I stuck my head in the sink twice. It became from winter to summer. Firing in the studio in a 90 degree weather makes the space pretty warm. We survived the last summer without an AC but I want to consider options for making the studio time a little cooler. The warm temperature dries pieces quicker. Clay feels hot in my hand. I trimmed the pieces I threw yesterday but did not get to assemble them. One of the forms I made dried out too fast and when I sprayed it cracked..
Day One Hundred Thirty-Eight
I had a better work day today. In the morning I worked on two pieces I left covered overnight. Grand Street is noisy. I hope there were fewer trucks. Now I used up all thrown components so I went back to the wheel to make more parts. I have sketches and know which ones I want to make though not sure which one first. I don't mind recycling clay at all. It does not take much efforts like some people would say. I threw about 15 cylinders and spheres. Tomorrow I assemble them.
Day One Hundred Thirty-Seven
A few friends asked me if all was okay since the last log. I moved and my schedule has changed - the routine has changed. Where is my discipline?
After the last log, for the first few days I was making things without a plan, just frantically making something. I wanted to immerse myself in physically doing without thinking. I needed to move my hands. I broke many things. Clay flew off of the wheel. I made about 30 pieces and a studio-wide mess this way and ended up with three pieces to keep and two 25lb-dry-chemical-material buckets full of clay to recycle. Then I played hooky. I slept through a day and had another lazy day reading and napping on a make-shift sofa with layers and layers of blankets like the bed in a mountain cottage in the Andes. The third day I came back to the studio and started cleaning up. I finally built shelves for the loft space after contemplating for an year. Today I have a better idea. I know what I will be working on tomorrow.
Day One Hundred Twenty-Four
Time Vessels started to take their own shapes different from what I was imagining but let's see where this will take me.... My mind was much quieter today and I was able to work better than yesterday. Working with clay is not a mediative act for me. I know some people started doing ceramics as a way to slow down, which I understand, but for me it has been a training. My mind talks a lot when I'm working which can be difficult to deal with and exhausting. I like playing ukulele and drawings between projects as a break - it calms me down.
Day One Hundred Twenty-Three
I continue making Time Vessels. Making components and assembling them feels like building an apparatus for time travel of some sorts. I take "now" from this end and it comes out as "before" on the other end of the tube. I have hard time waiting for the clay to firm up and just end up using still wet clay components to build. If it is too soft the form flops out of shape. I make lots of parts on a wheel until some parts get ready so I can add another piece to them, cut them, add more clay, turn it, put it on a wheel sideways, and build more forms on top of it with coils. Ceramics is a messy business. Clay dust is not good for our health. I want to spread out when I work. I should try to keep things clean as I work, want to be spontaneous, try to learn to wait for the clay to take its time to dry. Patience... patience....
Day One Hundred Twenty-Two
I have moments when I think what I'm making now is close to what I have had in mind. I have other moments that I have no idea. Mostly I have the latter. I decided to go without plans, making and assembling unplanned parts and unsurprisingly ended up with random parts and pieces that I'm not sure what to think of. I fell asleep while eating lunch. I love how watercolor bleeds - I wish I could do this effect with ceramics.
Day One Hundred Eighteen
I moved to a new apartment today. It feels like I am on vacation. New room, on a new block, tired body, a warm night, the long day. Tomorrow I will go back to the studio after lunch after unpacking more.
