last week. My fingers were like chunks of ice by the time I was done changing it. Oh yeah, I was in boots with skinny little heels on them, so it was as if I was standing on my toes the whole time. Not so good for the calf muscles. I almost had a charlie horse in both legs. A lot, if not all, of the other people I know have never had to change a flat, or even had a flat tire for that matter. It can't be some kind of Karmic retribution thing. I mean, I think I'm generally a nice person, I'm polite, I don't get angry etc etc, so that can not be it.

Anyway, while pondering the injustice of it all, I left work early to get my flat fixed/replaced. Turns out that I had picked up a screw. I thought there was a strange vibration that morning, so it was probably slowly losing pressure, and the balance was thrown off . They replaced it for free, so that was great, but not how I wanted my Friday to go. I guess the upside to this story is that if you are ever with me in a vehicle, you know I know how to change a tire. I can do it fast too. Unless it is -15 and snowy and wet, and then I'm a bit slower. With all these flats, I have learned a few things. I have learned that there is no cell phone coverage on the Trans Canada Highway in between Lake Louise and Banff; long haul truck drivers don't stop for nothin', at least not a single woman on the side of the road trying to change a tire; old farmers eating ice cream will give you a hand even though they look frail enough to blow over in a light breeze; and the police officers in Calgary will give you a hand when it's -24 and the cheap !!@#ss tire iron your car manufacturer provides wont cut the mustard.

So there you go, if you have never had to change a tire, then you should thank me, I probably picked up your slack.