A new way of walkin'

When I was raising the kids I would stand with them at 8:05 and wait for the bus and zip up to the studio to have pots on the ware boards by 9 o'clock. My clay was wedged,weighed and by my wheel the day before. I always knew what I was making the night before. In those days I kept track of what I would need for the beginning of the summer season and made to a list. 50 casseroles, 500 mugs, 100 pie plates or whatever had sold the season before. I only made and bisque fired during the off season. My goal was always to throw at least $1000 worth of pots in a day. For those of you that think that means 365 times $1000 I got news for you. I'm glad I started off as a production potter. It was good training for my life now. Today I didn't get to the wheel until noon. Emails, groceries, unloading the car of clay and gallery returned pots, a bike ride, and boxing some pots off to Colorado and Indiana. Suddenly in March my world became a whole smaller and yet now I have to figure out how to make my market come to me and not me to them thus making my world larger. For the last 7 years the road has been my salvation. It took me away from the solitude of the basement studio, the small town without a book store or a good coffee shop. The road took me to old and new friends scattered all over North America and beyond- Japan, China, Wales, England, Italy and Korea. Now the road is closed.

Here is what I got done in about an hour and half of throwing. 24 whiskey bowls, 18 mugs and I torn up some porcelain to dry out for the making of my thick slip to demonstrate at the Makers Meet on Sunday. If you are able to make it I'd love your company. I miss y'all. Even if you go to another Church other than the Church of Clay with pastor Anthony Clennell you can watch it for 2 weeks thereafter. You just won't be able to heckle me during the presentation.

Hope to see y'all on Sunday. Be well my brothers and sisters of Clay. T