Can't be bothered

Bah, I haven't felt the same since Saturday when I got the letter about my classes being cancelled. I've had positive moments when I realise I must carry on "undaunted", and accept that this is just another challenge to overcome, but the motivation has just... gone. And I'm sooo tired. I'm always sooo tired. I just want to sleeeeeeeeeep.

I take my hat off to Kathy, who has continued with the 28 day challenge, despite her many... challenges. (Yeah, I guess that's why it's called a challenge!) Well done Kathy!

I, on the other hand, have failed miserably. I could start again, but I'm not confident that I will see it through to the end.

The fact that my various messages of enquiry have gone unanswered doesn't help. I've heard nothing from my tutor, who quite frankly seems more concerned about his garden at the moment, and I've emailed two places about kiln and studio hire and had no replies.

I don't care. I don't need them. I have you, my blogging friends :) And I would like to thank you all for your messages of support, advice, and encouragement. I will find a way, but at the moment I just need to... sleep. Sorry about that. I'm not ignoring you, and I haven't given up. I'm just sooo tired!!

Coming up (when I can be bothered): Scott made me a dowel for Freda the head-a.

Day six - excuse my drunken rant

Well, I'm not drunk really, I've just had a drink or two. Home measures, which means no measuring hee hee hee!! It's hard work getting drunk though. I'd be a rubbish alcoholic :)

So, the news I bring you today is that my clay class has been cancelled. Yes, it's true. We had this "thing" called a budget, although I don't take any notice of politics, it's all a load of old tennis balls to me. Anyway, apparently they cut back loads of spending on adult education, and the result is that my class has been cancelled. I don't even know if it's forever or not. I won't know if the class is running in September or not until September, which is like 6 months away.

In the mean time I can't fire or glaze anything, which has kind of left me wondering what's the point in making anything in the first place? But then on the other hand, despite suffering from depression, I can't help being optimistic and thinking that maybe the class will run in September and I can fire everything then. That's all well and good, but it means I can't get anything glazed and fired in time for the exhibition in June, or the open art competition in July.

So what are my options? I'm not sure. I can't afford a kiln of my own, or even the electric to run it. It's very expensive to hire the use of kilns. I doubt if there will be any other clay classes in nearby towns since the budget would have affected all adult learning. I can't join a full time course because I don't have the health, and you also need all sorts of qualifications to be accepted. So basically I'm up the swannee.

As for the 28 day challenge, I want to continue, if for no other reason than to support Kathy. I will try to motivate myself later to get my clay out, and I will post a photo of whatever I make tomorrow with day seven's post.

That wasn't much of a rant was it? OK, here's a little rant - don't move to England because they don't support the arts or sport, which is why we're rubbish at everything, and the roads are full of pot holes.

Edit: Obviously pottery isn't relevant.


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Update:
Ok, I've been through the shock, the anger, and the upset, and I hope that now my head is clearing a little. I got Freda out and we just sat and looked at each other for a while. She's got a pretty little face, and I'm happy with how she's turned out so far. I wondered to myself how many challenges she faced during her artistic career. Because, let's face it, that's all this is, isn't it? Another challenge. I didn't ask her because... well, she's clay and she wouldn't be able to tell me (and I hadn't drunk that much!) But I did feel a strange attachment. The sort of attachment that compels me to give Polo a little pat on the head every time I pass him, I suppose. I felt sad to wrap her up and put her away again, like saying goodbye to a friend, but I felt no inclination to work on her tonight. I made some mental notes of what needs changing though, and I feel more confident about this piece now. She spoke to me without saying a word. And now I know what I must do. I must carry on, Undaunted.

Day five

I had another go at my Mum's mug tonight. Here it is compared to a normal sized mug. Oh, my Mum does like a nice big cuppa!


I know it will shrink, but now I remember where I got the idea from for this plant pot!


And my Mum's plant seems very happy in it!

I'm just letting the plant pot mug set up a bit now before I add the handle. Oh, and I must remember to add those flowers too! Thankfully things ran smoothly this evening. I let the clay dry out a bit before using it, which prevented it from just collapsing all over the place when I was trying to put it together. The lino cut seemed to make a clearer impression tonight as well.

So that's day five. I must admit that I am itching to get my black/brown clay out, as messy as it is. I think its because I'm looking forward to just playing! Me! The one who finds it impossible to just play! But it's soooo messy. I need to get Freda and some other pieces out of the way first, but hopefully that won't take too long, now that I am having clay time every day! :)

Update:


Is this handle too big?

Day four

Well, today nearly didn't happen! I went shopping with my Mum this afternoon, and I came home so exhausted that I just went to bed! She bought me a lovely little gift set of of Baileys with a mug, whisk, and chocolate! I can't wait to indulge... :)

But have no fear, I did get up again in the middle of the night to have some clay time! Remember this mug that I made for my Mum?


