Dreaming......it's what I do best

Yes, I like to dream...

I like to think that life is full of crazy impossibilities that somehow come to fruition. Where we all can have a space, where we find ourselves completely satisfied and fulfilled before we get distracted by our days, our buzyness, our burgeoning amounts of responsibilities.

I find it suffocating to think of all the things that loom in both my short term and long term future. As an artist/potter/creative type I am always busy but also mindful about creating an income to support that life. It's a daily challenge, sometimes a roller coaster. I have to put on my adult face and think about supplies, bills, location for classes... not always the most fun. We will be looking to relocate soon and my husband told me to make a list of what I would think would be the ideal spot. I drug my feet for a few days because while I do dream a lot I had never wanted to actually 'voice' what my dream is because I would never expect to get it. But......what if I did? What if I could put it out there, into the universe, pray about it, ask God and believe that life is really full of possibilities that COULD happen, could be realized if I just simply had faith that they would?  Seems fair enough to me because I know that when I do the opposite, figure I'll flop, figure it won't happen, figure it will never be, I do get rewarded with exactly what I expect.

So today, I'm putting it out there. I'm praying about it and I'm asking for what I really, really, really want and it may seem SkyPie wishes but I'm standing by and waiting for it. And yes, SkyPie is my word. I made it up and I'm standing by it too. It may be the name of my new art studio - SkyPie Studios, where people come to dream.
Here's my list... I want a new art space, large with a studio to welcome customers and have things on display; a large work space for art and clay students to create and explore, somewhere I can work on large paintings, dye fabric or build a huge paper mache rocket if I want to. And a small house next to it that has a couple of bedrooms, farm kitchen and two bathrooms.....and a grassy yard so my RosieTheDog can roll around and smile while keeping her ball from us.....  My place is out there, it just hasn't found me yet, but now I'm calling for it.

In the meantime - I've been doing some amazing work!

Kate

Six flowers and a bird

Fresh out of the kiln the other day..
Delighted!

"Save Wood Colony" barns.....orchards will
be added... or something.

Just a question

A trial vase - just to see if I could.  I can!

Oh For The Love of Clay!

June 26, 2014 ~ 

 I've just been working with clay so far since school let out and I'm enjoying it a lot. I've got two clay classes I teach on Thursdays, one for 9-12 year olds in the morning and in the evening I've got adults. It's fun to see what they do with the instructions. You get a real feel for how your words are received - not always the way I think I'm saying something. Sometimes it's pretty funny. I've also got in that Thursday evening class a couple of developmentally challenged adults and it's been great enjoyment to watch them get more adept with their spatial reasoning and their attention span and the real clincher - patience.

Here are some pieces I've turned out and I've been selling - some of the flowers are small 5-inch pieces, others go up to 10.5-inches. They go either on the wall and have hangers or holes in the back of them, some get put on wire stems to put in pots, and others are large and sturdy enough to just get set in and around the garden for visual interest. Prices range from $9 to $40.

5-inch flowers

8-inch flower

5-inches

 

9-inch flower (on it's way to Hawaii)

Hey! Is there something
on my back?

10-inch flower

5 1/2-inch flower

 

7, 6 and 5 1/2-inch flowers

This 10-inch flower went to live
with Laurie McAdam

 

Thanks for looking! If there's anything I can make for you message me at DreamrKate@yahoo.com. 

Kate

The Days Go By Too Fast

It was Spring just a second ago it seems. It's been two months since my last post and we've already had more than a couple of 100 degree days and apparently we aren't even considered to be in summer yet.

I've been fairly busy with my 'making' and creating in between working partial days with a special ed class that I've fallen in love with. I can't wait for school to start again... and we're not even out yet. And I probably won't even get to work with the same kids but it's been a real treat to watch them grow despite all their little twitches and complexities. Next week I'll be tidying up my back patio and studio area and getting going with the multitude of ideas that are swimming around in my head. I cannot wait. Stay away 100 degree weather!

Now for some of what I've been doing - IF you know me at all you know that I have so many ideas in my head that I cruise the length and breadth of them and circle back around to the things I enjoy.
You'll see a drying 10-inch vase that will be glazed just white when it's finished and several things that are completed and up for sale in my Etsy shop. 

The dog pieces are all about 4-inches square, maybe a teensy bit larger on some. The "Thankful" piece is 8x7 inches and 1/2 thick. And the handbuilt flowers vary in size from 4-inches to 10-inches.
There you have it, my update.

Kate

Spring is Here, But Only For A Moment

  Here in the Central Valley Spring breezes in but soon gives way to summer. After growing up in Southern California and the perpetual 70 degree weather I still have not gotten used to the heat here. In any case now is the perfect time to be busy and I've been busy creating my own little spring by making ceramic flowers.  At the moment I'm working to have many things ready for the upcoming Artists Open Studio Tour 2014 that's happening April 12-13 this year. This is a two-afternoon event that allows people in to see what the various artists in our area do - and sometimes where they actually work. It's quite fun. You purchase a map that is really a booklet that has a little information about each participating artist and in the middle is a large map pinpointing all the locations. You can map out your afternoon, see the art, maybe purchase a few pieces and snack and have a glass of wine or something along the way. It's a perfect Spring activity!

Some things that I have been working and will be available either at the Studio Tour or listed in my DreamrKate Etsy Shop follow. It took me forever to get this all posted so here they are and if you are interested in any piece, please don't hesitate to contact me. Send me a message, drop me an email...... DreamrKate@yahoo.com; DreamrKate on Etsy; or Kate Pethoud Art Work on Facebook. 

Have a delightful Spring!

K

An unfired 15-inch flower for the wall.

This large tulip is about the size of a small cabbage. The surrounding flowers are about 5 inches in diameter.

This field of poppies are made of brown clay and have not been fired yet. I kind of like the brown color so I'm still deciding whether or not to color them or just leave them organic and just add a clear glaze to them. I'll have to do a test one and see what I think. They will then turn into a table top sculpture.

I do love my tiny happy places. This is a park, unfettered by people and swing sets and slides. Just birds and trees.

A Hydrangea for the table.

5, 4 and 3 inch poppies. 

Bright red Poinsettia looking flower.

I LOVE THESE LARGE POPPIES! I love the color, the hugeness, and the thin petals.

And last - my large 10-inch mostly white flower! For the wall.