Non-Sellables...in a good way

With my First class over at GCC, and a new one beginning next week, I just wanted to pause and share some of the pieces I don’t think I can part with. Usually the pottery I have at home are the left over seconds, and my husband calls our house the land of misfit pottery. But these are different, these I won’t sell… ever. This is the first time I’ve felt this way about my pottery. With my paintings it was different. I couldn’t part with any of them regardless of how good/bad I thought they were. With pottery, I didn’t mind letting go at all, actually happy to. It’s kind of interesting to see the style and quality of your work improve and evolve. I wonder what other non-sellable items I have in my future.

Clay has taken over my life!

I am going to say it again… CLAY has taken over my life. I think about it 24 hours a day. I think about it before I go to bed, in the shower, as I fall asleep. I think about it when I wake up in the morning. I’ve never had a “to do list” in my life, but now I have THREE lists tracking the stages and locations of all my on-going clay projects. I can’t flip through a home decorating catalog without focusing on all the ceramic accessories it contains and forgo all the necessary objects I actually DO need for my house. I’ve signed up for a summer class at Glendale Community College, that takes a full semester class and compresses it into a five week, Monday-through Thursday 6-9:30pm session, (yikes…) because I couldn’t imagine being limited to only ONE pottery studio in Burbank for my glazing purposes with a three week summer break (God forbid I actually enjoy the pool we pay for dearly every month). M y husband…shockingly… supports me on this idea (we’ll see how he feels once I actually start taking the class).
What to throw, what size to throw, how to trim, what to add, how to glaze, slips, wax resists, designs, molds…. Ahhhhh make it stop!
Most of my comfortable clothes, that once were presentable enough to wear to the office, now look tattered and faded. Most of the time, I look like I’ve been washed ashore onto an uninhabited island. I am a pretty bad nail bitter, but having my hands in clay all the time and not using lotion, (stupid) I’ve bitten my dry cuticles to shreds. I still resemble a sort of version of myself, but I fear not for long. Hi, my name is Alina and I am a clayaholic…

Testing my limits

When I first started throwing, I wanted to throw as large as possible. I wasn't worried so much about the perfection of the form, but was more preoccupied with it's size. When I got tired of off-center pots, I decided I should work smaller and make my forms more perfect. Light, centered, and perfectly glazed. (Ha!) When I began selling on Etsy, I once again became size conscious for shipping purposes. Throwing items that would fit comfortably in flatrate USPS priority boxes. I was comfortably settled into the 7 inch zone, when I was asked to throw a large porcelain egg vase exceeding 9 inches when fired. I thought, no problem...Right?After my fourth attempt, I was worried. I just couldn’t do it. I went to the studio to get some support from my pottery buddies, covered with clay, and still nothing! I would pull the porcelain up, and the darn thing would slump back down. I went home, hating myself. The next day I decided I had to give it another try, and what do you know, I did it. I threw the 10 ½ inch porcelain Egg so it can shrink down to it’s intended 9 inches. :)

Spreadin the love

Every once in a while, someone will do something nice for no reason at all. Meet Urbanflea. She has an amazing blog that features some really great interior designs and ideas. I especially love the West Elm Branch table for $179.00. She was kind enough to mention me along with some amazing pottery artists on Etsy in her Weekly Etsy Fix: Ceramics. So if you're visual like myself, check out her blog for some delicious eye candy.

Off to Paris

For the past several years I have been obsessing about going to Paris. I am not sure why exactly, perhaps it was the season finale of Sex and the City or the Devil wears Prada. I’d like to think it’s because of my deep seeded French roots belonging to my great, great grandmother. I remember one day my husband asking me where I wanted to go first, France or Italy, and I had decided France for sure. So on a day in February, he surprised me with a trip to Paris. I have been beyond thrilled ever since. So this Friday, we are taking a 12 hour direct flight to Paris and staying in a rented ‘flat” a block from the Louvre. I will do my best to put my “poterie” on hold, while I stroll through Versailles. I am not leaving without some antique trinket from one of the Parisian flea markets. I am sure I’ll blab all about it when I return. Au revoir.

Home Sweet Home

I was really excited when I sold this pitcher and bowl set, but was even more excited when I found out that it was going to a really big Alina Hayes fan.... my mom. Thanks Mom!

Sneak Peak

Here are some new pieces that I will be listing on Etsy. After I’ve had pretty good success with the Robin’s Egg vases, I thought about throwing a complete egg as a closed form like more of a sculpture. I think these three came out really well. I love that the speckles are nice and dark.