HORAY MAGIC!

So a Magician came into the studio yesterday! She made one of my cups to leap off the shelf to the floor and she also taught five cups waiting to be trimmed and handled, to unwrap themselves so, they were waiting for me bone dry (how thoughtful)! In the past few days she magically levitated he sweater on a bone dry piece and broke a handle, made her little assistant appear sitting on a cup (AMAZING!)and flew a board into one of my spouts! If she performs ever again, I'm going to smash her face into the floor. TADDDAAAAA! I love magic!

geez

I have been thinking, no over analyzing, lots of things lately. I can't seem to let my brain have any down time. Even when I watch TV I am really not paying attention to it. I have been waking up through out the night lately; which is causing me to over think things even more, because I can't think rationally, it's quite the vicious little cycle. (hey there poor grammar!) One of said things I have been dwelling on is the fact that I hate disappointing people. I pretty much try to do and tell people what they want to hear or at least what I think they want to hear. I really can't stop. That's why I avoid sales people at all cost. When I can't read people, problems arise. That's what is happening when people want me to make decisions and can't. Another reason why bigger groups make me nervous, especially when the focus is on me. I think this may stem from my mother having a short temper and high anxiety, who knows though. Whatever the cause, it's starting to be (been) a problem. I keep taking on more and more responsibility at work and at with the internship. Oh well, that's how I function I guess. If that's my worst flaw ( I know it's not) I should count myself lucky. Well, sorry for the big ramble and fantastic grammar, but I feel and little better and hope you do too!

there's nothing like the taste of vomit in the back of your throat to wake you in the morning

So while in the shower this morning, where I do my best thinking, I got in a panic because I don't know what I am doing next year. I need to start figuring this out soon. I feel like I need panic to work. I try to not procrastinate, but sometimes, I think that's the only way I can function. Up until now I haven't had anything pressing me for time, now I have several. In a strange, uncomfortable way, I feel at home.

whats been going on lately

A deep freezer, which I understand just looks like a box, but that's what they look like. Maybe a Frigidaire decal would help?








Cake stands!! I am actually more excited about making cakes to put on them. I don't really like the form. I like the idea of making them multifunctional (the plates on top come off) I just don't know how to do that in a cohesive way yet.







Dumpster. This was the first thing I made. It's waiting to be fired. I gave it a rutile bath before putting a satin white glaze on.







Oil Drum. Most recent, as you can see. I like this one the most so far.
I am planning on putting upholstered interiors in the boxes. I am still unsure what they will contain in the end. I started doing these with the intention of pots going inside, but now I am not so sure they need that.

oh what to do?

Pamela, my roommate, and I made a pre-thanksgiving meal which consisted of these guys, garlic cheesy mashed potatoes and broccoli. I thought that these Cornish hens looked like creepy little dolls that I really wanted to play with. When it was time to eat these delicious little birds, I came to realize that I have no idea how to carve/eat things that don't come ready to consume. Something I need to work on.
On a different topic, I have been getting lots of ideas on things I want to work on. There are two directions that I am very interested in perusing. I am fine with two, but my free time isn't really isn't. I think I am going to stick with both for the time being, and see which one to stick with later on. The first one involves my take on fate and hard determination and the other, cakes coupled with my work. I really need to start taking my camera to the studio to document all the junk I am working on, so maybe I can get some feedback. I really miss, and I know other people are going through this too, being able to bounce ideas off people who know my work and have opinions I respect. That will just come with time I guess (I hope).

museum overload

In the past two weeks I have visited 7 museums on various family visits. These are just a few of the 300 pictures I took. I don't feel like typing all the image's info, so if something strikes your fancy and want to learn more, please don't hesitate to ask.

I will say that the room of furniture was made by a guy (they found it all after he died) that got all the furniture out of the trash and thrift stores and decorated them with aluminum foil and construction paper. It's his alter to Jesus when the second coming happens. the row of rocks are what rutile looks like ( I saw lots of other natural forms of ceramic fixin's like feldspar and magnesium and cobalt, oh my!) The celling is from the peacock room which was partcially designed and built by Whistler, the cabinet has a miniature room in the center of it and the mink, gross and fantastic!

So I work with a delightfully urban fellow, Dante. I have an extremely hard time deciphering what he is saying most of the time due to his slang (which not understanding makes me feeling incredibly old and out of place) and mumbling. He gets as frustrated as I do, not being able to understand him. He threatens to "break my car window if I don't stop that 'what' stuff," all joking I hope. Today he was asking me a bumch of dumb questions, bugging the crap out of me as usual, and the question of what I normally wear came up. I said your looking at it, and I got a jaw dropped, bug-eyed, horrified look, followed by "for REEEALL?!" Am I really that bad?...

I live in Cocksuckerville. Baltimore's roads are crazy. Granted I am not the best navigator in the world, but it's no help when, without warning, the road splits into two or more roads ( I saw three one time). There is always traffic so you can't get over and the next road you take to turn around in, ends up being a oneway followed by many more. There is no such thing as a grid pattern here and you end up god knows where. Long story short, I am not driving anywhere after dark that I don't already know.

I came to this conclusion after trying to meet my sister if Fredrick for dinner. She has been in DC for the past few days at a conference and had nothing to do, so we picked a random spot to meet for dinner. My parents are actually coming to DC this weekend too. They are doing the killing two birds with one stone thing, well actually three; seeing DC, my sister and me.




My sister, Stephanie after a thumbs-up, delicious meal ( a wonderful picture of her)

A Day of Firsts

Today I had 2 firsts. For the first time I finally got to work in the studio. I know some of you are saying, "What the Hell?" I know I have been here for a month now and we aren't talking about that. I got a space in the studio and my first "official" intern assignment. My task is to produce several cups so Deb and Anne can choose which ones they like, and from there, it's my job to make a ton more of the select few. They are to be given to people when large donations are made and other things of that nature. I found myself lost at the wheel tonight. I made ugly cup after ugly cup and decided it was time to go home for the day. I'll post pictures later.
My other first ( the more important of the two) Pigglet voluntarily sat on my lap!

SNACK TIME CANDY MOLD

I took a mini trip to EBF Pennsylvania to visit Ms. Massie. I ended up taking some wrong turns on the way there and almost had a nervous break down in Deliverence PA. I think thats the last time I start driving at night. While there, I unfortunately couldn't coordinate schedules to see Deca at all, but I will make a trip to see her at some point this year (Marisa too).
Massinator was feeling kinda down so we ended up doing some shopping and look what I found at Ollies! (it's kinda like a Big Lots)
OH what tasty little clay morsels I can make! Earrings anyone?

This is Tip Toland. She's a visiting artist at Clayworks for the next few days. her lecture was tonight and I got some pretty poor images. Anyway, she is a fairly quiet lady who has a quirky, slightly disturbing sense of humor. Ring any bells? She's totally Megan Thomas in like 40 years.
Check out her website, much better images there. www.tiptoland.com

rotten eyes!

Pamela and I cleaned the apt today. Thought the old eyeballs could use a scrubbing.

life in Bmore so far

there are cute-o houses all over my neighborhood, however, this is my apt (the upper right side)


this is the backyard, notice the hot tub! I'm probably never going to use it, but fun to point out















Gnome!













there are a few ceramic sculptures like this around the yard, I'm guessing left from previous Clayworks tenants








tiny kitchen






notice the eyeballs in the fruit bowl




sweet wallpaper in my bathroom










temperamental piglet