Clean Sweep

I do my best cleaning when I am expecting company. Is it the same for you? The accumulated dust and cobwebs get addressed, unfinished decorating projects get completed, languishing art gets rearranged and hung on the wall. It’s the same when I host an open studio. I do my best to keep the studio ‘clean’ and organized, but my creative area gets a complete overhaul and scouring when company is invited. 

Clay is a dusty business. There is no way around that, other than to try to continually clean up after a creative session. I learned that discipline first from my high school art teacher Winnie Owens. She was a stickler about cleaning up the potter’s wheel and tools after each session. It was a great habit to learn, especially when using a public creative space. 

I spent the past week mopping, dusting and organizing my studio into a sales space for my Open Studio on Sunday. It’s an opportunity to observe my ‘body of work’ that has accumulated over the year with a fresh perspective. I quickly finished some projects that needed a final touch, enjoyed the glaze combinations that have evolved over the year, and took time to admire the signature style I’ve created as ClayByLaura. 

Thank you for being my muse, my customer and my friends. I’d say it was a ‘clean sweep’ and I’m happy to open up my studio for you any time!

For What It's Worth

Value is something I think about often. Creativity and turning a lump of clay into a useful item requires skill, imagination, experience, and luck. Placing a monetary value on it all is the tricky part. What is it worth? How do we assess value? Sure, there are time and materials factors that play into the end equation. But it still gets back to value and what we ourselves are worth. 

A surprise snowstorm this past week was an opportunity to go off schedule, shovel, sit by the fire and slow down.

The holiday season, when purchasing takes an uptick, brings value into the forefront and can make or break all kinds of businesses. The pressure to sell and buy at this time of year is palpable. Bottom line, something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. A painting by artist David Hockney just sold for more than $90 million at auction. What dictates that value?

This year’s ClayByLaura open studio on December 9 will benefit Frederick’s Mom’s Demand Action For Gun Sense In America. Send me a message if you’d like more details. I’ll donate half the proceeds of all sales of these little dishes which can also be purchased on-line. Click on this photo to order yours.

As Thanksgiving rolls around at the end of this week, I believe it’s a good time to evaluate values. What do we value? Who do we value? Why do we value? Perhaps the bottom line to all of this is to ensure we value ourselves. When we do, everything else can fall into place. For what it’s worth, I am constantly working on my own self-esteem. How about you?

MishMash

Mishmash is the perfect word to describe what’s going on in the studio this week. There is a lot happening all at once. Several custom projects have been completed.  I’ve participated in two different Open Studio sales. Internet purchases are pinging my cell phone. And, I still want to be in the studio exploring some recent ideas. Probably lots of creative makers are experiencing this combination of controlled chaos in their lives as well. Maybe you are too!

Take a drive to this Open Studio and you won't be disappointed! Stacey Krantz invited a wonderful mishmash of area artists to participate in her annual Open Studio including me. Not only is her fantastic workspace filled with her own amazing creations, there are gifts galore to satisfy a number of people on your holiday list. I've already shopped there myself and made note of some more I'd like to purchase. I'll be in Stacey's studio this coming weekend -- so I hope you'll stop in and say hello.

The winter season is full tilt for many people who are balancing their regular life schedule with additional social events, home decorating, holiday shopping, family gatherings, special cooking and baking activities. It’s a good time to remember to pace ourselves, say no when it’s too much and choose to spend our time on what’s personally valuable. It’s different for each and everyone. 

Here's one idea that's brewing for me. After a conversation with a friend who was using one of the 'cake plates' I'd made for her many years ago when I was primarily using the potter's wheel, I started thinking about how I could recreate this popular item using my current hand-building methods. In between everything else that is happening in my studio, I quickly made a sample to see. It's a start and I already know how to make some improvements to the design. 

Embrace the mishmash of your life right now. Weed out what doesn't work for you. Think of ways to improve your experience. Try new things. And stay positive!

A Season Of Treats

Halloween kicks off a treat-filled holiday season tonight. These days, I think just as many adults garner pleasure from this dress-up candy-laden holiday as do kids! I think its safe to say we all love treats, so it’s not surprising that the upcoming fall and winter holidays are filled with special traditions, recipes and gift-giving. Each holiday has its own unique emphasis of associated treats.

Do you have a special pie you bake for the holidays? I'd love to know your recipe. Click on the image to send me one that would make this baking dish filled with just the right treat!

Special recipes are prepared in association with many of the upcoming holiday celebrations. These once-a-year treats are often shared with family and friends, building traditions to be repeated each season. Food is a great way to share treats with loved ones. How about sharing one of your special recipes with me? Click on the pie dish to send it to me!

The studio is filled with tons of gift items. I'll be in Columbia, Maryland on Saturday November 5 selling at a Holiday Show and then hold a special Open Studio/FUNdraiser in Frederick Maryland on November 12 to benefit our local Blessings In a Backpack organization. Click on each event to see more details. If you can't attend, remember you can always shop on-line or make an appointment to visit the studio at a later date. 

Gift-giving is another way we share a treat in the coming months. When we can indulge someone with a present that brings them pleasure – it’s a great feeling. It doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate either. Even spending time together is a treat. 

Over the years, I've created a new angel each season to honor my friend Patti Cain who died of breast cancer; I always donate a percentage of my proceeds to Breast Cancer Research, Hospice and Charity Organizations. This year I've developed an 'angel wing' . Each unique design can hang from the bough of your holiday tree or year-round in a place of honor to remember the angels in your life. Click on photo to order yours!

Then there’s the Golden Rule. Treating others the way you’d like to be treated is one of the best rules I know. This type of treat is one of the best to achieve. Kindness and how you treat others reverberates and multiplies tenfold.