Ladies and Gentlemen, The Whispering Pods

 Pods.

    For the last year or so, I have been obsessed with creating what I call my pods.  I stumbled upon this form, by initially wanting to make a set of piggy banks.  But as fate would have it, banks were not what they wanted to be.  It is important that I mention here, that a huge part of being an artist is listening to your chosen medium.  Crazy or not, you should.  Anyway, the banks were not working out, so instead of giving up, I played.  I was having fun with the form, but noticed that they were starting to look...well vaginal.  So what does any girl do when faced with a crisis?...Call their Mom.  And that is exactly what i did.

    I told her my worries for the work, I thought they may get too vaginal, and began doubting them.  In true mother fashion she replied, "If they're vaginal, then run with it!  Make it intentionally vaginal, just go all out."  Long story short, that is exactly what I did. 

Couple-A-Makers

Today Andrew made his first loaf of bread!  He's been on a baking kick recently, so we have been enjoying a plethora of goodies.  ...And what a better way to display home made baked goods, than on a hand made plate!  It is really a wonderful feeling knowing that you're lucky enough to have found your soul-mate, and even more so when they share your love for creating.  :)

Andrew's French Bread on Ashley's Bread Plate

"...Do Something" Challenge

5 Cups, 5 Plates ...Do Something

     Ok, so when we last left off, I was terrified of this ...Do Something challenge that I had created for myself.  It was, at the least, something that I was dreading to do.  I kept putting this little challenge of mine off because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it.  BUT, as I started to sketch out some ideas, it came somewhat naturally... HOORAY!  Here is what I ended up with...

Blank Canvas Terror!

TERRIFYING

     A blank canvas.  What is scarier than that? NOTHING, that's what.  The idea of a completely blank canvas, or surface in my case, is just plain frightening.  For me it's the fact that there are limitless options.  You can do anything you want with a blank canvas and could never be wrong no matter what you decide.  Have such freedom is liberating to some.  NOPE. Not me.  Too much choice can have a dwarfing effect on some people.  I always envied those who could just sit and doodle masterpieces, because I just don't get it.  When I am presented with a completely directionless canvas, my brain explodes.  The worst projects in school for me are those with no guidelines.  I call them the "...Do Something" projects.  Take a picture...do something.  Take a piece of paper...do something.  WHAT THE HELL?  I absolutely hated those projects, and they always turned out like crap.  I need direction, I crave guidelines.  Creative freedom is not for me.

Who, Me?

 Hello Everyone!

          You have stumbled across my first ever blog post! Welcome!  I have no clue about how blogging works, so I'll just tell you all a little about myself.  

          I am a maker.  I was born to make, craft, create, build, construct, produce, etc.  I wish here was where I told you that Why, I always have loved mud, or, I've always known I would be a potter.  But that's just not the case.  The truth of the matter was that I actually hated ceramics.  When I reached middle and high school, I realized that I had a talent for art.  Drawing and painting in specific were what I was good at.  I wasn't great, but I loved art.  I practically lived in the art gallery.  Any class I could take to get me down there, I took.  Interestingly enough, I wound up in a ceramics class.  Sadly I hated it.  I just didn't enjoy it.  I didn't connect with the material, or the process for that matter. So I left ceramics, in my eyes, in the dust.  Never to turn back.  Goodbye.  Until….( pause for dramatic effect)

          As a community college student, I found myself totally disconnected from anything art.  My undecided major was heading in an academic route, that would no doubt lead me down a unsatisfying road.  (I am sure I'll talk about my distaste for American education, in other posts, but for now let's stay positive)  I was so miserable in this setting, until one day I was told that I needed to fill some electives. My counselor told me that the easiest class to fill an art elective with, would be ceramics.  That class is a cakewalk, he said.  Kind of dreading the idea of ceramics again, but enticed by the easy A, I agreed and took the course.  The first couple weeks were awful and in my mind I was thinking, Ashley, why the hell did you take this class again?  But then, just before the semester was about to end, my teacher introduced us to the wheel.  MAN OH MAN DID I LOVE THE WHEEL.  

          Now my first experience, as most potters will tell you, was a FAIL.  It was so hard!  I couldn't center the clay, I had too much water, I even had several bats fly across the room as spinning discs of death!  But there was something different about this aspect of clay that made me hungry for more.  I HAD to get better.  I wouldn't accept any less from myself.  Any chance I had to be in the studio, you can bet your sweet a-, well, I was there a lot.  It was like I was under this clay spell!  I simply had to keep learning.  And so I did.

          Fast forward a couple years and now I have switched my major from who the hell cares to a BFA in ceramics.  I couldn't be happier!  I can now honestly say that

Clay runs through my veins.

It still sounds a little artsy frou frou to me, but I'll get over it.  What I have come to realize from that statement is that I am one of the few lucky people in the world. Because I have found my true passion in life, not many people get to say that, in our society.

          So why continue to read?  Well, this blog will be the opportunity for you follow a young artist on her journey through life and the ceramics world.  Currently I am preparing for my senior thesis show at Arcadia University, so I am making tons upon tons of work.  I will be writing about a variety of techniques and tests as I learn and use them. There will no doubt be failures, but also success!  Nothing is more interesting for me to read than others stories of progress of process, so enjoy mine! 

          That said, I hope you enjoyed reading my entry into ceramics tale as much as I did writing it.  Please, come back periodically to see how I am progressing towards becoming a professional ceramic artist/potter, as well as in my own life.

Stay muddy,

Ashley

This post was edited by comma killer fiancé, Andrew T. Devitt.