I operate pretty well in a cluttered, disorganized space for a while. Then, all of a sudden, I have an overwhelming urge to give everything a home. During this studio rebuild, we are moving everything a dozen times it seems. In stead of moving piles, I want to figure out where everything is going to live and then PUT IT THERE!
We spent the morning building this awesome work table. AND, we earned loads of good karma for upcycling! The table top is an old piece of formica counter top that was used on a kitchen island so both sides are rounded. We covered it in canvas which took Forever. Eternity. Tedious. But it is perfect! The canvas will keep the clay from sticking and the formica won't suck moisture out of the clay - it is a perfect marriage! A lot of the wood was actually 2x4 studs from a wall we took out in the studio. The shelf is made from the door that was in the wall we knocked down.
Once the table was complete, I painted for a while... or until I ran out of paint. Then I made my way to the glaze ingredients shelves. There are a lot of dangerous chemicals on these shelves and the plastic bags are hard to see. They fall over and off the shelves and when I am mixing glazes they are a pain in the rump to get in and out of. I decided to transfer my materials to airtight plastic storage and labeled everything with my P-touch. It is so much easier to see what I have and I feel like it is so much more secure. I discovered during this process that I had double bought several chemicals because I couldn't find anything before.
BEFORE
AFTER
Finally, I'll show something that is almost embarrassing. As I said before, I am happy in clutter a long time, but when I decide to get organized, I tend to go a little overboard... hence the P-touch labeler. On all of my glaze buckets, I have a huge label. I type up the formula in Word and create a table. The first two columns are the glaze formula. The next column is what is takes to make 5 gallons, then 1/2 a bucket, and finally a test batch. This label goes on test batches of glaze, full buckets, and anything else glaze lands in. I know it is a little bit crazy, but I always know where my glaze formulas are!
So I got my studio space painted in a nice yellow, but once I stepped back to admire the wall, I decided it was hideous. So I broke out the paint chips and started digging. I wanted something bright and clean, but I didn't want anything too pastel. I chose the two colors pictured here. I am a long way from finished - the space is about 800 square feet. The green is painted on a huge column that comes down in the center of the space and divides it in two. I think my hot water heater ties in nicely with the decorating scheme - don't you? My first classes here begin in two weeks, so I have to get tables set up, painting to a stopping point, and everything in its place... and quickly!
We haven't had loads of time for new work, but we've been turning out a bunch of prototypes for stemless wine goblets. I'm hoping to settle on a design I just love. Also in the works are some espresso cups and saucer sets, a whole slew of mugs, and a lot of small bowls with a few big ones thrown in. I have returned for the first time in ages to making pitchers and have been surprised at how easy they are. I did an entire semester of pitchers in school once, and my hands seem to remember the dance well.
