One girl’s story to make a life in clay.

art from the ashes - wellness works

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:39:04 -0700

Next month is going to be very exciting for me. So much pottery fun going on and a highlight is going to be an charity evening for the Wellness Works Program at Hollywood High. The Fun happens Thursday, May 17th 2012, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Los Angeles. The proceeds will benefit the building of a wellness center at Hollywood High School. Did you know the #1 reason kids miss school has to do to health issues? I’m not just talking about colds & flues, there’s the recurring issues of asthma, diabetes, obesity, depression, etc.

Ok, as this is an ART from the ashes event, the first step was to collect ARTifacts from the de-construction site of the old machine/auto body shop that will become the new wellness center. At first I thought I would look for something to use as a handle. I left with a box of dirty, greasy stuff. I got it home and just lived with it. The two things that stuck out to me was a perforated filter cover and the blue and green plastic covered wires. Once I decided I would make two hand-build boxes, everything came together.

Using slabs of a dark chocolate Black Mountain clay, I made two tall oval boxes. Two so that I’d get the clays shrinkage rate to fit the filter top perfectly. I wanted to have a touch of color under the filter and I picked a very saturated glaze called Hieno Turquoise. I was chatting up with my friend Will and looking at a new batch of his tea bowls that just came out of the luster firing. Suddenly, I knew, under the filter must be gold... It would go so well with the tarnished metal. A hint of all that is golden and hoping to come out within all of us.

The other box is rectangular and short box for the plastic covered wires. I wanted the wires to curve around the side and go into the box. Giving a suggestion to reminding us to look inside. I went with a satin autumn yellow glaze inside that varies in it’s intensity. The wire ends on the inside are hidden behind a clay panel. I like things neat, sometimes.

I kept the outside of the boxes the raw black mountain clay. First off, I love the raw clay. Cause it’s clay and I don’t feel like I need to hide it behind a glossy glaze. Secondly, it really shows off the ARTifacts perfectly. Lastly, I like something that needs to be discovered.

For more information on The Wellness Works Project, please visit the ART from the ashes site. (Click on the name.) You can find out ways to donate, even if you are not in the area. You can also learn about the currant AFTA for the Bastrop County Complex fire in Texas. benefiting the fire area there.

The fine art of making... and staying on track

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:41:27 -0700

Ok, the month of March is almost over and today is the very first day of Spring. Though, I have to say that the weather in Southern California has far from been Winter like, except for that last three days. Rain and crisp are words often spoken lately. I’m not complaining, I’ve had perfect weather to ride my bike and with the worlds worst heating system in the studio, I have not been freezing for my art. This has made me pretty happy.

Ok, the beginning of the year has had me making like a mad women for a wood fire that got pushed to May/June. Which meant, by mid February, I realized I had very little to add to my etsy shop or new pots to offer the up-coming Spring sales. Switching gears - and clay - I started working on pots for the gas kiln.

First up is a lovely dinner set for a customer. After hitting a speed bump with 14 out of 18 salad plates cracking, I restarted with the dinner plates and have now just moved back to the salad plates. It’s been an odd experience for me. I have to weight out my balls of clay and measure my rims so that the plates are the same size. Ok, it’s me and it’s handmade, so with weighting and measuring, the plates will roughly be the same size. All this work does have me thinking. I really should figure out the raw clay weight of what I make. It might be nice, so if someone wants more of what they’ve already bought, I can easily match it. Just need to figure out where to write it all down so I will not loose it.

Secondly, I’m working on new mug shapes. Please see the photo above. I’m going taller with my cylinder mugs. I have to admit, I started making the cylinder mugs to have a nice, but smaller sized mug - holding about 10-12 oz. I like this size mug when I’m being leisure at home with a pot of tea. Figured coffee drinkers may feel the same. I like my bigger mugs when I’m hunkering down with food or a book. I saw some nice hand-built mugs in an overly popular store and said to myself... Steal that. No, not the mug, the idea. As you can see in the above photo, I’m adapting my usual decorative design to the tallness, but check out the stippled design. If the glaze turns out well on that one, It’s mind!

Also I’ve been working on new tree/leaf carvings for my mugs. Looking at many different trees, their branches, the way they break up the sky and even getting a bit of inspiration from textiles. The repeating tree motif to the right is from a 1950’s shirt. Loved it when I found it at work. Working on a way to getting the little birds onto a mug that looks good and coherent. I may play with a little gold luster...

And lastly, but not really lastly, I’m playing with new dog bowl designs. Yes, pets love handmade too. I’m trying to find good designs that beautify the kitchen, while working well for our furry little friends. The middle photos are of my new medium size pet dishes. Thick rims for sturdiness. Straight walls to hold food/water in, as well as making it harder to tip over. I need to make more, I’ve sold the first batch already.

Ok, I suppose I should have started the new season with a good Spring cleaning, but I tend to feel that clearing out old ideas and making room for new ones is just as good.
Cheers to the equinox!

Auld Lang Syne..

