Final countdown

Just a quickie to say that my studio is more or less ready. I spent yesterday tidying up which included mopping the floor about 20 times - well, that's what it felt like anyway. And I have been absolutely exhausted this week, so felt like very hard work indeed. I never got a chance to paint my plinths so they are a bit the worse for wear, having been lent out and returned in a less than wonderful condition and what's more, I seem to have lost two large ones - I'm pretty gutted about that actually as they were really good and a perfect size for my work and I made them with some help from a friend and I can't understand how they can just disappear.... If anybody at Persistence has seen them knocking about I'd really appreciate their return. Or have I lent them to someone and just simply forgotten??

My studio has been subtly transformed from a working space to a half-baked gallery space with work-in-progress in the background. Actually what that means is it is neither one thing nor the other. Still, does me good to have a clearout. I still need to price up the work, though unfortunately much of it I will be reluctant to part with as its meant to be going off to galleries. Still, a generous offer would, I'm sure, persuade me to alter my plans. I also need to pick up my business cards, print off some flyers about future courses, and perhaps a flyer about my upcoming exhibitions and copies of recent features in specialist magazines. Ugh, I'm not so good at this publicity lark. But I AM looking forward to seeing people on Saturday, and seeing their reactions to my work. I always leave a comments book out, but don't often get any comments - people leave their contact details but no comments - any tips on how to improve this? (Mind you, I rarely leave comments so can't blame them).

I managed the last half hour of the launch party yesterday evening. It was good - a sizeable turnout and I liked the venue - the Novotel - it was spacious and light and airy and the food was quite good tho the sandwiches rock hard by the time I got there...I was chastised for not displaying my work there - but, geez, there's only so much a girl can do.

I finally got some feedback on this blog yesterday from several people. Its funny what a difference that has made to me - I feel much more inclined to write more freely just knowing that someone out there is reading and reacting to it. Shame its nearly at an end!! and I'm just getting into it.

I meant ot take some photos of my studio space once I'd tidied it up - I should have done a before and after actually - but by the time I'd finished I was SOOOOOOOOOO exhausted (honestly, if you saw me you'd think I'd got two black eyes) that I really couldn't even face getting my camera out of its bag. I shall take photos on Saturday however, and post them up for your delectation.

Hope to see you Saturday.

Sarah

AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

How I hate computers sometimes! I have just been struggling to send off (admittedly belated) publicity for the weekend and have I succeeded? Well, frankly I don't know. I have had message undeliverable, recipient not known, mailbox full etc etc etc but also replies from some of thoses supposedly unknown or undeliverable recipients. So I'm not clear whether or who has received my information, and who has probably recieved it five million times. So many apologies to all parties...Would have been easier to do it all in longhand - let's all get rid of our computers like Will Self, who is apparently learning how to spell all over again...on an old typewriter.

Things are otherwise slotting into place for the weekend though. I have managed to get some cards printed in time, which is also good as needed some to accompany my pots to their exhibition at the Fifiefofum in Northumberland (somehow I've got to fit in delivering or arranging someone to deliver those over the weekend as well - I have to say I've been hiding my head in the sand about that one - and relying heavily on the Exhibitions Officer of the Northern Potters Association to help me out of a hole - she deserves a very very large medal (are you reading this Barbara?))

Its a bit of a shame about the timing of this exhibition vis-a-vis Open Up as it means my display will be sorely depleted...oh well.

Tomorrow I shall be going to the studio for a massive clear-up and plinth painting and display organising. I hope I'll be ready in time to go to the launch party at the Novotel (7-9) and not too grimy from the days labour!

Need to think also about a date for a summer course at the studio so I can advertise that and get people to sign up or at least register their interest.

I now need to go and get my beauty sleep (Ha - chance 'd be a fine thing!_)

Night night all.

More photos of anagama kiln, Rufford

Anagama kiln

What a relief!!

Phew! I can breathe again...We opened the kiln at Rufford today after yet another firing which was cut short due to lack of wood. The last time this happened the results were very drab, and so I was very very anxious about this one as I had alot of work in it and it is the last firing till end June and I need the work for my various imminent exhibitions, and, of course, Open Up. So I am very very chuffed that the firing was in fact, overall, a success. The shows I have coming up are at the Harlequin Gallery, London June 9th (I think), Fifiefofum in Northumberland 3rd May, and Hornseys Gallery, Ripon, any time soon.

I will attach some pictures of the firing, and will get some photos of the work up when I've taken some! But then with Open Up only a week away, there's not much time to go!!

I tried to scatter some publicity round Doncaster last week as that's where I live - however, the library no longer has much of a leaflets section but I left a couple there anyway, the tourist information wouldn't put the booklets out (though they are displaying the leaflets) so the rest have gone to contacts and doctor's surgery and I'm saving some for the Youth Forum that I am working with tomorrow evening. I didn't have many booklets anyway as YAS didn't seem to have a very large amount. The rest of my publicity has been an email round my mailing list. I haven't redone my business cards as just have not had the time, though I will see whether I can get a small batch done this week.

My studio is still an almighty health hazard, my plinths still unpainted, and my plans to make lots of small saleable items have come to naught. I am not a fulltime potter, and I have been paticularly hands-off for a lot of the time whilst I've been writing this blog...I am hoping to have a good crack at it in June, July and possibly August. But I am now confident I can put on a very decent show for next Saturday. And i'm looking forward to meeting new people and hearing their thoughts on my work - (NB to add to list - make sure I get out the comments book....)

See you all next Saturday - I shall write more in the week. In the meantime here are some photos of the kiln at Rufford in action.