I Hate When That Happens...

Comedian Billy Crystal used to perform a funny sketch on Saturday Night Live where he and Christopher Guest would compete with each other about painful things they would do to themselves, always ending with the laugh line “I hate when that happens…” The images they conjured were awful, but we laughed. Fast forward to our current news headlines and that catch phrase from the past takes on a whole new meaning to me. I hate when this happens. 

Daily knitting results in finished projects and the anticipation of creating more.

I have lots of time to think in the studio while I have my hands in the clay-making process. I often say that art is my personal therapy. Hate is such a vile and powerful emotion that I try hard not to dignify it with any wasted energy. Instead, I focus on its opposite — Love— and try to embody that in every way. But hate exists and is fostered and emboldened when we tune it out or ignore it. I hate when this happens. 

My Annual Open Studio Sale on December 9 this year will benefit the Moms Demand Action local chapter. I have created a special little logo dish to sell at this event. Keep your eye out for details.

What is the solution? How do we tamp down the hate and return to compassion? We begin by watching our own language and actions. Are we contributing to the problem or combating it? For me, I think about the people and icons in my lifetime who have embodied love and kindness and try to emulate their example. Anger begets hate; love disarms it. Be kind to one another. I love when that happens. 

Fall Into Place

The transition from summer to fall officially began this past weekend and the cool rainy weather in our ‘neck of the woods’ underscored that changeover. Pumpkin-inspired everything has been evident everywhere in the build-up to the season, so it’s not a surprise that fall is actually here; I welcome the change of seasons, but also mourn the loss of the preceding time of year. 

Pottery is a messy business every step of the way!

My studio has been in fall and winter preparation for weeks. I have self-imposed deadlines to create the pieces I plan to make and sell for the upcoming holiday season. Part of this busy pressure is an attempt to space out the timing of clay production so it doesn’t all crunch together the week before a scheduled show or target date. I am ahead of schedule, but for some reason I’m still experiencing the pressure. 

Exploring new shapes always helps balance the repetition of making familiar shapes. Im testing out these new vase forms in the studio.

I think stress is built into the nature of creating pottery. It is an art form requiring attention throughout a long making process. Each step has it’s own pitfalls. Experience helps me avoid these common clay hazards, but from start to finish (at least a two week process), there are many stages where things can go wrong. That contributes to the pressure build-up in making art out of clay. 

Luckily, my years of clay-making have also taught me in the end that everything tends to fall into place. Planning ahead, sticking to a routine, brushing off the failures, and embracing the process all help me achieve my goals. Then it’s on to the next one!

Show Of Hands

The set of ‘tools’ I repeatedly use in all my creative endeavors are my hands. I don’t often think about them as tools, but they are an integral part of the process when I create. Examining them closely, I see all the wrinkles, close to the surface veins, unkempt nails, and emerging age spots. Working with clay takes a beating on my hands, but for me it is well worth the trade off.

Examining any aspect of our life or body part close-up can lead to a negative focus. Minute details that are blown up and out of proportion can hang heavy and make us lose sight of the big picture. It can even go a step further when we compare those attributes to someone else and think others are better. 

Today is the start of the Jewish New Year called Rosh Hashanah. It is an important start to the religion’s high holy days of atonement ending with fasting for Yom Kippur. It is a time to reflect, offer forgiveness and move forward. I like that idea and believe it is an opportunity for all of us (even non-practicing Jews) to think about and contemplate because we are all in this world together. Saying we’re sorry for what we’ve done wrong, hoping to do better next time and offering forgiveness to ourselves and others is a good goal. 

I attended the opening of a group show at Frederick Community College this past weekend. I'm one of six incredible female artists; the assembly of our art envisioned by the show's curator, Margaret Hluch is a testament to the vastness of creativity and artistry in our world. If you live nearby, take the trip to see it over the next month. You will be glad you did!

For now, I'm thankful my hands help me express me.

D.I.Y.

Do It Yourself. I try to live by this credo. It happens naturally as a maker of art. I use my hands, experience, knowledge with a dose of experimentation to create. In the matter of life skills, I work to accomplish a certain amount of self-reliance too. I can’t replace the brakes on my car like my neighbor just did (he said it was easy — just a matter of four bolts!), but I can pick up trash along the beach to be helpful to the environment, replace a minor broken part of a toilet or phone the county to make them aware of excess roadwear from constant construction trucks rumbling through our neighborhood.

I'm sewing again. I was encouraged to practice making this pattern on material I already had in my stash. This way, I can confirm the proper fit, buff up my seamstress skills and familiarize myself with the pattern before attempting it on the newly purchased (slightly more expensive) fabric. It was great advice. I now fully trust I can successfully make another (even better).

Have you watched the new crafting competition show 'Making It" on television? I've enjoyed seeing the imagination, creativity, and variety of skills the artists unfold during each episode. Risks are encouraged; the results are incredible! A DIY attitude can be quite fulfilling. It’s satisfying to complete a project or task on my own. Sometimes it takes just the right tools and a trip to the local hardware store. Asking questions and advice from other experts helps build my own confidence so I can achieve success. And if my first attempts are not fruitful, I try to learn from the experience for the next attempt. A ‘can do’ attitude helps me become less and less fearful of failure.

Any time I receive a compliment on a sweater I've made, it feels great. I enjoy the reaction I get when I say, "I made this"! My years of stitching yarn into garments is a DIY skill that has taught me tons of lessons. If I've made a mistake, or don't like how the pattern is progressing, I will rip back the offending stitches and begin again. I know I enjoy the process of knitting just as much as completing a project. And when I finish one pattern to then begin another, I want to wear what I knit and be able to say, "I did it myself".