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:39:41 -0800

The song is really a poem that was set to a traditional folk tune in Scotland. It wasn’t written down until 1711, but it’s a song that we sing - in some part - every New Year’s Eve. A tune to celebrate what has passed, it was sung at funerals and mark the end of a big event or period in one’s life. The song was past along the British Isles and Ireland and once their people immigrated, the song spread threw out the world. Lose translation: For (the sake of) old times. It’s a song to remind us to remember, lest we forget...

I have to say, I’m looking forward to the end of 2011. The year has been a mix bag for me. Odd illnesses, stitches, car accident... Though they have been annoying and confusing experiences, most were over quickly. (Expect for the new car payments.) Why do I think of the bad things first? Glass half empty?

Ok here are the good things:
• I went to Italy to take a workshop at La Meridiana with Ruthanne Tudball. After 5 years of dreaming about going, it was better than I could have hoped. Learned so much and I’m taking new paths with clay.
• I’ve had a banner year in my etsy shop. Great customers, conversations and sales. It has been a pleasure.
• I’ve had some great new Craft Fair experiences. Nothing like talking with people about what I do.
• I’ve got some great friends - old and new - they are a joy and I have had some fabulous times and laughter. With the help of my good friend Marilyn, I got into the Motion Picture Costumer’s Union and have found work... And fun work with some great people. And I now have healthcare. (At 46, that is the biggest sigh of relief.) So thank you!
• I’m very much in love with my pottery. Even after 15 years of creating. So much learned. So much to learn. Makes me smile.

Please don’t think I’ve done it all to the best of my abilities. As I look back on old times and remember what should not be forgot, I have come up with a few resolutions. Cause what would the end of the year be like without a few things to poke and prod me in the New Year...
Here we go:
• Read more. I’ve got a hugh stack of books by my bed, fun books and learning books, but they will not entertain to teach me if I don’t take the time to read.
• Exercise. I’ve fallen off the wagon, so to speak. Potting is hard on the body. Lifting bags of clay, wedging, sitting at a wheel and centering clay and throwing a pot will destroy ones body. I have to get a better regiment going.
• Learn more. Workshops, books, videos... Not just about clay.
• Put myself forward. I’m great in some ways and bad at others. I know that sometimes it just comes down to people knowing that I exist and that I am willing. Confession, I’m really bad at going into small shops or boutiques and introducing my self and pottery. I have got to get better at that. I have already stated to write introduction letters and I just need to hand out more.
• Teach more classes. Which means putting more classes together. Which means writing introduction letters to different organizations and sending them out. Which touches on the above resolution... Never ending cycle.
• Design new pottery. Yes, I need to look at what I do and make it better, more irresistible and exciting. I do thins for you as much as for myself.
• Blog more... It’s been months.

Thank you for being a better part of this year. I hope that you have had a good old year and that the new year holds new adventures and opportunities for all of us.  
Cheers,
Sally Anne

An American Potter in Italy...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:08:27 -0700

I think I first heard about La Meridiana School of Ceramics at the annual NCECA conference - which that year was in Annapolis Md. Then I found an article in Ceramics Monthly. (A touch of synchronicity?)This was at the time when I had started to explore the world beyond the small community studio I had been working out of. I had taken a workshop at Castlehill on Cap cod and was keeping a watchful eye on event at the Clay Studio in Philly. So, learning about a ceramic school in the country side of Tuscany became my personal Mecca for clay.

I was all set to pick a workshop and go, when my 11 year relationship came to an end. So, instead I went to Baltimore Clayworks for a few months and then headed west for a permanent move to the L.A. area. I still dreamed about learning under the Tuscan sun, but I had to get my life together first. New studio, new job, new apartment, new clay and glazes, new experiences... New and improved...??? Aren’t we all waiting to exhale for something?

And then, I went. In August I boarded an airplane headed to Florence, Italy. Slightly amazed I was going, but more in shock, cause this trip was a bit last minute. Yet, I was on my way.

You know how sometimes you finally get to do something you have long wanted to do and it’s only just ok? Happily, this trip was everything I could have hoped for. First, the school was picture perfect in it’s 15th century farm house setting and the studio was bright and roomy. Second, I was taking a class with Ruthanne Tudball, a potter whose work I have long admired. Third, the other workshop participants were talented and fun. This all added up 9 days of exploring our creativity and learning new techniques.

Ruthanne gave us a new way to look at what we make and why. There is nothing like a workshop that long after it is over you are still mulling over in you mind what you have learn. I now look forward to taking a new look at my pots and what I am trying to do in clay. Pretty sweet place to be in.

La Meridiana founder Pietro and the Staff, Claudia and Rosa, along with the studio assistants really helped in making the learning experience not just fun, but also a taste of Italy. From making sure we got 3 soda kilns fired to day trips to medieval hilltop towns, wine tasting, amazing lunches and answers to every question we had. This is a great place to go. So go, really.

Now, I need to set my sights on a new place to go...

