So what have I done lately?

Since I've mentioned before that some days in the pottery studio are easier and more productive than others, let me tell you about my week.

Thursday afternoon I actually left work at the time I've scheduled myself to leave.  (This is noteworthy, trust me. I'm bad to work more than I'm supposed to.  Even after 20 years of teaching, I still hope to get DONE before I leave work.)  Leaving "on time" allows me time to go for a run before the official start of Thursday night pottery time.  I felt pretty good Thursday afternoon, so this plan seemed like a good one.  I changed, drove uptown, and did my run.  Cooled down, changed again, and prepared to do some pottery.  By that time, my energy was gone. Kaput.  I had nothing.  I was sweaty and hungry and couldn't focus.  I couldn't center and couldn't throw.  I couldn't make decisions about glazing the pieces that were ready to glaze.  I'm learning that when this happens, it is best to just go somewhere else.  In this case, I went home and crashed in my recliner.

Friday early afternoon I had about an hour to fill between leaving work (again very proud to say that I left "on time") and an appointment.  So I went to the studio to see what, if anything, I could get done.  I managed to throw 6 mugs.  Actually it was 7, but one slipped off the bat while I was working on it, so it had to be smushed.  (Yes, 'smush' is a word no matter what the spell check thinks.) Andy, one of the other pottery students, looked over at my side of the work space and commented on how productive I'd been in just under an hour.  Like I said, some days are better than others.

Then on Saturday morning, I was "on" again.  I made and attached handles for the 6 mugs that lived from Friday's throwing bonanza.  These are all on white clay and I actually have a plan for the glaze.  Often, I make stuff with no idea what I want to do with the glaze.

I also threw a couple of bowls.  I'm going to try to make a series of bowls of different sizes that I will glaze the same way.  Would anyone want a set of bowls that matched?  I don't know, but this is going to be a good exercise for me I think.  The one on the left in the pictures below was made with five pounds of clay and the one on the right is four pounds.  I think I'll try to follow these with a three pound bowl and then a two pound bowl.  The trick is to try to make them the same shape so that they actually look like they go together.  I'll try to remember to keep you posted on the progression of this project.