Pottery by Lisa

Unicorns, Magicians and Magical Clay

2012-01-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

Magic. Magic is something we believed in as a child. It is mystifying, amazing, even captivating. We love movies with magic, our dads that can do card tricks and performers that pull rabbits out of hats. These performances are just so smart, cool and entertaining that magic is hard to not love. It's alluring from the start.

Soon we learn magic is not as "magical" as we thought and those magicians are just grown up children in a clown suit. It is fun to see, but somewhat cheapened since we watched with youthful eyes. We now know a skilled sleight of hand or distraction is the true explanation for what we are seeing and have simply been outsmarted all these years. Sure, some tricks are much more elaborate than others, and many do deserve applause, but in the end, any "magic" that is left equates to trickery.

As adults, we still use the term "magic" with our original understanding of the word. From magical romance to a magical vacation to a magical event, we revert to the childhood perception of the word- mystifying, amazing, captivating. Something unexplainable- something touched by higher forces. Trickery never even crosses our mind as a connotation of the word.

We love magic.

When I think about clay, I mean really think about it, not just sit down and go to work, but actually ponder what is happening as I shape forms at my wheel or fire them in the kiln, I'm baffled. The process as a whole is ridiculously mind boggling (mud=gorgeous vessels) but even just the small steps of stretching clay with various pressures and positions of your hand, is crazy. That all particles of one ball of clay are willing and able to be aligned just so in a symmetrical and beautiful form... is crazy. Who sat down and discovered that we could take the earth and turn it into hollow, glossy and functional forms? (Way to go God, on that one!)

Before I ever sat down at a pottery wheel, I took a hand-building clay class at Berry college.

Our projects were so. slow. and. tedious. I really have no patience in life.

As I waded through this class I watched the students in the clay throwing class (throwing=creating on the potter's wheel) I was immediately hooked. I remember laying in my top bunk bed one night just thinking about throwing on the wheel and devising my plan as to how I would sneak in the classroom in the middle of the night and throw on the wheel for the first time and create tall, amazing, flowing pottery and stun all the students and our teacher.

Well, the magic of clay doesn't actually work exactly like that so my plan didn't play out just so... but when I did finally get to fit the class in my packed business marketing schedule two years later, it certainly was magic from the start. My mugs didn't look beautiful the first night- they were lopsided and short and lumpy. (I got a B- ... not too bad for the first shot.) But I was connected with something that mystified me, took me to another place and gave me simple peace.

Simple peace. A restful soul. A happy heart. Those are the products of someone who has experienced the magic of clay. The process is magical but the real magic is how clay touches our hearts and has us walk away a changed person every time we sit at the wheel.

I'm so blessed to have clay, Earthworks and my potter friends in my life.

Thank you God for my magical life. I love it.

Love,
Lisa

New Life = Renovations!

2012-01-11T06:42:00.000-08:00

One of my special talents is coping well under unusual circumstances. Trains in my backyard, no big deal. Mailbox close to falling over, just open and close the door very gingerly. Dishwasher broken, wash them by hand (or just go out.) Kiln lid cracked, hold breath while closing it.

This is also a curse that makes me live with unpleasantries much longer than necessary. I guess my lack of handiness leads to a good bit of this- but I compliment myself citing financial savings and being quite hearty.

Of course some things I cannot STAND such as icky smells, being hungry, bugs and bad lighting. These items are battled daily and addressed immediately. I'm not a total procrastinator.

But little things like basement junk and lack of plumbing are much easier to avoid dedicating proper attention to.

And just to give your some insight into a potter's world, everything we do requires 1) Water and 2) Cleaning. So, as an essential tool for simply the creating of pottery as well as the clean up process, I need water access about every 20-30 minutes. I've been addressing this by tromping up and down the stairs to the kitchen sink to fetch water in buckets OR going outside to the hose and soaking my grass-less lawn to clean up my tools. In short, having a sink is akin to having air.

But luckily, my friend Gorg likes to pay attention to this kind of stuff. Well, I did do the cleaning out piece of the pie. 100 paint cans, 15 boxes, 1 piece of dry wall and a 1/2 pitch fork later, I had space for a 5 x 3 work table. And then Gorg along with my precious husband spent three days adding a sink as well as some much appreciated lighting and electric.

So, while my studio is still a work in progress and not beautiful by any means, it is quite functional and I've truly loved my first two weeks as a studio potter. I have a couple more decor and rearranging ideas in the works so stay tuned for more!

For now, I leave you with this awesome video.

I Got a Sink

Starring: Daisy Duke

Co-Starring: Sink

Ordinary Beauty

2012-01-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite forms to make is the colander. It's a simple bowl with distinct alterations to add functionality but also beauty.

These are great for a variety of things- the smaller versions are berry bowls- for rinsing and displaying grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc. The medium to large ones are great for veggies, noodles, apples, anything really. The bonus about a ceramic colander versus a plastic one is the noodles slide right off the smooth glazed surface rather than sticking and making a mess of a plastic one. (I mean really... who wants to do more dishes! And yes, you can pop these in the dishwasher.)

I spent a good bit of my day yesterday making holes in my bowls. There are so many designs you can make with just removing the small circles of clay. From simple to very elaborate, the holes define the style and look of the piece.

The handles are the accent that finish off these pieces. I do lots of different kinds of these for various looks and effects. Handles can take any form really- they are functional but largely decorative. I love these little additions because they take your piece to the next level from ordinary to beautiful.

These bowls will be dried, sanded, fired and glazed to turn into a piece similar to the one below.

I use mine all the time and look forward to these going into new homes where they can be enjoyed and depended upon day in and out. And when you think about it, the beauty lining ordinary is what makes all the difference in the end.

Love,

Lisa

Lest We Not Forget

2011-12-08T18:50:00.001-08:00

Things I love about Redmond:

1. People. Lots of people coming and going and the constant energy that people bring.

2. Constant Challenge. You are sharpened everyday. You have to get out of your comfort zone and do things that are annoying, scary, mundane and just plain uncomfortable. But you get through it, survive and learn.

3. Impact. I can see immediate impact from my press releases, event promotions, mailers, emails, social media posts and campaigns. A packed schedule for a seminar, a fundraiser with excited faces and great proceeds and buzz about the latest hospital news just makes me glow.

4. Eggs. My coworker brings homegrown eggs for $2/dozen. They are wonderful. Keeps me from grocery shopping an extra week. We take care of each other at Redmond.

5. Words. I love to write. I love to play with words, dissect them and arrange them just right. I get to play with words all the time. It can drive me crazy but words are my baby.

6. Design. I love it when the designer hits the nail on the head and creates a beautiful layout for the content I created. It's art and business intersecting.

7. Teaching. I've had three interns come through my department. I adore helping people discover their future. Showing them a segment of life at Redmond is a joy as they see how they will one day fit in to the business world. And one of them is employed in town, doing fantastic. The other two just finished and will have great futures.

8. My Girls. The ones that know me inside out and have shown me love through death, marriage, crazy projects, home moves and everything else. They are truly my Rome family members.

9. Being the Community Liaison. Through United Way, the chamber, Heart of the Community, media channels and many other things, I get to bring the good news to the world.

10. It's Just Special. I feel safe there. Like someone will always take care of me, look out for me and want only good things for me. Like I can walk in anytime I need to and be at home. Shouldn't that be exactly what a hospital is? The place where you are safe and cared for.

That is what Redmond is.

And that is why my heart will always belong to Redmond.

Love,

Lisa

Why I Quit My Job

2011-11-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

I took the leap.

I sold the mills.

I quit my job.

And I'm thrilled.

My life has been pretty straightforward so far. Birth. Potty Training. School. College. Work. Work. Marry. Work.

Then... it should continue to go something like:

Work. Baby. Work. Baby. House. Work. Work. Baby.

The last time I took a risk was in 2005. I scored a commission only job at an art gallery in the artsy district of Atlanta. I took it- you have to have an internship the summer after you junior year or its basically career suicide- and had no place to live, no other income, nothing. My parents lived in south Georgia and I was basically independent from their support at this point. My older sister lived in Atlanta but just acquired a new roommate leaving no room for sis (darn husbands) and the housing in Kennesaw I lived in the summer before was full. But, I didn't care. I was doing this- income or no income. Home or homeless. And with the help of my sister, we found a precious, furnished, one bedroom apartment to house-sit while the owners were in Africa all summer and with the help of my college, I found another internship that paid real steady money (after moving in the apartment mind you) and made it just fine working my dream gallery job.

