notes from the clay studio
I sent my friend in Puerto Rico a mug for his birthday. I packed it as well as I could, and was glad to hear it arrived today, in one piece. I think his dog Marta likes it – gotta luv that dog. Her expression, which I’ve seen many times before when she happens upon something that delights her, is priceless. Next time, I’ll have to send a dog bowl – that should really get her excited!
The peapods I was working on last week have been glazed and fired, and a few of them are now available for purchase on my Etsy store.
A dozen birdhouses – thrown, altered and carved – now drying on a shelf in the studio. The plan is to get a few of these up on Etsy next week.
This is a set of plates that I threw yesterday, using the technique Scott Reed from Createniks demonstrated in a video he posted on his blog a while back. They aren’t quite as good as his, but all I need is a little practice. I have two friends I’ve promised a set of plates to, and this style will be perfect for the glaze I have in mind. Hope you’ll like them, Meryl and Colleen!
The shows are over, and the quiet winter months working alone in the studio have arrived. I use this time to catch up on projects that get cast aside during the busy holiday selling season. Like making peapods, for example – things that are whimsical and don’t necessarily have a function, take a little more time to make, and are truly a labor of love. Rolling out the peas, one by one, although a monotonous task, is actually meditative. And wrapping the balls in a thin layer of clay is quite satisfying – like bundling up the little peas in a cozy blanket. Then the finished pod gets a few twists and turns, which creates a hint of animation. It’s play time for grownups, for sure.
However, peas in general, go a little deeper for me. My father grows them in Oregon, and I remember as a child, in the summer during harvest, he’d drop off a few bundles of peas still on the vine on our front lawn every day after work, and we kids would go a little crazy scrambling after them, they were so good to eat – almost as sweet as candy. During harvest, he still drives around with a load of peas in the back of his pickup. After all these years, I’m glad there are some things that never change.
This is a photo taken a few years ago, of my father and brother sitting on the tailgate of his pickup, and my husband and daughter perched up on the tool box, with a load of peas between them.
Shelling peas, drinking soda, and shooting the breeze on a sunny afternoon. What could be better?
Before I was a potter, I was a painter. This is one of my favorites: an oil pastel of a giant peapod, and I mean, GIANT. The finished size ended up being about 3 feet tall.
It seemed quite natural that when I switched mediums, I would then go on to make peapods in clay. It’s a task I look forward to, especially now when our local CSA has asked to carry them in their new little farm store. It will be a good place to showcase them, and I think they’ll fit right in. 
Colleen Kidder and I hosted our 3rd annual studio show and sale this past weekend. Colleen’s studio was beautifully set-up as always. As soon as our visitors walked in the door, these framed little bright green trees were the first things people saw, setting the stage for holiday shopping.
A cozy corner that just called for settling down and reading one of Colleen’s art books. She has an amazing collection.
A set of my cups lined a shelf in a cupboard.
Besides painting, Colleen displayed her sachets, earrings, and necklaces.
A buddha sits peacefully, watching over all of the activity. A big “thank you” to everyone who stopped by and helped make it our best studio sale to date. We’re already looking forward to next year’s!
My daughter asked me recently, to make a toothbrush holder for her dorm’s bathroom. Seven girls, seven holders – hope they like it!
Olde Ipswich Days is one of my favorite craft fairs of the season. It’s in my home town, I get to see tons of friends, and I have a lot of fun watching people get really excited about all of the seconds I save for the entire year, just for this show. If you’re out and about this weekend, please stop by and say hi!
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