Ok, yes, there are very few photos here. It’s best to look at MY ALBUM on facebook. I could never do it justice here. There are a few on the Mud Monkey Travels page, please check them both out.

Happy Anniversary to me... and you!

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 16:01:02 -0700

I can remember my first day on Etsy. Ok, it is kind of easy, as it was the 4th of July and I had nowhere to go. I was at a friends house sucking up his wifi - while he was out at a bbq. Yep, could be a sad start to a movie, but for me it was hours of uninterrupted fun with a sound track of fireworks.

I had a slew of photos taken, cropped, color corrected and ready to go. I perused other shops for ways to write policies and descriptions. I slowly listed 10 items for sale. Much of my time was spent checking and rechecking my typing - cause I suck at it. When I was finally done, that was a pretty sweet feeling. In the morning, when I awoke, I had my first sale. Holy crap!!!

Is selling on Esty that easy?... Hell NO! My first year was just this side of a train wreck. I fumbled and stumbled the first year. I’m amazed I didn’t give up. What saved me? Hours on the internet reading blogs on how to get my pottery out there and get it noticed. Oh, and really, my customers. They were not abundant the first year, but they were supportive.

The beginning of my second year, I was unemployed. So to not go completely crazy, I jumped into the deep waters of online selling. Year two has brought me many fabulous customers and friends and a whole lot of fun. I want to say thank you... So here I go!

First up: The Next 5 people who make a purchase from my shop will get an extra special gift added to their order. It’s a surprise. Don’t you just love a surprise???

Secondly: I’ve got a coupon code good for 10% off your order. Please use: HAPPYHAPPYJOYJOY

Third Time’s the Charm: Starting Monday, July 4th, I will be posting over the week on facebook special status updates. All you have to do is make a comment and I will enter you in a chance to win this lovely Wild Flower vase!!!

Playing With Fire

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 21:53:25 -0700

Here is a small taste of the 90 works of art that will be making up the Covert Potters Association group exhibit: Playing with Fire.

I just had the pleasure of unloading and checking off all the works and I can say, this is an amazingly diverse/tactile/ fiery show. It’s got humor, emotion and golden kitties. Can I just tell you the smile that came over my face when I unpacked T’s “Garden Cats.” The fun thing about Jon, his pots are a tactile jungle of fun - they beg to be touched. Celeste pots are from another world and they will happily take you there. Junzo has a stunning array of containers, but wait till you see “Tattoo Chest Plate.” Wow.

For my self, I’m totally taken with my series of wall boxes. It’s a nod to nature, yes, but the titles will give you a mental poke in the eye. Oh, and for my functional nod - the world’s sexiest teapot. Really.

I hope you can make it friday night, June 10th, 2011 for the opening: 7-9p. If not, the exhibit is running till June 29th, 2010
Creative Arts Center Gallery, 1100 W. Clark Ave, Burbank, Ca. 91506

Trouble in Custom Order Land...

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:40:00 -0700

Have you ever seen something go wrong and them wondered: Well, how did that happen? I had that happen to me. A few custom orders fell apart. At first I freaked out and then I took a deep breath and thought: Well, what was my role in all of this?

Something I have learned about having my own business, if something is going wrong, it’s easy to blame the customer, but it’s usually not the real problem. In the end, what happens in my business, is up to me. So, instead of pointing fingers, I realized something about myself: I can be wishy-washy. Yep, I said it. I think I have been a bit desperate for sales since I don’t have a full time job any more, so I have been apprehensive at being demanding about my custom order policies. Oh, wait, up to this point in time, I haven’t even had any policies in place. I know, what was I thinking.

Well I now have Custom Order Policies:
CUSTOM ORDER INFORMATION:
-Please be aware that due to the nature of handmade pottery, when ordering 2 or more of a same item, that they may look alike, but each will have variations. (Items to be based on currently for sale or sold items, will not be exact copies.)
-Unlike other handmade crafts, with a custom order of pottery, I will have to make more than what you are ordering to guarantee a high quality item. ( Within the making process, I can be thwarted by cracks, bloating, glaze mishaps, other peoples mishaps, etc. I need to make more items than what is ordered to compensate. )
- Due to the above information, all custom orders must have a nonrefundable deposit of 50% or may be prepaid. ( If an order is cancelled on a full prepay, only 50% will be refunded to the customer.)
-I can not offer a "sale" price for a custom order to be copied from an existing "sale" listing.
-Most custom orders take 6-8 weeks for making. I will gladly keep you up to date as to what stage your order is in. (I will give you an approximate delivery date on large orders.)

It’s amazing how good I felt after I sat down, figured out my policies and wrote them out. I felt empowered. Then I got a chance to enact them with a new customer. After we went back and forth with clarifying information and we both understood what was being ordered, I sent her a copy of my policies and she agreed. Not that I think it was a strong arm tactic, I just think that having all the information, responsibilities, lead time and price all wrapped up nicely, gave the both of us confidence in the ordering process. Yeah me!

I may just get a grip on the wide world of business after all... If only I didn’t have to always learn from my mistakes, ugh.