Since then, I've been much more sensible, somehow landing my job before graduating school and have stayed there ever since with great commitment to my career. My friends have bounced around the country and the world. My sister has moved to Europe with her husband roommate, learned French and has more stamps in her passport than the president. My younger sister has studied in Spain and worked in Costa Rica. I've stay in Rome, GA. Worked. Learned. And stood still.

This is not a bad thing- and I'm getting to that. My job has been a home. A family. A school. I've learned as much as or more than I did at college. It has been exactly the life and career development experience I needed. My private college education is paid for. I've been able to do what I love- pottery- as well as learn to teach pottery through the amazing people at Earthworks Pottery. I've lived within miles of my baby sister all this time. And for a family that spreads like seeds in the wind, that is amazing. And of course, I found my sweet true love. I've stayed still to learn, grow and enjoy exactly where I am in life.

But, this life was not my goal. If you've read this blog at all, you know that my heart lies with the mud. It lies with spinning wheels, shiny glazes and new ideas for creations. So, I quit my job to allow my heart to follow my dream- being a Godly woman that puts her husband above all the things of the world and makes beautiful art throughout her days. I had to get past the voices in my head telling me this is crazy and that I shouldn't do it. That I'm crazy to give up a well paying job in this day and time. That change is just too scary to overcome.

The movie Up in the Air struck a chord with me. It shows dozens of faces that have just realized they are making a huge life change as George Clooney bears to them the news of their firing. The movie talks about dreams a lot. At one point he says "As a child, all you hear is 'Follow your dreams! Always, follow your dreams.' Yet as an adult, all you hear is why you can't follow your dreams." I suppose we let our ideas of ideal income, society norms and our own fears of failure talk us into allowing dreams to fade away in the distance.

So, I'm ready. I'm set. And I'm going out into this world with my dream on my sleeve. Not starting my day by going into a 230 bed hospital with hundreds of people coming and going seems a little lonely to me (hospitals are wonderful support systems!) but I think that resembles the path to your dream. So, I think we just need more people on the path. Sell your mills if the time is right- or as right as it can be. Or make a plan to do so. It's a beautiful life and I'm living it.

I'll leave you with a final quote from Up in the Air...

Ryan Bingham: Your resume says you minored in French Culinary Arts. Most students work the frier at KFC. You busted tables at Il Picatorre to support yourself. Then you got out of college and started working here. How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams? Bob: Twenty seven thousand a year. Ryan Bingham: At what point were you going to stop and go back to what made you happy?

Love,

Lisa

The Kiln got Kilt

2011-11-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

So, my handy old kiln died. I've had it for forever. Well- five years to be exact. It was a Craiglist purchase. $400 for the whole thing and man has it cranked out the pots over the years. Anyway, I did a little video-memoir on the kiln and am actually excited to get a nice new kiln that won't leave me wondering when it will fall apart. I could fix it- but I'm not that handy so I'm going for new!

So... if you are in the market for a kiln- I have one at a great price :)
Check out the Video Commemorating the Kiln

Soup, salad and pottery help fill hungry stomachs in Empty Bowls 2011

2011-11-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

Soup, salad and pottery help fill hungry stomachs in Empty Bowls 2011: Soup, salad and pottery help fill hungry stomachs in Empty Bowls 2011

Teach Me How to Dougie... er... Make a Lid!

2011-10-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

I've always loved to make lids and think they are the coolest form. They are very different in technique from an open vessel- they have knobs and walls that flare straight out and you can make them atop a mound of clay. Lids give such personality to your piece- it can make it funky, elegant, taller, asymmetrical, lovely, odd or more distinct than ever.

I am planning for my next class and plan to work lids into the mix. Feel free to share other cool ideas (holiday themed projects welcome!) and if you are interested in class- it starts this Thursday :).

Love,

Lisa

Empty Bowls

2011-09-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

November 15 marks the date for the 2011 Empty Bowls Benefit. The event is held annually in Rome to bring potters and the community at large together to fight hunger. You can read more about it here and this is one of the most awesome entries because it has a photo of me in my head over heels in love with clay stage and I'm standing next to Serpentfoot.

Ok, I'll just post it here.

I really like Serpentfoot because she washed my pottery towel for me. This was a huge deal since I was in college and my two options for washing 20lbs of clay out of my towel were hosing it down behind the studio (ineffective, dampening, and cold) or pay my precious quarters to wash one mere towel when other loads of laundry begged for attention. I lent it to her to wipe her hands on and she just offered to do it. Then it smelled like patchouli which was lovely.

So, all year long, it is in most potter's minds that bowls of a certain stature need to be squirreled away for this wonderful event. Being a procrastinator, I rarely do this as I'm behind on other requests, orders, shows, etc. and therefore put off my Empty Bowls throwing efforts until the fall. Which is the busiest time of year anyway for a potter as well as a healthcare marketer. Nice weather just wrecks havoc on a a schedule.

Well, in my efforts to be oh so much more on top of things, now that I'm a grown married women, I set aside some time this weekend to make some Empty Bowls (yes, I know it is fall). Jonathan pulled my wheel into the front yard and it was so wonderful to create pieces for the greater good of mankind beneath the leaves of my trees.

My set up.

Bowls!

So, yay me, I've almost got 20 bowls to donate to the cause. And combined with the rest of the potters in Rome, it is pretty neat to see the impact of these efforts. My part is very small but I love being a part of this and I thank my pottery professor, Jere Lykins from Berry College, for instilling in our minds from the very beginning that it is always important to give back- no matter if you are a beginning potter or a millionaire.

Also- watch for pictures from our upcoming throwing party at Earthworks Pottery this weekend. Famous local potters will gather to make bowls together for an evening for the Empty Bowls event. It will be pretty impressive. I'll post some and I hope to see some in the Rome News as well!

Love,
Lisa

Start with Why

2011-09-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

We have book club at work. Once a quarter all the directors in our market are handed a new book focused on leadership development. This quarter was the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek. I'll admit, it is really annoying to get assigned a required book in addition to an already overwhelming workload. I hardly have time to read things I want to read- heck, I hardly have time to read all my emails. I'll procrastinate, forget, whine, and then eventually read the book. Then it always turns out to be completely worth it in the end (and so I'll hand them over to my interns to further burden yet enlighten them). The amazing thing about good books are that they make you want to fly- they use words in ways you forgot was possible for the human language to do. We flounder around in the same basic phrases and idioms day in and day out. But when a truly gifted writer gets his or her words on paper and portrays new and edgy ideas, I just get carried away in them.

Especially with these books. I've not had much experience in the work world or in a leadership role. So, it's an entirely new cup of tea for me. I've honestly had my mind changed and opened to so many new concepts from these books. Not only for my career, but also for my pottery.

So, Start with Why is all about getting back to the basic reason of why you do what you do. Here is what I took away on my notepad from our book club discussion:

Why do you do what you do? If you are clear, you can better accomplish your mission. You don't have do exactly what the plan was- you can keep pursing the why as your situation evolves. Once you know your why (happiness, education, bettering humanity, humor, money, power, security, people, etc.) you can then figure out your how- which determines your what.

So, I asked myself, what is my why for being a potter? Here's what I came up with:

To connect people to something real. This world is full of fake, artificial, reproduced, and made in China. Pottery gives people the opportunity to bring items into their home specially created through passion, love and artistic talent. A handmade pot's reason for being the world is to be treasured. To be beautiful.

My why is to make this connection of real and beautiful to people through educating and creating.

I also wrote out hows and what's for my pottery but most of that is covered in other entries and pages of this blog. I loved that this book so strongly advocated the importance of being true to your reason for being. So often, we are not. We get lost in the world of lets do it the ways its always been done, he said so so let's just do it, the competition is doing it so we should too, and so on and so forth. Knowing why you are who and what you are gives you the freedom to drive. The freedom to know how to choose your next step. I loved the book.

On a side note, I watched Limitless last night. I was 100% enthralled. Here are three tidbits I took away from it...

