Butterfly Farm Pottery

For a Good Cause

2011-10-18T08:49:00.005-04:00

Coming up here in Tampa on November 5th is the annual Zoofari at Lowry Park Zoo. It's a fundraising event for the Zoo. Lowry Park Zoo is a fun place to visit and has great activities for the kiddos. This year I'll be participating in their Artfari and will be selling my wares during the Zoofari event. It runs from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. As part of the deal to get a reduced price for the space, artists were asked to donate a piece of art for the silent auction. The piece had to be animal themed, best to relate to the zoo theme. So I went to work on a tic tac toe game using tiggers. Orange and white tigers to be exact. Hopefully someone attending will fall in love and bid high on this piece. Just so we're clear, I used no molds in the making of this piece, just my two little hands. I did roll out the clay for the board, but it was all from moist clay. Each tiger is slightly different from the next because they were human formed... I'm not a machine!!! Maybe a dancing machine, but not a ceramic machine.

Evolution

2011-10-18T08:38:00.003-04:00

I know that man's evolution was slow to get us to where we are today, standing upright, able to type our thoughts on the computer and read the hundreds of e-mails that we receive on a daily basis. In artwork there's an evolution as well. I've realized that the evolution of my teapots has been a slow one, not quite as slow as the evolution of man, but slow none the less. I've been making some minor tweeks to my fishy teapots lately. The most recent tweek is to try to give the girls more movement. Almost a feeling that they're trying to jump out of the water. I'm making their base section taller so that I can get more clearance on the tails and making a more exagerated turn of the head. These changes, I think, give the girls more personality. I've been on a roll with teapot making and have one new one that I just finished, one that's drying post-construction, and components for two more under plastic. It helps to make the new teapots close in time so that my thought process continues it's momentum. These changes may be so minor that to the eye of the beholder that it may not be apparent, but to me I see these modifications as a step on the path to evolution.

Ho Ho Ho - Here We Go Again

2011-09-03T12:02:00.000-04:00

Every year around this time, I start to feel a little twinge of panic. The holiday shows and markets are starting to gear up and I'm worried I won't have enough, mugs, fish, cats, pendants, teapots, and ornaments for the shows. So I thrust myself into high gear and work hard to get my inventories up. One thing that's going to help me this year is the addition of the travel mug and tumblers. These are different from my usual pieces because they're not wheel-thrown, they are mold made bisqued pieces that I purchased from my glaze supplier. The mugs and tumblers come with plastic lids and all that I have to do is glaze and fire them! So far, I'm thrilled. The lids fit perfectly and I'm having absolutely no problems with the glazes fitting well with the clay body. The art that I bring to the blank white canvas is my glazing and these are definitely unique. Enviro-friendly because they can be used over and over. They fit perfectly into cup holders and can brighten up any space and bring a smile to your face (made a rhyme). So as my twinge of panic starts to hit me, I can breathe a little easier knowing that I have my travelers line of mugs and tumblers.

PhotoEZ Is Really Easy

2011-03-10T08:04:00.006-05:00

I love finding happy diversions. I always think about the animated film "Up" and the dog that was in the commercials (I never saw the film) he apparently is able to talk with the help of a device that's strapped to his throat. He's having a conversation with the young boy and breaks in his conversation to look away quickly and shout "squirrel!" Well for the past two weeks I've been chasing the squirrel and having a blast.

I read about the PhotoEZ Silk Screen Stencil kit over a year ago and held onto the magazine, because I knew one day (procrastinatoritis) I should probably buy the kit. I decided that the time was right when I was slated to lead a low-fire glaze workshop and thought that this would be a fun project for the class. Of course I tore through all of my magazines and could not find the one with the article. So I hit the Internet, holder of everything in the universe, and found the PhotoEZ Starter Kits for sale on Ebay. Placed my bid and anxiously awaited the outcome. I was high bidder and my kit was delivered in lightning speed.

One of the best parts about this kit are the instructions. This company does a fantastic job at giving you all of the information that you need to successfully create a stencil in less than one hour, ready to use. The most important ingredient is a bright sunny day, slightly cloudy - you'll have to run tests for exposure time. Anxious for a bright sunny day, I went to work figuring out what images I would use for my first stencil. The image should be black and white and the black should be heavily saturated so that the light will be 100% blocked. You will either have to print out your image on your printer or draw it directly on the paper. The company is very specific regarding the type of paper to use. It should be 20 pound paper with 88 brightness or less. Remember, the light has to get through the white areas so the less bright the better. I chose to print my images from the computer so I used a couple of photographs first. I used a photo of a marbled white butterfly and made some adjustments in photoshop to increase the contrast, I did the same with a photo that I took of a cardinal sitting in a tree in our neighborhood, changed it from color to black and white and then ramped up the contrast so that it was now black and white, I played around with PhotoShop to get it to where I wanted it to be. Then I made a fat Sharpie drawing on heavy paper and scanned it into my computer. The only thing that I had to do here was resize it. I was able to make three different versions of this butterfly, one each large, medium and small sized.

Then, the bright sunny day came and I was able to run my first series of tests. The company provides small swatches so that you can test for exposure time. I was able to determine that in our full sun about 5 minutes was all that was needed. I went into our guest bathroom with the door open providing just enough light so that I could set things up. The kit comes with a black board, a clear plexi sheet, clips, stencil sheets, squeege, vinyl net, a few sheets of paper, two sheets of clear film, and instructions. You first place the image on the plexi image side up, then remove the protective film from the stencil sheet (this is the hardest part of the whole process). Once you have the film off place the sheet where you want it on your image shiny side down, then put the black board on top, making a sandwich of your image and film. Place the clips around the sandwich and I wrapped the whole thing in a towel. You want to transport the frame outside for exposure. Keep a close eye on the clock! Once the exposure time is up, wrap it back up in a towel and bring it inside. The film gets placed in a tub of water, I used a large Tupperware container. The room should be dimly lit. You'll soak for at least 15 minutes. When the soak time is up, you'll run the film under running water to remove the areas that were covered in black. This is where the plastic net comes in, you'll place the film on the net and use a soft brush to remove what needs to come off. I used the high resolution film and the instructions say that it can be more difficult to remove all of the film on the high res film. Keep working it until you get all of the film removed, you want to be able to see the small white threads. This will help you to have a better image. Next step is to blot the film dry and place it back in the sun to dry. This last step hardens the stencil and makes it durable.

Now with the stencil magically created, I was able to go to work actually using the stencil. I used bisque tiles first and the cardinal image was my first attempt. I watered down my underglaze so that I could create a watercolor type wash effect for the background, then I taped, using blue painter's tape, the stencil and using the squeege provided I laid down some black underglaze and drew it over the stencil. I lifted up a corner to see if all was ok and it was, so I removed the entire stencil and tape, then I filled in the cardinal with a red underglaze. Then applied three coats of clear glaze and fired the tile. I went through similar steps to use the stencil on the mug shown. I've used a combination of squeegee and using a stiff brush to lay down the glaze. It can be a bit tricky with some of my mugs that have a lot of curves to them, but with the help of the blue tape, and flexibility of the screens, it's possible.

