Busy, busy, busy....bzzzzzz

When I was a child I would complain to my Mom that I was bored. She would hand me a broom, a duster or similar and put me to work. I learned real fast not to ever complain about being bored. I also became one of those who never stopped moving.

Life has always been a never-ending place of discovery for me. I'm curious about everything and hope when I'm laying on my death bed that I'm puzzling over something interesting. I can't imagine, despite those young years, ever being bored.

I certainly have not been bored in recent months! Non-stop shows, lots to do with the charities I support, my wonderful family, creating new pieces of art, my art group, and on and on. One of the things that always seems to slide is marketing my art. Sigh.

I haven't blogged or updated my website in eons. Double sigh.

I am also, luckily, selling my new pieces fast enough that I'm not even bothering to post the photos anywhere ---- except when I take a quick snap as I take them out of the kiln. (The photos I included in this post are the exception...I have to take a few photos so I can apply to shows!)

My list of to-dos always has "photograph new work", an "update website"and "do a blog post" on it...always. Perpetual.

This weekend I'll be at Barefoot in the Park in Duluth.  It will be my first time at the show but I have heard great things about it. It's Saturday, 10 - 6, and Sunday, 10 - 5. I have perused the list of artists, checked out some of their art (many I already know) and I guarantee that you will love the mix and talent.

I'll also have some art in Peachtree City at Saville Studios this weekend. Kate is holding a "Starving Artist" sale this Saturday (9 - 1) and I've put in some pieces. All of the art will be under $100...all of mine will be under $50 (yep, typical me, I misread the dollar amount she suggested...). 

Weekend after next I'll be at the Hilton Head Island Art Festival. It's another first for me. The location is fantastic and I'm excited about this new show.  May 23rd & 24th, 10 - 5 both days.

Then I get a little bit of a break as my next show won't be until the end of June (Old Fourth Ward Art Festival --- one of my favorites).

I'm considering having an open house / studio early June. We'll see if I'm up for it or feel the need to take a break...

Top photo: History Written in Rust
Middle: I Can Handle It
Bottom: Trifarious

(I've been on a basket kick lately. I started with some smaller baskets and they have gotten bigger and more complex over time. I keep thinking I'm done with the phase but new ideas just keep popping into my mind.)

5th Annual Art with Heart Fine Arts and Crafts Show, February 7th in Peachtree City

Members of the Fine Arts and Crafts Entrepreneurs (FAACE) group and other artists will be giving demonstrations and selling stained glass, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, fiber art, wood and other beautiful pieces at the 5th Annual Art with Heart Fine Arts and Crafts Show. Over thirty fine artists and crafters from across the state will be showcasing their talents on February 7th at the Show which will once again be held at St. Andrews in the Pines Episcopal Church. Art with Heart is the perfect place to find a one-of-a-kind original Valentine’s Day gift.

The mission of FAACE is to promote and encourage the appreciation of fine arts and crafts, and to support, educate and empower the artists who create them to earn a living wage from their production and sale. FAACE also supports local community charities at each of their public events. Art with Heart will benefit The Children’s Village at Christian City through voluntary donations from artists and attendees and a silent art auction.

Christian City has been caring for abandoned and abused children in a family centered residential setting since 1965. Over 1,000 children have called Christian City “home.” If you would like to learn more about The Children’s Village or ways you can help support children in need, please call 770-703-2636 or visit www.christiancity.org.

FAACE meets on a quarterly basis and holds a number of art shows and workshops throughout the year. They also host a variety of art-related educational events.

The show is free and open to the public. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

St. Andrews in the Pines Episcopal Church is located at 316 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, GA 30269. For more information on Art with Heart or FAACE please call Janet McGregor Dunn at 404-290-3638, email Noel at lucas2gilliam@gmail.com or visit the FAACE website at www.FAACE.org.

Photo: Some of the artists and volunteers participating in the 2015 5th Annual Art with Heart Fine Arts and Crafts Show. L-R: Janet McGregor Dunn, FAACE President and ceramic artist, Roger Sibaja, Gobi Photography, Tonia Mitchell, T.Rific! Tonia Characters, Karen Slimm, painter, Lynn Cordner, original watercolors, acrylics and mixed media, Honey Corbin, painter, Clenette Todd, FAACE Board and fabric artist, Cathy Spitz, Glass God’s Garden, stained glass artist, Vicki Turner, FAACE Board and painter, Ann Marie Hendry-Hinson, artist and interior designer, Heidi Becker, representing Christian City.

