Lots of Photos!

Yes, I know, I didn't post at all last week, so I have lots of photos for you this week to make up for it.

Let me first say a big hello to Anne from the clay class, who was on holiday this week with her family. Hello Anne!


And as promised, here are some photos of her amazing chess pieces. Just look at that detail!


There's just one piece there on the right that doesn't seem to fit in with the rest! I suspect someone has made this piece and put it in with the others!


But what's happening here? Yes, I'm afraid that while Anne was away John our tutor (on the left) and Anne's so called friend Pete (on the right) decided to bash Anne's pieces to pieces!!


Here's one of Pete's amazing miniature vases, which he has decorated too! (Click photo to enlarge)


Actually, we have a lot of very talented people in this class. Look at this beautiful plate by Sam! Such pretty detail!


Those are Lesley's hands hard at work. I love love love this lady's work! She's very productive and makes amazing sculptures.


And Zandra's stuff is amazing too. Look at this beautiful horse.


This is a sculpture that Zandra is working on at the moment. Both Lesley and Zandra work from imagination without photo reference!


So as you can see, I'm surrounded by lots of inspiring people at class!

Just as Cynthia has done previously, Lesley was encouraging me to just "play" last night, with no expectations. So I started with a lump of clay and cut away at it, and without putting too much pressure on myself, started my first figurine!


Ok, it's very simple and it's not that great, but it was just an experiment really. I'd love to eventually be able to produce beautiful figurines like Peter Holland.


It was so good to get my hands in some clay again! I really have to make some time for that at home!


It didn't matter how many photo's I took, her body looked too long and her skirt/legs too short, even though she looked in proportion in the flesh. The average person is supposed to be about 7 head lengths, so I drew out the markings just to prove to myself that the camera was lying!


She ended up in the recycling anyway. If I was making a figurine for real I think I would start with a hollow skirt, to save damaging it later when I try to hollow it out.

And finally, here are my naked vases with a pattern painted on with iron oxide. I say "naked" because they have no glaze on and they will possibly stay that way. John thought they would look good left bare and fired to stoneware, and I agree.



No class next week as it's half term holiday and also our 12th wedding anniversary! I hope you are all keeping well?

My second thyroid test has come back normal, so apparently I don't have a thyroid problem, I'm just tired because I sleep too much. It's all my fault. I just don't try hard enough to stay awake and keep active. I probably have water retention because I don't try hard enough to pee, and no doubt after my third sight test my vision is blurry because I don't try hard enough to see. I'm so lazy.

Results!

I received the results of my blood tests today, and as promised, here I am to share them with you! Thankfully I am not diabetic, so I won't have to cut out chocolate! But my thyroid is under active. As strange as it may sound, I'm actually really happy about this because my hope is that once I start treatment I will have more energy, lose weight, lose the uncomfortable water retention, feel less depressed and anxious, be able to see properly out of my right eye, and be able to remember my own name! (Which is just a few of the symptoms of hypothyroidism!) If it wasn't my thyroid then I would just have to continue putting up with these things!

So that explains why I haven't felt like doing anything all summer! I didn't go to class tonight because... I was asleep! I didn't have anything to glaze tonight either, and I just don't seem to be able to get into the "zone" with clay at class. I feel restricted by the time thing. (Yeah, "thing" 'cos I can't think of the right word. Hopefully this will improve too!)

So there you go. What else can I tell you? Umm... got an exhibition coming up in November which I have been invited to take part in! It's a bit posh there too. It's only held in a small village hall, but the people seem a bit lah-de-dah so hopefully they'll have loads of money and buy something of mine! I just roll my eyes at all the pomp, but I don't mind really; I fit in with all sorts me, 'cos I'm so cute and lovable :) And 'cos I don't tell people what I really think of 'em! Hahahaha! No, just kidding.