Besides being such a quick process, one of the really cool parts of this whole thing is that there are no special chemicals required, just good old H2O (well I guess that's a chemical if you want to get picky). Most think that the obvious use for these screens is tee shirt silk screens using ink versus glazes on clay. And I challenge you to find even more uses for these cool screens.

I'm really happy to report that this kit gets my seal of approval. If you want to get more information, their website is http://www.ezscreenprint.com/

The Procrastination of Penelope

2011-03-07T11:55:00.002-05:00

More proof that I can be a terrible procrastinator. Poor Penelope took over a year to complete. The worst part about this habitual procrastination is that Penelope is for a friend. One of the most important things that you should not say to a procrastinator is, "there's no rush." Poor Penelope is a replacement for Penelope #1 that suffered an accident. I took posession of the broken Penelope so that I would have a model to work from. The broken Penelope #1 got shifted around my studio for months. First inside a plastic bag, then actually out on the shelf, taped together. Finally with my New Year's resolution - trying to kick my procrastinating ways, I resolved myself to begin work on Penelope #2. I was elated when I finished her construction, overjoyed when she made it through the first firing, ecstatic when I glazed her and beside myself when I took her out of the kiln and attached her heart-shaped name tag (the only part of Penelope #1 that was salvagable). Now as I look at Penelope #2, she is a milestone, showing me that I can make it through the 12-step program for procrastinators. Help me kick the habit. Do not become an enabler. Do not ever say to me, "There's no rush."

Marvelous Muggy Monday

2011-02-21T08:16:00.005-05:00

Hey it's muggy in here! As I drink my decaf this morning from one of my favorite mugs, made by one of my favorite potters I think I better give him a shout out on Marvelous Muggy Monday. Keith Philips' Etsy shop was one of the first that I stumbled upon when I first discovered Etsy. I really love to see how artists embrace their medium and incoporate new twists that add that extra special touch. Keith is a fabulously skilled potter and has such a great eye for form and function. Taking the process one step further with his creation of laser decals gives his work that extra special touch. So this week's Marvelous Monday Mug Maker is Keith Philips. Visit his shop, buy from his shop, enjoy your morning with one of Keith's mugs.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/khphillips?ref=seller_infohttp://

Going to the Dogs

2011-01-29T16:26:00.003-05:00

On one of my drying racks sit three dogs. I don't usually make dogs because there are so many breeds. I will, however, make dogs on special request. And, just by coincidence I had a few special requests for dogs. Over the past few days I hunkered down and constructed three dogs. One's a dog mug (I've never made a dog mug before), one is a dog bell and one is a large dog figurine with bits of clay inside so he'll kind of be like a rattle dog. These three requests have made me step out of my comfort zone a bit. I tend to get on a roll sometimes and stick to my main themes of mugs, cats and fish. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get my creative juices flowing and if all goes well with drying and firing, I'll have three new dogs going to three happy families. And that makes me happy.

Festive Friday

2011-01-29T15:57:00.004-05:00

Festive Friday comes a few hours late this week. Too much work in the garagio to sit down at the computer. But with the weekend comes some time to play catch up. And this week's Festive Friday offering is from the Etsy shop of Katherine Mathisen, also known as Mudgoddess. Her shop can be found at http://www.mudgoddess.etsy.com/

Katherine does some pretty amazing things with clay. I've had the pleasure to see Katherine's work in person, since she's a Floridian and has work in local Tampa Bay galleries. So in honor of the upcoming holiday I'm sharing some of Katherine's wonderful hearts.

Enjoy!

Teapot Tuesday

2011-01-25T08:03:00.003-05:00

For the second installment of Teapot Tuesday I present another one of the three teapots that I submitted to the Mad Hatter's Teaparty in West Palm. I have to give the girls a little face time.

This teapot is inspired by the Crescent Wrasse. I have a wonderful reference book that I use for inspiration, it's "Coral Reef Fishes" by Edwald Lieske and Robert Myers. It's covered with glaze and bookmarked to the hilt, but continues to be my all time favorite book. I've collected several other books, but this one provides the most comprehensive examples of reef fishes. This was one of the best gifts that my dear husband has surprised me with.

Anyway, this fish teapot is special for a couple of reasons: her beads that are wired and adorn her dorsal fin are handmade versus store-bought. Her earrings are the same, handmade stamped ceramic beads. I'm starting to say to myself, "why not?" It's a little extra work to glaze and set them up for the firing but in the long run I think it makes her a more cohesive piece. Her head is slightly turned as if trying to keep up with the conversation. She's not a party girl, no rhinestone studded sunglasses and no traveling companion in the form of a pelican. Just sweet and simple. I was a bit selective for this one because I really think the fish markings are so outstanding, I didn't want to create any distractions.

So, hopefully this sweety will be swimming her way down to West Palm for the Teaparty. I live vicariously through the travels of my creations.

Marvelous Muggy Monday

2011-01-24T14:06:00.003-05:00

It's week two of Marvelous Muggy Monday and today's mugs are brought to you by the fantastic Clay Lick Creek Pottery. Karen's fantastic whimsical, majolica pottery has become a big favorite of mine. She is a powerhouse and thankfully creates non-stop. You can check out Karen's Etsy shop at:

http://www.claylickcreekpottery.etsy.com/

I've snagged a few examples of Karen's fantastic mugs to share. I hope that they help to brighten your day!!! Enjoy.

Festive Friday

2011-01-21T10:50:00.005-05:00

So many people celebrate when Friday comes. It's the end of the traditional work-week, start of the weekend that so many people work so hard to finally get some down time. However you spend your Fridays I wanted to share one of the happiest shops on Etsy. This artist is Charity Elise and her Etsy shop is jam packed with things that are sure to make you smile. So for Festive Friday, check out Charity's shop!

http://www.charityelise.etsy.com

An Artful Thank You Thursday

2011-01-20T13:40:00.004-05:00

I skipped Wednesday, but came up with an idea for Thursday. I know that Thanksgiving comes once a year, but I just felt like it was necessary today to give thanks.

♥Thanks to all of the co-op galleries that have agreed to include my "stuff" in their shops.

♥Thanks to all of the volunteers that sit and mind the shop, making it possible for the co-ops to stay open.

♥Thanks especially to the wonderful volunteers and staff of Florida Craftsmen and A Little Room for Art, two of my all time favorites.

♥Thanks to those of you out there that have faith that someone that you've never met (namely me) will ship your order when I say that I will. It's a giant leap of faith buying on the internet and I'm grateful to those of you that have taken that leap.

♥Thanks to the EtsyMudTeam for organizing the first annual mug-swap. I hadn't really made too many mugs before the swap and was always a bit scared of making mugs. The swap forced me to move outside of my comfort zone and also spurred me on to continue to make mugs. Over the past few years I've discovered the joy of mug-making.

