"Silver Lining" - newest mixed media sculpture

There are always challenges with new work.

Aesthetic challenges. (Does that look too much like an alien head?) Technical challenges. (Did this piece really take me 16 firings!?) Conceptual challenges. (How can I express the ideas in my head?)

But you've just gotta push through and make your work. What's that saying? "The answers for your next piece are always found in your last?" Or something like that.

I did finally finish up the new, experimental sculpture I was working on for the Arrowmont Instructor Exhibition. A week late (Karen, thank you for the generous extension!) but better late than never. And it arrived before the Opening. whew!

But here it is. I'm still planning on investigating this form and developing the concept, so this is really just a starting point. It's a small piece - about the size of a grapefruit. I plan to increase the scale with the next one too.

Silver Lining, Earthenware, fused and slumped glass. 4 1/2" x 6" x 4 1/2".

Here's the Artist Statement that goes along with this piece:

"It’s 3:00am. Or is it 4:00?

I was just drifting off when I heard his small cry pierce through the walls. He must be hungry again. Already? I check the clock once more, but my brain is too cloudy to register the red numbers glowing back at me. Pulling my exhausted body out of bed, I pause briefly, take a deep breath, and walk to the nursery.

We settle into our worn, green velour chair. His small head rests in the crook of my arm. I fight to keep my eyes open. My mind wanders. I am filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

Then, there’s a brief, silent pause.

He looks up at me with a tiny grin, and I can feel the silver lining."

Looking forward to the next round of challenges - personal, professional or otherwise!
Meagan

Thoughts on Time and Tranistion

Here we are. The end of March 2011. The past year has been a blur of inspiration, excitement, and change.

I finished a post-baccalaureate ceramics program at The University of Florida, went to my first NCECA conference in Philadelphia, spent a month in Montana as a resident at the Clay Studio of Missoula, taught a workshop at Arrowmont, took a class with Michael Sherrill at Penland, oh, and had a baby!!

(Ceramic Wall Mosaic at Penland School of Crafts)

My head is spinning! I feel like I have hardly had a moment to process some of the ideas that started forming last March. March of 2010.

I still have boxes of work from traveling and teaching I haven’t even unpacked. (And if you know me, that totally goes against my ultra-organized way of life. Those packed boxes are driving me crazy!)

(Test tiles I made while at The Clay Studio of Missoula that are still waiting to be unpacked!)

The bottom line is that my experiences from the past 365+ days have me itching to make some changes in my work.

What changes? I’m not exactly sure yet. Do I switch to cone 6? Try a new clay body – porcelain or white earthenware? What new, exciting glaze recipes can I find? Do I continue to make wall sculpture? Slabs or extruded forms? How can I incorporate more cast glass? Oh, oh, and that mold making, resin-casting technique John Byrd demoed at Penland still has me thinking.

I imagine the changes I make will be gradual. As a new mother, the world I lived in for 30 years is now different. My perspective and experiences are forever altered. Even time has new meaning.

So, as I slowly sort through these ideas, I also wonder what I will be thinking next Spring as I watch the azaleas bloom, Cooper toddling alongside.

(Photo by my wonderful father-in-law during Cooper's first beach trip.)

Returning to Work...

Oh, getting back to work after having a baby... I have such conflicting thoughts on that statement.

I am beyond grateful that I have a job that allows me the flexibility to be with our son!!
There's a part of me that wants to spend every waking moment watching Cooper learn and grow. (And believe me, there are still plenty of WAKING moments!) And then there's the part of me that aches to be out in the studio - feeling creative and independent.

Some days these thoughts are at peace with each other. Other days, honestly, it's a struggle that leaves me feeling frustrated, upset, angry, frightened, and at a loss for knowing what to do or how to proceed - both in and out of the studio.

And then, this toothless grin smiles up at me, my heart melts, and all is right in the world.
I know I will get back into the studio again. Until then, Cooper and I will be spending lots of time together. I want to treasure these moments because I know they are brief.

And the studio will still be there when we're ready.

Best,
Meagan

New Arrival

It's a BOY! Cooper Allen was born Friday, 10-15 at 10:15pm and weighed 6lbs 15oz. (Yes, thankfully not 10lbs 15oz - especially since we had a natural, epidural-free birth!)

Yay! Going home from the hospital!

And our little man decided to come 10 days early! I had just shipped out 14 boxes to galleries/clients in 6 states on Wednesday and started my maternity leave, thinking I had 2 weeks to relax and finish up some things around the house. Well, Cooper had other plans....

We are so in love and doing great! I'm taking the next few months off, so I'll see you around.

Cheers!
Meagan

Finding Unexpected Advice

I have to admit I've been a bit frantic lately. With our first Baby due in about 5 weeks, the list of To Do's seems to be getting longer, rather than shorter. Overall, I feel I've managed to stay relatively calm and low stress.