Two shows in the near future!

I'm looking forward to 2015. Last year was a great year for the most part...a few little bumps as always but nothing to mar the overall goodness. I think 2015 is going to shine!

This year I'm adding some new shows to my line-up, venturing a bit further out more often. I'll be sharing more about those shows as the times come closer but will let you know that I've already been accepted into two shows in Alabama that I applied to for the first time! Nice.

I have two shows coming up right around the corner. One is new for me, the Callanwolde Arts Festival (http://callanwoldeartsfestival.com/) January 23rd & 25th. There is a ticketed preview party on the 23rd, then the actual show on the 24th & 25th. Sat hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. & Sun hours: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

I went last year to check it out and was impressed. Great music, great art, excellent venue, easy access and parking. It's a very well-run event with top-quality artists. I'm proud to be included in the line up and am looking forward to seeing many of my art friends.

The next event is a local show that I help run through our art group (FAACE - Fine Arts and Crafts Entrepreneurs, http://www.faace.org). It's held the weekend before Valentine's Day every year in Peachtree City, GA.

Art with Heart Fine Arts and Crafts show will be Saturday, February 7th at St. Andrews in the Pines Episcopal Church, 316 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, GA 30269. Hours will be 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

We have some outstanding artists who will be selling their art just in time for Valentine's Day shopping. It's indoors, too so weather isn't a consideration. Hope you'll come see me and all the other fabulous artists at one or both of these events.

Are you coming to my Open Studio Event?

 Saturday (tomorrow) Dec. 13th I'm having my first annual Open Studio Event. 10 - 5 drop in at my studio. Food, beverages, some clay to play with and plenty of pottery. Three of my art friends will also be joining me: Steve Boykin, painter, Noel Gilliam, painter & mixed media-ite, and Helena Marette, jeweler.

Luckily the weather is supposed to be beautiful! It will be sunny and reach 60 degrees. The studio has heat and the tent we're putting up will also be heated so it'll be toasty in the morning, too.

I have a kiln load I'm waiting to open...I did sneak a peek yesterday and all that I could see looked good. I can't wait to see all my friends and maybe make a few new friends. 

The photos are a kinda-sorta "before" of the inside of my studio. I cleaned it up recently for our annual Southern Hands Artist Studio Tour (SHAST), messed it up a bit (but not much) to make and finish a few pieces, then cleaned it up again for you. It went into shock the first time, now it's in total denial. I'm going to have to have a therapist stop by and talk with the studio. 

If you'd like to see a view of the outside of my cute little studio you can either find me on Facebook (Janet McGregor Dunn Hummingbird - friend OR Janet McGregor Dunn LLC - fan). or you can come by tomorrow.

I've run out of things to write to fill up the space. I could ramble some more but it would be meaningless drivel and I know you are already pumped about coming to see me tomorrow so there's no point in dragging this on any longer.

Let me know you read this tomorrow (only) and I'll give you 10% off your purchase of my art.

Details:
Janet McGregor Dunn Studio
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
614 Lester Road
Fayetteville, GA 30215
(Open by appointment only on other days)

Flipping back and forth...

Still Standing. Mid-Fire. Note the lip at the bottom. I added that to give a lip that
didn't have to be glazed, and would catch any drips. I was working with all new
glazes so wasn't 100% sure they wouldn't run. I would have made the lip even if I
planned to use low-fire clay as it "worked" with the overall piece. However, I
would have glazed the bottom of the pot if low-firing.

In recent months I've been experimenting with a variety of clays, flipping back and forth between low-fire (cone 05) and mid-fire (cone 6). Both have a whole lotta pluses and a few minuses.

I like the way low-fire majolica clay handles and works with my highly textured pieces. It isn't brittle when fired and doesn't form as many sharp edges as some other clays. I love the way the red clay marries up with various glazes, too.

However, there's a lot to be said for the wonderful glaze effects when working with mid to high fired pieces. I've found a couple of beautiful brown clays that I am enjoying working with.

