Shadow Makin Moves

Thought I'd make a quick entry with whats happenin lately. Had my first Makework Grant meeting this past week. Awsome group of artists/ entrepenuers. Actors, producers, glass artist to chattanooga artistic growth promoters. Alot of really cool ideas and ventures. I did notice that almost every grantee had been or had just moved to Chattanooga within the last 6 years. That seems really cool to think that Chattanooga is drawing or extracting unique individuals to this area. I never thought of Chattanooga until my wife introduced the idea of the possibilities. So five years later, workin as an artist/potter/sculptor, one studio fire under my belt, a two year rentee of my good friend Terry "The Loose" Cannon, new homeowner, a beautiful baby boy named Rocket, and a Makework Grantee I have hopefully smudged the surface of being a clay artist on Chattanoogas map. I've recently taken on the position at UTC of Adjunct professor. Actually since I do not hold a degree I fall under the title of Lab Tech. I am super stoked to be workin under Maggie Mcmahon(UTC professor of ceramics) I have a super packed fall show season and will be teachin ceramics I tues and thurs. It is more of a really good opportunity for my next step in clay rather than pay. I am really thankful for the opportunity and cant wait to start classes. I will probably chip away at my undergrad through the years for later, I mean later backup. I really want to be emerged in the art/clay world, in the trenches sorta speak. Where the real art is made. I am gearing up for my first Southern Highlands Guild Show in july. I will have a two piece show up in the guild prior and after the show. The show is July21-24th. I will be corner booth#200 on the bottom floor. Lots of new work comin out for this show. Trying to price kilns and time everything accordingly as far as the grant money goes. I've been alloted six checks equally for the next six months, so I will save a few checks for the new big kiln and make work and get it drying for the next step. My family has been super awsome and supportive through my long work hours. I always make time to play and goof off with them anytime of the day. We're headin to the beach for a few and get some sand in our toes. More later.

Really cool stuff goin on

Back at the social media. Been away for a little bit busy with shows and all kinds of cool stuff. Spring show season was awsome for us this year. It seems like I've progressively changed the work in a matter of months and wasnt sure how the public art buying crowd would respond. I think anytime you let your work evolve no matter how fast the progression, you leave yourself out there for alot of rejection,contemplation and criticism. The few who get what your doin arwe the ones that keep you going. I'm really happy and motivated more to make work that is dramatic and deliberate. I really think I just got tired of hearing "is this microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe." Its molded alot of how I look at my approach to the clay, even more than a few years ago. I think the spring shows validated the new work and gave me alot of steam to push the limits even more. I got back from giving one of my "Bold Pots" workshop at TN Tech Appalachian center for craft in Smithville,TN. What a great place. I was only there for the weekend but the experience was memorable. My students ranged from beginner to advanced and we all learned alot from eachother. I' really enjoying pluggin in workshops in between shows. Making a living as an artist is lucrative enough. If you can balance out your work and time between shows, galleries and woerkshops you can have a really fun, adventurous and prosperous artist lifestyle. I do wish I had a partime/40hr week job where I can clock in/out then I laugh and get back into the clay. We recently recieved great news that we recieved a makework grant through an organization called Createhere in chattanooga TN. I cant even describe how huge this is for our lil project and family. We are very grateful and plan to expand smartly and progressively with the studio and work. I plan to order clay and glaze material asap and seriously pricing larger kilns. I am super stoked to see how the woek evolves in the coming months.Organizations like createhere that offer grants really do allow people like me to move forward with my art. Money made from being a full time artist usually always goes to paying bills and stuff and leaves little to no room for putting back into the work. This grant allows me to not have to dip into our personal funds to progress as an artist. Dont get me wrong we've gotten this far and wouldve continued even had we not got the grant. This grant allows us to be progressive with our curiosity for clay and explore more possibilties with a little less stress to keep up. These pics are pre grant but the work is getting alot bigger and heavier. I still enjoy keeping a reference or gesture of function but it not be intended for use. They're about 50-75 or more pnds to each piece. I am gearing up for my first SHCG show in Ashville this july. Also I just set up my first sculpture show here in Chattanooga. I have 6 pieces and share the show with two well known sculptors, Issac Duncan III and Andy Light. Their work is awsome. The show is at Front Gallery in the south side of Chattanooga off of main street. It opened june 3rd and will go to the end of July with an artist reception July 15th. Come check it out. Its going to be a great show. I will be delivering 6 more pieces to Swan Coach House Gallery in Atlanta Ga for show as well which opensJune 9th with a 6-8 pm reception. I will be on my blog alot more with new pics of work and updates of how I am managing and spending my grant so stay tuned.Rocket and Ana are doin great and I couldnt imagine life w/o them. Ana is starting her MBA so thats gonna take alot of her time. She has really built the whole media side to Shadow May. I'm just the mule out in the mancave making really heavy stuff, hopefully really inspiring,heavy stuff. Rocket is a handful and a sweet lil boy. Teaching him please and thankyou is setting in and I'm proud of him.The website is nowchanged to www.shadowmay.com but you can still get to it with www.shadowpottery.com More later.