Never assume you are smarter than everyone else.
It is human nature to overreach. We are our own nemesis.
Your words make or break you. Talk eloquently and a good bit when the time is right.

Ok, so go read the book and rent the movie. It will make for a productive, fun filled weekend :).

A Barter of Barters

2011-09-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

One of our friends is a woodworker. He's also a husband, father of 7 (5 boys and 2 girls), speaks dutch and collects antiques. He and his family are pretty cool to say the least. His kids are all blonde and say "excuse me" before they talk to you. When they are very excited and have many things to tell you, their house is a chorus of "excuse me!"s. They are freaking cute.

So, this friend, Gorg, offered to make us our wedding gift. As a wood magician, this pretty much means any household item- an amazingly generous gift. So, at this point in our lives, our dog had figured out she was plenty long enough to grab anything off the dining room table (when we weren't looking) and dine human-style. I was getting pretty tired of sharing my dinner with her so we requested a table- a couple inches taller than the current.

So, when we came home from our wedding to drop off a couple items, lo and behold, there was our new table in the middle of our living room! It's fabulous- I have no idea how he makes these things but it is pretty impressive.

Our new table...

Pretty nice huh? Ok so, what would make this even more awesome? Perhaps some non-folding chairs?? Yes! Well, it turns out Gorg's wife, Mindy, is in the market for new dishes. And she likes pottery... can you connect the dots? So, I now am making a 12 place setting and canisters in exchange for our chairs to match our table (which does a better but not perfect job of keeping the dog off the table) I guess actual training is in order.

Yesterday I went to the studio and pounded out some sample plates to show what types of shapes (round), textures and treatments I could do for her plates. Then, she could choose her rim, lip design, and base treatment to create her own personalized plate. Here's a glance at the four samples I did...

She chose the last rim treatment of the four with a tight swirl in the middle that only comes about a 1/3 of the way out to the rim. I think these will be awesome!

As for the canisters, Mindy found some gorgeous ones on the web. I love lidded vessels so I think this one will be a lot of fun. If you notice, the lids are all a little different. One sits on top of the rim and the others set at different places inside the pot. Very unique but still very matchy.

I guess my work is cut out for me! I'll post some finished products in a couple weeks as they begin to come to life.

Muah!

Lisa

Do You DIY? I do. I do.

2011-09-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Soooo... since I last posted guess what.....

I got married! Ow ow!

Yup, that's right, I'm not Lisa Brown anymore. It's Mrs. Ingram to you! So, surprisingly, marriage and pottery go hand in hand. I've always loved to give pottery for wedding gifts. It's nice to have something unique and lovely to give to a newly married couple for their new home. However, with my wedding on the horizon, my brain began to overflow with ideas with which to decorate and accent our wedding.

One of the details I was adamant about was the flowers for the pew markers for the family section in the church. I wanted hydrangea balls. I loooove hydrangea and the look of them all bunched together however the florist warned us that they don't last much more than 30 minutes without water. So, I designed small vases to hold the buds with skinny necks to tie ribbon- or in our case, raffia around to hang them from the pew. They worked like a charm!

Years ago I dreamed up the idea of making flowers for my wedding. I thought it would be so neat to have handmade flowers accenting the day. So, immediately after our engagement, I began working on flowers for my bridesmaids to carry. I rolled out flat slabs of white clay and cut out each petal individually. I then pressed them together into a flower and did unique centers for each one. It was so fun! Several flowers ended up back in the slob bucket or the trash can, but the majority turned out lovely! And the girls get to keep them much longer than a regular bouquet...

I also displayed plaques from our engagement party that our guests signed and made their marks on.

And then my final endeavor was the centerpieces for the table. Two friends did the flowers and I just loved everything they did that just worked so well with my creations.

That's it! It was fun... and now I'm resting. It was fun but I don't recommend firing your kiln up until the day of your wedding. There are plenty of other things to worry about than dripping glaze and glueing stems on flowers! But, it was all definitely worth it :)

Love, Lisa

A look back

2010-12-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

This year has been so many things.

Busy...

Fun...

Surprising...

Full of Growth....

Ideas...

Changes.

Rather than writing 500 words on it, see for your self...

I enjoyed an outdoor studio in the mild (hot!) Georgia summer.

Had a table of contents formated around my head in Magnolia.

Enjoyed my indoor studio.

My crumbly old kiln remained faithful, cranking out several load fulls...

I completed my first full set of four place settings.

I visited a old friend and an old pot in Pittsburgh (miss you Peter!)

We visited some beautiful pots at Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water.

I got a studio buddy.

Made some pots with Jonathan's nieces and nephews.

Went to Costa Rica with Andrea.

Found a place to move in and make pots in Costa Rica (despite having no walls).

Did some fun custom orders.

Completed my first year on the Empty Bowl's board and enjoyed a sold out evening...

raising over $8000 for the homeless shelter.

Held our Christmas show at Earthworks Pottery...

Taught two beginning pottery classes

as well as our first Sip and Sculpt evening workshop- making boxes, ornaments and manger scenes.

And now I'm taking a break.

Wow.

It's been a wonderful year. I can't wait to see what happens in 2011. The next class I'm teaching starts January 13th. Beyond that I don't have much plans other than have fun, keep learning, continue teaching and enjoy those I love around me.

Thanks for a beautiful 2010 my friends...

Love,

Lisa

Do Something

2010-11-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

I graduated with an Art Minor Deluxe from Berry College. I call it Deluxe because I was a mere two classes away from it being a complete second major. That deserves extra verbiage.

So, if you didn't major or minor deluxe in visual arts, you probably wonder what we learn beside how to paint, pot and draw. Of course we learn those things, but there are learned processes that teach, push, encourage and provoke us as emerging artists.

I was thinking about one of these in particular today as I enjoyed a second marathon pottery day on my parent's lovely screened in porch. (20 pots in 2 days, woot woot!)

I'm making a slew of mugs for next weekends Christmas show at Earthworks Pottery (note to self, never wait this late to get started on the bulk of your showing!!) So, I challenged myself to make these mugs individual and unique and not just pump out some handled cylinders. So, in order to accomplish this, I put into practice one of my Berry College Art Department techniques, the "Do Something" technique.

Here is how it works:

1. You take something. This something is your base. So I took a simple circular form as the starting figure for my mug.

2. Now, you do something to it.

And you get a more interesting piece.

3. Now, you do something else to it.

So I added some new dimensions to the mug.

4. And then, do something else to it.

More fun than the basic straight and narrow mug? I think so! I do love simplicity in art but creativity is the key so applying this technique tastefully, creatively and in a fresh light makes all the difference in my work.

Here are some more mugs the went through the same process.

Now I have to figure out how to squeeze in drying, firing, glazing, and firing again before Friday. Come see how it works out at the show!

Upcoming Events at Earthworks Pottery

2010-11-20T05:55:00.000-08:00

Have you been itching to start the holiday season like me? I am honestly not usually this way- let all holidays come on their own schedule but this year am already feeling justified that I never put away the Christmas tree towels from last year because I forgot in the first clean up and then figured they would be in season again before I knew it.

Well, if you are ready to start celebrating or need a little holiday cheer to get your anticipation going, mark your calendars for these upcoming events at Earthworks Pottery. We have a Christmas show- my first show of the year so I will have the bulk of my 2010 collection. We also are having our first ever Sip and Sculpt one night workshop. Check out details below and hope to see you at one or both events!

Earthworks Pottery Christmas Show and Open House

Earthworks Pottery will hold their annual Christmas Show and Open House Saturday December 4th from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 5th from 12 noon - 5 p.m. Handcrafted art by potters Lisa Brown, Janda Canalis, Vicki Hill, Jeri Jankowsky, Toby Layman, Sue Lee, Terry Moon and Kim Vasil will be on display and for sale with a focus on Christmas themed gifts and decorations. Earthworks Pottery is located at Second Avenue, Rome, GA 30161.

More information can be found at www.earthworksrome.com

Sip and Sculpt Pottery Class

This one-night workshop will take place Friday, December 10 from 6 - 9 p.m. at Earthworks Pottery. Instructors Toby Layman and Lisa Brown will host the class and students will make holiday pieces on and off the wheel. Beginners and those with some experience will enjoy this class. Refreshments and wine will be provided. Class tuition is $50 and participants can register online at www.earthworksrome.com by December 6.

