Christmas 2010

Finally gettin the chance to blog again after crazy holidays. Alot has happened in a month or since my last blog. Preperation for Christmas was alot of fun except for the procrastinator drive to the mall two days before christmas. The funny things you do for loved ones. Our boy Rocket made out. His second Christmas in this world and the one to remember. He lucked out having a white Christmas. What a cool thing for a kid...hell anyone to see, especially waking up to it on Christmas morning. We had all our food and drink for the weekend. All the toys were about to be wrapped. Good stuff. Christmas enters the picture in a whole new way when you have a child. Rocket is religous about getting up at 5 am so I knew it to be true for Christmas morning. Coffee was prepped with the baileys(Santa left it) right next to the coffee pot. Mugs out and ready for the early morn. We woke up to daddda.....maammmma. Turned on the coffee, Christmas lights, and watched innocence in its true form. I sware the boy is a truck fanatic. All kinds of trucks. He strutted around in his new camoflauge robe and kermit slippers laughin and playin. It was awsome!! Usually this time Ana and I are really stressin about Jan and Feb. Comin off Chritmas with two more months before our show season starts up again is stressful. We had an awsome fall season. My work is rapidly evolving. So much it gets a little scary. One idea just turns to another and another. Watching Rocket play with his new toys and experience his Christmas made me take a seat and be thankful for what is in front of me. I think rockets curiosity to start exploring and growing is rubbing off on my attitude towards my work. Learning how to tap into the courage to explore my own curiosity has stretched me as an artist. I' wont lie, its taken me out of the comfort zone a little. But more than ever because of watching my son grow, my courage to be curious about my work in clay and explore even more has transformed my whole outlook. What it means to be a potter and an artist. Theres alot more to this last month than im puttin in to this blog, but it was all good. Everyones healthy except for the occasional runny nose. Have been lining workshops for the new year and lots of cool shows. Get to go to New York City for one and really excited about that. I still have pots for sale on my website http://www.shadowpottery.com/ and will have most to all events and workshops up to date on the website as well. Thanks to everyone who helped us through this past year. You've catapulted my little family, my work and need to create. we can't do it without you. Another blog coming soon.