♥Thanks to my friends and family for your support. It's great to have people cheering you on and you all are great cheerleaders.

♥Thanks to the developers of Etsy.com. I had no idea back in 2007 that it would turn into such a wonderful platform to sell my pottery.

♥ Thanks to my art buddies at the Westchase Artists Society. It's great to have an art club that's in the neighborhood and the incredibly talented members make it a real treat to be a member.

And now it's time to go out and make more mugs!

Teapot Tuesday

2011-01-18T10:15:00.003-05:00

Only time will tell if the alliterations take over and I come up with something for every day of the week. But it just seemed too perfect for Tuesday to be Teapot day. So I have a few new teapots on the shelf waiting for word on whether they made the cut for my favorite teapot show of the year, the Mad Hatter's Teaparty over in West Palm at the Armory Art Center. I've had teapots accepted in this annual event for several years now. The cool thing that's started to happen is that some of the attendees of the Teaparty have started to collect my teapots and look for them year after year, or at least that's what I've been told. Because of my New Year's resolution to shed my procrastinating ways, I was able to submit my CD well in advance of the deadline. This is a first for me! I entered the max, three teapots. And I really like these latest three. Today, on Teapot Tuesday, I'm going to share with you one of the three that was submitted.

I can't promise that I'll have another brainstorm and come up with something for Wednesday, but you just never know when the old brain synapses get to firing.

Marvelous Muggy Monday

2011-01-17T09:13:00.006-05:00

As I sit drinking my morning tea out my of really wonderful mug made by Charan Sacher, I realize that I'd like to share some of his wonderful mugs and start a new series called Marvelous Muggy Monday. Since it's raining outside, what better way to spend the chilly morning than with a warm beverage, be it coffee, tea or hot chocolate. So here are a few of my favorites from Charan's Etsy shop, at http://www.creativewithclay.etsy.com/

Resolve Week Two

2011-01-10T11:36:00.006-05:00

As I make it through the first month of the new year, I'm happy to report that my efforts to be less of a procrastinator are holding strong. Proof of this fact can be found in my workspace area that I fondly call the Garagio. Today I cleared out and threw out a bunch of "stuff" that I've been holding onto for years. There was always the thought, "well maybe I can use it... someday." I can see how the act of hoarding can take over for some people. Luckily, I'm not a full-fledged hoarder, I just have slight tendancies in that direction. Mostly because of my artistic endeavors and truly the thought that some day I can use that something in a project. Luckily, now I'm starting to realize that the project will never come so why not get rid of that special something that I've been hanging onto for years?

I continue on my quest to weed out my problem inventory items, smash and sell as a USPS Flat Rate box of pottery shards. Week two's pots have been smashed, the box is packed and photos taken and the listing is up on Etsy. It's such a feeling of acomplishment when I finish up with a box, especially when a mosaic maker buys the listing. Knowing that these ceramic pieces, that either would have continued to take up inventory space or eventually ended up on the trash pile, are going to be given a new life is such a marvelous lift for me. So as I slowly work my way through my inventory I may just make every Monday my pot smashing day. As long as there are mosaic makers that can use my shards I'll keep smashing and listing.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions, mostly because when the dust settles and the resolutions are left by the wayside, I don't like carrying the guilt around. So most years I skip the resolutions. But this year, for unknown reasons, I felt compelled to resolve. And, my big, huge, amazing resolution for 2011 is to try to be less of a procrastinator. When I dusted off the cobwebs on my blog, I realized that I have a serious case of procrastinatoritis. I can't believe that I haven't touched my blog since July. Granted the last post about my cowboy boots is pretty spectacular and I love pulling up the blog and seeing the photo of the boots. But seriously... July?!

Anyway, one of my first self-imposed assignments was to get to work on pulling my receipts and invoices to get prepped for tax filing. Mission accomplished! I'm happy to report that when the W-2's and 1099's come in I'll be ready for filing. This opens up new worlds for me in January. What an incredible feeling. One thing that really helped me this past year was to update Quick Books as I made sales so that I was able to use the data for my quarterly state sales tax filings and as a result I had alot less to input at year end. I was also able to work during the year at plugging in my purchase receipts so the task of finishing up was a lot less than it would have been if I had to plug in the whole entire year all at once.

Next, I've been putting off and putting off going through my really, really old inventory as well as pieces that I've been hanging on to that had glaze problems. I like to smash them up and put them up for sale for the mosaic makers on Etsy. I sell them for a price that covers the shipping and listing fees. It's cool for me because I know that they're going to be put to good use and it's certainly better than adding them to the landfill. So this week I had a smash-fest and put together my first Flat Rate USPS Priority Mail box, I listed the box on Etsy and pretty soon after it sold and I was able to send it on it's way to a new life as mosaic pieces. Now my challenge will be to continue the momentum and get another Flat Rate box smashed and listed.

Another major accomplishment - I usually wait until the last day, last hour, last minute to send off submissions for my favorite teapot shows. One show in particular is the Mad Hatter's Tea Party over in West Palm at the Armory Art Center. It looks like this year I'll actually be sending off my entries early!!! I ran a glaze firing a couple of days ago and was able to finish up the embellishments today on two of the teapots. I'm sharing photos of one of the finished teapots in this post. I have a third teapot in today's glaze load and I'll be adding her wire, beads and earrings tomorrow. Even though this is the first week of January in the new year, I'm really liking the feeling of accomplishment and I'm also enjoying the new less frenzied pace. I don't want to set myself up for failure, but it sure would be nice to turn over a new leaf and shed my procrastinatoritis.

The Boots

2010-07-17T13:39:00.003-04:00

I was asked to participate in an exhibition fund raiser. The gallery is the Great Art and Frame. A portion of the proceeds from the show are going to the Quantum Leap Horse Farm. Quantum Leap among other things uses horses as therapy for disabled vets. Anyway, my friend, the owner of the gallery, Joose Hadley talked to me about what sort of things I could submit. The theme of the show is the Divine Equine. Most of my art buddies are submitting paintings or photos of horses. But Joose said that I could expand the theme out to such horse related items as horse shoes, cowboy boots, etc. My first thought was to make a horse, and I found out that horses were definitely out of my comfort zone. Then I tried making a boot. Then I made a boot, Then I got worried, what if the boot exploded in the kiln, cracked, what if I drop it, what if, what if, what if. So I made a second boot. I'm happy to report that I made a boot, I made a back-up boot and both survived. I'm also happy to report that neither boot exploded in the kiln, survived me carrying them from drying shelf to kiln and all other potential dangers that can befall pottery while it's in the making. Because the boots are patterned after a pair of my boots, I tried to stay close to their models and painted them in the same colors as my boots. Also, I was forward-thinking enough to make a right and a left, so they are a true pair. Now, all that's left is delivery to the gallery and the opening of the show, which is Friday, July 23rd. If you're in the area, please stop on by. There are a lot of very talented artists that are part of this show and it's guaranteed to be a fun evening.

