Wednesday 29 July 2009

Nothing to report

No updates on the clay I'm afraid. I've been quite busy with my nieces and nephews since they broke up from school for the holidays. It's very tiring, but I do love them.

Guess where I went yesterday with Asriel?




hmm... I wonder if they do a size 5?


Strangely, I didn't fancy any chocolate all day. It might have had something to do with the constant sickly smell of it everywhere we went!

Tuesday 21 July 2009

Slow Progress

Here is the vase I started on last week:


I've still not finished coiling it yet, and I've not smoothed it out properly yet either. Yes, those are plastic carrier bags from the local supermarket that I have been wrapping my unfinished vase in - we do things in style in this house! The reason why this vase has been taking so long is partly because I keep having to leave it to stiffen a little after every few coils, and partly because I've not been feeling very well, so after a coil or too I'm ready to pack up anyway!

I'm not sure if I like this one - I'll let you know when it's finished! It seems too wide at the top... or too narrow at the bottom. It's taller than the last one but not actually as tall as I had intended, but I started to bring in the top because it was getting so wide.

With every vase I keep thinking how I can't wait to have my own wheel, but I know it will be really frustrating for a while until I learn how to throw well. I wonder to myself if throwing will be easier than coiling once I learn how, or will it just be "different"? I may have the opportunity to buy a wheel soon, although I'm not sure what it's like yet or how much it will be. I'm praying for a wheel! So I hope the wheel will be a design I feel comfortable with, at a price I can afford.

In other news
I have 10 weeks before classes start again and I'm thinking ahead already! I phoned my tutor today and he said my vases have been fired, so I will have pieces to glaze on the first night back!

Tuesday 14 July 2009

Clay Therapy

I can't believe it's been three weeks already since I last worked on some clay at home, and hence, nearly three weeks since I last posted! I've been struggling to find the time to get my clay out, or rather, struggling to make the time. But that will have to change - doctors orders!

I reported last time (in my blog and to my counsellor) how relaxed I felt when I was stranded at home, and this allowed me to (allow myself to) find the time to get my clay out. My counsellor feels that this is a major breakthrough in finding a way for me to manage my depression and anxiety levels. She has advised that I regularly take a few days off from life, and stay at home and get my clay out.

Now if only I could find a way to switch to "holiday mode" without it being forced on me by a broken down car or being snowed in! - That's the tricky part! This week I was supposed to take Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday "off". I must admit, I have struggled. I ended up going out for some shopping yesterday, but I have managed to get my clay out this evening.

There isn't much to report on the clay front yet. I've started on another vase, similar to the last one but I'd like to make it much taller. I'm just allowing it to "set up" a little while I type this, so that I can then add more coils.

In other news
Clay classes have finished for the summer. I didn't get to bring home Reeses, the bunny that Leanne made, although he is all glazed and finished now and looking beautiful! But he will be kept safe throughout the summer, ready for me to collect in September when classes start again.

Also, I didn't have time to glaze my new vases either. We missed a couple of classes because the tutor had a death in his family. Having to wait to glaze a few pieces seems rather trivial in comparison.

And I offered my Tree Fairy vase as a home warming present to my sister in law, but she didn't like it! She's not as completely ungrateful as I have made her sound! I kind of knew that this was a piece that she would either love or hate, so I asked her to be completely honest with me. She loved the leaves and the flowers, but the face scared her! So she is now patiently waiting for another vase that is more suited to her taste, perhaps one of the recent ones, or the one I am making today, depending on how it comes out.