Monday, May 24, 2010

new place setting project

Hello again. This year for the National Arts Program Exhibition I decided to go more traditional. I had been working on a new place setting design and glaze combination for our home and came up with this. I really like the combination of the balance between the masculine and feminine elements and all of the pieces work very functionally and of course stack nicely in my cupboard and in the dishwasher. Things I never thought I would consider when creating work. Currently I am overwhelmed with commissions which is a blessing but I am anxious to get back to my work this summer also. I am able to take on a new teaching challenge this fall that I am so excited about. I am teaching the wheel throwing classes beg and advanced. I will manage the lab and help the new adjunct as he finds his way. I am grateful for the help and I hope he is up for the challenge. I did take an honorable mention for this piece at the exhibition so it helped to reinforce I was on teh right track. I also have a more feminine series I am working on. Maybe I can get them done in the fall. The honey pots are thrown and bisqued and ready to glaze tomorrow.

The new thing in my life is massage therapy on a regular basis. It is amazing what it can do for your body! I highly reccomend that if you can afford it on a weekly or bi monthly basis to definitely do it! I have more strength, flexibility and I am in a lot less pain of a daily basis! THis is a big deal for a ceramic artist and teacher!

On a side note William turned 7 this month and David turns 9 tomorrow. What a crazy month! Mom is in Ohio taking care of my sister and her kids as she is recovering from surgery and a trip in July is looking inevitable! My dad also seems worse so the visit shouldn't wait! I just wish we had the time and money for the trip. I will take donations for this trip!!!

I hope this finds all of you out there happy and healthy and doing what you love every day!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Being away from family


O.K. I knew it was going to be hard to live so far away from my family but I had no idea how hard until this past year! My dad had a major cardiac episode and now has a pacemaker (pictured above), my sister seems to be losing her breasts to infection and is having trouble with depression and anxiety and also high blood pressure, and now as of today, my step mom is in a nursing home recovering from hip replacement and today my dad had another cardiac episode, he didn't even call 911, his pacemaker just shocked him and after he recovered, he went about his night. I was lucky he even called. I have the strongest pull I have ever felt to drop everything and go right now to help out. Dad and Barb HAVE to change their diet NOW and that is going to be hard for them! My sister has my mom with her now so things there will be better, I hope, but really..... what do I do? He called "just in case something else happens tonight".... It is a twenty + hour drive, even if I did leave now.... I know this is not my normal type of blog, but I really needed to just get this out before I felt a bit crazy! What am I going to do? I have a commission I have to get done, but I could leave that in others hands. and how will I sleep tonight.? O.k> I will stop whining now and get back to life. Thanks out there for letting me spill tonight. I promise the next one will be more uplifting.