New ideas...

I've been spending some time in the studio this past week trying new techniques and working on new designs for fall shows. I'm ready to try pouring molds for my round ornaments and make my first attempt at slipcasting. It feels really intimidating, but I'm hoping it will make them something that is actually reasonable to make and sell. I had been throwing and trimming each tiny little ball and it was impossible to make them in any quantity. I've also been playing around with some new slab forms and I'm really excited about where they're going. I'm not sure yet how I'm going to decorate and glaze them but I'll post pictures as they develop! I'm also hoping my new technique will eliminate the warping that has plagued my slab work.

Midwest Home Mention

I was excited to see that my pottery was mentioned in the September 2008 issue of Midwest Home Magazine. The issue features their list of the 70 Twin Cities' "Best." Northrup King Building was selected as the best "art gallivant" and several building artists were highlighted in the write-up, including this comment about my work..."Emily Dyer uses motifs from folk art quilts--polka dots, tiny red flowers, blue birdies--to make her nursery rhyme-esque bowls, platters and cups." My mosaic making NKB friend, Sheryl Tuorila is listed as best garden sculptor. And, in the same issue of the magazine another NKB artist and friend, Jan Bilek, was featured in an in-depth article about her amazing pottery. It's fun to get some press! And, it reminds me how lucky I am to be working in such an amazing studio building with so many talented artists.

Cut, decorate, repeat...

I'm ushering in fall with an ornament making frenzy! This year I swear I won't be frantically making hundreds of ornaments a few days before I need them for an event. They seem to take on a life of their own. I sat down the other day to tally up how many I might need for all my fall/winter events and I started to feel a bit panicked. 12 to this store, 24 to that gallery--all of a sudden it becomes a LOT of ornaments. I was surprised how many I even sold at my summer shows. I've started with the cut outs first because I'm trying to come up with a better way to produce my wheelthrown ball ornaments. They are adorable, but a huge pain to make. I lose so many at every stage of the process. I'm working on prototypes and am planning to make an attempt at making molds and slipcasting them. I have a few new shapes for the cut outs...I'm excited about the new birds and butterflies! I've also been working on filling orders and getting pieces out to galleries. I just dropped a load of pots off at The Good Life in Wayzata which seems like a cute little gift shop and gallery.