Write On!

Since February 18, 2014, I’ve written and published over 250 blog posts every Monday morning without fail. The goal was to document my clay studio life, express artistic ideas, gain valuable feedback from my readers and reveal a bit of myself along the way. Each one was vetted and edited by my husband, Barry before publication. This morning’s blog post will mark the end of the once a week diaries I plan to write. I do intend to blog when I’ve got studio news or artistic content to share, just not every Monday morning. 

Here are a few of the pieces I created in 2018. Several of them came from suggestions you made!

I’ve been away from new clay-making projects for the last week or two. The holidays, family visits, pottery sales and a deep cleansing of accumulated papers, paraphernalia, and collected ‘stuff ‘have been a priority. Going through, culling (my mother’s word) what’s still important, throwing out and reorganizing the bins filled with memories has been cathartic, revealing, comforting, and emotional. Some stuff is easy to toss, but not everything. 

See that little clay sculpture in the upper right-hand corner of this photo? That’s one of my first clay creations from the early 1960’s.

It’s been a great exercise of discovery, reacquaintance, and reassurance of the 62 year old person I am today. I’ve laughed, I’ve shed a tear or two, and I’ve narrowed down our family history into letters written and received, artwork, some collected memorabilia, and photographs. 

Over the years, I’ve made many types of pottery for daily use, special occasions and simply to help decorate. These are some of my favorites.

Writing has been and still is important to me. It is one of several tools I use to express myself. Pottery, knitting, sewing, polymer clay, and other 3D crafting all contribute to my creative body of work and make me the artist I call myself today. As this new year evolves, I plan to explore more and all of these ways of self-expression to scratch the creative itch I wake up with every day. 

Commissions have been a fantastic way for me to stretch my artistic muscle!

Thank you. Thank you for reading my weekly blog entries. Thank you for sending me feedback. Thank you for telling me how a particular post was meaningful to you. Thank you for purchasing my art. Thank you for suggesting new ideas to explore. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for listening — I think that’s the basic need every artist has. 

Do you remember these? I made these ‘LUVBOTS’ for my valentines in February 2014. They were the subject of one of my very first blog entries. As always, I love to hear your feedback. Click the photo to send me a message!

As my editor Barry suggested, here’s an appropriate sign off sports announcer Jack Buck used to say:

"Thanks for your time, this time; until next time, so long for just a while."

For What It's Worth

Value is something I think about often. Creativity and turning a lump of clay into a useful item requires skill, imagination, experience, and luck. Placing a monetary value on it all is the tricky part. What is it worth? How do we assess value? Sure, there are time and materials factors that play into the end equation. But it still gets back to value and what we ourselves are worth. 

A surprise snowstorm this past week was an opportunity to go off schedule, shovel, sit by the fire and slow down.

The holiday season, when purchasing takes an uptick, brings value into the forefront and can make or break all kinds of businesses. The pressure to sell and buy at this time of year is palpable. Bottom line, something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. A painting by artist David Hockney just sold for more than $90 million at auction. What dictates that value?

This year’s ClayByLaura open studio on December 9 will benefit Frederick’s Mom’s Demand Action For Gun Sense In America. Send me a message if you’d like more details. I’ll donate half the proceeds of all sales of these little dishes which can also be purchased on-line. Click on this photo to order yours.

As Thanksgiving rolls around at the end of this week, I believe it’s a good time to evaluate values. What do we value? Who do we value? Why do we value? Perhaps the bottom line to all of this is to ensure we value ourselves. When we do, everything else can fall into place. For what it’s worth, I am constantly working on my own self-esteem. How about you?

I Second That Emotion!

Topics for this weekly blog usually reflect life observations and clay studio experiences that bubble to the top of my awareness during the week. All of these experiences factor into my life and what I create in the studio. Feelings that are associated with art were front and center for me this week. 

I talked to a potter friend, Lyndsay, during the week about her tearful response when she encountered some pots made by renowned ceramicist Warren McKenzie. She was caught off guard by this reaction but also understood the power of the moment. In the best of circumstances, art can provoke a gut reaction.

Then, I experienced my own emotional reaction when I went to an acoustical guitar performance at the Unitarian Congregation I attended when my children were small. Entering that space and listening to the music unlocked a surge of feelings. Fond memories of meaningful sermons, the recognition that time in my life has passed and the pure enjoyment of live music all flooded together. 

What is it about art that can produce such visceral feelings? If you google “what makes art emotional?", there are lots of links to explore. Art is an expression of the maker that evokes a reaction. It doesn’t have to be complex. Art is really just another form of communication between people. Some artists may plot the intended reaction to their creations; I think most just want their art to make a connection with another person. 

Over the years, as the pieces I make have evolved featuring bright colors, textured surfaces and organic shapes, my own artistic voice has become stronger. These clay vessels and structures are meant to communicate the joy I feel as I make them. I am having a blast in the studio and know I am lucky to experience this on a regular basis. That’s my emotional goal – to let the user in on the happiness I feel when they use a ClayByLaura piece in their daily lives. 

Peaceful Easy Feeling

I attended an Eagles concert the other night. The music was great! And it made me think about my own work on a couple of levels. Art is about communicating feelings and emotion. It is timeless. My goal with my work is to transfer the joy and happiness I get out of making my clay art into each piece so that the user can experience the same feelings for years to come. I believe every pot tells a story from its design to its shape to its color to its purpose.  It’s one of the ways I communicate.