But I found a nice, unexpected bit of advice in the Ethan Allen catalog that showed up in our mail last week... Granted, they are referring to furnishing a living room, but I instantly saw how this could apply to my life.

See, I'm planning to take a 6-month maternity leave. To do this, I'm trying to make sure the galleries I work with are well stocked and ready for the holidays and beyond. This means that I'm trying to make 6-months of work in about 8 weeks. (And finish all the projects my husband and I had started around the house, and put together a nursery.)

250 tile plaques in various stages.
I've been cutting, burning, and polyurethane-ing like crazy!

But, then"Relax. You don't have to do it all at once." Though I understand that life as I know it it about to change forever, I do not have to get everything done before Baby's born. Things will be crazy and new, but we will find our way, settle into a routine, and I will get back into the studio.

making progress...

So for me, unfortunately, posting to this blog is one of the first things to go when the list gets too long. I realize I still haven't written what I wanted to about my July residency in Montana or my more recent classes at Arrowmont and Penland (which were both great by the way!) Or a post on how I made the slab-built tumblers. Or talked about the Fall Open House at CURVE studios & garden in Asheville this weekend. But I'm doing what I can.

So, with that, I'm off to the studio. With the majority of the backings complete, it's time to switch over to making the tiles.

Cheers! And thanks for listening!

Meagan

Day One – The Clay Studio of Missoula

One month. Well, 32 days actually. That’s how long I’ll be in Montana for this amazing residency opportunity! Part of me stresses that it is to short. Part of me worries it is too long.

I know my studio days will be full and I will need to be focused to accomplish my goals. Working with clay involves coordinating a fairly tight timeline of making, drying, firing, and glazing.

The other part of me is already a bit homesick. One month seems like a long time to be away from home and my husband. It’s not like we’ve never spent time apart. Heck! The whole first 2 ½ years of our relationship was long-distance.

It’s just that he is my sounding board. He knows how to inspire me and help with the practical challenges. And he knows how to relax and support me like no one else! But we both understand what an important opportunity this is for me, my art, and my career. So, when I received an offer to come out here, he was behind it 110%.

Today is Day 1 and I’m ready to let the month begin! I arrived safe and sound last night and started the process of getting settled into my new home. I have a relaxing day ahead of me before moving into the studio tomorrow. I’m looking forward to days full of new friends, stimulating conversations, good food, studio inspiration, and amazing weather!

Cheers!
Meagan

My husband and I in March 2008 taking a break from a day's work building the studio back home in Ocala, FL. For more studio construction photos, click here.

Kickin' It!

Been getting kicked from all directions lately! Some exciting. Some stressful.

Felt the baby kick for the first time last week. And let me just say, that might just be one of the coolest feelings ever! Baby decided to get my attention for the first time while I was in line at the bank irritated with the teller. Guess he/she is already teaching me about patience.

Secondly, my studio work load has been kicking my butt! After the Studio Stroll in Asheville, NC earlier this month, I was almost sold out of Tile Plaques at CURVE studios & garden! I hadn’t planned on doing another set of firings before leaving for Montana, and the thought of squeezing this in on top of everything else definitely elevated my stress level.

(Cut, burn and polyurethane wood backings... check!)

So, I finally sat down and took control of my to-do list! Feeling overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done before I leave on Saturday, I divided my list up into daily tasks. This has made managing my time much more productive! Now I know I’ve got time set aside to finish the work in the studio, pack and relax with my hubby before flying out west.

(Organize to-do list.... check!)

I’ve got around 60 glazed tiles cooling in the kiln right now. The metal and wood backings are finished and the tiles should be cool enough to unload this afternoon. I’m right on schedule! Whew! It’s amazing what can be accomplished with the pressure from a deadline.

(Cut and polyurethane metal. Attach to wood backings... check!)

Ok, I’m off to yoga (ahhh!) and to run some errands while the kiln is hot.

Cheers!

Meagan

Work in Progress - A new adventure

Thought I'd take a moment to share some, well, personal news with you.

This is not your typical artwork-in-progress blog post. My current "project" brings with it a lot of exciting changes, hard work, unexpected adventures, and unconditional love.

My husband and I are expecting our first child the end of October! Needless to say, we are very excited about our growing family and our little bundle of joy.

Though this is a planned addition, I must admit that I have had my moments of panic and uncertainty. How in the world can I be an artist and a mother at the same time!? Or a mother and an artist? I already feel that there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done!

Being the type-A personality that I am, I was hungry for answers, advice and information. So to ease my fears and concerns, I started my "research."

In addition to reading the usual pregnancy and child rearing books, I dove into The Divided Heart: Art and Motherhood by Rachel Power and I highly recommend it to any artist-mother with questions or concerns about work-life balance.

Here's a little about the book from the publisher's website.

