cluck cluck

I have been a bit obsessed this week.

Chickens are consuming me.

Thinking of ways to capture the essence of the chicken 

doing ridiculous and fabulous

act of humanism.

They have cracked me up.

I have been drawing and dreaming of chickens.

Then I created as many clay canvases

as I could... to make it all come alive.

They are cooking right now.

The clay with the chicken stories on them.

Tomorrow I shall glaze them.

And Friday I will learn.

I will study these chickens, the forms they are on

and do it all over again.

It is awesome to be excited.

Holy Cow... I just can't seem to make this a regular thing... 

but here I go!

A lot has been happening.

As of January 5 or 6, I made my business

official!

As in tax numbers, bank accounts, debit card....

It took me a whole lotta years to commit to doing something

I love so much.

Fear is powerful.

But determination and love are more powerful.

Take that FEAR!

I am continuing to work on a consistent line of work 

and find special orders are becoming

and important part of my work

and inspiration.

This is not something I would have anticipated but it sure

has helped me get moving forward as an artist

and allowed me to collaborate with some fabulous human beings.

Plus seeing the joy and happiness in their eyes and words is 

something that helps remind me that my work is important.

Freeman Clay Works is official ya'll!

Here are a few things I have been working on.

new ideas in the works

I am excited about this next phase of my work life. I am under no

illusion that this is an easy living or that I will be able to

make a full living doing this. 

What I do know is that I a doing it. I am making pots

and making some money

and making people smile.

That is freaking awesome.

I am hoping to begin a web page soon with the help of a friend! Yay!

My blog seems to get neglected periodically. 

I am out of practice posting regularly. 

My computer died and now I am sharing one with the

family and it is not in a private location.

This leads me to think before I type.

Clay and I are still in a wonderful 

relationship.

We are figuring out new things and

rediscovering old techniques and styles.

It has been an engaging journey 

and one I do not take for granted, or 

take lightly.

I know what a pure gift it is for me

to be able to explore making pots for money

and not being thrown into a full time job situation.

I am blessed.

These pots were pulled out of the kiln this morning.

This series are altered square planters or utensil holders...

they have holes in the bottom for drainage.

set of 5 mugs

lidded bowl

altered lidded bowls... squarish

raised bowls... 

altered lidded jars

(shape learned and inspired by Michael Simon)

mugs 

(mama bird, max's monsters, and altered small series)

I am working toward an etsy site and a concrete line

that is consistent and predictable but continue to love

the exploration and discovery that clay allows.

I am, ironically, participating in the Tough Mudder,

(no this is not a clay event but a crazy 12 mile obstacle course) and in the process got a tad big blister. The day or two it will take to heal will allow me to 

work on photos and etsy and hand building!) 

Fall is delicious. Hope you are finding it delicious too.

Sometimes a hard summer makes for a productive fall....

I won't go into many details except to say

for many reasons

many

many

I did not have a productive summer in the studio.

School has begun again

and so have I.

Here are a few fresh things 

and a few in the works.

little mugs..

 leaf pattern mugs... medium to large size.

 little bird mugs..

medium sized pitchers

a series I am working on... plate set..

 medium sized pitcher.

 medium to large, altered square mugs..

larger bird mug.

 larger leaf mug.

  bowl

monster bowl with raised foot

the blue  enso circle bowls...

playing with black on red... I like it.

 part of the set.

small breakfast plates..

more monster mugs..

bowls with tall raised added foot.

The kiln is loaded again and a bisque is under way.

I have a few shows this fall and am hoping to get into a few more for December.

Clay and I missed each other. 

It has been a wonderful reunion.