Sometimes The Silver Lining Is Grey

The art/craft and fiber festivals continue to be postponed or cancelled in 2021. We’re expecting the few still “scheduled” between now and June to also fall along the wayside.  I cringe when I think about waiting until June to do our first face to face show of the year…and first in a year and a half! But that could be a real possibility.

In the meantime it’s “lights, camera, action” around here. Our video studio got a workout last week and will see more action this week. I may start to use some techno gear during our Wednesday “Shenanigans of a Studio Potter (every week, Wed 5-6 on FB). It’s a live program (yes there are mistakes…it’s raw) and we do it each week. But I have equipment that will enable me to give a better upload and still shoot the segments in their plain, simple and unscripted form. I’ve got a few episodes this summer than could be in the car or at the cabin, where the studio potter is and what the potter is doing is all part of the story...it’s each week.

Madison, the black Lab puppy, is doing very well. She has stopped biting as her first option. She and Montana (her 15 yo sister pup) have actually napped on the same bed…and we got her using a slow down food dish. Eating a cup of food went from under 50 seconds to about 12 ½ minutes! It’s got to be healthier right?! She loves coming out to the mudroom to visit. I’ll be getting a raised bed for her as I can see her coming out to the shops when the weather warms a bit.

The big challenge in the studio work this week will be to try some glaze tests without using a particular chemical (titanium)…it throws off some color responses…in a very unpleasant way.  But removing the titanium also kills the surface of the glaze, a feature of the glaze that really makes it special. So I’ll be trying to fine tune the glaze in question to get some hint of the surface character with the color combination that I desire. Fingers are crossed. Normally I use 12-13 test tiles on a test like this…I made 50 for this go around…it may be that complicated.

We have a STITCHES at Home event coming up (Feb 4-7) and will be premiering a new color that will blow your brain. Seriously the coolest glaze I’ve ever worked with. We will have a limited number of pieces done in the new glaze. It will only be available as a magnetic backed shawl closure…in five shapes. You will have to watch our LIVE gig at STITCHES for the show-and-tell…and the pieces will be available immediately following that show on our website. Details for the STITCHES event will be in the newsletter…don’t subscribe? You can do that at: http://www.lickinflames.com/contact.html

Daughter Katy and I taped the webinar for the last in the Intentional Creative series, “Elemental Creativity.” What a great experience. I’m editing the material for the course, “Water: Honoring” and should have it up on line by this coming weekend. Information about the series is on our website at: https://www.lickinflames.com/store/c36/Elemental_Creativity_Series.html
So despite the setbacks the pandemic has provided, there are new things happening.

Brenda and I try to find the “silver lining” in everything. Sometimes, when projects don't produced expected results you might find something pretty fine...as is the case of the dark ruby red glazes in the pictures...oops. I didn't make a mistake in mixing...the chemicals just didn't respond as expected...I didn't get the ruby red, but I can certainly live with the grey.