"Do women still confront the attitude that a dedicated artist will avoid having children for the sake of her career? In The Divided Heart, Australia’s most respected artists, writers and actors speak frankly about the wrench between motherhood and their artistic life.

Rachel Power navigates through the divided heart of the artists to reveal the shocking, funny and moving truth of the overwhelming demands of motherhood and the undiminished passion for their work.

This book will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered, ‘Who will I be when this baby is born?’"

Links to other helpful info:
Clay Parent - Mud Mamas and Papas
Studio Mothers: Art and Life (just found this one)

Our growing "bean" at 18 weeks. Boy? Girl? Time will tell. We're keeping it a surprise.

Thank you for reading and sharing our excitement with us!

Cheers!
Meagan

September Summary - School, Studio, Stress, and Success

"Some of the brightest days start out cloudy, some of the best endeavors start out tough, and some of the most wonderful experiences start out challenging. " -Unknown

September flew by and was nothing less than a challenging, exiting month...

Since starting the ceramics post-baccalaureate program at the University of Florida, I've found myself repeating the above quote quite a bit. It's almost become a daily mantra.

I am a creature of habit. Adjusting to a new schedule and routine has been challenging. The commute to campus is challenging. (I hadn't realized I would be spending 10 hours a week in the car!) And pushing yourself to make new, thought provoking, exciting, innovative artwork is a constant, but necessary challenge.

Some days I feel overstimulated and want to begin everywhere at once. I leave class with so many ideas, it's tough knowing which to investigate first. Right now though, I'm trying hard to absorb as much as possible, without filtering anything too soon.

There's been a lot of sketching and researching happening as I investigate new concepts and forms. Most of my ideas still seem unresolved, but the prospect of new, better work keeps me going strong.

Meanwhile, work continues in the studio at home. Progress is coming along nicely on this sculpture commission. Here's the scale drawingand a few of the unfired forms.

My obsession with glaze testing also continues... I wanted to see how my glazes reacted when overlapped and layered with each other. I did a series of 17 of the 12" test tiles using 42 of my favorite cone 04, low fire glazes. (Only 5 tiles are shown in the above picture.) There were some fascinating results that I cant wait to put to use in my new work!Test tile with more overlapping and layering of underglazes, terra sigillata, lowfire crawl and lizard skin glazes.
So, life and art continue. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the many adventures October has in store. (That, and a little bit of pumpkin pie!)

Best,
Meagan

PS - I just updated my website and the right side bar of this blog with my Fall 2009 events. Many of the details are still being worked out, but I'll keep you informed as the information becomes available. Hope to see you at something in the coming months.
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A Studio Spring Break

I had a "first" on Saturday. And not a good one. For the first time in my life, I did not want to go to the studio! And this was not just a small feeling. I hate to admit it, but it was more like dread.
Big red flag!

As soon as I realized I was feeling that way, I knew I had to change something. I've been in the studio working like a mad woman for the past 6 weeks; 7 days a week, 8-12 hours a day in the studio + early mornings and late nights fitting in the business side of work.

I will not complain. Because I still love what I do! I love being busy. I love making art. I am very happy with the work I have been making, and do believe the pressure of having a full exhibition schedule (click here for details) has pushed me to new creative directions. (Who doesn't work better under deadlines?)

But I was overdue for a break- feeling exhausted and drained of any creative energy. So, my husband and I spent most of the weekend gardening. Planted a few vegetables and cleared out another section of yard for a grapefruit tree, lime tree and some more veggies.

It made all the difference in the world! I was able to get into the studio yesterday morning, refreshed and even more productive.

Do you ever get like this? What do you do to bring yourself back into balance? How do you keep yourself from feeling overworked in the first place? I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

Feeling refreshed,
Meagan

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Taking the week "off" to...

... paint the outside of our house. Not exactly vacation, but we've been wanting to get this done for some time now. I'm also hoping this will help me take a step back from studio work and give me time for sketching and reflection. Since there's never a dull moment around here, we've also been working on a another DIY home renovation. We removed a section of kitchen cabinets and cut a doorway so that we'll have an interior access to the laundry room. Hope you enjoy your week - whether your working, renovating or relaxing. See you soon.

Best,
Meagan
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Tea Time

I am not a coffee drinker, never have been. However, I do admit to having a slight obsession with good tea. Except for when it's blistering hot out, I have a cup (or pot) of tea just about every afternoon. (Maybe I was British in a past life?) Probably my favorite part of this ritual is choosing who I will have tea with that day. And by who, I mean who's mug. Over the years it been fun to collect and trade for these wonderful pieces. Each one has a personality and story all its own.

When we have guests at the house, they're always surprised that we actually use these beautiful works of art. It's fun to explain how the potters I know generally want their work to be used and not just admired. I'm not sure if this is the case for every potter though.

To the potters and collectors out there reading this blog: What do you think? Does all functional work, need to used to be fully appreciated?

Just wondering,
Meagan