Finished Products!

2010-10-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Friday was an awesome day. For work, I got to cheer for men walking in high heels. It felt like summer time in mid October and I got to have a kiln opening. So finally, here are some shots of the completed pieces in my dinner set...

My faithful companions gathered for the unveiling.

Mugs!

Plates!

The set! The mugs came out darker than the rest so they add a little character ;) I will try re-firing them to match them up a little better.

I have a complete two place setting... two more on the way!

The serving bowl.

Had to get Daisy in the photo shoot. She loves pottery- can't you tell?

Brava

2010-08-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

There are new words now that excuse everybody. Give me the good old days of heroes and villains, the people you can bravo or hiss. There was a truth to them that all the slick credulity of today cannot touch.

- Bette Davis

Life throws interesting things in your lap sometimes. Just literally, hands you a piece of joy and excitement on a platter. Like when I received a handwritten thank you note in the mail from Saxby Chambliss for a piece of pottery I didn't even know Berry had given him as his gift for speaking at graduation. Or my sister getting a job and staying in Rome after graduation.

Magnolia thinking my pottery was worthy of doing a feature on in their women's publication was along these same lines. Having an editor think your story is worth being told is such an energy and inspiration booster. I love my art on my own with all my heart. But, having someone look from the outside in and have love for it too gives it all a new dimension and wall to lean upon.

One of my current quarter-life initiatives is learning Spanish. A very important phrase to know is "Que es la significa de _____" equating to "What is the meaning of ____" Or more literally, what is the significance of this utterance? What assertion does it own? What place on earth does this fit into?

So, when I saw they put the article in the "Brava" section of Magnolia, I wanted to know, "Que es la significa de Brava?" So, I plugged it in to Webster and pulled it up.

Main Entry: bra·va

Pronunciation: \ˈbrä-(ˌ)vä, brä-ˈvä\

Function: noun

Etymology: Italian, feminine of bravo

Date: 1741

: bravo —used interjectionally in applauding a woman

What a sweet precious name for a section of a magazine. It made me feel that art and pottery and dreams in general were being celebrated. In this world of budget cuts and struggling to make ends meet, art, pottery and dreams seem to be the first to get pushed aside.

It's easy to have dreams. I have new ones every week. Right now, I'm dreaming of bilingualcy, the redecoration of my house, my 5-year life plan, the lesson plans for my next pottery class and how my batch of pots will come out in a few weeks. I've also had much more fleeting dreams like being a flight attendant, living in London for a year and opening an apartment complex for Berry graduates to continue the dormitory camaraderie. Hundreds of dreams go by the wayside. Maybe because they were not the right ones for me. But honestly, it's just really hard and inconvenient to make dreams reality. It takes courage and ambition and hurt feelings. It takes the willingness to be really really broke. And with this dream of keeping pottery a constant in my life, I've experienced a little bit of all of it. And someone wanting to interjectionally applaud what this woman has made of it so far makes the journey and my current location in it just so so sweet.

Fall Classes!

2010-08-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I am teaching a 6 weeks Beginning Pottery Class at Earthworks Pottery. It will cover all the essentials of starting a love for the art of clay. We will be working on the wheel and learning about many different techniques for the formation of clay pieces.

The winter class I taught earlier this year was a blast- check out some pictures from previous posts about this class here and here.

The class will meet:

Thursday evenings
Start September 9th
6p.m. - 8 p.m.
At Earthworks Pottery on 2nd Ave.
Costs $150 and covers all your materials and firings
Is a ton of fun!

The class size is limited so if you are interested just send me an email. Online registration is coming soon too!

I Heart Concrete!

2010-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

I know I left the basement situation hanging last time I wrote to you of it. It started getting less funny and more scary, making me not want to write cute anecdotes about it. However, I'm happy to announce that things seem to be under control these days and I have somewhat reclaimed the lower level of my home!

Here was the foundation of the problem...

Holes in the house let in more than just sunlight and hot air. And, when you try and plug them up, something just pulls the stuffing out of the way and lets him or herself back in.

So after multiple calls and a few near tears pleading phone calls with my rental company and the maintenance man, (I had to play the my dad lives 6 hours away and I'm all alone in the big city card) they came and poured concrete around the holes! Yay!!!

Its been quiet down there since so I think we are back in business. Bye bye monsters!!!

Oh, and, the traps are still set if you try and come back.

The Big Plates

2010-08-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

The final step in my 4 place setting project is the Big Plates.

The Criteria:

At least 12 inches in diameter
Completely flat and smooth face
Proper thickness
4 Total

The thing with the Big Plate is that the thickness of the bottom of the piece is crucial. Unlike other pieces, the bottom is what makes up the majority of the plate. The focus on a vase, mug, bowl, etc. is the walls. But plates have the opposite focal points.

Another potter thing is weight- the lighter a piece the better. We potters can tell expertise of a piece's maker by picking it up and feeling the size to weight ratio. Somehow, in college the thickness rule got into my head a little too seriously and I often destroy my pieces chasing thin walls and tiny bottoms. If you measured the thickness of all the bottoms of my pieces, they would be within .001 inches of each other, I automatically open up my clay to the same depth every time.

But with any plate or wide bottom piece, thickness has to increase. And the wider, the thicker it needs to me. For one, it has to support its size. For two, upon completion of the formation, a wire has to be run under the piece to cut it off of the bat. The wire is held tight, pressed down on a hard surface on either side of the piece and then pulled straight under the piece. Inevitably, it draws up in the center requiring the wire to be held as tight as possible, otherwise risking a hole cut in the bottom of your piece. Guess how many times I have cut holes in my plates? My batting average is about .5. Well, thats what it feels like when I ruin a freshly made plate at least. So, I consciously have to force myself to leave extra clay in the base of my plate AND use a ball of clay that looks way too big.

So, here is a glimpse of the process... There's the size ball of clay I started with in the background there... and there is the clay after being centered, being flattened out.

And here is the finished product- a Big Plate as big as my bat would allow with questionable thickness.

This thing is heavy. 4-5 lbs I would estimate.

My Big Plate! It's 14 inches but will shrink down to my desired 12 as the water leaves.

And here's a mug. Always have to throw one of these into the mix. Can never have enough.

I now have two completed Big Plates and waited over night to cut them off since I was scared to face the final test. And guess what, I did it. Cut them both on my kitchen table today and made a huge mess on my white carpet and table but all came out well- no holes in my 14 inch plates!

Two down, two to go.

Wendy Pots

2010-08-06T13:58:00.001-07:00

My friend Wendy came over last night for her very first pottery lesson ever! We talked and potted and had a fab time. For the piece I made to demonstrate each step, I made a sugar jar, remember I broke mine way back in January or something? Now I have a new, cuter one in the works! Take a look at Wendy at work:

Perfect potters position!

Coning down.

And there is her finished bowl! Symmetrical and all. She already has it tagged for Lily, her newest chinchilla addition to her growing chinchilla family.

She did an awesome job and said she liked it more than she thought she would. I also have to mention that Wendy enjoyed cleaning off the bat (the plate that attached to the wheel head) just as much as the actual throwing part so she was a pretty easy student to host. :) Thank you for coming to make pots with me Wendy!

Next up... the article that ran in Magnolia! So stay tuned my friends.

Summer School

2010-07-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Summer? Over? What are you talking about? It's 86 degrees outside at 11:30 p.m. Summer is still going strong in North Georgia.

So, while we are in full summer swing, here is one more way to enjoy yourself and relax this summer... pottery class! I now am offering one-on-one pottery lessons for interested parties from now until September. Here are the basics of a One-on-One pottery lesson with Lisa:

A one time 2 hour session
You will make multiple pieces (3-4) (i.e. bowl, mug, pendant, vase)
Introduced to basics of throwing and hand building
Your pieces will be glazed and fired by me after your session and will be available for pick up upon completion after the class
The class is $60 (cash or check)
Two people may do the class together for $80 (each person will make 2-3 pieces a piece)
Classes can be scheduled for evenings and weekends
You will have a lot of fun!!

Beginners, do note that this is a bit tricky to start but you will get a feel for it and will make something beautiful even on day one. Want to sign up? Send me and email and let me know. Sharing my art with someone new to the world of pottery is a joy- and tends to be for the participants as well.