Unloading the Kiln

2010-06-22T10:06:00.008-04:00

It's not that often that I have a kiln load that's dedicated to custom orders. I guess today was the exception to the rule. I had three orders that were in yesterday's glaze firing load. There's a certain amount of anxiety that comes with doing custom orders. I want the pieces to live up to the expectations of the customer and I don't want any unexpected problems, because that'll just delay delivery. So yesterday's glaze firing was dominated by the butterflies. I took this as a good omen, when I saw a Monarch butterfly fluttering through our front yard right before I opened the kiln. It's like Christmas, unwrapping the presents that the kiln delivers. First shelf looks good and ironically are two Monarch butterfly plates; second shelf looks good, third shelf looks good and finally fourth shelf looks good. I can now take a breath. One slight problem with the non-butterfly yarn bowl. Perhaps that will be a lesson to me that the butterflies prefer to be on their own, no outsiders allowed.

Spilling Oil

2010-06-16T22:15:00.005-04:00

It's hard when disasters occur that are devasting and life altering because as human beings we have an inate urge to do something to help. The straw that broke my back with respect to the BP oil rig explosion was the online slideshow of the birds, fish and dolphins that were covered in oil. The images brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to, needed to do something. Luckily a group on Etsy banded together to try to raise money to help. A brand new shop was opened. The word spread like wildfire. Artisans and members of the Etsy selling community flocked to donate items to the new shop, Help The Gulf Coast, http://www.helpthegulfcoast.etsy.com/. was created. So far they've raised over $2,000. The first of many contributions has been made to Oxfam America. Our individual contributsions are tiny in comparison to what this disaster will end up costing the Gulf. By pulling together, we are making a difference. Check out Help The Gulf Coast's blog http://www.helpthegulfcoastetsy.blogspot.com/

And visit the Etsy shop at http://www.helpthegulfcoast.etsy.com/

Together we can make a difference.

Something Old... Something New

2010-06-11T14:10:00.004-04:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48273997/glass-tile-photo-mosaic

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1488315

One of the wonderful things about being in the art community is the amazing atmosphere of sharing. Every artist that I've ever run into is ready and willing to share techniques, experiences, and information. One fun new discovery that I recently made, thanks to an art friend, Roxanne Tobaison, is the glass tile pendant. I ran into Roxanne at an art festival and spotted her pendants, this was the first that I had ever seen them. Roxanne explained the technique. At first glance I thought that Roxanne had gotten into glass fusing, but she set me straight. A little bit of time went by and I started to do some research on the internet. Lo and behold I found a plethora of information, online tutorials, suppliers for the glass tiles and all of the supplies anyone would need. What fun.

When my orders arrived I went to work. Learned a lot about how to create the proper glass tile, then moved on to scrabble tiles, then moved on to wire-wrapped glass tiles and on and on. True to the artist that I am, I even came up with a few new ideas. One that I'm really excited about is a glass tile mosaic. Another idea that I had was to create the tile out of clay and in the process add the channel for the wire wrap.

As with all of those that came before me in the world of glass and scrabble tiles, one piece of information that I will share is actually a cautionary statement, be careful if you use Super Glue. I was a bit messy, got some on my fingers and I've been spending the past hour trying to de-glue my fingers. Live and learn.

A Day In The Park

2010-03-29T19:46:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday, March 27, 2010 to be exact, I was a participating artist at the 2nd annual Arts in the Park at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. I don't usually do outdoor shows, festivals, or fairs so this was a real treat for me. It's a lot of work packing and unpacking and setting up and I have a real sense of admiration for those artists that make the curcuit doing art festivals one weekend after the next during the spring and summer months. It was great to get out there with my cats, fish and butterflies and get feedback from the passers by and customers. I also got to catch up with some old friends. We really got lucky with the weather on Saturday, it could not have been a more beautiful spring day. We were oh so lucky that the event was on Saturday, because as nice as the weather was on Saturday that's how crumby the weather was on Sunday. Now it's back to work in the studio to replenish stock.

Recharging

2010-03-05T11:14:00.008-05:00

Sometimes I get to feeling like I'm stuck in a rut. Happily that doesn't happen to me very often. During my latest rut I was lucky enough to have some activities that made me get myself cleaned up and out of the studio.

The art group that I belong to just finished installing a group show at Ruth Eckerd Hall. It's so much fun to get with my art buddies and see what everyone's been up to. This is a big show for our group. For more info on the show head over to our group's blog:

http://www.westchaseartists.blogspot.com/

Yesterday's outing was to get back into the routine of volunteer work at the Tampa Museum of Art. The Museum was closed for reconstruction and the brand new Tampa Museum of Art has reopened. I must say that it is wonderful. The special exhibition is A Celebration of Henri Matisse. I led a tour yesterday and had a blast.

Visit the museum's website:

http://www.tampamuseum.org/

After a busy holiday season it's hard to keep the EverReady Bunny going. Major lesson learned here is that in order to be energized sometimes we have to step out of the rut and into something new and different to recharge our batteries.

Putting Things Into Perspective

2010-01-28T08:18:00.002-05:00

When things go wrong, I get upset for one reason or another, and at that very moment it seems like the absolute worst thing that could ever happen, I'm reminded that it can always be worse. In my own life, having survived Hurricane Andrew, I know first hand what it's like to have your house destroyed by wind and rain - but we rebuilt, we had insurance and we had a place to evacuate to after the storm passed. Sure we lost a lot of our possessions, but it tought us an important lesson - it's just stuff. Everything was OK. Even when you think it's the worst that it can possibly be, it can always be worse.

Well, for the folks that live in Haiti it's about as bad as it can get and a lot of people are realizing that as residents of this planet we need to come together to try to help. There's been a group on Etsy.com that has started up a shop called Hearts for Haiti. Members of the Etsy selling community are donating items for sale. The shop has raised a tremendous amount of money in a very short period of time. As of the writing of this post the shop has sold 1,660 items. There's a lot to choose from and new items are being listing daily. It's a great way for those of us in the Etsy community to make a small difference, that collectively has the potential to make a big difference.

http://www.facebook.com/heartsforhaiti

http://etsyforhaiti.blogspot.comhttp://

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heartsforhaiti

It Breaks My Heart

2010-01-22T12:13:00.004-05:00

The process of working in clay and making your way through the various stages of development can be so tricky. Things go wrong. This is one peice that broke my heart. There's a pair of sunglasses adorning the fish. The arm of the sunglasses broke. I tried to repair it and in the firing the two pieces stayed together, just slipped ever so slightly to make a definite crack. The crack is covered with glaze, but the underlying crack is visible. Now, I don't like to sell flawed pieces, but I love this teapot so much and don't have the heart to smash her for the mosaic makers. So, I'm doing something that I don't normally do, I'm selling her as a "factory second." A lot of people wouldn't notice the flaw, but I know that it's there and that's all that matters in my book.

2009-12-10T10:22:00.002-05:00

As it gets closer and closer to Christmas and the end of 2009, I start to reflect on how I spent my time. It seems like I have been making Christmas ornaments all year long!

