Monday, May 26, 2008

So about that whole free time thing... turns out I have bouts of laziness here and there. I went to a wedding in Indiana, applied for health care, and shopped 'til I dropped for summer camp gear. There was a lovely tornado outbreak around the area, but thankfully myself and loved ones came out unscathed. More on life later when I have something worth talking about.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Annie Chrietzberg and Websites

Annie Chrietzberg is quite the colorful ceramist. When I first saw her just over a year ago in an airport she was wearing some pretty limey green sweater, knitting a brightly colored hat, perhaps similar to the one the man traveling with her was wearing. Judging her overall appearance I figured she must be an artist. Coincidentally she was a Coloradan going to NCECA as well, and I met her on the bus ride to the hotel. From the little that I've conversed with her, she seems like a pretty cool artist, and she makes some very well crafted and beautiful art. These cups are on my wishlist now.

I've been mentioning websites here and there and I really like Annie's, partly because it's colorful and it goes well with her work. I've started a 2-week trial period with the service she uses, so you might be seeing a new website soon :)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Empty Bowls

Just over three years ago Hurricane Katrina hit and organizations all over the world contributed their time and money to help. UNC's Clay Club did their own part and started the first annual throw-a-thon. Professional and student potters from the whole Greeley community joined together one weekend to throw as many pots as we could. After finishing them over the next week or two we held a sale in the University Center and donated all proceeds to the hurricane relief fund. It was the most successful throw-a-thon yet. There was an immediate need for help and both potters and consumers alike realized this - we had a lot of help making and a lot of people buying pots. The following two years there were no catastrophes, yet we wanted to make the throw-a-thon an annual event. Of course when there was no immediate need for help there was less excitement and involvement. We donated to Habitat for Humanity the 2nd year, and to ourselves this year (to help six students go to NCECA).

I was informed of the Empty Bowls project when I went to my first NCECA in Louisville, KY, and I was just reminded of it reading through Emily Murphy's blog. I think it'd be a fun way to get more involvement with the community in the next throw-a-thon event. We could throw all the bowls in one weekend, give them to other students in the community to decorate, and instead of selling the bowls themselves, we'd host a dinner. Honestly, would the general community be more interested in feeding the hungry, or helping six students go on vacation?

Monday, May 12, 2008

30 things to do before I turn 30

I recently found this artist via Pottery Blog and she just turned 39, making a list of 39 things to do this year. I'm sure countless people have these sort of lists... here is one of my own I started a while ago:

30 things to do before I turn 30 (list started October 2006):

1. learn a 2nd language
2. travel outside the US
3. travel outside North America
4. learn a 2nd instrument
5. get married
6. own a house
7. exhibit artwork in a solo show
8. buy a potters wheel
9. run the Bolder Boulder
10. learn to belly dance
11. get a masters in fine art
12. learn more about wine
13. make a REALLY BIG painting
14. visit my aunt in Chile
15. learn how to draw a frog
16. learn how to spell necessary (I always get that one wrong)
17. teach someone how to throw
18. maintain a clean room for at least one year
19. become financially independent
20. visit Santa Fe
21. volunteer to help the needy
22. ...

So it's an incomplete list, but I've got a few years anyway.

What's your list?

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Graduation

My tiny apartment was chockablock with people on Saturday - there were 17 crammed into that little living room. At one point there was a small gathering in the kitchen and my roommate & I thought it'd be a fun game to see how many people we could fit in the kitchen, then challenge ourselves with the bathroom. It didn't actually happen sadly.


Graduation day overall was quite entertaining. It was cold and windy and I was sitting in the second to last row, all of us Performing & Visual Arts kids getting no insulation from the weather except from thin ponchos and huddling together. Finally half-way through calling the names the president announced that due to inclement weather she now declared us collectively graduated. It was chaotic. No one really knew what was going on, and there were people walking around carrying stacks of diploma covers for those who weren't yet called to the stage. But hey, I didn't get sunburned. Sooo... bonus.


Obviously the picnic I had planned was moved inside, where the sun was shining and warm.

It's a relief to have some free time now. Of course I still have a to-do list - without one I'd be a lazy do-nothing bum. But it's nice that it's 9:30 am and I don't have anything scheduled until 5. I'm working one day this week... sucks for the budget, but it's a good breather between the busy school year and the non-stop work schedule I'll have in Vermont. I'll be teaching at a summer camp for 10 weeks starting in one month, so I'll take the free time while I can. It also means a month of regular blogging, so stay tuned.

P.S. Does anyone know much about Aftosa WebHosting? Any pros/cons? Other suggested hosts to start an artists website?

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Gorgeous Goblets

It's been a busy week between the Spring Sale and my senior portfolio presentation, and the work isn't over. Here's a sneak peak of some pots from the kiln this week, until I have more time to write:



P.S. I would like to organize all these photos into an online gallery... any suggestions for hosting sites / easy-to-use photo albums?
 
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