Busy day in the studio

I decided to do a series of hearts, something a bit different for me. I'm usually not drawn to something like that, but I started thinking about them over the holidays and had a few ideas I wanted to try.

I made "heart attack", "heart of steel", "cut to the heart", "twisted heart" and others... I plan to get out there again Thursday and improve on the designs, expand on the ideas. I'm not exactly sure they'll be suitable for Valentine's Day giving, but maybe I'll try a few more traditional offerings. I'm not a very traditional type person.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, no clay. I'm taking my three nieces shopping for Christmas and to lunch. Looking forward to seeing them (and my sister). I'll slip out to the studio for a few minutes though, have a few pieces that are under plastic, drying slowly that I need to check on.

I also made a couple of vases today. If you've read my previous blogs you know I'm just not the kind of person who can do one thing over and over, even if there's some variation. I had enough of hearts after a while, took a break and tried something else new. I like the way one piece turned out. I think I'll do a few more in the same line. It's sharper and more linear than some of the work I've posted on any of the slides you've seen (assuming you've looked at my work on Facebook and / or my website).

I have a tendency to do things you're not supposed to do when working with clay. When I first started playing with clay my mentor would tell me I couldn't do something or other... I'd do it anyway, knowing what I wanted. Knowing that what I wanted to do wasn't supposed to work made it a challenge.

I made some interesting "mistakes" that I still own and like. Quite possibly someone teaching art would turn up their nose at some of them! I won an award from a group of artists and instructors for a piece one year. At the next show the judge, a college art instructor, sneered at the piece... Turned out if it wasn't wheel thrown she didn't like anyone's pottery, but still it shows that art truly is a personal experience.

One of the beautiful things about pottery, or any art for that matter, is that it continues on long after a person leaves this earth. Looking at artistic creations tells you a lot about the person, their soul, their spirit. Given the names I gave to pieces of my heart series I have to wonder what it'll tell people about me!!! Nyahhh, ha, ha, ha, he, he... twisted she must be...