Blast from the Past

2010-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought my pest problem would be so interesting? Here is yet another blog post inspired from the monsters living in my sótano!

One of my first ever mugs

Well, when my exterminator came back to check on the wildlife in my basement, he commented about how my storage boxes were great attractors for pests. Especially since I get water in the basement and the cardboard boxes had repeatedly gotten wet (and no one had kicked me in the butt to move them to the new shelving Eric put up for me down there).

He told me I needed to get some new boxes and someone from the company would help me if I was scared since there might be pests in the boxes. Luckily, I had plenty of plastic storage containers from all the festivals I have had to transport pots to and from in so I said, how about now? So, the faithful exterminator and I transfered a good bit of my memorabilia from my younger days from yucky soggy boxes to safe, clean containers and laughed for about an hour at the findings. I mean, who knew I won first place in the Jingle Bell Jog 5k in 2001 in the 15-19 females category?! Can't throw that away!

One such box contained pottery from my first semester of throwing and of hand-building. It was too funny! Check out the mug above. Probably can't fit much drink into that or more than one finger in the handle. Love it! It was a 2005 creation.

Slab built box from 2003

This snazzy piece circa 2003 is from my hand-building class for our slab/boxes project. I had to roll out big flat pieces of clay and then assemble them into a box like product. I thought my design on top was especially fabulous.

The pieces were way too cool and totally worth saving- I just need a bigger place to display it all!

For the Love of Pottery Part II

2010-07-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

So, my over-zealous exterminator came over during this torrential downpour (which added to the drama of it all since my basement is the pathway for several major rivers during much rainfall) and I laid my story out for him, leaving no stone unturned. I showed him the remnants of the black stuff (that I hid under a rug for safe keeping and zero viewing) and the untouched, over turned bowl. He looked extremely puzzled, which bothered me as I hoped he could verify the culprit immediately. But the man got down on his hands and knees with me during my explanation and listened to all my rambling without ever looking at me like I am crazy or a poor housekeeper. (Though I think he was relieved that I rent my unique little home rather than own the place).

After my extensive background information, he set out to investigate. His first discovery was the miniature footprints circling the spot where my bowl used to rest. After I left him to his manly work and returned to the much more girly task of breading fish in the kitchen (yet requires equivalent if not more hand washing) he spent about 3o minutes down under. Upon returning upstairs, he gave me the rundown. He found more black icky stuff. A rather decent sized amount of it. He doubts a mouse (which certainly was in the pottery room) could have knocked over my bowl. However, whatever had been chasing it (which also had certainly been in the pottery room), probably could have.

And while he did not see anything, he is fairly sure that I have/had a snake in my basement.

Leaving me presents.

Breaking my art.

Eating mice.

Paying no rent...................................................................................................................

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGKKKKKKKKKKIIIIIIOOOOOOO. waaaa. boo. uhh. noo. sigh. I'm hungry. Where am I sleeping tonight? Do snakes fly? Why did I come back from vacay? I'm moving. I prefer ghosts and monsters. What's that blue fuzzy monster called in Monster's Inc?

It's so fluffy.

I will call the snake that. What if I catch a snake? I'm not touching it. I wanna catch it. Ew, mice. I hope I don't hurt them. That cat should come back. I should get a cat. Nah, probably not. I'm moving. Not really, this house is sweet. Well, kinda. I really like those shelves Tom built. I need more closet space. I thought the train just made that bowl fall. Why do I have a train? My rent's not that cheap. I want to live cheap. Oh, wait, that's why I have rivers and snakes. Chooo choooo. Chew. Dinner.

The exterminator promised to come the minute I found something caught in the basement (I think he was excited at the variety in his job) and left me all his numbers and the assurance that the office was only a mile from my house. And so, here I type, with 4 snake traps beneath me, 10 mouse traps and a decidedly scary room formerly known as my pottery studio.

So, you can never know what you love will get you into, or what will come attacking it. But, all I can say is I greatly enjoyed throwing the bowls for my dishes set on the (upstairs) screened in porch while the sun set and will eventually venture downstairs to add them to the shelves with my other pieces waiting to be fired.

And if I see a snake... I will do my best not to drop my pots.

For the Love of Pottery

2010-07-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Few people choose their home on account of the basement. Basements are just the afterthought, they are what lies beneath. They are dark, musty, damp and scary.

However, post-college, I lusted after a charming little house, plus one basement. And I got it. I mean, what is to be scared of if it provides me a place to exercise and flourish in my love for my art? I can brave the dark and the damp, I'm a big girl. And, lets face it, I'm on a budget and we are in a recession. Give me basement!

Well, the first turn off was the lack of electricity. But, I found a guy and sooner or later, that issue was addressed. I have light!! Then, there was the issue of sub 30 temperatures. Hey, a warm bucket of water will take care of that. And summertime.

But then, there was always that little apprehension I had to push through to make the trek downstairs to the basement. Lets call it, "afraid of the dark." But, conning a friend or taking the phone or blasting the music were great distractors- as was the reality that I am 26 years old and its silly to be scared of the dark.

Well, this summer, I moved my wheel upstairs to my screened in porch. More light=more fun. And my plants are in full bloom right now. That has been a great move- one of my better ideas. And, it was a little bit of me admitting that yes, I, Lisa Brown, am a little scared of my own basement, the biggest selling point of my house. (Once upon a time that is).

So, I felt a little silly giving up on the spaciousness of what lies beneath my living space and allowing myself to avoid it... until recently. If you are easily grossed out or plan to judge me and the live-ability of my home based upon this entry, just stop reading now. But, if you want to sympathize with me and read about real life, living by (girly) yourself in your 20's on a budget trying to pursue your passion, please proceed.

In May, I found a dead bird in my studio. I walked in after a few weeks break from my pots and there was this tiny little bird in a ball on the floor. I about cried- that my place of love and creation was the place of death for another being. It really just tore me up. But, my dad was coming into town that day as well as my brother-in-law and boyfriend so I knew I should have some manly moral support in helping vacate the bird from the premises. (My sister Katie and I ended up being the ones to address this situation. The bird is buried in my front yard now).

Then, about a month later, I went downstairs and found two large piles of black stuff. This was nothing put there by me. I won't describe it but will just say, it looked like some sort of stuff from something alive. Well, I had vacation coming up and an exterminator visit scheduled upon my return so I jokingly referred to the strangeness in my basement as my little monster and didn't give it much more thought.

So, I arrived home from vacation, (which was an awesome two week excapade to Costa Rica and was sorely saddened to return home to my jury duty notice, 40+hour work weeks, a broken car and basement issues), and ventured downstairs. Want to guess my new discovery? In my pottery room was an upside-down bowl, broken on the floor next to the shelves I keep my pots on.

Now this 26 year old is feeling a little more justified in her newly founded fear of the dark.

So, I promptly left the basement to wait for my favorite people to make a house call- my exterminator.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!.....

What should I wear?

2010-06-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

The question of what to wear is always near the forefront of my mind- as it is for most women I would think. I am faced with the question 5 days a week for work, 3-4 times a week for evening activities, 2x for the gym, 7x for bed, 1x for church and then 3-4 various times for other extra curricular activities. One of which is often pottery.

Of course these events have different levels of importance as far as what I wear but pottery has always been one of those events that I don't have the set supply of clothing options for. It has to be something you can get dirty. It has to be something weather appropriate with my non-air controlled studio space. And, preferably something you don't look like a complete slob in. But, since it has low importance, I can usually find something with little trouble- an older t-shirt or tank-top, yoga pants, shorts, etc. But, when the paper called me and wanted to do some pictures and info on my pottery for their women's publication, Magnolia, the question started to voice itself a little louder. Lisa, what will you wear???

So, I eventually dug something up and met two of the nicest girls at my house and got to gush about my love for close to an hour. It was a walk down memory lane since so many things in my life- starting with the spider I drew when I was about two- lead up to this point. I have always wanted to have a life full of art. And that is what I have. I felt really lucky telling my two visitors about my life today. And I'm not the best one for appreciating what I have. But after reminiscing, I feel especially blessed with all that has happened up to this point.

I have met so many wonderful, talented artists. I have seen what can happen when you truly put all of yourself into something you love. And I have gotten to teach many new aspiring potters.