One of the best things to come out of this year is making new friends and getting to know older friends and acquaintances better. There have been ups and downs and back ups again. And I truly believe that the downs help us appreciate the ups. All the while, I've been so lucky to be able to live my dream life: creating things with my hands. As I sit drinking my morning decaf out of my handmade mug, that I made, I want to wish all who might read this blog a happy holiday season, health and good friends and family and peace.

Judy B. Freeman

Potter

That's Clever!

2009-10-13T10:21:00.007-04:00

Well, my heartrate is back to normal, the anticipation of nearly 3 years is finished, all that's left are the hoards of fans and paparazi that will be chasing me for autographs and interviews. My segment on HGTV's That's Clever aired this morning. What took six hours to film, clipped down to a little over six minutes. Thankfully the editors took out my flubs, and oh there were a lot of flubs. My husband reminded me that I haven't made a cat bank since the filming. I also don't think that I have ever seen my garagio look so clean and neat, nor do I think I ever will see it look so clean and neat. It's fun to be able to share a look into how I spend my time.

The cat that the bank is based on is Jazmin, a petite calico that we once had, or should I say, she had us. I still love making cats, and as you can see from the background shots, I was big into butterflies and fish teapots back then too. I've inserted a link to a video that I took of the show, just in case you missed it.

So, for my friends and family that encouraged me, and asked every so often, "so what's up with your show?" I can now finally say, the show did go on!!!

HGTV That's Clever!

2009-09-13T21:17:00.004-04:00

I have an air date! I can't believe it, but they didn't lose the tape, or whatever they use these days to film TV shows. Anyway, set your DVR's for HGTV at 7:30 am e/p on October 13, 2009. It's going to be fun to see how they transform 6 hours of grueling work into 6 minutes of air time. Also, anxious to see how they were able to make me sound coherent. Oh dear, I hope they were able to make me sound coherent.

2009-07-15T21:22:00.006-04:00

Non-potters probably have no idea the angst that's involved in the multi-step process of creating. Especially when you start to work on a piece that you become emotionally attached to. My most recent attachment is to a new teapot called Girls' Night Out - Lola and Sonya Out On The Town. I started this teapot with the thought of reviving one of my old teapot themes, fish with a pelican. As I got further and further into the creation of Lola and Sonya, I started thinking of more ways to make them glitzy, blingy, and fabuloso.

The easy part was to construct the teapot, this is a relatively safe phase of the process. Yes, things can go wrong at this stage, but only a few hours have been invested and I can always start from scratch. Once sufficiently dry, the teapot goes into the kiln for it's first firing. Another precarious stage in the process, when there is the potential for exploding clay or cracking. No problems with the bisque firing, so I pushed on to begin the glazing. This was when I started to feel my connection strengthening. I started to worry about whether glazes were going to run, how I was going to connect the necklaces, etc. etc. Final step prior to the glaze firing was to do a quick dip in clear glaze. This is when I can really screw things up, by smudging the colored underglazes, or having too thick a layer of the clear glaze. Oh the agony. But I pushed on. Yesterday, I loaded the glaze kiln with goodies. I always approach a kiln load with pessimistic optimism. Knowing that stuff can go wrong, but hoping that "stuff" doesn't happen. As the kiln was firing just prior to the shut off, I heard a noise. It sounded like maybe something tipped over. There was no way I could lift the lid, so I had to just imagine what it could be. Could one of the pieces have shifted off it's stilts and toppled over and then taken out another piece with it? My imagine ran wild and with 17 hours to go before I could open the kiln up, it was an evening of trying to find ways to get my mind off the kiln. This morning I was up bright and early, out to the studio and opened up the kiln. No problems with the top shelf, no problems with the second level, no problems with the third level, no problems with the bottom shelf. I have no idea what the noise was, but I have to remember this for the future. Don't fret over the unknown. And with clay, don't fret at all because there's always another one in my hands.

Color Combinations

2009-06-24T08:37:00.002-04:00

A big part of being a ceramic artist, or any kind of artist for that matter, is color. The choice of color, the combination of colors, and how we use them can make or break a piece. Working hours or days on a piece can come to ruin if we don't get the colors just right. Lately I've fallen in love with the glaze color combination of a truly red red and a wonderful soft yellow orange. Both are from the Duncan Ceramics line of glazes called Concepts. The red that I love is called Really Red and the yellow orange is called Safron. I now am driven to make a day's worth of bowls and plates to use the two colors on. These are the first of the bowls that came out of my last kiln load.

2009-06-18T07:23:00.005-04:00

As I scroll through my recent posts I realize that my blog's name, Butterfly Farm Pottery, makes it look like the Fish have taken over the Farm. I have three major themes that I work with, Fish, (no major mental leap there) Cats and Butterflies. There are times when the mood strikes me to just make butterfly themed pieces and then there are times like now, when all I want to make are fish. I often feel like a person with multiple personality disorder. Just to give the butterflies some face time, I'm posting a photo of a recent Monarch Butterfly serving dish. It's an evolved piece and is one of my favorites.

New Old Teapots

2009-06-17T09:23:00.004-04:00

I just finished two fishy teapots that are remakes. This version of "Mandy" is my favorite. I lucked out when I looked through my stash of beads and found the perfect hank to use for her beaded wire embellishment. I was equally lucky to have an ample supply of buttons for "Button..."

Pictured on the top is "Mandy" and of course every time I type her name I hear Barry Mannilow singing in my ear. And, on the bottom is "Button, Button, Who's Got the Buttons?"

Both teapots are made from soft earthenware clay that started out as two forms thrown on the potter's wheel.

Southeastern Guide Dogs

2009-05-19T07:04:00.005-04:00

There are definitely days when I feel like I have a split personality. During the weekdays I'm "Pottery Chick" hard at work getting dirty with the clay and glazes. On the weekends I shed my muddy clothes and put on blue jeans, boots, a Harley Tee and a helment and jump on the back of my sweet husband's Ultra Classic Harley Davidson. This past Saturday our HOG Chapter took a very special ride to Southeastern Guide Dogs (SEGD). SEGD has been the recipient of our chapter's fund raisers for a number of years. Every year we take a couple of rides to SEGD to tour the facility, see the dogs in training and play with the puppies. It's a lot of fun to see burly, ex-teamsters cuddling up to little puppies. It's an activity that everyone in the group loves. Some of our riders also got to put on black-out glasses and let a guide dog lead them on a pathway. It's a very interesting feeling to surrender and trust the dog.

But, SEGD isn't just about raising puppies. It's a long involved process to raise and train a guide dog. The entire process costs SEGD $60,000 per dog and they don't receive any federal funding! The money comes solely from donations from individuals like our HOG members as well as from businesses. SEGD is a premier facility, one of only a few in the country. They started out in the early '80s with no facility and no dogs, just an idea and they've made it work.

