Finally I'm doin shows again. Working in the studio makin work and not alot of input gets me rialed up. We had a good weekend in Atlanta at the atlanta arts festival. Stayed with good friends Erik and Luba at Mudfire gallery in Decatur GA. We recieved the "Best in Clay" award again for the second year. I'm always happy to recieve awards even though it's the vain side of being an artist....But the hard work, early mornins are all the way for tryin to take care of my family. I definetely feel like I've stuck my neck out there this year with my work and approach to sellin it. I did get into the Southern Highlands Guild a few weeks ago. I am lookin forward to the potential possibilities that being in the guild will offer. Everything changes the more your work evolves and so do situations. I will be attending the fall TACA show in Nashville, TN this coming weekend(Booth A02)Centennial Park. I'm giving two workshops in October. The Appalachian Center for craft in Norris TN will host my " Bold Pots" workshop the first weekend as well as EppleTree Pottery in Chattanooga, TN the last weekend. My little boy Rocket has skipped walkin and went right to runnin. He's 14 months and already has had 3 stitches from the coffee Table. He's a little bulldozer. Workin at the restaurant" The Urban Spoon" Has been alot of fun and Sparked the love for cookin in me again. Not sure how everything with being a fulltime artist and helpin grow a great restaurant will surface, but jugglin the both of them has helped my family and my work in the studio. Immediate projects are to insulte our floors and Hopefully plum in my studio sink before it gets cold. Really lookin forward to the fall colors and warmer clothes. Might be another cold winter. I will update the events page on http://www.shadowpottery.com/ In the next couple days so be lookin. Thanks for all the support.

Just got back from Mighty mud studios in Knoxville. This was the third workshop this year and it was a good one. My students were stoked on clay and very responsive to new ideas and my philosophy of lettin it all ride when it comes to creating and selling your work. I demonstrated some of my stacackable items as well as pullin handles. Of course I had to throw a little philosophy in there with the clay and talk about the lifestyle that we potters and clay artists choose to live. "Break the rules" I said. Clay can have so many possibilities if you lend yourself to abstract and out of the box thinking and then apply that to clay. We talked about school vs self taught and the advantages of both as well as doin juried shows and what all that entails. How to deal with those who say" that looks like alot of work" or just how to ignore them all together. I've really grown to love giving workshops and talking with students. I learn so much from their ideas and walks of life. I leave fri morning to give another one at The Arkanasas craft school and I can't wait. Then the following weekend I will be at Colombus art festival in Ohio. Alot of traveling but I love it aside from being away from the family. Theres those who do what they gotta do to make the bills paid and then theres those who make it happen and live doin what they love to do. I'm about right there in the middle. My fall is almost lined up with more wrkshops and shows and I will update on my website soon http://www.shadowpottery.com/ The garden is growing like crazy. My potatoes are almost ready and we're eating greens and spinach practically every nite. What is it with potters and gardening? It's like they're linked together.

We have been enjoying our time together. Being a dad is something else. Especially at this stage of the game. Rocket is cuttin teeth and daddy is going looney sometimes. Ana has been a great mother and gives me the time I need in the studio to prepare for this season. Some ideas have been floatin around the shop. My split vases are still in the works. I have to tape and zip tie them to dry evenly. They have been the most challenging piece so far but I think they'll be nice when they come out. I've also really been refing or changing up my stacked vessels. Surface decoration combined with certain forms have been a huge focus this past couple years. My need to constantly explore handles on certain pieces has been alot of fun. I actually like the fact that the handle is saved for the last because it's the icing on the cake. My favorite application to these pieces. I stand back at the finished greenware and realize that my pots are getting more in depth and architectural, hopefully leaving a permenece impression. I leave to give my "Soft Pots" workshop at John C Campbell folkschool in a couple weeks. This is the begiining to hopefully a full, fun and prosperous spring/summer. You can get all my events(shows/workshops) at my website www.shadowpottery.com I super stoked to be in the 4 bridges art fair in april. It falls on my birthday here where we live, Chattanooga TN. lots of friends and beer will be involved and a diplay of brand new Shadow May pots and sculpture.When the rain finally stops My wife, son and I plan to till the garden and get the veggies growing. I know that our food can be and is so readily available but Rocket will definetley be raised learning how to grow and where it comes from and why. Just good lessons for children that most never get the opportunity to learn or experience. I think a baby waking up. Take care

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.

Focused Ideas, hopeful opportunities

Pots are evolving, even though I don't get as much time in the studio like I was used to. Working at nite seems to be going well even though I like being up in the morning. My mind and motivation seem to work better in the day but it's more peaceful at nite. Having our son has taken alot of time away from making work for now but my ideas and progression have been more spontaneous and deliberate. I think that time working is more precious to me now than when I was in there everyday all day. I've been developing a new body of work that is really cool to me. Being simple with my work with simple gestures has been a way of working for awhile now. Only now do I feel like I'm making new discoveries in the clay. I'm definetely going for a more caveman look with a strong, permanent presence. I've thought that if Fred Flinstone was japanese and he threw pots they'd be something like this. Not going to do as many shows this year but I'm finally sending out my packets to potentially teach at craftcenters/colleges. That has been a process and really affirmed my hunger for wanting to get out there and share the ideas that i'm working on. I hope for the best. Don't think I'm going to do the Rosen show this year...Just can't afford it right now. Kinda of a bummer but other doors will open. Hoping for a strong start to the year , full of juicy pots and good health for my family and me.