storage policy for pottery left while taking a break from classes

Good news: I have many new students joining us to Studio Together!

Challenge: Having space in the studio to store work-in-progress for all students when students who haven't taken a class in a while have unfinished and finished work sitting on shelves (indefinitely).

Due to above, I need to put a new policy into effect:

If a student needs to take a break, for up to 3 months, I can store unfinished and finished work if I know they will be back within 3 months (within reason...I understand some students have situations why they can't return within 3 months...if they just communicate the reasons to me, I can be flexible).

There is no guarantee that wet work-in-progress (left in a plastic bag) will be wet enough to be trimmed if they leave it for over one month.

Generally, students have a future date, or two, planned for returning for classes. If I haven't heard from a student a month or more since their last class, I would like to hear from them soon to see what their plans are for returning (preferably within a month, 3 max) or not.

If I haven't heard from a student for 3 months or more since your last class, I will wait one month (from the time I send this info to the student this applies to) and then I will not store the unfinished and finished work anymore.

Any student can arrange for a pick up and hold your unfinished work at your home (or use any fired work until you have time to return to glaze it).

If you want me to finish your unfinished work, I can do that with glaze guidance for rate of $30/hr prorated to nearest quarter hour. Let me know if you want this option.

Thank you for understanding...and communicating about this situation (if it applies to you),
Deb

Studio Together: new name for classes

A few months ago, a student (Kim) suggested the name "Studio Together" for our classes. She thought it better expressed what is important to me...about what we do in our classes = work and create together.

Earlier this year, a student (Janeen) had surprised me with a gift of 2 hand-routed wooden signs that she had made with my initials and website URL: Dag(works). This month I added some more to one of them and hung it out on the gate that students come and go through. I decided this was important after trying to visit home studios in Maine and not being sure where to go.

Thanks for the suggestion and signage students!

Cooking Together

After our monthly time making pottery together on a Sunday, Travora, Stacy, Scott and I often cook and eat lunch together because months ago, Travora casually mentioned she wanted to learn to cook. Today we made rice with stir fry veggies and tofu. After eating this out on the deck, we blind taste-tested and discussed favorites of 3 kinds of apples: Macs, Cortlands, and Honey Crisp from the Ashland Farmers Market. It was fun.

miniatures

Scott started the trend to make small animals last year. The younger students followed his lead. These are all an inch to two in height. More have been made too. Very cute!

Mia's turtle, elephant, whale

 Mia's lion

Clara's duck

Scott's cat, shark, and tiny cup

fun demo photo

Phil took this, last summer, of Clara, Kim, and me at the Ashland Farmers Market. I just came across it and it makes me smile, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Mudflat: open studio & pottery sales, field trip?

Want to go to this together? The studio is big with lots of student work to inspire, compare, and motivate us.

The next Open Studio & Pottery Sale is May 5, 6 & 7, 2017. 10 am - 9:30 pm
Mudflat Studio: 81 Broadway Somerville, MA 02145

At this time, I could go anytime Friday, or Sat. AM, or Sat. evening. We could get a meal together too, if that works out for all of us. Let me know if you have any interest, Deb

see their website for more info

youthful artists at work

My young friends came out from Boston again today to create with me. I did some surface decoration work while they worked on their unfinished projects.

Stacy is glazing her coil pot here. She did lots of other cool things too. I'll get a picture of her dish she doodled drawings onto. Nice stuff. Inspiring.

Travora is carving her unique piece here. It is really interesting how this is turning out. It changed a lot more after I took this picture too. I'll post the finished result when it is done.

Scott is painting the background images of ghostly figures on a dish for the skull to the right which he later glazed white; it will be fired onto the middle of the dish. An idea to inspire others!