Friday, June 24th National Take Your Dog to Work Day

There has been a lot of discussion in pottery circles about having a dog, or other pets in the studio with you. There is a great deal of concern about having our fluffy friends spending so much time on the floor of a potentially caustic environment. Although, I do not use leaded materials in my studio, I am sure that just based on the amount of dust and dirt, and general mess that accumulates in my studio in an average week, there is room for concern.

Now with two new puppies in my life, I am readdressing the issue. I spoke with a potter in North Carolina while in her studio, and I was struck by how CLEAN everything was! Now, I am not the cleanest potter in the world, but this was SUPER clean. I asked her how she did it, how did she keep the environment SO CLEAN.

Being that I was not asking about POTTERY secrets, but CLEANING secrets, she "came clean" with ALL the information (you potters out there know EXACTLY what I am talking about here).

She used a wet/dry vacuum and then a steam cleaner for the floors. So wanting to be just like her, I purchased a steam cleaner. I must say, it has done a great job of helping me to keep the studio floors cleaner.

I am not as anxious to have my wonderful pups in there with me now. I have great cross ventilation, an air purifier running 24/7, and I am not steam cleaning my floors in addition to regular vacuuming with a HEPA filter.

So, I feel confident to post, that on Friday, June 24th, my two wonderful puppies came to work with me. Of course they come everyday, but I thought I would be like everyone else, and have them come on the one day that they are socially expected to be there.

Do you bring pets to your studio? How do you prepare the area for them? Do you have concerns about materials in your studio? How do you clean your studio? All comments, suggestions, concerns are welcome!

Vessels

Vessels.

This word just does not sit well with me. I know it has a particular meaning, and when mentioned in "pottery" circles, those involved know right away what you are referencing. But to me, it is just a "too much" type of word. Maybe ostentatious would be more like what I feel when I hear it. I just get that "turned off" feeling.

Yes, I know it is an ancient word, with many and varied meanings, but I just don't use it. It isn't a comfortable word for me to use about my work.

There are several other similar "pottery" words that I do not feel comfortable using like "ceramics", "artist" and others. To me, I am a potter. Plain, simple, no big words, just mud.

Here are some holders that I made for my niece's wedding. In some circles they are vessels, in my world they are holders. They hold air, food, flowers, or whatever someone would like to put into them.

I was generally pleased with how they turned out. They were all first attempts and as such, ALL of them I would do differently a second time around. But all in all they held the flowers well.

The New "Big Dogs"

Here they are! Max and Daisy joined the Big Dog family the first week in May. They are litter-mates and are ADORABLE! They came from western Virginia and all of us here at Big Dog Pots are completely in love with these two Schnorkies (Schnauzer/Yorkie mix).

It has been 20 years since we have had a puppy. So even though we are a bit rusty, it is all coming back to us.

These two are keeping us busy and entertained.

We just completed a 1200 mile trip to a family wedding and they came with us and did very well.

We are lucky to have a professional dog trainer close by and will begin our "puppy training" with her later this week. We have never used a professional before, so we are hopeful that these two pups will have an extraordinary beginning.

More on the adventures of Daisy and Max will follow.

For now, I will say that Max appears to be settling in as a perfect Studio Dog. He follows me everywhere and when I am in the studio, he curls up next to me.

It is wonderful to have a new buddy in the studio.

Spring

Well, it seems to be official around here. Spring has arrived. The daffodils are blooming, the crocuses have come and gone, the tulips are popping up, the forsythia are in full glory, and you can hear the chirping of birds in the woods.

Some of my trusty perennials have popped back up and I am already using their leaves for some Spring pieces.

This was my first "chip and dip" piece, and it flew off the shelf at my last show. Happily it landed in the possession of a new and great friend. Happy dipping! You know who you are :).

Spring is a calmer time around here. The real mad dash comes in the fall. So for now, I am enjoying the relative calm.

Some self imposed stress, I have agreed to begin teaching! FUN! I am starting in June with 2 classes. One for 5-8 year olds who will be doing some hand building; and one with 13-15 year olds as we explore just how muddy we can get on the wheel! I am gathering ideas and supplies for both these classes and am trying to find some great summer ideas for us to work on.

PLEASE, send in some suggestions for projects for these age groups. I have several, but I hope to have a handy "idea book" and am always interested in adding new projects.

If all goes well, teaching will become a new addition to the Big Dog Pots studio as I hope to continue to teach a few different classes in the fall.

Check out the class listings, and if the schedule works for you please sign up. Watch for upcoming classes here: http://www.fauquiercounty.gov/government/departments/parksrec/

Enjoy the arrival of Spring. Soak in all that GREEN.

FOUND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is OFFICIAL, I AM that crazy old lady who calls up a hotel to find out what plant that is that is planted just outside of the front entrance! MANY, MANY, thanks to Larry at the Bell Hop desk at the Washington Duke Resort in Durham, North Carolina. I was there yesterday for a family brunch, and upon leaving the Resort, THERE it was. MY mystery plant.

I first encountered this little number in Topsail, North Carolina, a few years back while on vacation. I "borrowed" a number of leaves and they stayed alive for over 6 months in a pitcher of water in my studio. I created a number of bowls and GIGANTIC serving trays using these fabulous leaves, but I could not determine what it was.

Mystery solved! It is a Fatsia. A Japaneese evergreen shrub that may actually tollerate being planted in Virginia. I am going to contact my local landscaping buddy to see if she can get me a Fatsia of my very OWN.

What a way to welcome Spring!

Thanks to Larry, thanks to my local extension office, thanks in advance to my secret landscape buddy, thanks to everyone who contacted me trying to help me identify this leaf, and mostly, thanks to my husband who has put up with my QUEST to FIND THAT LEAF for the past 3 years.

I am at peace, finally.

First Show of 2011

Well, we got our feet wet for 2011. We were at a great fine arts show last weekend and it was a nice success. It was our best spring show yet. So we are optimistic about the rest of 2011. We are in the process of submitting applications for a number of shows. There are a number of new show venues that we are trying this year, and based on how we did last week, we are headed in the right direction!

In the Kiln Today....

I got back into the studio in earnest over the past few weeks, and I am at the point where I will fill my kiln over the weekend and officially begin the 2011 year. I have also started a pottery workshop with a local artist on wheel work. While I don't want my work to look "overly perfect", I am interested in learning more about the wheel so that I have more options to offer that aren't "overly perfect"!

The picture shows a slew of pieces, some hand built and some wheel thrown that are in the starting gate and await the beginning of the firing cycle.

I will post more pictures of these pieces once they have completed the process.