Off the road for awhile! The fall show season definetly went better than I expected. We started off with Atlanta arts festival winning " Best in Clay" award and hangin with my good friends Erik and Luba from Mudfire. TACA in Nashville, to all those who do their fall show..... this was our best year ever there....CRAZY!!! Third show was Pink Palace in Memphis. This has been my best show. Its a 4 day show and 6 and1/2 hours away. Long time to be away from my family. My Best friend Toney came up to see me for a bit and Must have brought the good luck. Thurs, Amy Bethea, an avid Shadow May collector and friend came and grabbed a good amount of the cream of the crop pots and it dominoed from there. 3 of the 4 days still ahead for sellin. Thats exactly what happened. I Left the show on Sun with 3/4 of all my high end show pieces not going back with me. It's nerve racking enough just attempting to be an artist than trying to sell your work to an audience. We got rained out of two spring shows and the last 4 were not responding yet to my evolved work. Bills got paid and alot of stress but we got through still making new work. I really had to reason and go with my gut that this is important, my work is important, but my family is more important. With going into a showless summer to make work for the fall season, the restaurant came into the picture and helps us supplement the small stuff that adds up. This fall after our epic Pink Palace show I had three weeks to give a workshop @Applachian center for arts in Norris TN. and fire the kiln a couple times for the WNC potters Festival in Dillsboro NC and my last two shows of the year "Festival of the Masters" in downtown Disney World and Mudfire's annual holiday christmas show in Decatur, GA. Stayed with very good friends, Kelly and Joe Frank from Treehouse pottery in Dillsboro,NC for the potters fest. The Clay olympics were fri and I Participated but came in last this year floppin every pot that I put on the wheel. Not surprising because I'm much better at takin clay away then actually doin it right on the wheel. It was a good time. Sat was the show and we all woke up to snow and cold weather. For me, I hadn't seen snow in awhile and was pretty happy to be back in the mountains of north carolina selling more pots and seeing ol friends. Alot of thinking when your on the road. We had knocked out 4 shows so far, and I was headin back home for a few days before goin down to Florida. I had just got both our vehicles brakes, oil changes, new winshield and an axle on the car. Was able to fix some things on the house and get more supplies for the buisness(clay,glazes,tools.) Most importantly good shows allow me to spend more time at home with my son and wife for longer periods of time. I was still nervous gettin ready to head down to Orlando, Fl for the show. 9 hours away, four nites in a hotel and enough 7 eleven chicken tenders to gag you. I was conserving on money? This show was unique, being that all the artists have had to won a best of show or first place in another high ranking juried fine art show to even apply. The caliber of work was pretty incredible. It was the first show I had been to where no clay artist or potter had or put out mugs, cups or utilitarian items. Anyway I got selected two pieces on Fri for the judging on sun at the awards ceremony. I t really mattered to me for a min about the awards. Everyone likes gettin awards. Until I brought the work to where the judging was to be held. The other clay artists blew me away. I felt that I didnt even have a chance because the work was so good. Fri and Sat were a little slow. Sold a few pieces and had to pull out some mugs on sat just to make a few more sales. I had to remind myself that people actually lived here. With all the entertainment who comes and buys art at disney world? Sun morn..7:30, in the house of blues the award ceremony starts.They had a killer breakfast buffet for the artists an a professional presentation. There are twelve catergories for awards. I was in the "clay" catergory. There were about 40 clay artists in the show functional, semi-functional and non functional all lumped into one clay catergory. Clay was first for announcing and I'm not gonna lie...I was maybe hoping for a merit award. No merit award. By the time they had gotten to third place I knew there was no way, This is my first time at the show and There where clay sculptors that had more dramatic work so i started to head out so i could open up the tent and get ready for the last day of sales. Last sip of my coffee and one foot out the door i kid you not they announced "Shadow May" First place for his Lg Flanged Bowl of all pieces. I about pooped my pants. I really couldnt believe it. There was a man standing at a pedestal on stage describing my piece and the description I had wrote, Two of the directors and Mickey Mouse and a big ribbon with a big check. Back stage they gave me directions," Your gonna go out greet Mickey,get your ribbon, smile and take two pictures and then come back" The funny thing was that the speaker must have not seen me coming down the aisle cause he kept calling me a she until I came from back stage to recieve my award. He quickly said," excuse me...He" It was pretty surreal. A deer in headlights. There is a 2,3,and 1st place in every catergory and only 1 Best in Show award. I automatically get to come back next year without the jurying process. I have 10 diney passes from the show so It's gonna be a nice family trip next year. Rocket will have a blast. On my way home believe it or not I had some nice work to drop off for the holiday christmas show @mudfire in Decatur ,georgia. The show starts Nov.26 and goes till Dec.23 with an artist reception and holiday party Dec.4, 5-9 pm. So there it is I had made a 6 month plan to put it all out there, make stick your kneck out there work and supplement funds by working at the restaurant. I think I exceeded my expectations and got enough mental fuel and encouragment to keep pushin my work despite a bad spring. My recent acceptance into the southern highlands craft guild was huge also. I hope to be in the July show in Asheville and possibly doin a little wholesale with arrowmont gallery in Gatlinburg soon. If you want to make exceptional work, the kinda stuff that not everyone is gonna like theres gonna be a lot of rejection but what you do get back is extrordinary. By the way, This year I sold about 25-30 mugs and cups between 5 big shows....the rest were all show pieces, thats crazy to me and exciting. Maybe in a year i will have weeded out anything functional...maybe not but i am starting to see something big happening. Thanks everyone who came to the shows and supported me and everyone who took my workshops this year, hope to see you again. You really helped me and my little family more than you can imagine.With what we saved and a couple days at the restaurant a week I'll be making new work and applying to more shows for the spring. I now have a " for sale" page on my website www.shadowpottery.com I'll be putting pics up on it this week so check it out.

