Studio Update: Week of 9/4/23

I spent the majority of this week decorating the last of my things for an upcoming bisque firing. I had originally signed out a kiln for Wednesday but I realized pretty quickly that it was wishful thinking. Decorating work is the most tedious part of the process and I simply was not ready by Wednesday. I updated my firing to Friday only to find on Friday night that some of my plates had a little moisture left in them still. So Monday it is! I am getting really excited to test out some new glazing techniques I tried over the summer on this batch of work. I am pleasantly pleased so far with how I've been able to manage a studio schedule and working 5 days a week. Last year I spent a lot of 7 to 8 hour days in the studio and my goal this year is to manage at least 3 hours, 4 to 5 days a week. I tend to go over on some days but the lower end is my expectation so that I will still have time to get groceries, cook, clean and do general health maintenance. I have been thinking a lot about how I can make my ceramics practice most sustainable for myself and try to avoid burnout.

Image 1: Gaslight Hammer : anyone can play with it but I will warn you, everyone is a loser

Image 2: Some decorated plates

Image 3: Some more decorated plates