Today is the first day in a LONG time that the weather prediction is under 100 degrees--it is to be 99 degrees today. Moreover, we got a little rain last night. When I stepped outside after dark and it was cool--for the first time in a long time I thought of sitting outside for a bit. Oh, gosh, we are eager for autumn! What a long HOT, DRY summer it has been.
I like to tell myself that is why I have been in such a funk lately. I threw a couple pots last weekend and have not done anything since. My studio is air conditioned and I have running water there--I know how lucky I am. But I just can't seem to make myself get out there and stay out there long enough to get some work done. Besides, I'm not trying to make a living, this is supposed to be fun. So my hope is that it is the hot, dry days that have taken their toll on my spirit and with the coming of more accommodating weather I'll regain my enthusiasm for my clay work.
As I leafed through the new Ceramics Monthly yesterday, I began imagining work I WANTED to make! That is a good sign. I even got out my studio log book and began sketching some of those images so I would not forget them. I don't sketch my plans for work--or anything else! So it was quite remarkable that I was doing that. Don't you think that portends a renewed enthusiasm for studio work? Stay tuned!
6 comments:
Yes, it's supposed to be fun indeed so get out there when you feel like it. Autumn is a good time to make some pots. If not then, winter's all the better. Have fun sketching in the mean time and enjoy that 'cool' spell.
It has been a long hot summer. We have the addition of smoke from the fires in California. I am very ready for Fall
OK Ron, thanks for the support! I am on my way out there right now--with my picture book in hand! Ha!
Dirt-Kicker--I tried to look at your blog but it appears that it is not ready for visitors. Right? California has so many advantages it is easy to think I'd like to live there--but I could not do it for fear of the coming earthquake and then those horrendous fires. Good luck with your blog--and with your life in beautiful CA.
Gay -- There are so many times in my quest to make great pots that I've been totally uninspired & just stopped for awhile. I would reach a plateau in my learning or become frustrated -- and I would need to step back - do something else & then slowly work my way back to my studio.
Two things that helped me were to just go out to my studio and clean -- before I knew it I would be making something in clay. Another thing that would help is to look at good pots -- online or visit an exhibit.
Your work is wonderful & I understand the glaze frustration. I had a friend who glazed totally in white for a spell - just to work on form & she then moved on to glaze testing.
Ron & John's Mastering ^6 glazes is a good book to work through as well. Finding a base glaze that you can add colorants to or do line blends is also a good way to work with glazes. And if I can be of any help don't hesitate to ask.
And of course having that Texas heat gone is a good thing.
Judy, That's what friends are for--Thank you very much! I did some work yesterday--have pots that need to be trimmed right now!
Hi Gay, I sympathize with the heat, we've the same thing here; after I get through watering, I don't have any energy to make a thing or even fire the kiln because it's so hot. We're always over 100 here in summer. The other thing I notice for me is I wanted to move so that was draining my psyche, plus my studio was full of spider webs - Judy is right I finally got around to cleaning them up and now I feel like going out there. I do make drawings in the evening and have so many now I'm not sure I'll ever make them all. I read clay blogs and go to exhibits, and that really inspires me. Then I take photos of nature. I've been seeing there is a pattern to creating in clay, a flurry of making and then a big lull of rest - take it easy when you can - the lull is part of the creating too.
Post a Comment