On top of that I get to go to Costa Rica next week and see a whole new country and play at the beach with my sister and our Costa Rican (Tica?) sister, Stephanie.

Soooooo, if you want to see what I finally decided to wear, and learn a little bit more about my art, check out the upcoming edition of Magnolia. Thanks Eric for your inspiration and help in picking it out. What a good boyfriend I have.

Some Pots for the Potter

2010-06-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

My older sister Katie and I gave our younger sister, Andrea, a four place settings of Fiestaware for her graduation gift. Its so freaking cute- we gave her the square styled set since the mug handles are nice and gracious, as I like them to be.

Well, I looked at her gift and looked in my cupboard and had a bit of a realization. This potter should have better dishes. Matching dishes. So I went to work.

Here are the mugs- just threw the last three today. Will do handles tomorrow or this weekend.

Here are the small plates. The top shelf ones will shrink down as they dry. Pots shrink 10-20% from start to finish.

So, I've got the large plates and bowls left to do. I am super excited to do the bowls, and will just have to sweat it out for the plates. Those things wear me out. But hey, I'm pretty proud of my progress. I'm a little spastic when I pot and don't take the time to make things match so this is a pretty admirable undertaking considering my track record. Sometimes the creative juices have to be streamlined. All it took was a little sibling rivalry and a potter who realized she wasn't providing for her own cupboards.

How to Make a Vase

2010-03-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

With the weather warming up, some people are running outside for their long awaited fun, but others (those with terrible allergeries) enjoy the warm weather in their own basements. Yes, i ventured down to my now much warmer basement and made a video to share with you about how I go about making my art.

As it turns out, I'm learning from this exercise too. I had no idea that it took me 16 minutes to make a vase! I would have loosely guessed 5, conservatively guessed 10 minutes tops. (No worries, I edited it down for you.) So, now I have a little better view myself of what goes into this. Hope you enjoy the video and a glimpse into the first step in creating a pot.

Class Dismissed!

2010-02-28T14:27:00.001-08:00

Thursday marked the completion of the beginning pottery class I have been teaching this winter. We glazed the previous Thursday so all that was left this week was to pick up the completed pieces. We had no major disasters in the firings and everything turned out so beautiful!! I was so excited to see everyone's pieces finished. Here are some of the pictures of work from the most recent graduates of beginning pottery at Earthworks of Rome.

Aren't the pieces wonderful!!!

On another note, I have been having fun with video at work for facebook so I am feeling the need to do another video of me in the studio making something that actually makes it to the end! Any requests for my next creation to be caught on film??

Class

2010-02-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

This week was week 5 of the class I am teaching at Earthworks Pottery. There has been lots of production the past few weeks. Next week we glaze our bisqued pots and then they go in the final firing and become the worlds newest works of art. I remembered to take some pictures tonight of our work.

We learned how to make spouts.

Our pieces prior to trimming.

The Potter's Position.

Bowls and Goblets in progress.

The finishing touches.

I will always remember my first class.

A Valiant Attempt

2010-01-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I decide I'm a performing artist and take requests from the crowd. Yesterday I had a new request- from a smart aleck onlooker who requested (with great doubt of actual execution) a paper towel holder. So of course I had to do it.

Here's some of the footage from the valiant attempt.

It was fun while it lasted! Next time I will succeed. Believe it!

Some recent pictures...

2010-01-20T19:27:00.001-08:00

Here's a little glimpse of my life lately...

It snowed!

I met my new niece (pictured right with bear ears)

Molly stole Tom's beef Jerky. And then felt bad and returned it.

We had a great Christmas and are running out of room on the mantle for stockings!

I broke my sugar jar.

I randomly fired my kiln with seven lonely pots that have been chillin' in the basement.

And tonight, hung out in the studio.

Time for Class

2009-12-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to be teaching a winter session pottery class coming up in two weeks. For six weeks, I will be teaching beginning throwing on Thursday evenings from 6-8. I have helped teach a couple classes there before and have had a blast and am looking forward to meeting new faces interested in the same thing I love and getting to share the art of pottery with them. It will also help me keep the winter blahs away- something that is hard to battle when making pots in my freezing basement!

Week one will include the overall introduction and then we will jump in and make mugs with saucers. I'm so excited to see the pots this class will bring into the world!

Empty Bowls

2009-11-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Some of my 2009 Empty Bowls

Empty Bowls is an annual event in cities across America where potters and communities join together to raise money and awareness for the hungry and homeless. In the organization's words:

"Our goals are to raise money to help organizations fight hunger, to raise awareness about the issues of hunger and food security, and to help bring about an attitude that will not allow hunger to exist."

Rome and Floyd County have supported the efforts of Empty Bowls ever since I learned to make my first bowl in 2005. My pottery class at Berry College made bowls to donate to the cause and so many potters I've met since then all support and give each year. Check out my awesome class below with our bowls to donate...

Rome's event is November 10th at the Civic Center. Attendees recieve a soup dinner and a handmade bowl. Tickets are available at RACA on Broad Street among a couple other locations for $20 and all proceeds go towards the Hospitality House. If you are local, you should absolutely come check it out.

2009-10-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Chiaha Harvest Fair

October 24-25

Ridgeferry Park

I'm so excited to be participating the 45th annual Chiaha Harvest Fair for the second year. Last year I had a blast just hanging out in the park with my pots and seeing so many people I knew. It was fun to be potter Lisa for the weekend and talk about art for two days straight.

I'm ramping up for the festival and had an awesome kiln opening this weekend. So here's a sneak preview of some of my 2009 Chiaha Collection!

How To Make a Pot in Six Common Sense Steps

2009-09-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've given lessons to several people touching clay for the first time. Its always fun watching someone see what clay in motion feels like for the first time. I thought I'd share a couple tips I give to the beginners. I've discovered that even you don't have a pottery lesson on the horizon, several of these tips can be used in everyday life as well.

1. Slooooow down. Putting the pottery wheel pedal to the medal is quite tempting and easy to do. The power feels cool. The clay goes fast! But, centrifugal force will pull the walls of your pot out, and eventually they will rip or fall flat on the wheel. Human nature and the rat race we tend to find ourselves in everyday tends to draw us to speed. We rush through things so fast sometimes they fall over because of our carelessness. Clay needs some speed but mainly steady, consistent rotations. And you can't replace the value of sometimes just slowing it down and taking your time.

2. You can't force it. Have you ever tried to convince someone of something in one blatant statement? Its often more effective to reveal your point of view piece by piece, bit by bit rather than forcing it down their throat. That's exactly what works with the clay as well. To form a pot, the goal is to form a ball of clay into a hollow form with walls. To make these walls, you have to pull them up. Walls have to be built in multiple pulls. Some pulls gain more height than others, but its the collection of different pulls working together that gradually build the height of your pot. In the beginning, you have to learn patience.

3. Just let it go. It's not perfect. Your pot is handmade. Those are basically synonymous depending on your definition of perfect. Those just starting out have such grandiose ideas of what their creation(s) will turn out to be and simply cannot stop editing their piece at the end. This often leads to destruction, over anyalization and lost time and perspective. Knowing when you're finished and that it is time to let go is key.

4. Sometimes it doesn't work out. First time potters look so hurt if their mud ends up in a defeated wad on the wheel head. But that's pottery. Maybe it was rushed or forced or over analyzed and just needed to crumble up so you could learn from your mistake. Or maybe the clay just wasn't good. It happens- don't take it personal. Take a breath and...

5. Try again. Sometimes things just go better when you consider what went wrong the previous time, and sit down for a fresh start. Learning to make pots takes repetition and the ability to stick to it when things go awry.

6. Just because it didn't turn out exactly as you plan, doesn't mean its wrong. More often than not when I finish a piece it doesn't match the original plan. Then I have to refer to #3 and look at it a new way. Then, its kinda cool because it was unexpected. I've learned a lot from things taking a turn of their own and come up with some cool, really different pieces. Learning this really takes the pressure off.

So, pretty much with anything in life, don't take making a pot so seriously. But, above all else, simply keep at it. Soon enough, things will start to fall into place and you'll end up having a lot of fun along the way.

Christmas is Coming

2009-08-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is August. Not only does that mean the end of summer is almost here, but for potters, it means the Christmas crunch is essentially right upon us. I had such a busy latter half of the 2008 year that I took a bit of a hiatus for the early months of '09 but am now finally falling back in step with my normal creating groove in the studio.