Well, apart from the fact that the glaze was hideous, it got broken anyway, so I was working on a replacement. I tried experimenting with a square bottom, but it wasn't working, so I took that off and put a round bottom on it, but the whole thing just wasn't working really, so unfortunately I have nothing to show you. I don't feel that the time was wasted though because a) it was MY time, my clay time, and b) I was spending time getting to know my new clay.

I shall see how the mood takes me tomorrow and either try again or work on something else. Freda keeps calling me, but I'm resisting for some reason. I think it's because she kept me up all night last time and I'm worried she'll do the same again.

It was so funny when Mum's mug broke. She rang me and said "Linda I have some bad news". Of course I was really worried. "What's happened?" I said. "My mug got broken". Well, I just laughed my head off! I never liked the finished thing anyway and I couldn't think of a better ending for it! But for some strange reason my Mum loved it. Mum's are cute like that aren't they?

Anyway, remember folks, it's not too late to join the challenge! It's one hour a day of ME TIME!! Go on! You know you want to! :)

Day three - phew!

Well, I still haven't recovered from Monday yet! And I had a busy day today, with a trip out of town this morning (yeah, I got up before lunchtime!) and my niece and brother round for dinner this evening. Somehow I still managed to make some clay time, spurred on by my 28 day challenge buddy, Kathy! Thank you Kathy!

Ok, I didn't do much, but I did some! Today I decorated the goblets I made last night.


I'd like to work on Freda some more, but I know I'll get engrossed and be up 'til 6am!!

I'm taking my Mum shopping tomorrow, and I'm supposed to be out in the evening, so it will be another busy day! I'm looking forward to a day at home on Friday to enjoy more clay time and relax!

More on the white earthenware clay I've been using - it seems grainier than the stoneware (if that's even a word) and it's darker in colour than I expected. I hope there wasn't a mix up at the suppliers and I've got the wrong clay! Unusually there is no label on the bag. Hmm... I expect I'll know when I order another bag!

Day two

It's day two of the 28 day challenge, and I still haven't recovered from day one! My thighs ache so much from sitting at that wheel, I feel like I've been horse riding! Still, I pressed on, and made a few goblets tonight (slab built - I have no wheel at home), to replace the 3 that stuck to the kiln shelf.


I shall let these set up over night and then paint them with coloured slip tomorrow and carve them.

I used my new earthenware clay tonight. To be honest I'm not sure if I really like it. Maybe it will just take a little while to get used to it? We'll see. I'll let you know by the end of the bag!

I have my bag of black/brown clay now too. I'm looking forward to using it, but I have some other pieces that I need to get done first. I'd rather make my white clay pieces first because this black clay is sooo messy! It will just contaminate everything!

Well, that's about it for tonight. I'm going to keep it short and sweet because I'm just so worn out! (incidentally, I've had my thyroid tested again and it is under active again. I have another test in a couple of months)

But, before I go, I'd just like to welcome Kathy to the challenge! Yippee!! We have a participant!! Remember, it's not too late to join in!

Day one - left handed potter

Yes, it's day one of the 28 day challenge - for me at least. Remember you can join the challenge any time between now and 2nd April. The aim is to have all challenges completed by the end of April. For more details click here.

So what did I do today? I went to class of course! (Is that cheating?) I was planning on doing an hour at home as well, but by the time I got home I was exhausted!

Firstly, there was a coiled pot/vase that I was working on, but after being in the cupboard for about 5 or 6 weeks it had become too dry to add to. I decided to break bits off to make it look old and broken, but I forgot to take a photo!! Now we have no classes for 4 weeks, so I'll have to wait 'til then.

Then I decided to have another go on the wheel. Long time readers will remember that the first (and last) time I tried the wheel was probably around Oct/Nov time, 2008! And I wasn't very successful! I managed to centre the clay and that was all. I was quite happy with that at the time though.

This evening I had another go. I must say, this wheel was much more comfortable to use than the one at the last class. Here's the funny thing though - although I am right handed everything that the tutor showed me felt backwards and awkward. I naturally wanted to use my left hand to steady the clay and not my right, and I had to consciously think to do it the other way. Maybe I am a left handed potter? The wheel only spins anti-clockwise though - for right handed people.

Scott is confident that I can learn to throw right handed, but how do I know if I would be better left or right handed? This turned into a bit of a discussion at home. He knows many left handed people who have learnt, for example, to play the guitar right handed because it's so much easier to come by guitars for right handed people. He thinks maybe I will just have to do the same thing. I suppose I will, if I want to use the wheels at class. How about you other potters though? Are any of you left handed? Can you throw both ways? Does it make a difference?

Oh, I suppose you want to see what I made, right? Ok, but don't laugh...


HAHAHAHAHA!!! Ok, you can if you want to!!


I know what you're thinking - "that took you an hour??" Well... yes. You didn't see how many attempts it took! I was doing really well with one pot, and then I must have squeezed too hard and I cut it in half! This is the first one that I didn't kill! Thinking about it now, I think I was supposed to cut around the bottom before I took the pot off the wheel, but no one told me that! Oh well. I'm learning.

So, that's day one. See you tomorrow with the photos from day two!