I do find that my mind doesn't flip quite as easily between the clays. I'll start working on a mid-fire piece only to realize part way through that I really, really need to be able to glaze the bottom. There are options for glazing the bottom with mid-fired pottery, but if you don't plan ahead it just ain't gonna be possible sometimes. I sometimes squash the piece, rework the clay and move on to something else... or go grab some low-fire clay. Sometimes I'll adapt it.

Ramblin' Blues. Low-fire. Note how the glaze goes all the way under
the large, textured bowl. This piece sold.

Low fire has the advantage of easily being able to stilt works when they're fired. Being able to stilt a piece means it can be glazed on the bottom and it won't stick to kiln shelving. I've talked with some artists who have had success with stilting cone 5 and 6 glaze firings but I've not been brave enough to try. There's always the possibility that the piece will just slump over the stilts and be ruined. Not to mention it'll ruin my kiln shelf if that happens. Those things aren't cheap! I think I'd be more upset over losing the pottery than the shelves, though. I never do anything twice, just not in my makeup to be able to repeat myself.

One of the things I love about clay, one of the many things, is that it's a never-ending experiment. I can't get bored. In fact, my biggest challenge is not going in a thousand directions.

Thank you to a whole bunch of people!

We just finished up our 4th Annual Art with Heart Fine Arts & Crafts Show. It is entirely run by volunteers from top to bottom, members and friends of our art group, Fine Arts and Crafts Entrepreneurs (FAACE).

We had members who didn't have a space volunteer at the front desk both days of the show. We had members who did have art doing all kinds of extra things... laying out the booths, clearing the room of tables & chairs (then putting them back out after the event), handling refreshments, getting sign permits, playing beautiful music, taking care of all the details of the fund raiser for The Children's Village, bringing food for the reception, dealing with the money we raised... the list is LONG.

All of the artists donated a piece of their art to help raise money for The Children's Village, too. We raised $1,000! Everyone pitched in to help clean up.

Very special thanks also to St. Andrews in the Pines Episcopal Church. They graciously allow us to use the space each year for the event. We know it disrupts their normal activities and that it is a huge gift they are giving to support not just FAACE, but The Children's Village (which benefits abused and abandoned children). The members are extremely supportive.

Artists and their spouses, significant others, friends, are such wonderful, giving people. At least all the ones I know fit into that category... I'm grateful to be part of such a super community of people.

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who supported the show from the volunteers to church to the visitors who came to buy and donate.

Art Studio Tour 2013

A group of ten artists in my county have teamed up for an "Art Studio Tour". We're going to open the doors of our respective studios and let the public come in.

The Tour will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16th, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. We'll have food, beverages, plenty of art and we'll be on hand to answer questions. Some of the artists are going to do demonstrations.

There is more info and a list of the artists, locations, at www.design29.com/tour2013

We're hoping it will become an annual event and that we'll add more artists. We're dreaming big! 

When my friend Andrea Boswell first proposed it I jumped on board enthusiastically. I'm still enthusiastic. However, it's a bit daunting at the moment!

I walked outside today and tried to see my yard, the outside and the inside of my studio with "new" eyes. Yikes! I have a LOT of work to do before the 16th. 

I just finished up my last outdoor show of the year and everything is still stacked in the garage. I broke some bones in my foot. My shop-vac broke (of course).

I have this long list of things I want to do before weekend after this one comes around. I want to put up some signs, organize, clean up the yard, trim some trees, set up my tent, figure out which pottery I want to put on sale, advertise the event... that's just a broad overview. I'm figuring I'll get maybe a tenth of the list done.

Oh, yep, there's some pieces I want to finish up, too.

And I'm taking a painting class so I want to set up a corner for my paints.

I thought I'd show you some "before" pictures today. 

Truthfully, those pictures were taken after I'd done a bit of cleaning. They aren't current. You can see the now-broken shop-vac in some of the pictures...

The studio needs to be pressure washed.

I keep adding to the list.

I won't bore you with all the things that have popped into my mind.

Come see my cleaned up, spruced up, prettified, studio on Nov. 16th. I will even wear my non-clay-stained clothes for you.