So far a good show season. Just got back from Pink palace craft fair in Memphis and had epic "one of kind" show pieces sell. In the past I've sold more mugs , cups, bowls and a few show pieces. The other way around this time in Memphis. Was able to put new brakes on both our vehicles, get clay to make more work, and take mama out to eat and see some good music. I have two more shows, "The Potters Festival" in Dillsboro, North Carolina. The clay Olympics for the festival are held on Fri, the day before the show. Its a fun time and you'll definetely see me collapsing some pots or throwin them at my friend chris. The other one is " Festival Of The Masters" in Orlando, Florida. I've left Dec. open for a possible home show and to make more work for possible galleries. I was recently accepted into the Southern Highlands Guild which will be another great avenue for my work.To be Honest I am really just trying to keep up and stay afloat. I can B.S. all day long on a blog but real life is always there when I wake up and all I wanna do is just be with my family. Doin these shows and selling your art is a lucrative buisness. The sky is the limit if you are willing to stick your neck out there and accept rejection along with the glory and recognition. I am probably just babbling and need to go to bed. On another note the restaurant is goin well. I have have been splittin my time with cookin and makin pots and have intertwined them both to the point where I now need them both. My love for cooking has been a good thing to fall back on in times of need. Never know what where life will take or what you might be doin. My little boy Rocket is the joy of my life and I never thought i would say that but he is. He is running and climbing which scares the hell out of me but his personality is comin out everyday. Right now doin the shows circuit is allowing me to spend more time with him and Ana. a good show can take care of alot along with a workshop and a little wholesale. Enough for now. I have flipped bowls ready to trim and spending time with my bro while he's in town. Nigh Nigh

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.

Watching and learning these past months. I've been 4 days a week cookin fine southern food for some friends at their restaurant " The Urban Spoon" for supplemental money. I might be hittin a wall with the shows. I've always loved cookin so it was a moderate to difficult transition pullin a little bit of my time away from the clay. I've been so full time with my work in the studio prepping for this show or sending off this wholesale that I never have had the opportunity to concentrate on a true body of work. Shufflin my time between the restaurant and the studio has really made me look and evaluate my work, even more so then when I was submerged in it 6 -7 days a week. Although my fall is packed full and somehow I've managed to get out some strong pieces that have been evolving for the past year. The pressure of makin money at your the expense of your craft, carreer can definetley stifle your growth if you let it. I'm not gonna lie....the side job has freed up some time for me to focus on some exhibitions that I've been wanting to do as well as dive into giving as many workshops as I can. It will hopefully allow me to cherry pick a couple key shows through the year to stay in the circuit. I will be at the atlanta arts festival http://www.atlantaartsfestival.com/ sept.18-19,TACA fall festival in Nashville sept.24-26, I will host my "Bold Pots" workshop at the applachian center for arts in Norris TN Oct 2-3, Pink Palace Craft Fair in Memphis, TN Oct7-10 Give a workshop at Eppletreepottery in Chattanooga,TNhttp://www.eppletreepottery.com/ I will have a show at Columbia State Community College the month of Nov. in the gallery www.columbiastate.edu/pryor-gallery Ilook forward to the wnc potters festival Nov.6 in dillsboro NC. http://www.wncpotteryfestival.com/ I turned down the By Hand artisian guild show in cleveland Ohio because we got into hopefully a really cool show. The festival of the masters at disney world. Nov12-13. We havent accepted the invitation but thought it would be a fun family trip with the boy and all. I will be submitting special pieces to some exhibitions as well and if I have enough pots I will have a studio/home sale in dec. I also have been asked to give a weekend workshop at the appalachian center for craft in smithville Tn May 21-22 2011. Pretty excited about that. I will be posting this schedule and updates on my website events page http://www.shadowpottery.com/ Alot going on and not enough sleep or time in the day. During this busy fall I will stay on at the restaurant to keep the paycheck comin with hopefully some good show/workshop money to stack on top of it. My little boy Rocket has started to walk. It's on now. His beginner walk reminds me of clyde the arangitang with clint eastwoods any which way but loose. Alot of times I can't see one step in front of me with all thats going on but I got a great family worth workin my ass off for.