In preparation for Chiaha 2009, I spent a good bit of this week throwing and handling. Full details on Chiaha will come in following posts. For now, enjoy yet another fabulous phone pic of me and my latest creations!

Detours

2009-07-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from my studio quite often these days. This is something quite rare for me. Pottery is a part of my daily living and breathing. I eat off my work. I decorate with my work. Pretty much everywhere I go, I am not too far from one of my creations.

I have recently set up a new studio for myself and it is all mine. No sharing shelf space, cleaning up after others or being interrupted. However, I have come to realize I miss the community and company of other potters. Pottery is such a sociable art. Potters learn from one another, share secrets and tricks and encourage each other along the way.

So, I'm reevaluating what I actually want in this pursuit of my art. Its a journey of self-discovery, set backs and accomplishments. I still have much of this journey ahead of me and am excited to see where it goes. Everyone has lulls and dry spells but my desire to give my art to the world is strong as ever and sometimes soon my shelves will be bursting with my clay formations.

Until then, here is one picture (sorry for the poor phone pic quality) of a piece inspired by the beautiful plans on my porch. A little pitcher with which to water them!

Pottery by Lisa is on Facebook!

2009-07-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

I spent the day connecting my little business to the world in one more way, via Facebook! It is now searchable on facebook by typing in, Pottery by Lisa. I posted my bio, pictures of some of my favorite pieces, and pictures of the pottery creation progress.

It will be great tool for sharing information about upcoming events and shows as well as keeping everything linked together. So, when you get a chance, go by, check it out and become a fan. I will be super excited to see you there!

Weddings and Things

2009-05-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

One of my friends is getting married next weekend and a few months ago asked me if I would make her bridesmaid´s gifts. She requested small ring dishes... the kind perfect for placing by the bathroom sink and catching jewelry at the end of the day. She gave me free creative license so I had a blast coming up with 13 different shapes, designs and glaze combinations for the little dishes. I was so pleased with how they turned out and only lost one along the way (I made an extra in case so it worked out perfect!)

Check out the brand new beauties...

2009-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was asked to teach a two hour class on pottery this weekend at an event called Women in the Outdoors. Though I have never done something like this before I agreed and headed away from town to a place with no cell phone reception, little traffic and lots of beautiful trees.

I had a fabulous time showing about 8 women how to throw pots and letting them try their hand(s) at it. We enjoyed the warm weather, female company and the feel of the clay. A photographer from the paper showed up a few minutes into the class and started taking pictures. Above is a screen shot of what they posted on the website. Click here for more!

On the way...

2008-10-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Chiaha is one week from today and everything is coming together. I finally saw the results from the last firing- I had to leave before the kiln was cool enough to open- and practically everything came out just as, if not better than, planned. I was extra careful since the glaze firing prior to that one went terribly wrong resulting in many ruined pieces and a good bit of shelf chipping. (glaze runs off the pots, on the shelves, fuses the pots to your shelf, you have to break them off, leaveing 1/2 of your piece glued onto a not so cheap shelf). Anyway, thats in the past and my inventory is growing exceptionally well. I have my last kilnful firing as I type and they will be finished and ready to go tomorrow. As for what is already complete, just check it out below!

A New Challenge

2008-10-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Teapots are always challenges. They are one of the most sought after forms by potters of today, yesterday and 100's of years ago. I get intimidated by things and often stick to what I know, bowls, mugs, bowls... But I was shopping on bigceramicstore.com and found bamboo handles and had to get one. So then it came and it struck me I better make something for it to go on. So, I embarked upon making a new little teapot. Swirls and curls have been making their way more and more into my work lately and it fit right in with this little piece. So, say hello to my new teapot who is only about 5 inches tall but I absolutely adore it.

It is in the kiln right now for its first firing. Color suggestions are welcome!

Working Weekend

2008-09-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

I received my acceptance into Chiaha last week so it was perfect timing to inspire me to be productive over the long weekend. I spent most of Saturday creating and Sunday caring for the Saturday creations. One of my most exciting accomplishments was a 17 in vase I made.

Kiln Opening

2008-08-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I sent in my application for Chiaha- a big arts and crafts festival at Ridge Ferry Park in Rome. I have not applied to a show this large before so I am a bit nervous but excited about the possibility of being accepted. The show is the weekend of October 25th so I have a good two months but with pottery- that is not a lot of time.

In preparation I was able to do a glaze firing this weekend and it turned out fabulous. My works are below.

See more at www.potterybylisa.com!

Mother's Day Pottery Party

2008-04-28T15:04:00.001-07:00

Since Christmas, I have been working feverously to replenish my supply of pottery. Having created a pretty large assortment of pieces, I am excited to once again host a party in honor Mother's Day in my home. Even though my own mother lives too far away to attend the party, she will still be receiving one of my pieces for her mother's day gift!

A New Toy

2007-12-25T10:16:00.001-08:00

I've had quite a busy Christmas season. It started with a commission to create 20 bowls for the Berry College board of trustees Christmas presents. I also decided to have a pottery party/show at my home and set to work creating a load of pots for that as well. Keeping my etsy shop and the cobblestone shop stocked with my pots while taking on the other two projects has been quite a task! Not to mention I have a job to go to everyday!

As a reward for my labors, I purchased a pottery wheel of my very own. I bought a Pacifica GT800, brand new! I had it shipped to my parents house since thats where I am spending my holiday and have been throwing pots whenever my heart desires. It works just as I hoped it would and I am so excited to start a new year one step closer to my goal of becoming a full time potter.

Hot off the Press

2007-10-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend I did a throwing demo at the Cobblestone Shoppe- a gallery that carries some of my work. I invited friends and family and had a blast throwing and showing people how to throw. I let children and adults try their hand at it. We all had a great time- but I was exhausted when it was over!

The exciting part was that the newspaper came! I knew one of the photographers though work and invited him to come by and he said he would if he could. True to his word, he was the first of my invitees that arrived. I was so nervous I destroyed the pot I was working on. My hands and feet were shaking... I had to take my foot off the pedal. But luckily, I started a new pot, it went better and I ended up having a circular pot pictured in the paper. Unfortunatly I'm an idiot and some of the info is wrong. It said I had been throwing since 2003- but I started handbuilding in 03, and throwing in 05. Oh well. He asked me and I couldnt think and just said yes. Numbers, numbers... Anyway, I am very excited that the gallery and I were in the paper. It was a great weekend!

Opening a Kiln

2007-09-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

Opening a kiln- its the final step in the long process of all that goes into making pottery. The production started weeks and even months ago for some pots- and the day the kiln opens holds all the gratification from the hours and hours put into the making of the pots. So in honor of the excitement of "kiln day"- or Christmas as many potters refer to it, I wanted to share my latest kiln opening experience with you. Hope you enjoy!

The First Peek

What's Inside

The Results

Finished!

2007-09-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Squiggle Teapot- By Lisa of averly.etsy.com :)

My finished teapot. :)

Time for TEA!

2007-09-11T19:23:00.001-07:00

Can you see it? Can you see it? Its my teapot!! Yes, the one with the lid, the colored squares, and the squiggles! This is a bit of a sneak preview as the teapot is for the EMT Teapot contest that doesn't start until the 23rd but since its still not in its finished form I thought I'd share my excitement and post the pre-finished picture here. We are hosting the contest on Votigo or something like that where people can go and vote for their favorite teapot. I'll post the details later- for now just get excited. What are the squares you ask? Those are glass. They will melt down in the firing and make beautiful glass pattern in the valley on my lid. As for the glaze- I wont tell you what the colors will be but I will tell you, they won't look anything like they do now. They will completely transform. So.... stay posted for the REAL thing!

