Discover Tomato Red Turquoise

I've been listed on a gorgeous treasury on etsy curated by Vintage Embellishment. This is the first treasury that I've been included in. I like how it makes you see the piece in a new way. It also makes me think about how people select the items in their homes and closets that make them happy. I always hope that my pottery brings a little bit of happiness into people's days. I'd love to be sipping coffee out of my bird mug, wearing some of that great jewelry.

Meanwhile, I've been busy posting holiday ornaments for sale on my etsy page so be sure to take a look. Lots more to come as I get time to take photos and list items.

Serve it up...

Here are those new trays I posted about earlier after decorating, glazing and firing. I am really happy with how they are turning out and I can't wait to make more! There are a couple of sizes that would make really cute butter plates. I have some adorable tiny round ones in the next batch that would be great ring plates or teabag holders. I hope I can get a bunch of them made before the holiday sales hit. I'm also still up to my neck in ornament production. I posted a few to my etsy page so be sure to take a look.

MARQ Magazine

I was really excited to see one of my platters featured in an article in the October 2008 issue of MARQ Magazine (a local Twin Cities style publication) about "Playful Pottery." The piece in the photo is currently at FiveTwoSix gallery in St. Paul. Fun!

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.

Finally...a day off!

Finally my art fair season is over and I can remember that I have another life outside the studio. It always seems that in about mid-August I come up to take a breath and wonder where the summer went and why I spent the whole thing in a hot studio firing a hot kiln. I also always hit a point in the summer when I start wondering why I live in the city...urban life starts to feel a bit grating. Enough of the screeching tires, firecrackers in the middle of the night, too much traffic and urban violence happening a little too close for comfort. There was a shooting only a few blocks from our house last week on a corner that Eli and I walk by on our way to the playground. A 5-month old girl was hit by a stray bullet. It's scary and it definitely makes you remember what's important. On a brighter note, my husband and I decided to take advantage of an opportunity for a day trip outside Minneapolis to the CSA farm that we're getting produce from this summer. It was nice to get out of the city and see where our food is being grown. It also reminds me why I make functional pottery...I love the connection of my work with preparing, eating and sharing food. Eli was thrilled to get up close and personal with some goats and to take a hay ride behind a big tractor. I'm trying to let go of my manic production schedule to enjoy my family and the remaining good weather before I get into the thick of preparations for fall events.