Show Review and Back in the Studio

Well, I went another week between posting.  But sometimes that just happens. 

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who came out to the Northern Colorado Potters Guild 6th Annual Holiday Show and Sale, and a very special thanks to those who took home a piece of my pottery!  It was a very fun event and I don't think anybody let the weather get them down.

Here are just a couple photos from my display - it turned out that I never got a chance to take any more than this, as I stayed relatively busy all weekend.  But I have here for you the top-shelf of the display, after Krystal's help, as well as a sample shelf with my artist's statement, and a close-up of some vases hanging out together.

I think my favorite part of these sales is the opportunity to meet new people and talk about my work, and art in general, and experience that exchange wherein I am more excited to know a little bit more about just who is taking my art home, and they can feel even more attached to the art knowing a little more where (whom) it came from.

A Brief Lesson in Grammar: Whom is correct, by the way.  The simple trick to know this is that "whom" corresponds to "him/her," while "who" corresponds to "he/she."  To say, "The pottery came from he" would be incorrect, therefore you would not ask "From who did that pottery come?" (Though nobody I know really speaks like that, given the proclivity of midwesterners to leave prepositions hanging at the end of their sentences - just see the end of the above paragraph.)  The correct question would be "From whom did that pottery come?"  However, it would be appropriate to say "Who made that pottery?"  Because were really changing the nature of the question there.

Many apologies for that interuption.  So, as I was saying, I enjoy the interactions, and getting to talk at length about my pottery, and my process, and my inspiration, and why don't I glaze the outside of your pots?  Being my second year participating in this sale, it was also fun to meet folks who took home a piece of my pottery last year and came back looking for me specifically.  First of all, that just makes a guy feel good.  But it goes deeper than that to a feeling, however superficial, that there is some longevity to your connection. 

When you spend an entire weekend hanging out by your wares, you also develop a stronger sense of what people are really drawn to.  I can think of several pieces that sat out all weekend and were not once touched.  Not too many, but more than a few.  Other pieces were picked up and handled over and over again before the right person found it.  And some people are immediately drawn to a specific piece, pick it up, and hold it in their hands for five or ten minutes while asking me about it.  Those are the pots that never get put back on the shelf.  It was a no-brainer that these were the pots to fly off the shelves this time around:

Colorado, mountains, vases, and the holidays right around the corner: did anybody else think these would last long?  I started out with only 6 of these mountain pots: two little lidded jars, and four vases of assorted size.  And they were all sold by 10:30 on Saturday morning.  I'm going to be making more of them because they were fun, different, and apparently the sell like hotcakes.

So, one more time, a very special thanks to everyone that came out, and especially to those who were able to take some pottery home.

I got back into the studio right away on Monday night, althought it is time to slow down my production.  While I sold very well in this sale, I had even more pots leftover (mostly because when I get throwing, I can really crank them out).  Maybe I should feature a daily pot on here in hopes that someone online will want to buy it from me?  It may have merit...

So, I'm back in the studio, at a slower pace than normal, with a focus on Christmas gifts and special orders.   And maybe some things that will just be fun.  I'd like to do another couple of larger vases this winter, perhaps nice, mountainy ones.  Here's a peak at what I've had going on this week: 

Bowl, and a dog dish.  Hopefully Dolli hasn't learned to use the internet, because this would really ruin the element of surprise that makes gifts so special...

Small vase form.

Larger (medium) vase - this one will get mountains.

So, that's it for now.  If I get on the ball, maybe you can look forward to featured pottery for sale.  Have a great weekend!

(p.s.: I still haven't stopped listening to Hello, Hurricane.  I'm thinking it's officially my album of the year.)