Spring Is Here

Feb 2012

A lot has happened since my last post. I have been working with Dave Sheridan to produce a clay mural to go in the Maritime Discovery Center in Brockville. This is about doing workshops in high schools where each student makes a 3 x 7 inch tile. About five workshops have been completed, and two more would complete the number of tiles that we need. I have also been doing workshops in public schools where we make a little bowl and then a creature using the same technique. They've been a lot of fun!  To round things off, I taught a workshop at TISS High school last week where I taught 230 students in three workshops in 4 hours. This was successful as a hands on experience, although I learned that with this number of students you need some sort of magnification of the demonstration. My thanks go out to Diana B Earl who was there to help me out. And as spectacular as Diana is I could've used three or four more of her!

Every week I teach 3 to 4 workshops at the Developmental Services hilltop studio in Brockville. My teenage girls class has started to work on the wheel which is exciting. My adult students are selling their work at the market in Brockville. So look for it there! I volunteered my time to sit with them to sell their work at the Brockville Museum for the Christmas market, which was enjoyable. The other vendors are  really warm and inviting...but are not good to hang around if you want to stay slim.

In other news, I actually have my own e-mail address now, and have learned to return an e-mail!


May 7

This is the time when the black flies keep me from being distracted by my Hobbit instincts to be with the growing things, so I am working on a clay mural for Toniata Elementary School: a tiger which will be 3.5 feet x 4 feet. Teaching at Maple View is both gratifying and amusing.  June constantly requests a touch of gold on her pieces. She has a great sense of humor. But one of these days I'm definitely going to have to learn how to use a luster. Developmental Services is having a free workshop on Tuesday to try to open our Saturday morning classes to the public. We are also getting ready for the June 2  Pottery and Plant sale.  This is a sale where students get to sell their work to raise funds for the studio. I think it's a good learning experience to know what's involved with getting a show together, how to present your work, and dress appropriately. I'm prepping a dinnerware set for Megan and Trevor.  This looks like it will be a summer project.