The dogs used are ones that come from specific breeders to make sure that certain traits that they want are there and those that they don't want are not. Labs and Goldadors (a mix between Lab and Retriever) were the puppies that we got to play with this time. SEGD also tries to keep the cost of maintenance down for the recipient. Dogs that would require special grooming are not an option. Sorry, no poodles here.

The process of turning a puppy into a guide dog doesn't happen overnight. Once the puppies get to a certain age, they are outsourced to volunteer homes. The idea is to socialize the puppies and make them comfortable in every environment that they might have to go into as a guide dog. The host is given a jacket that the dog will wear when they go out and about. The jacket has the SEGD logo and the words "Puppy In Training." Most public establishments will honor the jacket and allow the puppy to enter. The hosts are encouraged to take the puppy with them just about everywhere they go. After this training phase is over, the puppy is returned to SEGD for final training. This is the nitty gritty. The dogs learn "intelligent disobedience." The dog has to be smart enough to know that if the master says "forward" and there are cars coming, the dog should stay not go foward. There are a number of commands and situations that the puppies are put through in their training. SEGD has a wonderful complex that has mock bridges and bus stops. But that can't take the place of a busy downtown street, so the pups are taken to downtown Tampa to navigate the downtown traffic. Each dog is assessed for traits, such as the speed that the dog walks. There are some dogs that don't make the grade as a guide dog and are evaluated for companion dogs.

Once the dogs finish with their evaluation, a class of recipients is brought in. The facility has a dormatory where they stay. They will be living at SEGD, meeting, getting to know and working with their new dog. The staff does an excellent job of evaluating the recipient and matching their traits with a dog. SEGD also offers follow-up visits. It's not just a "here's your dog, have a good life" at SEGD. If need be they will do a home visit to assist. It's a life-long commitment.

One program that SEGD has recently launched is Paws for Patriots. This program provides guide or companion dogs to returning veterans, at no charge to the vet or the US Government. Our HOG Chapter specifically contributes to the Paws for Patriots program. The local Fox affiliate ran a piece on Paws for Patriots recently. Look to the right of this page for the video.

This was my third visit to SEGD. Every time I learn a little bit more about the organization, and gain a lot more respect for what they do. I wonder if these little pups have any idea of what a noble future they will have ahead of them.

2009-05-19T06:57:00.004-04:00

This morning I woke up to news that one of my pieces made it into a Treasury on Etsy and that Treasury made it to the Front Page! It's been a while since my work had FP notoriety and this was a real treat. By the time I was actually up and online the FP had changed, the screen shot is courtesy of http://www.craftcult.com/. What a great way to start the day!

The Invasion Continues

2009-05-04T07:22:00.005-04:00

I love to load the top shelf of kiln loads with pieces that will make me smile when I open the kiln post firing. Yesterday's opening was a fun one because I staged my fishies so that they'd be pointing my way when the lid was lifted. These fishies aren't done just yet. I spent last night preparing them for their final embellishment, which is curled wire with beads. They aren't just pretty faces, they can also be used as a small photo holder, just slide the photo into the curled wire and there you go! One fun note about this load of fishies is that the fishy on the far right is already earmarked to go on a very long journey to Australia. Luckily this fishy doesn't have to swim, she's going to be flying.

Invasion of the Fishies

2009-04-21T08:53:00.004-04:00

There are a few things that excite me about the creative process. One is when I make multiples and how these multiples look together. I've been on a mission to make a lot of my little fishies. The "little" fishies have evolved from larger fish that I've been making for several years. The large fish were specifically made to be mounted on garden stakes, that I call Fish Sticks. Because of the problems associated with shipping the large Fish Sticks, I've limited my outlet for sales to a local co-op gallery called A Little Room For Art. The gallery has a wonderful garden area in the back and it makes a great setting for my Fish Sticks. My goal in making the Little Fishies is to offer a size variety and new lower price point and also perhaps a fish stick that will ship easily. Ideas evolved and from the Fish Stick came the Phishy Photo Holder. I've been trying to make a few fishies any time I sit down to work on a clay project. I really love to see how they look in a group. I'm not yet sure exactly how many "a lot" is in numbers, but I plan to keep making them until I answer that question.

The Joy of the Returning Customer

2009-03-27T09:00:00.004-04:00

One thing that all of us who sell our creations yearn for and treasure is the returning customer. The person who loves that first purchase so much that they come back for more. The customer who becomes a collector. The fan that passes the word. The buyer that takes the time to let us know that they "love" their new aquisition. We don't create to have boxes and boxes of finished pieces packed away for no one to see. We create for the joy of creating and sharing this joy with folks who have an appreciation for handmade. Now more than ever I'm reminded that in this uncertain economy, every purchase is a well thought out purchase. And. because it's well thought out, the sale means so much more to me. I'm grateful for my returning customers as well as those new folks that I hope will turn into returnng customers. Thanks for your purchases either through galleries, shops or online.

Bling

2009-02-11T09:00:00.003-05:00

I had been wanting to revisit this fish for a while now. The mood struck me that this particular teapot was right so Bling was reborn. The fish that she's based on is the Rusty Parrot fish and ironically the markings are for the male not the female. I guess that makes her androgynous. Yes, she has rhinestones on her fins and at the corners of her eyes! Bling is currently on display as part of a group show for the month of February at the the Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa, Florida. The Meet the Artists reception is Friday, February 13th. If you're in the area, stop on by. We're planning a smashing reception that's sure to be a great start to your Valentine's Day weekend.

The Trade

2008-12-30T07:39:00.004-05:00

I am so excited. I was able to make a trade with a fellow artist named Jill Oldenski. She makes wonderfully artistic dolls. I had wanted to score one of Jill's dolls for a while and suddenly when she admired some of my new plates and bowls the idea came to me - "how 'bout a trade?" Thankfully, Jill was up for it so I was able to score this beautiful custom doll for our neice, Samantha. She's complete with butterflies, in pinks and purples, Sammie's favorite colors. And, I just love the pink tennies. Jill even made an ID necklace! I just love this doll. It's going to be hard to give her up when I see Sammie next week. Jill's dolls can be found at Florida Craftsmen Gallery in St. Petersburg, FL, as well as A Little Room For Art, on Pass-A-Grille Beach.

Invitational Teapot Show

2008-12-05T07:53:00.004-05:00

A couple of the girls are holidaying out in Steamboat Springs Colorado for the Invitational Teapot Show. I'm envious that they are able to get out to Steamboat this time of the year without me, but they're in great company. The show opens this evening and runs for two months. There are some absolutely wonderful teapots that have been accepted into this show, that was curated by Deb Babcock. I'm honored that I was asked to send some of my "girls" to be part of this fabulous show.

Here's a link to the show information.

http://steamboatspringsarts.com/HTMLPAGES/teapots.html

My Birthday and Christmas All Rolled Into One

2008-12-04T07:34:00.004-05:00

I was able to open yesterday's glaze firing first thing this morning and it was a wonderful gift! The kiln gods smiled at me because everthing came out great. All of the pieces in the kiln are earmarked either for custom orders or a gallery. The one piece that doesn't already have a home is this 3-legged dish. I am so happy with the color cominations, the miracle of my steady hand when painting the dark blue, that I didn't smudge anything when I was dipping it in the clear glaze and extremely grateful for my Air Pen for helping me paint the scales. Tomorrow's my birthday but I got my present today!

