Well here I am again. haven't given up yet. Wondering about me? Well I am about to take off. Just finished out the spring. I am not giving up, although, it is a struggle starting out as a full fledged artist at sixty. Why did I just teach art. I was in learning mode for so many years. I am so much more confident. I love doing my art and since my retirement (forced out of employment) I have been more at peace with myself. Guess so, since I worked in a jail teaching art. It feels so good when you stop banging your head on the wall.
Still I am so nervous about not having that proverbial job. When you are an artist trying to make a living you feel like your out on a limb all the time. My husband is a conventional person who believes in 9 to 5. Trying to make him understand this is my job is quite daunting at times. He is giving up part of his man cave so that I can do pottery. As he sees me make more money, he gives me more space. I just got an order for, you are not going to believe a sixty year old woman that makes pottery does this, hookah pipes. You know the top part of the hookah. I turned it down at first. But the interesting part is he wants a standing order, for now, of 100 per month. He wanted more, but that's why I turned him down. I told him it would ruin my creativity as a potter. He calls back and offers me more money and only a 100 per....I just couldn't turn that down. It will be good to make a little profit and xtra cash for my supplies and experiments.
I can't believe such a beautiful plate can come out of this.
You see, I am carving a space out of the middle of a three car garage, my husband's man cave. He has never seen me making production pottery. I did that before I met him so this is all new to him.
You can see that I need to talk him into selling his little Dune buggy. Even though he never uses it, he just can't seem to part with it, yet. I am working on it. The more I sell the more space I get. I have learned to be quite frugal with my space. And clean up constantly. That makes him happy.
Speaking of experiments, I am about to journey on to painting my art on my ceramics. I just realized that the plate, cup, jar, whatever I make on the wheel is just the canvas. I am making new canvases for summer. Just can't wait to share what I see in my head by putting on the pot. I absolutely love doing my art. And I love doing pottery. Since I am such a perfectionist when it comes to my drawing and painting it's a breath of fresh air doing ceramics. I do more free form designs. Pottery is from the heart. At least for me.
My husband met a woman on his travels for his job and she painted plates. She said she paints all day everyday and could sell more. She does 2 shows a year and sells everything she has and gets orders for more. She says that's her only income and she does quite well. I believe her because my husband installs custom windows and they are not cheap. Paintings plates, etc. is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteLove the fish :)