November 15, 2009
The Clay Teacher has been busy. We are booked everyday for November and a number of bookings for the first two weeks of December. We even have a booking for next November. It has been fun working with the kids, helping them make their projects and watching their excitement as the projects take shape. They really enjoy seeing the vase thrown on the wheel. I get euus and awhhs as the ball of clay turns into a pot. One kid was very impressed when he looked at the little vase I was making and said it was “seriously deep”, meaning he thought it was big. Mind you I get the same excitement after I take the pot off and just move my finger back and forth on the spinning muddy wheel head and make the spiral.
I met some kids last week that stand out in my mind. One little guy told me all about his uncle that died. The boy was very angry and really hurting. He and his uncle spent a lot of time together. They hung out, the uncle bought the boy his Xbox, and they were obviously very close. To quote the boy “He got cancer in his bones, went to the hospital, never came out and died. We always did stuff together and now I will never see him again.” All I could do was give the little guy a hug, tell him I was sorry his uncle died and sometimes sad things happen. He was in grade 2. Another boy told me I came to see him last year. He remembered that I came to his class in Millwoods , what we made and that his name was Riley. He remembered me so he just assumed that I remembered him. I told him of course I did. Just because I meet 50 to 80 students a day, everyday for months doesn’t mean I forget anyone. … Perhaps not entirely true. One little girl was so happy with what she had made. She was beaming when she told me she felt like an artist. I told her she was. You never know, that little ego stroke could be the thing that sends her down the path of an artist….. Oh dear….
Today we are at little retail show http://inspiredcreationsmarket.com/ . It is a nice neighbourhood, we are doing … okay. It is the first time for this show so it is a little slow but it has some nice things and the people who are going through came to buy. December 3 through 6 we are doing the Butterdome Craft Sale http://inspiredcreationsmarket.com/ . That show is always very well attended. I am always afraid we don’t have enough pots and we always have more than enough. But this year, we don’t have enough pots. I will be working nights to ensure that we have enough pots. … you would think I would learn. But what if we don’t??... People don’t seem to buy pottery as much for gifts than they do for themselves and people are at these shows, for the most part, for Christmas shopping. We do have smaller lower priced items this time for the show and hopefully they will sell. I’m not sure how many more retail shows we will do. As I get busier with the Clay Teacher, I would like to stop making the production work and play with the clay. Make what I want to make and not what I think will sell.
But today it’s time get busy and ready for the sale. No pot pics today.
Until next time.
Cindy
The Clay Teacher
