Stone Soup'r Bowl Party

You are invited to join the other students who come to Studio Together for a party with soup, pottery share, and a pottery swap!

Inspired by this picture that Olga found online recently:

I'll make "stone soup" by cooking vegetables we each contribute (one kind from each of us, cleaned and cut in advance so ready to cook, enough to fill your bowl at least, see* below). A vegetable that cooks and goes well in a mixed vegetable soup. I'll add the "stone" (aka awesome wholewheat pasta I got from the Ashland Farmer's Market). We will partake of this soup... and any other thing you'd like to bring to contribute to a mid afternoon potluck meal.

Since you don't all know each other, this will be an opportunity to get to know the folks I am always raving about. And to share our pottery interests. With that in mind, please bring 3 pieces of pottery you have made:

1. a bowl to eat your soup from* (if you have a bowl you made...you can use one of mine if not)
2. a piece of pottery you are happy with...a successful one...a favorite 
3. one piece you would like to swap (all who bring one to swap will get to participate in the swap), if you don't have one you made that you want to part with, no worries, you don't need to participate in this part 

You will go home with your own pottery (see 1 & 2) and a piece you pick from another potter among us during the swap. I will participate in the swap too.

We can just chat and talk pottery stuff and more, and/or we can play a game. I have lots available. We can decide this while you are here.

This is the date picked (after a lot of back and forth discussion with those who got back to me before Jan. 8, thanks to those who helped me out with this tough task of planning a date that works for the majority of you!):

• Sat. Mar. 14, 3-6pm 
• can go: Elaine, Mia, Olga, Rebecca, Eri, Tonya, Travora, Stacy
• maybe can't go: Marty
• can't go: Scott, Susanne, Amey
• haven't heard from yet: Barbara, Danielle, Kim...

This party will be at my house. I hope you can come!

- Deb

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