new year, new pots

January 2018 started off steady. I was lucky to have some wholesale orders to produce that came in during the holiday rush and I was able to get to them in a timely manner. My shared studio where I work was quiet during the first month of this year. Studio mates were taking extra downtown after the busy season, traveling and wrestling with the flu. I enjoyed the solitude. I worked on new designs. A small flurry of orders came in from retailers looking to restock their shelves after the holiday sell-out.

The end of January brought a full moon lunar eclipse and right along with that, kiln issues. We share three electric kilns at the studio. A larger digital model and two smaller manual kilns. During my glaze firing the large kiln stopped working. I moved my wares into one of the smaller kilns and that kiln just would not get hot enough to melt my cone 6 glazes. I waited until the third kiln was not in use and refired again, for a fourth time. Though I am feeling pretty optimistic, today I will be unloading that kiln with fingers tightly crossed.

The kiln delays had me really stressed at first. I had a timeline on my calendar and wanted things complete and shipped out by a certain time. I also had big plans for a shop update (at a certain time). I was forced to take a step back and release my need to for timeliness and order. It was another lesson from pottery. Clay does not provide overnight results, instead it teaches patience and how to appreciate the journey. It also teaches you about fragility and strength and how to let go. I can not tell you how many lessons I have learned and continue to learn from this argillaceous earth.

Stay tuned my friends. There will be a shop update very soon. That's a promise.

Also... the 2018 Wholesale Catalog is now LIVE. If you are interested in carrying Forged & Found Pottery, drop me a line HERE.