New year, new website and blog!

2013 has brought an incredible amount of change already! I moved out of my NKB studio at the end of December and have been busy settling into a cozy space in my house. I will be taking a hiatus from my claywork to focus on my paper cuts and digital design. In celebration of new starts, I have redesigned my website and blog (and moved to the wordpress platform).  My website is still found at www.emilydyer.com. My blog has moved to www.emilydyer.com/blog. I've already written a new post there about what I've been up to. I will be posting all future news there—I hope you will continue to follow me! Also, let me know if there are any glitches in the new site...I just launched it today. I've also launched a new facebook business page for my new endeavors. I hope you'll like me there as well! 

Happy New Year and all the best in 2013!  

Art Attack, big sale and maybe a few tears...coming next weekend!

This year's Art Attack event will be my last event in my current studio (#394) in the Northrup King Building. At the end of 2012 I will be relocating to a home studio. Please join me for the weekend as I clean out my current inventory of ceramic work at great sale prices! It may be the last chance to purchase this body of work, as I will be taking a hiatus from ceramic work to focus on my paper cut and digital design work. It feels bittersweet—I'm sad to say goodbye to a studio space and studiomates I love, but also excited about new beginnings and possibilities. Hope to see you there!

Looking for a New Studiomate!

We are once again seeking a new studiomate to join us in our space in the Northrup King Building. This is a seriously great space with all the amenities a clay artist could want—plus Lucy, Claudia and I are super nice! Please email or call me at 612-598-2248 if you have any questions or want to stop by and take a look! Please pass the word if you know of anyone looking.

It's Art-A-Whirl this weekend!

I will be showing new paper cut artwork and I'd love to have you stop by and let me know what you think! I also have a good selection of ceramic work, both pottery and tiles. My studiomates will also have lovely ceramics (sculpture, jewelry and ocarinas) for sale and we will be hosting guest textile artist Sandra Brick for the weekend. Come out and enjoy the weekend!

Friday, May 18 from 5-10 pm

Saturday, May 19 from Noon-8 pm

Sunday, May 20 from Noon-5 pm

Find me in the Northrup King Building, Studio 394 on the third floor.

And a pattern!

I scanned in the papercut from the last post, colorized and layered images using Photoshop and Illustrator and created this fun pattern. Making patterns definitely appeals to my obsessive side! Not sure what I'm going to do with them, but I'm definitely filling up my hard drive.

Beastly Blooms...

Cut black paper. Approx. 12" x 12".

Beastly Spring allergies have sprung! I took a walk this morning and now I can't breathe and can't think through the fog in my head. But, all the trees decked out in Spring blooms sure are lovely! At least the paper variety don't make me sneeze : )

Changes and new beginnings...

This past year and a half since Win was born has been a time for a lot of reflection on my career, my art and how it all balances with family life.  Not to mention the reality of needing to make a living. The truth I've come to is that it's time to shake things up and let go some things that aren't working so well anymore.  Namely, trying to make a living selling my pottery at art fairs. Too many shows are yielding too little return on investment and it's just not adding up. I've heard many artists over the past few years comment that they're having to do more and more shows to make the same amount of money. I can't justify spending more time and money when often I come home with little in return but a lot of nice comments and tubs still full of lovely pots. I'd rather spend my weekends enjoying my boys!

So, after a lot of agonizing, I've decided to take an indefinite hiatus from producing my current line of pottery to explore some new directions. While this is sad, it has also opened up exciting new opportunities. My biggest news is that I will be starting a new job at Northern Clay Center this month as Web and Communications Associate.  I'm really excited about the opportunity to be part of the team at such an amazing arts organization. Another new opportunity my hiatus has opened up is the chance to recharge my background in graphic design. I'm taking Continuing Education classes at mcad in digital illustration and art licensing and I LOVE it! I'm having a lot of fun taking my designs off of clay and onto paper and pixels. I'm currently obsessed with paper cutting and scanning every cool texture I can find.

typography project from my digital illustration class
(scanned papercut and ink drawings, digitally altered and colored).

I am keeping my studio and will be continuing to show and sell work at building events and through my etsy shop - probably a combination of clay, papercuts and prints. Keep following me here and on facebook to see what I'm up to.

What's left of my current inventory (quite a bit!) will be available this week at First Thursday in conjunction with our annual Spring Studio Cleanout Sale (my studiomates will also have sale items). All my tiles and selected pottery will be on sale. Everything will be available while supplies last (for those of you who've been coming to my shows for years and planning to buy that special piece from me at the next show...the time has come). And, thanks for all your support over the last 10 years...I wouldn't have been able to make this business work as long as it did without my family, friends and loyal customers behind me.