Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day here in the USA. Is a day when families and friends get together to celebrate to be able to be together and to be thankful of all the things one has.

I am very thankful this year, I got married with my best friend Brian, my sister is in town, my mom lives very close to me, my cousin Ceci is living in Tampa this year, and her smart and beautiful daughter Isabella, just light my day every time I see her. I have family close to me, tia Isabel is here too, and some weeks ago my uncle tono y tia mariana were here visiting. I have very good friends here in the Tampa Bay area and incredible friends overseas that even when we are so geographically apart, it seems like we are just a "microbus" away.

I am very thankful to be able to do what I like, paint, pottery, gardening and bakery. I also have to do some cleaning and cooking, but it is a small price to pay. My days are usually the same everyday not very exciting adventures every week, but I like it, what I am saying I love it. I enjoy my routine, may be boring for some but I am do enjoy it.

I am very thankful for my health, that even when right now is not at its best, it is better than it has been in years. And from now on, I am sure it will get better and better.

I am also thankful for being able to sell some of my stuff last Saturday at the Shopapalooza. I carried many of my "seconds" and people purchased them, that made my day. And, of course, I sold some of my nice pottery and receive tons of compliments which made me very happy. I was part of the Etsy Village, which put together a group of Tampa Bay Area Etsy sellers among the regulars Shopapalooza vendors. Thank you Stephanie MacGrath for making this happen! And thank you all the TBEC members, I was very lucky to have found such an amazing group.

Here are a couple of photos from the show, Briancito is in one of them, he is always with me helping me, and I am very thankful, blessed and happy to have him.

Bowls for food

I am trying to keep my first big order. Its from a dear friend, it will also work as an experiment and learning process of shipping. She wants a set of 8 pieces, but all of them different. Currently I have 7 designs and I am still thinking and working on my 8th. I tried leaves in yellow, but I am still not happy with it, although I like that new  technique very much.

I work very slow, I don't have a wheel at home and I have to throw, trim and glaze at the studio, it takes time. Also I am making a set for myself as well, so I will have a model for photos, shows, etc. I have to make 16 bowls, 16 mugs, 16 big plates, and 16 medium plates. This will mean nothing for a professional potter that make wholesales orders, but for me is a lot. I feel bad specially when I am at home after a day or relaxing, there is nothing I can do to accelerate the process, I have to wait until Monday to start again. Perhaps I can work on recycling my clay in order to feel more productive.

Here is a collage I made with my designs. The yellow is there just to complete the 8.

The Hobbits

I am a fan of mostly everything that is related with fairies, elves, gnomes... so when a classmate didn't want his pot anymore and offered to me I say quickly yes!

Somehow from the moment I saw it I imagine a houses in a starry night and what better houses can be that Hobbits' houses.... maybe I am influenced by all the advertisement of the new movie, I just can't wait to see it. Below is my version of the Hobbits's ville, if I coul only reproduced it in my garden. . . maybe I should try!

Starry Night

I have been thinking a lot about architecture lately and how the shape of the buildings model the character of a city. I am from Lima, a big and chaotic city, a city that if it weren't for it's countless treasures would be very hard to live in. To live in Lima you need to be strong and not only physically but mentally, it's a city that strengthen your character. I am not a good example of a Limena girl, I am to weak, and sensitive, even though I miss Lima. Maybe I am the person who likes to complain a lot when I'm there: I am always complaining about traffic and how rude people can be and, yet, I miss it.  I am living now in Tampa Bay, a city that  many expatriate friends of mine call "paradise". The calm and warm water of the Gulf of Mexico is our permanent swimming pool, trees are always green, flowers are always in bloom and nature walks next to you, sometimes way to close to me--I am not a fan of frogs, toads, snakes or alligators.

I watched an Argentinian movie lately, Medianeras/ Sidewalls, what a beautiful film! It's about how city architecture somehow impacts the modeling of the character of the population of the city; it's also what my boyfriend would call chick-flick, a romantic comedy film.

Anyway, with all these things in my head I sit and start drawing on my bowl, thinking that I have used chocolate brown a lot and I should start a new color, so I painted it with blue, and what goes with dark blue? well I think "night". I was just thinking of drawing buildings and trees and some stars on the sky but little by little my houses start looking a bit more magical. Who will live in these houses? Maybe I just have to make more and find out....!!!

... y aun mas cuyes!!

 

Cuyes y mas cuyes (a.k.a. more guinea pigs) !!!

Cuy, cuy, cuy...

The new critter says: Who am I ???

I decided to post the photos of the greenware pots I was decorating with the sgraffito technique  on Monday/Tuesday. I was thinking of just doing more birds and cuyes a.k.a. guinea pigs. But temptation of trying new animals was toooo strong, plus I had this weird looking bowl and I said to myself, even if I missed it out, it wasn't the nicest bowl anyway. It sounds silly but I have to say those things to myself in order to try new things.... maybe I am just a little cuckoo.

So, can you guess what is this new critter that came along to play with me/us ???

I told you, is a CUYES invasion...!!

Here is another greenware bowl, I can not wait until tomorrow to see how it looks after the first fired. I always nervous about that, that is why I keep taking photos of them before being fired.

Is it a mouse....Noooo! is it a mole....Noooo! is it a hedgehog...Noooo!!

It is a Guinea Pig!!! or as we Peruvians call it  es un CUY !!!

Be aware, is a cuyes invasion!

New critters!

Summer is coming pretty soon and with it, all sort of critters, one of them just stop by my little room, came all the way from Peru, can you recognize it?


The is a greenware bowl and design is made with sgraffito technique. I will take to the studio tomorrow where it will be fired.

My big bowl!

I made a big bowl, a really big one and I did it myself, Kathy (my wonderful teacher) did not help me`this time. Is not a super big bowl is a regular 8 inches, but for me is huge because 5 inches was my limit and even though 3 inches is not a big deal it makes me so happy.  

I did some sgraffito over brown underglaze and since apparently my style is more Kawaii than I thought , I will keep doing my "Inca Summer" design, as my queridisimo boyfriend name this particular design.

Red clay and white slip!

Finally I have some time to post some photos. Here is the final product.

Just two bowls, I took photos in different angles so you can see all the design. :)