Showing posts with label dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Happy Holidays 2012

Elf Daisy

Santa Max
Happy Holidays From Big Dog Pots!
Wishing you all the best this Holiday Season and in the coming New Year.
We give thanks as we end enter our 6th year
for the friends and family who have graciously supported our efforts.  We give thanks to all who give their time, energy and spirit
to the protection, care and love of animals everywhere.
Consider adopting your next pet, 
change a life forever.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Back to the Studio

Back to the Studio as the official first days of Fall approach.  I have lists of things I want to try, new materials, new textures, new glazes.  I was awake early this morning and preparing some special orders for firing.  After a brief delay due to some strong storms headed our way, these lovely pieces should be packed and ready for their "forever homes" by late Thursday.

In the meantime, more custom orders have arrived.  Some from my new ETSY shop, some from local customers who are beginning to make their own holiday lists and are checking them twice to make sure they are not naughty, but NICE!

Exciting to have several new BIG DOGS to add to the "exclusive" Big Dog Pots club.  I LOVE it when I am sent a picture of a dog who has received their new bowl.  It almost reminds me of how I felt years ago when I had 7 puppies to find good and loving homes.  Each time one of the new owners sent me a picture of the puppy all settled in, I knew I could take a deep breath because that soul had found its loving home.

Although finding a dog bowl a new home, or a set of pendants, is certainly not on par with the responsibility of finding a new puppy a home, my reaction is very similar.  When I get a picture, I know the piece has arrived safe and sound and that it will be well cared for, and enjoyed!

So, thank you to all my new BIG DOGs out there, and enjoy your new pots.  Long, healthy and happy lives!

Back to the studio for some late night glazing.

Monday, August 20, 2012

ETSY

After taking a break of several years from ETSY, I decided to go back and try again. I will admit, I am computer and internet challenged. ETSY, does make certain aspects of running a store very easy for the novice, but I still find it daunting and challenging. I am a child of the '60s and '70s and not a computer whiz kid. So, I have done my best. Please have a look around my ETSY store, and let me know what you think. You can comment thru a "convo", send me an email, or even go to my new Facebook page and make a comment there. See www.facebook.com/bigdogpots.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

FACE



PHEW!! It is wicked HOT here. All these triple digits are squashing my creative spirit. I have taken a short recess from the studio while some pieces are drying and while I am waiting...I have started to go back through some old videos and books about pottery. These are things that I bought a little while back.

When I first looked at them, I didn't quite understand what they were saying to me. Now with a few years under my belt the "tips and tricks" are making more sense. I will be giving some of them a try in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, here is a sweet face to keep my place until I get back to blogging again!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Patriotic



The holidays we celebrate as a Nation during our summer months are all patriotic. Memorial Day, July 4th, and then Labor Day. It is a fun theme to work with in pottery. I have found a wonderful screaming bloody red that I love to use in combination with a wonderful eggshell white and royal blue. The three together give me consistent "WOW" results which I love. I am busily getting ready for my first show at an Expo Center. Those of you who have done this before, let me know your thoughts, suggestions.

Over the weekend, I was approached to sell my pieces in yet another new venue. It looks to be a very lovely way to sell some of my pieces, and I will let you know more, when I know more. For now, enjoy the Big Dog shown here. The picture was taken on the 4th, the dog was part of a float in a 4th of July parade.

Overall, I would have to give him a grade of A+ for patriotism!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Knowing When to Say Goodbye....


Animals have been a constant in my life. Looking back to my youth, I found refuge in their unconditional love. In my young adult life, they were my trusted companions. In my mid-life, they helped to keep me young and engaged in the realm of "wonder". Watching my dog or cat move, react, respond, answer, relax, or any other number of ways always catches my attention, and makes me consider what they are thinking, and why they are doing what they are doing. When I apply my own interpretation to whatever they are doing, I feel even closer to them.

Over the past 25 years that I have been married to my husband, we have had a total of 6 dogs, 4 cats, 5 gerbils, 1 squirrel, 1 bird, 1 rabbit, and several fish.

This week we said goodbye to our dog Billy. He was about 13 years old, had been a resuce, and had been abused in the first half of his life. We had had him for about 7 years, and as I liked to say, he was having a good ending.

Now, you might wonder what in the world this has to do with pottery. Well, Billy was my constant companion. He was always with me, or near me. He liked to be in the studio, but he LOVED to lay underneath the floor of the studio, right under my work table. We would talk to each other while I worked, and I could hear his tail wag and tap the ground underneath me. He knew what "go studio" meant and would wag his tail and follow me out the back and down the short path to our respective spots. He under the studio, me inside.

It is always a hard thing to know when it is time to say goodbye. Even in the midst of providing your animal that last moment of love and affection, you still question is this the right thing to do? In the end, when you look back on their physical state once all is said and done, it becomes obvious that perhaps you should have done things sooner.

Billy was a sweet soul. Rarely barked. Always happy to meet a new friend, or greet a returning friend. Always just around, but never overbearing. He had very soft ears, and loved to have them rubbed. We miss him, but we knew it was his time, and we were glad that we could be holding him and telling him "good boy, we love you" up to the last.

We brought Billy home, and we have buried him by my pottery studio. I think he would have felt happiest there.

So this post is for Billy... we miss you already...peaceful journeys.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Notes to Self...


Well, I have some time on my hands as storm #2 begins to pound away outside. Unfortunately, due to a LOT of snow I haven't been able to get much pottery done. My first show of 2010 is March 20th, and I am realizing, that that is just not that far away.

Things in general have started "OK". Some wheel work went surprisingly well, but seriously, it is so hard to work without hot water and have to rely on a hose in 30 degree weather.

Oh, well, potters are notorious for being independent problem solvers, so I guess I glided through that issue and have the bowls to prove it!

On the down side, I had been in LOVE with a very flowing glaze combination that when done looked like a river! I thought I would give it a go on a verticle piece. Note to self, when a glaze looks "flowing" it is probably because it DOES. Luckily, I have found a great use for the pot as a brush holder. I get to enjoy it, and have learned from it at the same time.

My dog Billy is getting old. what can I say, he was a rescue, we love him, we are keeping him company but there will be no heroics, just a sweet, loving goodbye when the time comes. I have had 7 dogs, some for more than 15 years each. I think it is very interesting that the ones that I have had since birth are the ones which have really bonded with me and my husband. Just an observation.

Billy is a funny guy. He doesn't bark. He was abused before we got him and trained to go outside right after he eats, but when he needs to go outside, he will just stand by the door, not saying a thing! Note to self, don't go to the studio to work after feeding the dog...remember to let him out! And yet, he survives us!

Here is that pot I glazed vertically and the evidence of my mistake. Live and learn! Hopefully, when this snow finally ends, I will be able to get back to the mud big time. I am beginning once again to feel the pressure!