Cedar Key, Florida

I have the pleasure of displaying my whimsical style pottery in the Artist CO-OP called The Cedar Keyhole located in historical downtown Cedar Key, Florida. Adjoining The Cedar Keyhole is a beautiful sculptural garden where you can sit and relax but many of the visitors enjoy taking pictures of this unique garden. After which they may pop into the The Cedar Keyhole, viewing over 20 different artists from Metal, Wood, Oil Paintings, Glass, Leather, Slate Imagery to Pottery.

An art teacher retiring to Cedar Key, Florida from Canada was a visionary. Ms. Catherine Christie’s hearts passion for the arts created what is now known today as the Cedar Key Art Center located on historic 2nd Street. She established the non-profit Cedar Key Art Center giving way for exhibits, workshops and valued space to local artists displaying their wares. Her loving way of giving back to the local community and sharing with vacationing tourists a unique art daily show.

This island community has a beautiful light house located on Seahorse Key, kayaking, fishing, bird-watching, a museum and a historical cemetery. A true feel of what Old Florida use to be, no traffic lights here, peaceful quiet streets, the Gulf Breeze swirling through the palm trees, a small community with quaint southern charm.  A must see!

Face Book

This is totally off the beaten path I usually stay with in the clay parameters. I was pondering about the word friendships and the people who have come and gone in my life. I thought about all the times I kept myself busy with activities, filling the hours, thinking, man I have a full life. While sitting “alone” in front of the T.V. I see a commercial of a girl sitting at the table viewing her face book page. She talked of how she felt bad for her parents they only had 43 friends on their face book page while she had over 200 and how that was living. That silly car commercial really made me think! I had not been on face book for a few days and when I popped on I really took a look. I did not see friendships or friends I only saw pages of postings, requests for games, complaints of things gone wrong, some happy moments thrown in and a splash of funny you tube moments shared. But all in all no real human friendships, no personal contact of how are you was involved, I do not think anyone would know if I was missing from the pages of face book. At that moment I did not want to be that girl in the commercial sitting alone viewing her face book page, as if it were my friend, I decided face book is not for me. It has been several days and I really do not think anyone noticed I am gone. Funny isn’t it, I have to chuckle no emails asking where have you been haven’t seen you on the pages. No ones fault just the way it is in society today, the modern way to replace the human contact of friendships. Don’t get me wrong this modern marvel can be great for people who have a lot of individuals in their life, great for those quick thoughts you want to share. Great for business people who want to share their goals and keep in touch. But for a country girl this is way beyond me. I really miss the good old days of the telephone. Even that makes me chuckle.

Thoughts

As I was sanding my kiln shelves my thoughts strayed to the things people will say to me when they find out I work with clay. I had to chuckle when the phrase popped in, “it must be fun to play in the clay all day.” Here I am, bent over my third kiln shelf, gone through my sixth sanding disc, I say oh yes this is so much fun.

No one really understands the full spectrum of a position one holds until that person enters into that particular field. I too have thought how cool it must be to hold a position working with animals. I love my animals so much and thought to myself how cool would that be to help animals in need. I could work at a shelter and it would be so much fun getting to know all the different animals. My friend enlightened me about her daily routine in the medical building and it did not include medical emergencies i.e. ring worm for starters. Makes a person appreciate and see that job in a whole new light. Any person standing from the outside looking in can see the beauty of the other persons position because they do not have to deal with the daily tasks at hand. Every job has its own demons I guess it always leads back to the age-old thought of do you see the glass half full or half empty.

My job details are from maintenance all the way to the other end of the spectrum of creator. Silly as this sounds not all my days are, play in the clay kind of days. Some days as set aside for mixing glazes, setting up glazes for the bisque product, cleaning the bisque that will be glazed. Days are set aside for cleaning the shop to keep the dust level down, many days set aside for some form of cleaning.

My least favorite job is kiln maintenance but is still a very important role, many things could go wrong if the kiln is not taken care of properly. This could end up ruining the finished product, which means all the work done earlier will feel like a bust.

My favorite part is when I see someone pick up a piece and think it is cool. Not all people who pick my product up will buy but that is OK too because it touched them enough to pick it up and smile. That is what keeps me going with what I do, now don’t get me wrong I do like when people buy that is exciting and a rush in itself. To think my piece is going as a gift or bought for themselves just because they thought it was cool. I get excited when people tell me where my piece will end. I have product as far north as New York and as far west as California. I just think this is the coolest thing.

Fresh out of the Kiln

It has been a while since I last wrote!!!!!! With holidays I decided to take a little break.

I have created a few different items that I would like to share with you, I love the piggy bank and plan to make a few more.

What do you think of the red crab?

Loud Mouth Sponge Holders are turned on the wheel then altered by hand, attachments added creating whimsical faces.

Items to view>>>>

    

Happy Holidays

I want to wish everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday, I hope Santa brings each and everyone all that they wished for.

Best Wishes from Southern Clay Pottery!!!!!

Holidays

WOW time goes by faster and faster with each passing year it seems.

I have a few projects in the works for next year, I will be working with animal rescue. I am an animal lover and the idea that I can create items for the rescue is cool. I will post later some of the items I have created for the North Florida Animal Rescue in Wellborn, FL.

I have a very special request to create an urn for my friends dog who passed the end of Nov. The ideas are in place and now I have to take those ideas and create them from a ball of clay. I feel I am up to this very special challenge.

At the show I had a few requests to make specific style items which is always a fun challenge. I hope to start all of this very soon. The past few days have cleaned the shop and setting in motion the new product line for the store at Cedar Key.

I would like to share a few photos of the show at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida.

 

Mugs and Things

I love creating the painted bronze effect so I thought I would try it on my slip poured Christmas ornaments, what do you think?

Had to show some of my ugly mugs!!!!

What about some weird birds???

I guess my break is over now it is pack the car for Cedar Key store. I really think I need the break from the pottery shop.

For the show

I just love when you open the kiln, the feeling you get when your hard work looks good. I know we all get those unwanted surprises from time to time but when it all goes great your heart fills with joy. I have just a few photos to share with you today. I hope you like them….

  

 

 

Yarn Bowls

Have few new items I would love to share with you, to get a closer look they will be at the Craft Festival this Dec. 3rd & 4th in Gainesville, FL

Picture below is the newest addition to Southern Clay. I just love them two little sea turtles and one weird bird making a break from their shells.

Ok now back to the show items.

 

 

 

 

Modern Technology

I am not one who loves all this modern technology but I am giving this my best shot. Tonight I have worked on getting face book to connect with my blog as well as setting up my etsy store. My goal is to open my etsy store back up by the end of this year, I may even try my hand at ebay.

Today I had a pretty good day in the shop. Made some cute turtles coming out of their shells, yarn bowls, garden mushrooms. I completed yesterdays projects with cleaning up and finishing details so now they are on the racks drying. I had fun creating little fish that will be placed in a small fish bowl, it will look like they are swimming along the ocean bottom. I will post pictures when the project is completed. Would be a wonderful gift for the person who thought they had everything.