Tag: clay and fabric

Excuse Me As I Run…

My photo app is currently updating. I think it’s stalled, much like my brain…hopefully it’s just slow internet and not holiday/school panic like my brain. Hard to say. Sleep has been difficult this week, and I’m really feeling it…plus the sinus infection, feeling that. Definitely worse again. I may call today and see if I can get a telehealth appointment instead of waiting another 3 days to a week, like the sub doc wanted me to. Sigh. Also coyotes, could you be quieter at night? My little dog can’t handle the singing. He has to join in. And then growl under his breath for the next 20 minutes because you offended his sensibilities…whatever those are.

So yeah, I signed up for the SD Pottery Tour and I wasn’t really sure what that meant and the pro is that I got my act in gear and finally drilled out the four holes I’d been avoiding for the last oh IDK 5 months? And figured out a way to hang the quilts in these two pieces. Not sure how I feel about them, but they’re done. And I figured out hours and prices (oh my, no one will ever be able to afford my ceramics…sorry…I take way too much time).

I love how FREE is huge and red.

I’m at Get Centered Clay in La Mesa…with a bunch of people who have a lot more to sell than I do, probably at much more reasonable prices. The reality is, the stuff I choose to do is incredibly time-consuming (I know this shocks you), and that’s just the way it is. I’m not expecting to sell anything at all, but I will be there on Saturday, grading in the background (because that’s what I needed to do on Saturday anyway), and Sunday, I’ll be there at some point in the afternoon, because my Sundays are nuts.

So drilling glaze that dripped into holes takes much longer than you’d think it would.

In case that’s something you needed to know. Sewed baby quilts to wire, used wire to hang from holes inside clay pieces.

Need better pictures with natural light, but that’s 11 PM for ya. Not totally sold on this one, but it’s all a living experiment, right?

Learning from the mess you make. I have some pots and a bowl and IDK if I’m taking the $500 mug, because that’s nuts, and one sculpture that’s kind of crazy. Plus figuring out how to provide prices and a tablecloth and how to set it all up, because it’s on a table and not hanging on a wall. And I don’t do sales like this for my quilts ever, because they’re weird, so yeah. Out of my wheelhouse…and down the block really.

Yup. This was not on my list for the next three days. But I’m doing it! So there.

Meanwhile, I did iron on Wednesday night. I decided all the innards would be rainbow colored.

Yes, that’s officially where I’m at right now. I didn’t get to the uterus. It will predictably be pink and purple.

Hopefully I will be ironing tonight because I will have figured out all the other shit and will have set up for the show. I will not be getting enough sleep this weekend to make up for what I missed this week. Just a heads up.

Yup. The dumpster is on fire and I’m sitting in it. Also don’t ask me about Christmas gifts or decorating for the holidays. The White Elephant thing for school made me hyperventilate. And it’s optional.

I finished reading Babel. Loved it. Here’s this from the Epilogue…

Holding that going into 2025. Hearing about what men are saying to women about when the big dumb orange lump is inducted in January. Speak up, y’all. When hinky shit is happening in front of you, speak the fuck up.

OK, magnets today, should be good, although yesterday was a braindead cluster in 3/5 classes, so that doesn’t help. Still down two teachers on my team. Down half a brain at least. Trying to mentally do too many things. Oh yeah! It’s my 10-year anniversary of meeting the Man. I’m sure he’s thrilled I’ll be spending this evening at ceramics, although we didn’t have anything planned and I think I’m cooking, so there’s that. Excuse me as I run screaming into the rising sun.

The Monsters…

America. I had hope, you had hate. It’s not all of you. My social media shows me that. But too many of you do. Hate for my students, hate for my friends, hate for me. I dodge a lot of it by being a white woman, but an artist? A teacher in a Title I school full of immigrants and refugees and kids of color? Sigh. I’m…there’s got to be a better word than disappointed. I’m wearing all black today…ninja teacher, ninja artist, ninja liberal. My plan to retire in 2029 may be thrown by this. When the orange monster was in before, my med costs went up, my taxes went up, my expenses went up. They all relaxed during Biden. I’m not rich enough to get the benefits of a GOP ruler. Ah well. We fight the monsters, y’all. And the monsters are half of us.

My art is sort of stalled…or waylaid? Or on a different track. I started a new clay piece…loosely based on my The Way Out quilt. Same shape to start anyway…

Gotta figure out how to piece it together so it fits on my shelf again.

I also brought stuff home that looked cool that I forgot to photograph. Oops. And one thing is drying, getting ready to bisque. And I had a tiny bit of the old clay left and I made a pot shape. I always need more pots for plants. Anyway, it will start to look more like something eventually.

Then I started with the ceramic winged woman (who still doesn’t have wings). She’s all about climate change, which is going to get worse because of who y’all voted in, in case you were unclear about that. I made some shapes on paper and picked some fabrics and decided to try to build a tornado…like you do.

I bought that rope during the beginning of COVID to do something with. Last night, I cut the pieces out and cut an appropriate piece of rope…

I have tiny people, and there are tiny cars coming, plus balsa wood, because apparently I’m going to build a house? Or am I? Hard to say. Wonder Under isn’t arriving until Friday. Need to entertain my art brain.

I’m also grading things…

It’s slow. Nova thought this one smelled nice. It’s a nice kid. I’m slowly getting through these packets. I spent two hours at Urgent Care again yesterday for the cough that was getting worse. Acute bronchitis and a sinus infection. Fun times. More meds. Hopefully will kick it though, because I’m tired of coughing violently for no apparent reason. It’s kind of exhausting. Much like my country.

Those cloud things are going in those smokestacks on the top of her head. Then I’ll work on the wings. Slow and weird process for me, but I like it. It’s different. Different allows our brains to grow and develop. Some of you should try it.

OK. Teaching roller coaster parts and design still today. Fun to watch the kids work together (or not). One pro is the super-psycho didn’t win school board. The semi-psycho incumbent did. He at least understands laws and tries to follow them. Although there’s another psycho coming in. Sigh. I guess watch this space. My art will continue in the political realm…how can it not? My job will continue as long as I’m allowed…or until I can’t stand it and can actually afford to retire…all up in the air now. Things will still need fixing around here (two hosebibs today, finally), trimming, watering, painting, digging, etc. Cats will need petting and feeding, dogs will need the knots combed out of their fur and their bellies rubbed. Kids will need to learn how to be humans and productive members of society, even if they don’t figure it out in 8th grade. Some kids are awesome and will continue to be so, and I will rejoice in their existence and that of my friends who support all kinds. The monsters can fuck off.