Blue

May I refer you to my friend Adriana's post.  Sounds like such fun.

Accepting graciously

My mother often pointed out to me that I was very bad at accepting compliments, and I could not argue with her.  It is delightful when someone says something nice but, like many, I  immediately focus on my shortcomings and point them out instead of thanking the giver, from the heart.  What happened to the wisdom of 'Accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative?'.  Today, before 10.30 am I had been given immensely nice feedback from two different sources, and yes, I was a little embarrassed, and happy (I think you are amazing, I love what you make, I read your blog and love it).  I'd be an idiot to not take these smiles and attaboys into my heart and let them buoy me up when I have a slump in confidence.  Thank you very, very much to the people who are so kind to me.  It makes a difference to me, so please don't stop.  

Such excitement!

Oh I have something really, really cool to get excited about, and not a G and T with lots of ice, though that may be on this evening's menu.  I heard of a Reduction Print Lino Workshop in Perth this weekend with Printmaker Helen Clarke.   I purchased a beautiful reduction print by Helen last year called A Flurry of Fledglings.  I love most bird and nest type imagery and this work reminded me of our own three boys, always calling out to me, being demanding and generally bringing lots of joy to my life.  I just couldn't go past it.  For more information on the process read Helen's website http://www.woodypear.com/.  I may not have studied Printmaking in detail but I do a lot of it all the same on clay, so I am bound to find something useful in this process.  There may still be places on the course, send me a comment if you want to know more.

Mega Monday

I spent Monday afternoon teaching a very compressed version of my one day Print On Clay workshop to Advanced Diploma Students at Central Institute of Technology, Perth.  I whizzed through my demos and explanations of processes and materials involved, in order to allow time to 'play' at the end of the session.  They were quick on the uptake.  Before I knew it, two and a half hours had elapsed and they got an hour of trying stuff out.   The students were so polite and friendly, especially Holly who made me a Vanilla Latte which I then allowed to go cold - and nobody yawned.  We are enduring another heatwave in Perth and it was no surprise to hear it reached 40C, decidedly uncomfortable!  I would have been comatose in their place. Happily, most of the students tried out a few of the techniques and seemed to enjoy themselves.  We covered Inkjet transfer, Underglaze Tissue monoprints, silk screened imagery via Tissue, via Plaster and open stock decals as well as iron oxide laser decals.  There were so many other things we could have done but I will keep some of them for a workshop later this year at The Potter's Market.

Tomorrow night I teach Wheelwork for beginners.  One girl asked me if I felt she could ever make a teapot, good to see her planning ahead.  I wonder will my Japanese lady with the broken fingers come back, I have a few ideas for her to try out.  Anyone else got suggestions of what to teach her?

detail of one of my lotus series vessels, copper glaze on Southern Ice clay

Unstoppable

Last night I taught a throwing class for beginners at the Central Institute of Technology, Perth, for the first time.  I had 18 students, most of whom had no clay experience except for a some hand building in high school.  The ages ranged from about eighteen to about sixty.  I congratulated them on signing up to something I suspected they'd wanted to do for a while, I was right.  The teaching part was easy, but keeping them all feeling positive about their achievements was uppermost in my mind.  It is only a six week course and my mission was not just to get them skilled up and more confident in their abilities, but also, to imbue a love and fascination with clay.

The workshop is large, spacious and well equipped, facing right on a busy corner of Northbridge, in central Perth. Windows face the junction of Beaufort and Aberdeen Streets and often passersby and even drivers at the traffic lights look in with open curiosity, like a daytime TV show with the public waving at the TV camera from behind the presenters.  What did they see?  A picture of industry, people leaning over their wheels valiantly taming their wobbling spinning clay.  I was so impressed with their focus after a long day at work, no skiving off for coffees or smokes here.  Between flitting from wheel to wheel showing them how to get the wobble out of their work, I spotted one person having trouble, yet keen not to draw attention to herself.  She was a Japanese woman, probably sixtyish, and her English was not great, more gestural with the odd word thrown in.  Eventually I discovered the problem,  She had what looked like three dreadfully broken fingers on one hand, I doubt they will ever heal or even line up properly again.  This was from a volleyball clash, and she still plays!  She had tried to wedge, centre and throw before she shrugged and quit, and who would blame her. Nonplussed I tried to talk to her about her options as she did not seem to be in pain, the fingers were just in the way and useless.  We tried working without the bent fingers, centring with the heel of that hand and I wondered aloud whether a refund would be a good idea but NO!  'Can I make with just my hands?' she said, wishing to continue, but just not on the wheel.  How could I say no?  Should I say no?  Disability is a major factor in my family so I try to accommodate it as much as possible.  I'd have felt like a total heel to turn her away, yet I wondered was this always her plan.  So we will continue this way and see how it works out, but nobody else will be given this option.  She seemed to just want to get in touch with clay again, for as she said when I offered to bring in some good books and ideas for her - 'I have plenty imagination'.  This should be interesting. check out http://mudcolony.blogspot.com.au/?m=1 to see what my pals are up to in their studios.
Gratuitous image of chawan for sticking with me through this long post.