Sending off

This month I ended up taking more time away from my studio than I expected. It’s not just that my space is so chilly that I have to warm up any clay I want to use the night before by our wood stove. There were many things that were neglected in our home for months which needed tending to. And for the past two weeks, I’ve been spending as much time as I can with my fiancé who is about to leave for Germany for about a month for medical reasons. So needless to say, my etsy shop and overall business are put on a hold a bit until I help him get on his way. Maybe I’ll get into more detail in future posts, but for now, here’s a picture of the area he’s going to… right in the Black Forest.
And a nearby town....love the red roofs.
Starting next week, I’ll be back in the swing of things both by posting on etsy and finally back in my studio making new work.

Regrouping

We're still in a major cold spell in the Northeast. Today my studio was a chilly 48 degrees, making me happy that I have a part time job in a warm comfy building as my day job. I usually slow down production in the winter since my studio is cold and it's hard to want to roll out icy clay. I look forward to this time of year as much needed time to regroup.
And that starts with a major cleaning. This year I went especially crazy and things from years ago. This is a box of pots I am letting go of representing college years to the present. I used to just purge them by smashing them, but my fiance is much more practical and doesn't see the point in creating more waste in this world. So he's going to find homes for them, just not ours.
I had planned on firing a bunch of heart trays and tags in time for Valentine's Day.....
But instead of pushing through another kiln's worth of work, I'm deciding to wait and use this time to experiment with new forms and to search for some glaze colors I've been wanting. In the meantime, I have lots of work to post from the last firing I did the end of last month. Here's a preview.

I'm back.

What a busy few weeks it's been. I had hoped to post before the holidays, but never had the time. Can't wait to get back to my studio and start to experiment with some new ideas. But, here's a quick recap since the last post. I took a complete vacation from the studio, the first in a long time.
First came over a foot of snow.
Then there was a frenzy of wrapping gifts and packing. All leading up to a lovely Xmas with my fiance's family. I love the little elf figurines that were uncovered from John's grandmother.
A few days later we were off to spend time with my parents. Another wonderful trip. Lots of food, some beer, family, and cookies. Did I mention cookies? Ever since I can remember, my mom and grandma have made tons of them. And not to break the tradition, my grandma made trays and trays this year along with her special Hungarian poppy and walnut rolls. Here's a look at some of the goodies I'm trying to resist gobbling down.Last night settling back after a long and filled few weeks, we lit a fire and had a bowl of hearty soup loaded with chard, zucchini, chickpeas, and rice pasta and a nice chunk of bread with brie. It feels good to be eating healthier and back to my normal diet again. That is after all the cookies are gone. Hope everyone had a joyful holiday season!!