I’m not perfect. It’s easy to fall into complaining and wanting someone else to solve a problem without getting personally involved. But if we all take some responsibility and do our part to DIY, it benefits not only us, but the greater community. What have you done for yourself lately?

Looking Back While Moving Forward

In and out of the studio this week, I’ve had the opportunity to revisit past career accomplishments, reconnect with people I worked with over 30 years ago and attend a Stanley Cup Final event after 42 years of rooting for the Washington Capitals hockey team. In each situation, I’ve been able to reflect how my past experiences have shaped the person and artist I am today. 

Attending Datatel’s 50th Anniversary party this past week was a fun reminder of my early communications career.  Writing, advertisement development, and inter-office employee communication skills were all part of my job at the early stages of this computer/software company. It was a nurturing environment which touched all of us who worked there. Creativity was encouraged and fostered. I know I use those same skills in my personal creative endeavors today.

It’s been fun to witness the Washington Capitals play in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Since my husband and my son have worked in the sports arenas where the team plays throughout the history of the franchise, I am a fan by default. I’ve attended games throughout those times, witnessed the ups and downs of winning and losing and am currently ‘rockin’ the red.’

One of the constants throughout my past career and Washington Capitals fandom have been pottery and knitting. The ceramics classes I took from master potter Cliff Lee more than 30 years ago while working at Datatel resonate with the clay artist I’ve developed into right now. Back then, I made pottery on the wheel and learned to be confident with artistic decision-making. Those lessons are present in my hand-built clay creations today. I've been knitting for about as long as I've had a hand in clay. A yarn project has accompanied me to many a sporting event throughout those years!

My signature today, still looks the same as it did back in 1982.

Perspective gives us a chance to look back at life choices and significant life events that influence current decisions and circumstances. This past week, I especially realize how lucky I've been to learn and grow from past endeavors. I understand now, it all boils down to the special people we encounter throughout these experiences that make them so significant. It was good to spend time with so many of those people this past week.

Adding and Subtracting

Although math and numbers are not my strong suit, addition and subtraction are skills I use regularly in my clay art and craft projects. A knitting project starts with one slip knot loop that develops into multiple stitches using various wraps of the yarn on two needles. As these factors add up, a garment is created. Subtraction in knitting is always a possibility; I’ve been known to ‘unknit’ or rip back hours of stitching if I’m not satisfied or find a mistake.

Clay creations develop in various added and subtracted layers too. I just installed this dog-themed totem at a South Carolina home. Several new pieces were added to an existing totem I'd created several years ago, replacing some that had taken a beating in a recent hurricane.  Clay-making requires addition and subtraction of clay to reach a desired look. Colors of underglaze and glaze are painted on and sometimes wiped away to achieve the desired surface. In some cases, I add other decorative materials after a piece has had its final kiln firing to make it complete. 

Adding and subtracting are useful life tools as well. Think about what you'd like to add to your life to make it better. More time with family? Additional career skills to help you move up the corporate ladder? On the flip side, subtracting is important too. Stripping away the negative life impediments will help all of us achieve some balance and make space for what's most important in our daily lives. If only this were as easy as 'frogging' (ripping back) a knitting project and knitting a garment one stitch at a time.

Take A Break

When I’m away from my studio I still like to create. I have a couple of projects I’ve been working on recently that use a variety of materials other than clay. These are more portable and utilize other creative skills. 

These special 'LUVBOTS' were developed for a Real Estate Agent to distribute to her own special client list on Valentines Day. Exploring other types of creative media helps me play with different elements that might one day end up in one of my finished clay creations. 

These felt ornaments will be embroidered and assembled for a special group of runners to commemorate the 2018 Raccoon Mountain Half Marathon in Chattanooga, TN. Each hang tag will be customized with the runner's name. When I can't work in clay, it's fun to figure out what else I can make and what materials I'll use.

Of course, knitting remains a daily creative habit. When I'm away from the studio, I make sure to have lots of stitching projects with me. I've finished this capelet project pictured above. Next, I and will start on a shawl by the designer Casapinka appropriately called "All Points South".

What Are You Craving?

It is officially Fall according to the calendar. The temperature today is expected to reach in the 90’s. There are still signs of summer’s growth in the garden, but the earlier darkness and carpet of dead leaves along my walking route signal inevitable change. I notice I experience different food cravings depending on the season. Does this happen to you too? I’ve been searching my recipe collection to help me decide on something different for dinner. At night, my sweet craving has been strong. I’ve sought to satisfy it with a slice of cake, caramel M & M’s, and coffee ice cream. Each has tasted delicious, but not quite satisfied that craving. Any suggestions?

I planted a set of flowers to border the stone wall of this backyard garden this past week. If you look closely, you'll see some of my garden totems in the far right corner of the photo. This garden evolves throughout the seasons with new plantings and garden sculptures (including many of my own)!

As usual, my activity in the studio reflects what is happening in my life. The glaze colors I choose are often more subtle. The shapes I think about making are for serving food and entertaining. Often I make a dish with a specific recipe in mind.

I’ve replenished my supply of bird feeders for the garden in anticipation of helping them through a winter season. I still like a pop of color in my yard -- no matter the season. I tend to make these pieces in bright colors year round. 

Tell me what you are craving. Are there certain recipes that come back into rotation for you this time of year? Is there a certain type of pottery you use over and over in your kitchen or when you have company in the fall? What colors appeal to you this time of year? All this information is helpful to me in the studio. It inspires me and helps the creative process. Click here or the photo below to tell me!