Disclaimer: No fish were harmed in the making of this dish.

How I Do What I Do

2008-11-27T09:34:00.013-05:00

Today's post is a pictorial of some of the steps in making one of my Fishy Ring Teapots. These photos pick up after the two main components have been slowly drying under plastic for a couple of weeks. After trimming the ring and cleaning up the base I go to work. This teapot will be a Blingity teapot with rhinestone studded sunglasses, earrings and beaded tendrils off her dorsal fin. I'm not sure yet which fish her glazing will be based on just yet. Now she's under plastic for a slow drying. From lumps of clay to finished teapot, these usually take about 5-6 weeks to complete.

Good Morning!

2008-11-26T08:24:00.005-05:00

What an incredible surprise I had when I went outside day before yesterday to see my husband off to work and let our dog out for morning relief. I just had to stand there frozen watching the colors change. I'd love to be able to recreate these colors one day on clay. After being snapped back to reality I realized that I had to run in and get my camera and take advantage of these fleeting moments before the sun came up any more and transformed the clouds to white. On one of the shots there's a sliver of the moon showing. See if you can spot the moon!

Mugs

2008-11-11T21:47:00.012-05:00

The mug is such a personal form of pottery. Most folks have their favorite. It could be that the handle fits well with their hand, or there's a special place to rest their thumb, or perfect balance, or a great tactile feel with the glaze, color, size and the list can go on and on. For that reason, a simple form like the mug can be a tough one to get just right.

Up until a year ago I was never a big mug maker. It was always a challenge for me to get the handles just right, the size perfect, and the decoration the way I wanted it. I felt the best thing to do was just to not include mugs in my repetoir. A year ago all of this changed. The Etsy Mud Team had it's 2nd annual mug swap. It's an anonymous swap, almost like a Secret Santa, and because of the number of incredibly talented potters on the Mud Team, I was sure to get a winner.

This exercise got me to thinking that I should try to improve on my mugs to give them a bit more style and I'm happy to say that the designs are evolving. I'm happy with the last batch that will be at Florida Craftsmen for the Holiday Show in St. Pete, FL. And I've started another batch. I'm enjoying the fact that I can take the same elements that I use on larger pieces like bowls and plates and translate those design elements onto the mugs. My goal for the next month is to make at least one mug every day. I think it's going to be like eating Lay's potato chips, I can't just make one!

A Labor of Love

2008-10-27T07:30:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I get requests to make special things for people and it's a challenge because it's something new to me and I have to figure out how to make it. Sometimes it's a little stressful to make special orders because the requestor has an idea in their head of what they want and my fear is that my vision isn't in line with theirs. There's always that moment when I hold my breath as the requestor takes that first look at the finished piece.

Well, recently I completed a special order. This was a teapot that my mother-in-law asked me to make. The teapot is a gift for a very special lady and the making of the teapot turned into a labor of love. This special lady loves pink so the main color had to be pink.

Sometimes during the making of teapots, there are mis-steps. There'll be a little cracking that I have to repair or, the glaze will creep or crawl a little so I'll have to re-fire. But, not with this piece. It was almost as if this teapot wanted to be born and wasn't going to give me any problems. As with every teapot that I make, my last one is always my favorite. True to course this is now my favorite teapot.

Group Show

2008-09-28T11:35:00.006-04:00

Very exciting! This coming Friday, October 3rd is the opening of a group show for the Westchase Artist's Society. A local group of artists with different disciplines, paint, photography, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry and of course, me representing clay. This will be my first show that I'll have some of my butterfly photography and I'm excited to see them up on a gallery wall. In addition to three photographs Rosalita my Corporate Greeter will also be part of the show. I figured that she needed some time out and about and what better setting that a show?

The show is going to be at the Great Art and Frame Gallery, which is a wonderful gallery owned by Joose Hadley, a fine painter in her own right. Our openings are always fun and if you're in the area be sure to stop on by.

The Kiln Opening

2008-09-23T09:10:00.007-04:00

One thing that potter's share, doesn't matter what type of clay, whether you mix your own glazes or use commercial premixed glazes, whether you form works by hand or throw on the potter's wheel, we all share the joys of a kiln opening.

After working diligently, for sometimes weeks, on a piece the culmination of our efforts comes on the day of the kiln opening. If it's a group kiln load there's usually a celebration that has food as an ingredient. There are oo's and ah's shared and usually an informal critique of what went right and what went not so right.

As a solo potter, I rarely have anyone around with the exception of our dog, sometimes my husband, to share my joy and sorrow over the kiln opening. So, my kiln opening party has to be a virtual one shared with potter friends over the net. Thank goodness for the internet!

Why are we so excited about kiln openings? What's the big deal? Well, for me it's all about working on a piece for sometimes weeks. I often wish that I could just stop after the glaze painting is finished. Sometimes the load is magnificent, everything is perfect and the kiln goddess was smiling down on me. Other times there are problems. So many variables can come into play, heat, circulation, dust in the glaze, venting, and the list goes on and on. We have this point in time when the piece either makes it or breaks it. Stress levels rise even more when there are pieces in the load that are part of an order. If something goes wrong it sets back the schedule and at the holidays this can be critical.

We never want to trash a piece, especially if a lot of time went into it. But one thing that I learned from the college experience is that each piece is a learning process. Even if it gets thrown into the shard bucket a lesson of some sort was learned.

Butterflies Flutter By

2008-09-20T21:32:00.007-04:00

Another day of spectacular visitors to our garden. I was in awe of this guy that had to get a belly full. He kept going from flower to flower. The butterfly is a Gulf Fritillary. They are spectacular. The top of their wings are totally different than the bottom and so much fun to watch. This was another pristine butterfly, no signs of fights with wasps or the winds. A real beauty. Enjoy!

The Exotic Teapot

2008-09-05T07:41:00.010-04:00

I was contacted by a freelance writer about a possible spot in a blog called the Exotic Teapot. What a nice surprise. Two of my girls were featured in the August 25th post. Here's the link http://www.exoticteapot.co.uk/en/myblog/index.html

If you're a fan of teapots, you'll enjoy strolling though this blog.

For a little bit of background on my two teapots that are featured, the one entitled Humuhumunukunukuapuaa was inspired by a trip to Maui a few years ago. The Humuhumu is the state fish of Hawaii. We went snorkeling at a great spot called Molekini and saw one up close. They're also called Reef Trigger Fish, but I prefer their Hawaiian name. The Blingity Bling Bling teapot was the third in a series of blinged up teapots and the fish that I based her on is one whose picture I took at the Florida Aquarium, it's called the Pixie Hawkfish.

Be sure to check out the Exotic Teapot blog. It's a lot of fun even if you're not a teapot aficionado.

