Happy New Year everyone

It's official, a local gallery, Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts has accepted me into the gallery. This gallery is owned by seven potters and has been an extremely successful venture for a almost two years since they opened in April 2007. There are about 20 talented artists in the gallery and I am honored to be among them. Recently, one of the fiber artists, Louise Giordano posted a detailed rundown with photos on the gallery, its artists, and some nice photos of items that were on sale in the gallery here in December. Louise's most recent posting features an article/interview with Diane Masi, the gourd and pine needle artist who is one of the gallery members.

As part of my commitment in selling my items in the gallery, I will work three days a month, all gallery members work in the gallery and I look forward to working with the other artists and getting first hand acquaintance with visitors to the gallery.

Below is a slide show of some of the newer ceramic items I have made and are making, as well as a couple I may not have shared in previous posts. I will be giving another workshop on my methods of making screen prints and using them directly and as transfers to add patterns, images and text to clay on January 31st at the studio where I do all of my clay work (Fat Cat Pottery in Wilmington, NC) One of the readers of this blog, I am happy to say, has contacted me as a result of my mentioning my class in my previous posting of the screen printed Kitty Boo ornament and as a result, she will be traveling from the Charlotte/Hickory area of NC to Wilmington, NC to be in the class. Information on the class can be found here. I have used screenprinted/ transfers onto lots of my pieces. The kitty vases in the slideshow in the September posting showed a few, kitty faces on two vases which have sold and the turtle vase, also sold in December. I also sold over 40 ornaments with silk screened images/print during the December show--my first as a part of the Coastal Carolina Clay Guild.
At the last minute (literally, the night before), I decided to do some creative packaging, i.e., cutting paper envelopes and using my sewing machine to stitch blanket stitch pattern in red thread. Made over 40 of these in one night to make a more interesting presentation of the ornaments and it worked! They flew off the table, I guess Dec 6th was a great date to pick up small, affordable, handcrafted gift items. At the December show, the "Dance with me" lady and my tree lady also sold.

I have also done a couple of things in damask pattern (which is my favorite), I guess I was on a napkin ring--coaster--ornament kick for a while. I have a few more sculptural figures in the works (some drying, some bisqued and one ready for final glaze). I love the lady with the two children, sitting on drying shelf, I have already underglazed these and will see how they make the kiln journey. I want to make more in different shapes, positions and colors. also have a silkscreen with sheet music and have used this one to make wall hanging vases which can hold flowers. I was inspired by the Scandinavian custom of making sheet music cones, mostly for Christmas as I understand, but think these would be pretty in ceramic all year round on porches, fences, indoors and out.

I look forward to working with Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts in this coming year and to continue to share the adventure with those of you who continue to read my blog despite my recent laxness in posting. I hope to do better and wish you all a healthy and happy 2009!