Studio Update; Week of 3/19/23

I took Sunday to rest and recover from NCECA and quickly realized that one day was not nearly enough time to feel rested enough for another full week in the studio. Monday morning required a lot of coffee. It's a weird thing to feel so exhausted yet so energized to make work. Despite my body feeling so fatigued, my mind and creative spirit was so exited to get back to making after an inspiring week at NCECA. And after a full semester of holding back because of glaze testing, I am ready to push myself again and make work that I have been piling away as sketches and rough ideas. I got a little carried away and spent several 12 hour days in the studio this week and it all finally caught up to me on Friday. I was exhausted!!! After a quick de-install of the woodfire show, I had to go home and take a long nap before heading back to the studio. This week I made some stacking plates that stack to look like a cake and reveal a different little comic on each flat eating surface. I also got to work on making a cup set i've been super excited about. The cups will insert upside down and look like those little clown heads at the fair that you throw a ball at. The base will be elaborate and fun and incorporate a lot of the fun elements that you think of when it comes to fair games. I am going to make a hammer that I will attach with chains after its fully fired for you to "whac a clown" with. Removing each clown will reveal a ticket that was suspended underneath and I also am considering adding LED lights on the inside to make it glow from within after you remove a clown head. I want the back of the piece to have hanging prizes that you could redeem the tickets for. A lot of my work is inspired by the people and events in my life at that time. I see it as a way to document and reflect the different seasons of change, as people and places come and go. The "whac a clown" cup set was inspired by my most recent break up that left me feeling foolish for always choosing the person that is a project. After many discussions with close friends who have a similar pattern I felt the need to create a piece that makes light of those situations. Because the best way to heal is to deflect with humor!!!! What better way to move on than to whac a metaphorical version of yourself and earn metaphorical tickets. It has so many applications! Did you think they loved you? Did you think you were exclusive? Did you think you could change them? Whatever the case you probably could benefit from whacking a clown.

Image 1: how the plates will stack

Image 2: a decorated plate

Image 3: Whac a Clown cup set in progress

Image 4: Showing how the ticket will be revealed