End of 2010 Year

Thanks so much to everyone who supported Big Dog Pots this year. We were able to provide donations to the following local groups who work in our community:

Coleman Elementary
Emmanuel Episcopal Church - Community Outreach
Fauquier SPCA
Fauquier Habitat for Humanity
Grace Episcopal Church - Grace Food Bank
Fauquier Hospital Employee Crisis Fund and Patient Concierge Program
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Middleburg Humane Foundation

It is a wonderful feeling to be able to provide donations to such worthy groups.

Here at Big Dog Pots I am settling in for the long winter ahead. There are a few special orders that I have taken and will be completing this week. After that there will be a big clean out of the studio in preparation for the 2011 season.

I plan on taking some studio courses to improve my skills, branch out in the types of pieces I create, and also to be open to receiving new ideas and techniques.

Those pottery "Ah-Ha" moments are the best possible kind!

Due to some family celebrations next year, I won't be at the Delaplane Strawberry Festival. My entire family will miss being there, but sometimes extended family must come first. I plan on returning to the Festival in May 2012.

So, I am looking for some other shows to fill this void in my schedule. If you have some suggestions, please feel free to comment. All suggestions are welcome.

Also, sadly, Artrageous Studio in Middleburg is closing, so I will be in search of other galleries and venues which might be a good fit for my work. If you have suggestions or ideas, let me know.

I will continue to keep you all posted on all things MUD.

Wishing you all the best for this holiday season, and a healthy and happy 2011.

Mrs. Big Dog

Being Humbled...

Being a humble person is something most of us aspire to, being humbled is good for the soul. Well, I am not sure if I am a humble person, but I have definitely been humbled a time or two in my life. Pottery offers a whole new arena in which to be humbled. Both by people who pass your work by, and by those who are almost groupies!

I had both experiences in the space of a few days last week and it was an interesting pendulum ride indeed! First the bad humbling....I spent 2 days at an Expo show and really did just awful. I felt bad for the amount of time I invested, and my family invested by supporting me and being there. But it was a learning experience, and I certainly learned the lesson. This show was not artisan oriented and although the demographics were perfect, people came out with other items in mind. I literally had 100 or more people stop, look very carefully at all my pieces, ask a few questions, and yes offer compliments, only to move on with a "I will have to keep this in mind for a gift" for so and so.

On the other end of the humbled spectrum, I happen to wander into a beautiful gallery is a lovely little town in the vicinity of my studio, and after the owner had looked at my website, she inquired if I might let her handle a few pieces. It was like a breath of fresh air had lifted my weary sails.

I had been quite discouraged, but thankfully this lovely gallery owner showed some interest and my spirits were lifted.

When I returned home the positive vibes continued, my email box had 4 invitations to attend events where I hope to be well received.

So, you just never know. I just keep plugging on, and am enjoying the interesting ride. It reminds me of that line from the children's movie Nemo..."just keep swimmin', just keep swimming'". And I do.

To help me along as I navigate through the cloudy waters of potteryville, I posted the fish platter along with this post. It was the first time I attempted this particular platter. It was originally done for a tennis friend of my husband who is from NYC and wanted it for a bagel/brunch server.

It was fun to make, and I will have another go at it later this summer.