Garden Visitors

2008-08-29T08:06:00.009-04:00

Sometimes I get lucky and have my camera handy, or if not handy at least close enough. I've had a few days when my timing was right and the lunchtime visitors were too hungry to care about me. Our visitors the other day were a group of three White Peacock butterflies. In the past I haven't been lucky enough to catch them when they're young. It seemed like every time I'd photograph one, when I enlarged the photo there'd be telltail signs of age, beat up and shredded wings. Well, the three that came for lunch looked like they may have just come out of their coccoons. Their colors were vivid and their wings showed no signs of age. Oh to be a young butterfly enjoying the lantana blossoms in the sun.

And the answer is...

2008-08-25T08:05:00.012-04:00

I don't know.

Now the question - "When is my episode of That's Clever! going to air?" It's been so long since the filming that I often forget that it ever happened.

Traveling back through my time machine to the evening of November 17, 2006. We had just come in from an evening out and I was checking e-mails. I had one that had in the Subject line "HGTV Inquiry (seeking FL artists). Well, I was frozen, as if I had just gazed upon Medusa. After I was able to breathe and had read and re-read the e-mail that was sent from one of the Segment Producers that worked for Weller-Grossman production company, I yelled out to my husband, "you're not going to believe this!" I read the e-mail to him, which was an invitation to apply for a spot on the show That's Clever! I asked him what he thought. We both agreed that I should go for it. So I immediately put together my application. Now mind you, this original e-mail came to me from out of the blue. Even the producer couldn't remember how she found me, but it was through a search on the internet.

Well, after submitting the application and photos, I went through a phone interview with the producer. On December 11, 2006 I received an e-mail letting me know that the "pitch" was approved by HGTV. The green light was given to set up the shoot. Now the way that the production company works filming, they visit a city and set up 18 shoots for the time that they're in town. Each day there are two shoots. It's basically a blitz.

After the approval, I had to put together a Steps/Materials Form and sign all sorts of releases. Once both tasks were accomplished on January 6, 2007 I received my list of Step Outs. The step outs are basically a list of the steps in completing the piece with a listing of pieces that need to be made ahead of time. Since they don't shoot in real time, ie. having to wait for the clay to dry, waiting for the kiln to fire, etc., kind of like a cooking show, I had to make a lot of things ahead of time. This was very time consuming. I basically had to make 8 versions of the piece and because of drying and firing times, had to start in December right after the pitch was approved, prior to receiving my list of Step Outs.

Once the production team came to town I had a prep meeting where the producer and director visited to take a look at my studio space, approve wardrobe selections, and gave me directions in how to prep things for the shoot. Basically I had to clean my studio space, cleaner than it has ever been or ever will be again. My shoot was scheduled for January 27, 2007 at 8:00 am. There was a crew of 4, a lighting/camera guy, a sound guy, the director/camera guy and the producer.

Getting ready for the shoot was grueling, but the actual shoot day was arduously grueling. It's amazing how much work you have to go through to come up with 7 minutes on air. The director fed me lines and as the day went on I came down with brain freeze and he had to feed me 4 words at a time. I had a tiny hope that I might not come off looking too crazy. All hopes are gone. My brain freeze caused me to also make some mistakes that I won't reveal prior to the show airing. Just let me say that a well trained eye in sequencing should be on the lookout for slight variations. They were at our house for over six hours. At one point my husband poked his head out and said that I might want to take 5 and have something to eat. Thank God for my darling husband!

My segment was assigned a number. It's 460. This means that I'm in the 400 series of shows. Now, keep in mind that my shoot date was in January, 2007. HGTV has still not aired any of the 400 series of shows. They do still list That's Clever! as an active show, they're just not airing any episodes now. So that's the skinny. I keep forgetting about it, and every so often someone asks me - " So what's up with HGTV?" I guess that's my question too. So what's up with HGTV?

My take-away from this whole experience has been an incredible admiration for anyone that does TV or movies as a career. How people can actually do this for extended periods without melting down is amazing to me and to be able to make it appear effortless is the true miracle. I don't expect to be nominated for a Grammy, and if the show gets cancelled prior to airing, that might not be a bad thing. If or when the show does air, please be kind and remember that I'm not an actor, I'm a potter.

Evolution

2008-08-22T08:15:00.001-04:00

It's so much fun to watch people evolve. We don't have to go through eons to see evolution happen right before our eyes. As a ceramist I'm particularly drawn to the works of fellow potters and it's so much fun to be able to recognize their work without having to look for their name. The internet has made this process so easy. I can stay in touch with what others are doing just by checking in on their online shops or blogs.

One of my favorites is Keith Phillips. Keith is one of those adventurous people who's not afraid to try a new technique. Personally I don't know if he's got a time machine in his studio, because of the volume of work that he produces. An example of one of Keith's new lines is this marvelous mug. If you want to check out more of Keith's work go straight to his Etsy shop at http://www.khphillips.etsy.com/.

An addendum - incredible timing. Today a demonstration video that Keith submitted to Ceramic Arts Daily was released to the world. Ceramic Arts Daily is a daily e-mail and often includes demo videos. Keith's is about the best that I've ever seen. Check Keith's blog for the video. The link to his blog is in my Muddy Bloggers listing.

Boldly going....

2008-08-20T08:10:00.000-04:00

where I've never gone before. I've finally mustered up the courage to post on my blog for the first time! This could become adictive. First let me get the introductions out of the way.

My name is Judy Freeman and I am a clay adict. My first memory of this adiction came when I was in my junior year in college at Florida Atlantic University. Everything just clicked for me. That was back in 1971. It seems like yesterday. After college I started working a series of jobs that had nothing to do with clay. Mostly because my art wouldn't come close to paying the rent. So I worked retail, eventually becoming a store manager, then worked in offices, then for a life insurance company, eventually working my way up to Vice President of Administration. Fancy title for being in charge of customer service and claims. Clay was a necessary for me. Working in clay helped to relieve the stress of the day job and help maintain my sanity. So, fast forward to 2002, my darling husband got a job offer that would mean a move to Tampa, Florida. I was thrilled because it gave me the nudge to leave my job with the insurance company and shift gears. As soon as we moved to Tampa my mind opened up to new ideas. Fish teapots and butterfly bowls were born in Tampa. I had always been making cats, but the fish and butterflies helped to round out my menagerie. It's almost like my mind dumped all of the clutter from the insurance job and I had more RAM for creative thinking. It was quite a high to be driving down the street and have an idea pop into my head. Especially if it was an idea that I found funny, I'd start laughing out loud at myself.

I believe that there are the four "tions" of clay. The motivation - we sometimes need a kick in the pants to get to work. The inspiration - sometimes it comes as a flash, always have a pad and pen handy. The frustration - because sometimes things don't always go as you might expect or hope - be prepared to recycle. And, the elation - when everything comes together and that kiln load is opened and unloaded, there's nothing like seeing the fruits of your labor come together.

I am going to make a concerted effort to post regularly, so check back often for my meanderings.