good ole Mondays

Monday's are good for me.  The studio is closed to members and students.  The only clay folks walking around are staff and resident artists.  We don't even answer the phone. So please leave a message will you?  We'll get back to you on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Monday has been designated the "do it or lose it" day.  Nah, I just made that up.. but it's kind of true.  Most Mondays you'd find me loading kilns or mixing glazes.  Without interruption I can load up these two kilns and mix up a few glazes or unload something else.  Today was the kiln day.  We have a "shino" firing going in the big one (we call that kiln the 40), which is great because so many people glazed work for it..and a regular reduction cone 10 in the medium kiln (called the 20).  All in all it's about 60 cubic feet of glazed pots waiting for their finish fire make-over.  Tomorrow I'll be firing both kilns for a bit..and around 3 pm I'll had the reins off to Heidi and Cj to fire off.

When so many people out there dread the Monday, I feel lucky when it is.  The rest of the week is a whirl wind of people and energy, which is a totally different ride full of fun and excitement.  I never really know who might walk in or what might happen.

i'm working!

The doctors said I can go back to work!  Next Tuesday I'll officially be back at the AMOCA Ceramics Studio.  Finally.  Jeez...   you know, if somebody says, "hey you want 2 months off of work?  all you gotta do is break some ribs and have surgery".  holy hell, you know it's not real.  Screw not doing anything. I feel like I've finally woken up from a bad dream.  God damn, and to top it off that shooting in Oregon happened in my home town!  It's been a crazy few months let me tell you.  I feel like that kid that just can't stop moving, but as an adult, I found ways to stop moving... like tv and beer.  Holy hours of wasted time?  ha... but what else is there to do with broken ribs?

brush holder near my carving table.

Now that I'm feeling stronger and stronger I've been pushing myself in my little studio downstairs.  I've got a few deadlines coming up.  Nothing like a deadline to light a fire under my ass.  I wish I wasn't the kind of guy that works best under pressure or deadlines.  I gotta figure out how to work constantly, slow and steady...

The latest thing is a commission for some tiny plates, a number of dinner sets and hopefully get some pots made for a pottery sale happening November 7th.  Dinner plates, mugs, cups and bowls... Oh and of course the Xmas pottery sale at AMOCA.

Dinner plate on the left with a nice flat rim for carving..and a group of mugs in my damp box that will get handles tonight or tomorrow.