Now, did you spot something else of interest in the picture? Well, I had a little mishap this weekend exploding a pot in my kiln that destroyed one of my most favorite pieces. Despite the fact that the exploding pot was about an inch thick (bad) and I rushed the firing (though everything else was fine- I know not to make my pots an inch thick but I also know to fire slowly- oh well) I have come to the conclusion that the underlying problem was the lack of a kiln god. This is not idol worship now, ok, its just a little clay being that watches over a kilnful of its own kind and makes sure nothing bad happens- like a guardian angel. The etsy mud team enlightened me about this practice and I loved the idea! So, having learned my lesson this weekend and inspired by the exploding pot and my teapot that I want nothing bad to ever happen to, I created a kiln god (or angel if you prefer) to watch over the kiln. He is a dragon-slash-dinosaur creature. He will make sure my teapot is just perfect- and all the other pieces in the kiln! This is at the shared studio I work at downtown and I set him on there last night. Today a kids class came through and immediately a little boy spotted my kiln god and was fascinated! So now the next kids project is now making kiln angels! I think this is a good sign. The firing will be a huge success thanks to some excellent potters and a little clay creature. :)

Thats all for now- keep watch for the finished product.

Lisa

Back to School...

2007-09-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Now the school year at Berry College has officially started back. It is now a completely non-stressful event for me because the ceramics studio opens back up, I get 24-hour access, and no other classes loom in my mind with their assignments, tests, and lessons! No homework, simply studio time and pottery creating! I help out in the studio, make clay, mop the floor, mix glaze, help the students if needed, in exchange for being able to create there. It is quite the perfect set up. Pictured above are some of my most recent creations drying in the studio. I can't wait to see them completed!

2007-08-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Today I was visiting one of the galleries here in downtown Rome. The place has beautiful art and is just a beautiful gallery altogether. I had applied to have my work displayed in there and had been told they were overwhelmed at the moment but would contact me in the future. Two months had passed and I figured they were just too full to accept anymore work. I decided to purchase a piece and when I checked out, the owner remembered me and asked, "You're an artist, right?" I replied yes, a potter, and he asked, "Well why isn't your work in here?"

To make a long story short I am to bring 15-20 pieces next week! I just got some awesome stuff out of the kiln this week so those are headed to the gallery. You can check out the shop at www.cobblestoneshoppe.com. It's a neat little place!

Here is a preview of some of my items to be displayed in my first official gallery debut!

Come visit them at the shop or on the web. They should be on there fairly soon!

Lisa

Sharing the love- the love of clay

2007-07-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jeremiah's family friends visited Chattanooga along with their two children. I traveled to Chattanooga to meet the family and brought some special ice breaking ammunition with me- clay! I have been itching to do another firing in my kiln and thought the kids might do me the favor of helping me create enough pieces to do so.

From the moment I mentioned I had clay in my car, the 12 year old girl, becca, was on my heels asking me when we got to play with clay. She even decided to forgo her manicure (changed it to a pedicure) in honor of making pots. That night I threw a piece of canvas over the table and Becca, her 14 year old brother, Jacob, Jeremiah, his 20 year old sister, Lauren, and I went to town hand-building some very unique pots! The whole group had an amazing time. The kids' dad even came and played with us a while- his first time touching clay! Becca made a beautiful wall hanging with Angels on it and a cute little pig. Jacob pieced together his school initials and Jeremiah made a birdhouse. Lauren made earrings with a matching pendant, the dad made R2D2, and I made a triangular bowl and a leaf tray. I was so carried away I forgot to take pictures! Luckily I caught Jeremiah the next day working on his beautiful bird house and captured his work and some of the finished pieces.

It was a great night and encouraged me that someday this might be my everyday activity- sharing my love and knowledge of clay with enthusiastic beginning potters. We had a great time and I can't wait to get them in the kiln!

Sweet Success!

2007-07-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

My very first firing is now complete and an all around success! The past two weeks Jeremiah has been working on getting the correct power needed to fire the kiln. With a brand new wire, breaker and outlet, my little Skutt 1027 was screaming to be used to its fullest potential. I loaded it back up Thursday night and fired all day yesterday- all the way to cone 10- or 2350 degrees- the highest an electric kiln will go and then shut it off to cool for 14 hours. Early this morning, not unlike Christmas, I snuck down to the basement with a flashlight and high hopes to crack the lid open to see what I could see. (You cannot open a kiln fully after a firing, you must leave it cracked for a bit to cool down more). The kiln had worked. My used craigslist aquired kiln had done the job and I could see a beautiful teal bowl peaking out the top at me. After distracting myself a little longer I finally opened it up and my heart soared! The kiln worked, I didn't burn the house down or blow up any pots. None of my pots even dripped on the shelves.

Yay! This a day of celebration.

-Lisa

Young and Stupid

2007-07-02T05:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I didnt update yesterday because I didnt have access to the computer because due to my lack of knowledge of electrical wiring and needs for decent power I burned the house (and computer) down. Ok, just kidding but the kiln didnt have a sufficient power supply to draw from and immediately flipped the breaker when it was finally time to switch the kiln to high. I thought something like this might happen- I didnt know exactly what but I had asked Jeremiah and his dad if they thought it was safe, fine, would work, etc. and told them I have no clue in that area and they said go for it so I did. But I knew something out of my knowledge range was going on when it flipped the breaker and my wonderful etsy pottery friends filled me in on my electrical needs. I was actually running a 48 amp kiln on a 30 amp breaker (yikes) with old wiring! We talked to an electrical engineer at home depot last night and he told us the things we would need- he was very smart and very awesome- so now we need to measure how many feet of wire we need and what brand of breaker will fit in the box. I told the home depot engineer guy to come on over and have a look himself and he was like "oh nooo..." but i think if I played some allman brothers and threw in a tye-dye t-shirt he'd be there in a second. He is probably the smartest guy in chattanooga with the longest, thickest white hair you have ever seen with a 3 in x 3 in bald spot in the middle. He is so hired for all my electrical needs!

But in the end no damage has been done, the kiln never got hot enough to even start melting the glaze so the pots are just the same as when I started and will be fine to go again when/if we get the electrical issues sorted out.

On a non-pottery note, Jeremiah and I installed a chandelier in the dining room last night and it looks awesome! He moved into a house built in the 1950's in February and a little old lady had lived in it all those years and basically nothing has been updated in that house decor-wise since the 50's. The previous chandelier was awful, just a bunch of crooked hanging crystals but we replaced it with a 5-light antique bronze chandelier and it brings the room a couple decades closer to present hip and hoppin time! We only had to undo everything we did once and then were pros by the second time around. (The one pictured below is close but not exact of what we got.)

So that was my weekend, back to Rome and the work week now. Earthworks is firing the kiln (one that is tried and true) heavily this week so my pottery making schedule will be thrown off as it is no fun to throw in the studio with it being 100+ degrees (no central heat and air in there so the kiln really throws things off!) Hopefully I will get some time in though. As for my kiln, I hope to fire it in 2 weekends from now if its not too costly to get the everything set-up correctly. I will keep you posted!

Kiln in Action!

2007-06-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Back in March I bought a used kiln from a lady in Atlanta who was moving on to do glass work, and put it up for sale. Jeremiah and I brought it up to his house for safe keeping and it has been sitting in his garage since then. In May when the school year ended I had a good bit of pots that I failed to glaze and thus never got fired so I loaded them up and brought home with me. After mending the kilnsitter tube that got busted en-moving-route and after another trip down to Atlanta to purchase the rest of the items I needed to fire the kiln, it was ready to go. I got to Chattanooga yesterday around 6 and got busy glazing my pots. I had forgotten how many I had and what I had- it was so fun unpacking the pinkish bisqued pots that have just been waiting patiently on me to bring them into completion. I glazed until about 10:30- 3 of the glazes of the 4 I used I have never tested before *fingers crossed*. So I finally loaded up the kiln and turned it on to preheat at 11:30. I shut the lid this morning at 7:30 and they are going on medium now and starting to glow orange! Its actually working so far!! The only possible problem I see is the top row of elements (wires that heat up) have not started to glow yet. Perhaps they are just slow and if not I did not load it all the way to the top so I am ok with it. The firing should be done somewhere between 9 and 12 tonight and then it has to cool over night so after church in the morning i should know if my little kiln got the job done or not! I am so excited :)

I will post pictures of whatever comes out.. hopefully it will be wonderful!!!!!!

Life, art & more!

2007-06-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to start a blog for a while but amongst the other things going on in my life it has been pushed aside. However I am finally ready and am finally typing my first post! I wanted a place to publish about my journey- as an artist, as a person, as a girl deciding where to go with my life. So stay tuned to see my newest creations, read my latest stories and thoughts.