MONDAY can't come soon enough!

The studio was closed for Christmas and New Year's and is re-opening again on MONDAY!!! I can't wait to get to work with CLAY again! This was torture - I almost didn't know what to do with myself!

Reflection

Today my Yoga teacher asked me to think of one thing I appreciate most about 2008. After a few seconds I had the biggest smile on my face: I fell in love in 2008! That was the best thing for me in 2008. My husband is looking at me funny... "You fell in love in 2008? With whom??" "Not with whom!" I reply: "With WHAT!" Oh, and then he understood: I took my first ceramics class in January 2008 and was completely sucked in and IN LOVE...

;-)

If you have a chance to lay down flat on your back, spread your arms out and your legs, reflect on just one thing you took from 2008, take a couple of breaths and put a big smile on your face!

American Mug Facebook Application

There is a new cool application for Facebook users out: American Mug created by Simon Levin. You can send mugs made by Christa Assad, Linda Christianson, Andy Shaw, Emily Murphy, and Simon Levin himself to all of your friends and family.

Liebe statt Luxus

Liebe statt Luxus = Love instead of Luxury

Introduction

Our vacation in Denver, CO and our visit to the Art Festival in Cherry Creek in the summer 2007 made me curious about working with clay. We saw a demonstration and I found it absolutely fascinating to form and shape clay and work it with your hands. I've never had ceramics in High school, nor did I ever have the opportunity to visit a studio before I finally started taking classes at our local College this Spring 2008.

Although I wasn't impressed with any of my works in my first class, I worked without any pressure and ambitions. This class was not to produce cute things, but for me to get a feel for it, for the clay, what is possible, what holds, what doesn't. It was perfectly fine to mess up and make mistakes. I sucked it all up like a sponge and couldn't get enough. Everything was clay and pottery and ceramics. Everything still is.

But this blog is not just about my ceramics. It's also about what rocks my world and how it influences me and my work. Since I wasn't out to make pretty things from the start, you'll see me improving over time, getting better techniques and better results. I'm taking my very first steps in ceramics.