I got back from a trunk show @mudfire gallery and clay center. Had a great time seeing my friends Erik and Luba, Bart Webb and Mark Knott came to see me as well as others who I have made friends with and help me along this road as an artist, ceramist, potter and person. Mudfire is a great place and very welcoming to the public as well as their guest artists. I wondered around looking at all the awsome pots from other artists that I'd looked up to or saw in magazines or books. I stay pretty out of the loop as far as keeping up with others and their art so it was pretty cool to see everyones work. I had some nice pieces go away to some good people and homes which was very good because i was able to pay a mortgage and a few other bills. I always have to smile and thank the good lord that for some reason I have been blessed to be able to work as an artist and pay for the things that my family needs. We don't have alot of extras(little to none) but we are happy and moving forward...baby steps. Good friends have helped us and hard work that we welcome has got us through. Here are some of the pieces that went to good homes this weekend. I am working as I speak creating more pots for the spring and summer so I will definetley keep everyone posted. my first event will be teaching a week long workshop @ John C Campbell folk school March28-Apr3"Soft Pots" and then you can come and see me @ 4 Bridges art show in My home town Chattanooga TN, Apr17-18. This show falls on my birthhday weekend so don't be surprised if I rope you in for a beer and laugh. thers plenty more and I will post more closer to time.

refiners fire for the potter

I picked a 2 liter coke off the conveinient store shelf and one of them dropped on the floor and exploded. The whole day has gone like that. actually not just from 6pm till I made a cocktail to wind down for the day. What really set the evening off was my electric kiln was programmed to start a hold at 250 degrees and dry out my greenware before going into the bisque firing. Well it didnt and 2 hrs later I walk into the studio and i hear boom...pop and 600 degrees reading on the display screen. I opened the kiln to find the bottles and teacups that are pictured blown up. I have a trunk show at mudfire gallery in decatur georgia on the 23 of this month(jan 2010) and was hoping to add these pieces to my sale. I am pretty sure that I can throw the pieces again and green glaze them on time for the next weekend. It blew me up at the time but now that I've wound down I realize that I can make it happen and in the process learn a few things that might not have come up had this not happened. I have a couple months before show season and workshops start so I might as well Diagnosis the kiln and fix whatever might be wrong. I couldn't help put to preach a small line off my own artist statement to myself which says " I welcome mistakes and struggles, it brings triumph and character." Lookin at my little boy helped me realize also that Everythings fine and will be as long as I keep my head focused on what is important which is my family. So thats that...yesterdays gone and today is here. come check out the trunk show On Jan 23 2-6pm at mudfire gallery in Decatur Georgia. keep pottin and try not to sweat the small stuff.

Finished making some new jars. Spring schedule is lookin good. Hosting workshops and doing some good shows. I can see the new road revealing itself and I'm excited. I wasn't able to get off all my workshop packets at once because of cost but I'm filtering them out there and getting good responses. Once again here is the spring schedule: host workshop@John C Campbell folk school("creating soft pots")march 28-Apr3, 4 Bridges art fair(apr 17-18)chattanooga, TN, Magic City Art connection(apr23-25)Birmingham, AL, TACA spring fair first weekend in may,Nashville, TN, Host workshop@Arkansas Craft School(memorial day weekend), Columbus arts festival(june 4-6 columbus,OH), I hopefully will be giving another workshop at Coreclay in cinncinati,OH beginning of august, still waiting to hear back but will keep everyone updated. I think this will be all I can handle this spring. I will get my garden in and cultivating lots of yummy veggies. My son will be walking and soon I will be able to get some child labor out of him, he'll love it cause theres dirt involved. Hope everyone is stayin warm and pots aren't freezing. Take care,
Shadow