Clay Fest 2022

It was so nice to be doing Clay Fest in person again!

After a two show/three year hiatus, we were back in the Convention Center Auditorium, a big ol' quonset hut with banners hanging from the rafters. Because of the pandemic, we made a bunch of changes: no demo stage, no centralized checkout. People did their own sales, reported totals at the end of each day and paid their commission at load-out Sunday night.

Saw a lot of old friends I'd not seen in a while, three years in some cases. Met some new potters and saw a bunch of gorgeous work. Bought a little porcelain tumbler, water-etched in a botanical pattern and painted with an underglaze wash. Lee, the potter, did a variety of different porcelain techniques on her work, all gorgeous.

Kid's clay was surprisingly successful, considering we couldn't actually let them play in the clay there. Amy assembled materials for take-home clay kits, baskets of tools, some really nice natural sponges Faith donated, one-pound bags of clay, lunch sacks to pack everything in. She made up 300 bags of clay, was down to four late Sunday afternoon when I talked to her. I think they all went eventually.

In addition, Shelly's daughter had a clever idea: a pottery scavenger hunt. They printed up little quarter-page lists of things to look for--a bird, something with legs, something blue--and blanks to write the booth number. Saw kids dashing around the show, making notes all weekend. No real prize for completion, except for the feeling of success and an opportunity to go make up their clay kit. Next year, I think we need to add gold stars.

Club Mud was well represented in the awards this year. Bob Hansen won first prize for his sculpture, an enormous stele covered in relief insects, wood-fire, and Johnny MacPherson won third for his giant devil-baby. Best booth went to former Mudder Dave Parry. Second place and People's Choice were both won by new Clay Fest potter Candice Westberg for a beautiful sculpture incorporating owl and raven imagery. I gave her my vote for first, actually.

I sold a sculpture! Best Friends, an octopus and her mermaid toddler (paddler?) companion was actually made in February of 2020, but never got a chance to be shown until now. A longtime patron of my pottery fell in love with it, took it home Saturday. I went deep into the shed for a replacement: The Good Cat, Jupie, from 2013, part of a pair of pieces inspired by a very old children's book. It was originally a commission that was never delivered, as the buyer passed away before it was completed. The companion piece, a squirrel on a branch, went down to California to a long-time patron there, but Jupie never got shown. He got a lot of attention, and not a few ear rubs, but still ended up coming home again.

All in all a busy but rewarding weekend. My sales were up from 2019, not even including the sculpture; with that, it was my best Clay Fest ever.

...and back to work

The dust has barely settled from Clay Fest, and I'm already back in the studio. It's only six weeks 'til Clayfolk, and only three until my next firing has to load, so I'm working overtime. One hundred pounds of clay thrown yesterday, seventy-five today; we'll see how long I can maintain the pace. I'll have an extra day each week, because I'm done with Saturday Market for the season, but I'll lose a day this Sunday because I have to drive down to Grants Pass for Clayfolk meetings.

Oh well, I'll have what I have. I expect a particularly busy Clayfolk. Like Clay Fest, it's been three years since we've sold in person, so there's a lot of pent-up demand.

Here's some of what I've made so far: dessert plates, pasta bowls, pie plates, some special orders; serving bowls, thrown and trimmed. And teapots. A bunch of teapots, as I've only got one left in stock.

The worst thing about driving a white car

Is finding it in the parking lot!

Missed Farmers Market Saturday because Clay Fest, so I ganged up a bunch of errands today and stopped by. Came back to the parking structure to find two identical RAV 4's, side by side. They're even both missing the extra trim on the rear bumper. Ours got pulled off unloading a file cabinet at Goodwill. Don't know what happened to theirs.

And when I stopped at Club Mud to pick up a check, I came out to find this. Three nearly identical rear ends, on a Hyundai, Nissan, and Toyota, respectively. I'm beginning to suspect a certain lack of originality on the part of the auto designers.