Not the TV debut I was hoping for

Well, a week came and went and the show aired without the segment on me potting. Perhaps my days in the limelight are meant to come later in life.
Lately, I have been very buzzed about a new experimental form I have been working on. I'm tyring to expand beyond my comfort zone of functional ware, attempting to create some forms which aren't as ordinary as my functional work. Part of me wonders if this search is in vain and that perhaps what I actually need to do is find a more interesting decoration/glaze/style for my work rather than attempt to create whole new forms. Maybe branching into non-functional is a way to avoid the inevitable shake up of my functional work that I really think needs to happen in order to step my work to a more identifiable and improved level. I'm worried that I'll go through all the trouble of creating new forms and be faced with the same problem I have now - how to glaze the darn thing.
So, I've decided to explore both issues: develop the non-functional and sort out the decor in general. Have loads of sample clays to work through this weekend making shrinkage tests and thrown samples to fire. I've decided after much deliberation I would go ahead and buy some stains for slip coloration. After years of doing all of my own glaze development it just dawned on me one day that I didn't need to be breaking my break to create an "original" glaze. It would be nice, but just because the color isn't derived from more "authentic" oxides and a good working knowledge of glaze chemistry doesn't mean the finished product will have to suffer. Plus, frankly, I need some more time to develop ideas in clay rather than spend it with further glaze chem.
On that note, I'm off to test and experiment!

Here I go....

Well, it's about time that I get onto the web and make some noise!
After thinking about it for some time, I decided to go ahead and learn how to create this blog (yes, I am very behind most people!).

It is Wednesday afternoon and rather than teaching today, I have a two week break and am trying to catch up on my "to do list". Now I can tick this blog off as mission accomplished!

My pots are sitting in the kiln and I am avoiding them like the plague. I am at a crossroads with my decoration - tired of my current glazes but unsure about what to do instead. If I'm honest with myself, I get so overwhelmed by the choices available for me to explore. I just keep having to tell myself that it is a process that I need to go through - of testing and exploring - to come to some decisions and be content with my designs.

So, enough blogging and avoiding that kiln - I'm off!

Oh, to end on a good note, Channel Five's The Wright Stuff came to Rosetta Arts Centre to film a shot of me throwing and teaching a guy how to throw a pot! It was completely surreal; I'm not sure how it will look, as it was all very rushed and I really didn't have a chance to actually show the guy all the steps properly.

The good thing is that the sketch is supposed to be a spoof - with the intention for the guy to mess up terribly and get clay all over him. He wanted the clay to fly everywhere, but when I thought about it, the clay slop doesn't really ever spray the upper body or the face that much. So I ended up having to chuck slop at his face outside the camera range to make it look messier. Besides getting some of it in his eye, he didn't look too upset!

Anyway, I hope the little video will promote Rosetta Arts Centre more as it is a great studio environment for adults to learn all sorts of art mediums. I hope to post the clip from the show next time!

The video will air on tomorrow's show which starts at 9am - hope some of you will catch it and tell me how it was (as I'll be at work and not able to watch it :( !!

That's it for now!