Thursday, January 2, 2014

More of the Same for Me Please



After all that mayhem the festivities are over for another year and we're firmly ensconced in 2014. How are you feeling then...refreshed and revived and ready to take on a new year and all it's creative challenges? Or are you perhaps in need of a few quiet days to recover and regain a little focus...? I think I'm somewhere between the two but either way if you're anything like me you've probably found yourself pondering the year that's past and wondering what's ahead.

Creatively 2013 was a pretty good year for me. I got myself a new studio which gave me the space to try out new techniques like etching and more metal work. But the big highlight was to stop procrastinating and, with a lot of encouragement from my team mates here at AJE finally have a go at working with ceramic clay.

As regular readers will know I absolutely fell in love with it from the moment I took those very first glazed beads from the kiln...


I became completely obsessed with the array of gorgeous glazes available...


And had a whale of time putting them together in wonderful beady combinations.


And then I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle... This brought a halt to production for a while but I managed to get back on two feet again before just before Christmas and have since managed to glaze the first batch of stoneware bisque that came out of the kiln the day I fell.


Now the new year is here I'm raring to get back in the studio and start working again and although there are lots of new things I want to try, ceramics is where I will pick up since it's still such a new medium for me...new glazes, different types of clay...so much to experiment with.

One thing I'm very keen to do is to take some pottery classes as  I enjoy working with clay so much I really want to have a go at working on a larger scale. I'm not set up to do this at home so it may not lead anywhere but I really like the idea of working in a different environment from time to time and meeting other like minded people.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potter_at_wheel.jpg
 I always try to sign up for at least one course each year both as a way of broadening my skill base and as a little treat to myself for working hard. I was also lucky enough to be gifted some lovely books on this subject which are providing me with no end of inspiration.


So what have you got planned for this year..? further developing something you took up in last year...diving headlong into something completely different. Whatever it is make sure you join the AJE team for another year of creative, informative and fun posts - you never know, you might find yourself as addicted to all things muddy as me by this time next year!

All the best for 2014.

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess





10 comments :

  1. You amaze me so much you are allways doing something new i am in awe lol xx but you also inspire me to do more and try different things good luck chick and here's to 2014 a year full of new things xxx

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  2. I just bought 500 Tiles as well! Lesley, I also suggest ordering "Making & Installing Handmade Tiles" by Angelica Pozo if you are going to give them a try. Tiles and functional pottery are my new goals this year. I can't wait to move back towards larger ceramic pieces.

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  3. Very cool! LOVE that sample tile collection all tied together so pretty! I too am going to spread my wings some and make some new things this year! Very inspiring...get back on your feet soon, girl!!

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  4. How exciting for you! Now you can release all that pent-up creative energy you were hoarding while you were nursing your broken ankle! Can't wait to see what you make. I really love those elongated ornament shapes with the snowflakes, and the pod shapes in the photo above. Very cool!

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  5. I know you're gonna rock pottery and anything-else-clay you do! Nice to see!

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  6. Everything that you touch turns into beauty. I can hardly wait to see where you go in 2014.

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  7. I have a five year plan for figuring out how to make great polymer clay OPALS. I am about to begin year two of the plan. Later today I will try to make a polymer version of the famous opal, "The Giraffe", a boulder opal with lots of brown matrix and gorgeous five colored opal veins running through it. You can see the original on Pinterest if you put "opal the giraffe" in the search box. I have the brown "matrix" all mixed into a cane. I have the opal colors mixed up into Pardo, tinted with alcohol inks and "glittered" variously. Wish me luck!

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  8. I know you will rock anything that you create too!!! I love your clay color wheel!!!!!

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  9. Absolutely love your work. My goal is no goals so I can be gentler to myself.

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  10. My goal is to have no real goals so I can be gentler to myself. And holy crow I love your work!

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