I've been working and playing in the studio with ideas this summer. Trying to balance out the pottery with the more sculptural, or just trying to blend the two. Being taught from potters and being a potter for awhile now and thinking like an artist has been a difficult blend as well. I can't seem to shake the idea of making nothing round. But the public likes round cause its a comfortable shape. The wheel now has become a means to get a shape or an idea rather than a production tool. It's funny to think it plays no more of a role than the rib or tool i use on a daily basis. Our fall is quickly filling up with shows and hopefully some workshops in between. I take work to the southern highlands guild object jury in august. I'm excited for the possibilities but we'll see. My son Rocket turns 1 year old today. He slept in today till 7;30 which is a rarity due to teething heavily so that was nice. He got his favorite breakfast, strawberries and bananas. That little boy has really changed my oulook on life, pots, everything. I think one of the most awsome gifts of having him is being able to see innocence again. It's helped me see my work differently and my approach to it, my reactions to things, to people. It's humbling and exciting. Our T.V. went out on us last nite. Makes me wonder if I want one for awhile. hmmmmmm. I also think I solved my s craking problem since the new change to the bottom of my cups and mugs. I should be updating my events page on my website soon so stay tuned http://www.shadowpottery.com/

Back home from being an artist on the road

I am finally home with my family. Five consecutive weekends of giving workshops and fine art shows. What a great summer its been already. I visited Mountain View Arkansas and gave one of my "soft pots" workshop at the Arkanasas Craft School. Thank you you to everyone who attended the workshop. I wouldn't be there if it wasnt for you. Terri Van Orman, The director of the school was awsome. When I got to the school she explained to me that I was the first clay workshop at the school. Terri had wrote grants and recived funding for the school and brand new wheels were being opened as I walked in for the first time. To even sweeten the deal I was able to cristen the first wheel ever opened at the school. Pretty cool! I really had some talented students attend. David and Becki Dahlstedt attended who are very accomplished potters and artists. They opened there home to the class sat nite for a party. Very inspiring couple. The workshop got on the way sat morn and I introduced myself and got right into it. The split jar was demontrated as well as hollow lip bowls, throwuing out a slab vs the slab roller, and last but not least demoing the handle pull and handle placement on the mug. We talked philosophy and life throughout the day. I was persistent in my philosophy of living life full of trials and triumphs makes the pots we are today. Letting it ride when you are making and selling your work. We are already crazy for even attempting to make and sell art we might as well indulge in what we want to make rather than something that "just sells!" "Break the rules" I would mention from time to time and my creedo " NO BLENDING!" Any handle attachment or spout or anything do not blend lines. I was trying to equate this to showing your work in grade school. I wanted them to expose there applications, there score marks. Reveal the inperfections and let them take front stage. Mountain view is about 9 hrs away from here in Chattanooga. The drive was pretty once I got past West Memphis. I left Mon morning and got home to load a kiln. Turned around thurs to drive to Columbus Ohio to attend the columbus art festival. Got a half a day of rain but turned out a good show. I am trying to invest more into my city of Chattanooga but its a slow process. Having to travel so much can be nice but will eventually come to a halt someday. As my baby boy gets bigger I am realizing how short time is and I dont want to miss out. Here are some pics of the Arkansas workshop. I will give one more this summer. Coreclay in Cinncinatti Ohio has invited me and I'm excited to be there. I get a cuople months at home to make new work, pick veggies from the garden and be with my family and friends. My fall is quickly filling up so better get to it. Check out more of Shadow@www.shadowpttery.com Take care