Pottery Classes

Almost a new year and a new session of pottery classes. Sign up for pottery classes for a New Year's resolution! Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new! It is so fun!

The Old Furniture Factory in Round Hill, VA
www.theoldfurniturefactory.com
Home of the Round Hill Design Center, ceramics and pottery demonstrations and classes, and Blue Grass Jam Sessions. Round Hill Arts Center founded here by Carolyn Kruger and Wallace Johnson.

Pots and People

I worked out at The Gateway Gallery all day yesterday and was fortunate enough to sell several pieces of my pottery. I left at the end of the day so excited and feeling very connected to my community.

When you sell work at a gallery, you more often than not, do not get to meet the people who buy your work. When you sell directly at Art Shows and Festivals, you meet and speak with every single buyer. I love this connection, and meeting the people who admire the work enough to purchase it. I love to hear why they like the piece, or who they plan to give it to, or where and how they plan to use the piece. Sometimes, they even share, what recipe or food they plan to serve in the pot - How yummy!

I met everyone yesterday, spoke with them in depth and loved hearing the stories of who they plan to give the piece to, and why they were drawn to that particular pot. I chuckled to hear one lady explain why she planned to give a porcelain bud vase to her daughter. The vase has an intentional bend to the left as it swirls to the top and she said it was "perfect for her daughter because she likes everything a little off kilter!"

How joyful that the woman "got" my intention in bending the top of the bud vase, making it perfectly imperfect! And how wonderful that she could relate it to her daughter's personality!

Reflections

I read a great article today about looking back at your creative business year and taking stock of your achievements, goals,challenges, etc. Where you are today and where do you want to go for the upcoming year. It has been an interesting exercise.

I have so much to be thankful for and it has truly been a transforming year. This time last year, my husband was unemployed in the worst economic job market in our time, and our family faced extreme uncertainty. I was working for someone else making their art, not mine and things looked pretty bleak. Well, we hung in there with a lot of prayer, hard work and some tears here and there, but we have found ourselves at the other end of that dark tunnel looking up at bright skies.

I am making my work again, teaching, and getting involved in the arts community. I have made some wonderful new friends and feel truly connected to some really great and inspiring people.

I do have some big projects and goals for 2011. I have to get more organized and be better about follow through in order to achieve these goals. I have to put myself "out there" which always involves some successes but, inevitable rejections as well. I have to fine tune my equipment and glazes and re-focus on my "voice" and what I want to convey through my work. Most importantly, I have to slow down and focus on quality work.

I continue to find so much inspiration from teaching, and hope to continue my adult and children's classes. Self-discipline is ever at the forefront of my mind. I have to harness my energy and make it work for me so I can work smarter and regularly. Having a studio in my home is such a blessing, but as anyone who works from home knows, you have to be very self regulated and not get distracted.

I am very excited to get up and running with my website and online sales. I am hopeful, some of my old clients from Charlotte, and South Carolina, as well as some of my old Ohio friends will better be able to access my work. The phenomenon of social media has done so much for connecting people and I feel that 2011 is going to be a great year in regards to the increased interest in local handmade artisan work.

Whooo.... Looking forward to 2011!