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Open Studio Saturday February 4th

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New! First Saturdays on the Art Trail!

Being a member of the Greater Ithaca Art Trail has many benefits, including being able to participate in the open studio weekends in October.  Since my studio is off the beaten path many people would not know I was out here, were it not for my presence on the Art Trail.  Now, the great folks at CAP are launching the First Saturdays on the Art Trail to give artists more exposure AND to give the public more opportunities to meet local artists and see their work.

My studio, along with eleven others, will be open this Saturday February 4th from 10am-2pm.  Come on by to see what I’m working on and check out the variety of pots I have in stock!

To see the list of other participating artists check out this flyer. First Saturday Flyer A

 

Center, open, pull, rib, cut off. Repeat.

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To start off a series of pots for the wood kiln I usually begin with cups or mugs.  The cup form is a good way to get warmed up and will often spark ideas for what to make next.  Going through the repetition of steps is a revitalizing exercise after a hiatus from making.  I enjoy seeing freshly thrown cylinders lined up on a board.  When placed close together the forms create soft, repetitive lines, each one slightly different from the next.  This series of mugs will be larger than my usual large mug.  Sometimes changing the scale of a familiar form, even slightly, will help push me to make it better. The challenge to find the right proportions of visual weight and handle placement will keep my mind and hands tuned up for the next series of forms.

Photography 101

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I am stepping out of my comfort zone here with my first real blog post having to do with photography, not clay necessarily.  Although I am taking pictures of my pots, which I know pretty well, the act of photographing them has landed me in unknown territory.  I know what I want to see.  Making the camera understand that is like, well, trying to talk to an inanimate object.  After many days of shooting at different times of day for the right natural light and re-reading the camera manual and calling my trusted professional photographer friend (who happens to be responsible for almost all of the high quality images on my site), I am beginning to get images I feel good about.  I feel like I just might pass this self imposed photography 101 crash course.  The real test will come when I try to repeat what I did today. 

You can see here some of what I think of as successful images.  Not professional by any means, but not too shabby either.  What sparked this attempt to take on such a beast?  My new etsy shop.  In order to keep my shop current, I have to learn to take my own good images.   You can see my earlier tries by visiting my etsy site, clicking on any of the thumbnails to the right will take you there, and hopefully you’ll see my progress. 

Now, since I am really a potter, this week will be spent cleaning the studio and making new pots.  Unless the light is just right, I may have to wash my hands and click a few clicks.