New path

I have been trying to catch up on all my orders because my life is about to change DRASTICALLY!!! I am very excited to announce that I have accepted a full-time art instructor position. I will be teaching 3-D design, Ceramics, Sculpture and Art Appreciation.  I am spending a great deal of time preparing syllabi and projects. If anyone has any great projects ideas I am listening!

I am also working on pieces for a solo show this October at the North Carolina Crafts Gallery in Carrboro.

Hope everyone is having a creative summer- peace & love!
b.

The teapot finished

In my haste to ship this piece to its new home, I did not get to shoot any images so this was sent to me by  the person who commisioned it. I was very relieved that I had no cracks or issues with the appliques during the glaze firing. 

Here is another recently finished house form. I am pretty happy with this one. It is approximately 9"x 8" 

teapot

This is the teapot commission in progress. It has been stained with underglazes and sponged off. I will clear glaze it in the morning and load the kiln tomorrow night. I made a new lid. I think this one is better.

A few new pieces



"Trust in your Heart"
wall house

"Happiness awaits"
wall house



"Jump you might Fly"
side A





"Jump you might Fly"
side B

 


"Bloom"
side A





"Bloom"
side B

 



"We have a tale to tell"

 


"This way Home"





What have I been doing...

This is a commission I have been working on. It is for some long time friends that wanted a special wedding gift. I obsessively worked the surface with my pin tool making circles of texture. I will dry it very slowly to try to  prevent cracking at the seams and keep my fingers crossed that it works!

It's show time!

Along with my bowl orders I am preparing for an upcoming show. Thank goodness I am finally feeling more inspired!

For this show I am working on some wall pieces and larger house forms. My ideas for this work have to do with renewal, growth, beginnings, etc.. Obviously all relating to my new life and finding "me" again.

wall house



I am also teaching at Clayworks and have another great group of students. This session we are making hand-built items for the table- salt & pepper shakers, covered butter dishes, cream & sugar sets, center pieces and a casserole. I decided it was time for some fresh stamps below are a few of the new designs.

new stamps

What's up...

I have been struggling to get back into the "making mode" since the holidays. Just not really in the mood. I don't know why,  just feeling very LAZY!!! Maybe it was that big push to get everything done before Christmas, whatever the reason I need to get over it and get productive.

I did spend some time cleaning the studio and organizing which it was in dire need so I am happy to have a clean place to work.  Pictured are last weeks accomplishments. I made a good number of wobbly bowls and I have been commissioned to make some trays for awards and of course the never ending construction of the houses.

stuff...

 A few recent pieces.

Take the handmade pledge...

Here are some extras of the finished cupcake plates I had made for a commision. I enjoyed making them so think I will do some more.

This was another custom order for sets of napkin rings w/ initials. I had never made any before and thought they came out alright. I rolled slabs around cardboard tubes, cut them to the desired width and then made the little initial medallions separately. I used underglazes to highlight the textured parts. They are glazed with clear.

Busy, busy

I realized about two weeks ago that I needed 500 of my teeny tiny wobbly bowls to fulfull my current orders (this is my "bread & butter" product that I have been making since the economy took a nose dive)- so I worked basically day and night to get them made in time to ship on the 1st of December. This is the kiln loaded for the bisque fire- they are in stacks of 5+ and a few shelves deep.

Clayworks is having its annual Holiday Sale. We had a nice opening last night and I got to hang out with some clay buddies that I don't get to see all the time. Hopefully today the shoppers will be out in force so I won't have too many pieces to pack up!

I mentioned in my last post- moving into a much smaller home has been quite the adjustment. I am using my second bedroom as a studio, office, packing & shipping area and a craft/painting studio (eventually it will also have to serve as a photography studio for documenting my pieces. Wow, that's a lot of use for one small space!! So I am constantly shuffling things around and then losing track of items-it doesn't help that I am a consumate "pile maker". It was only this morning that I finally found my usb cable for my camera. I have been looking for it since I moved but now that I have it I will try to be better at posting and adding images.

Is anybody still reading this!?!

Sorry I have been absent for sooo long- I was making some very hard decisions about my life and was just not ready to share...

I have moved to a new place and I am making a fresh start on my own. No one to blame, I just needed to do what I felt was going to be best for me. It was a very difficult choice to leave my marriage after having spent 15 years together. We parted on as good of terms as one can in this situation and I believe we will remain friends. So there you have it, at 47 years old I am starting over- full of hope, a little scared and trusting that I will find peace & happiness on this new path.

It has taken me some time to get my studio back up and running but I am finally creating again. Lots of back orders so I am busy (which is good for more than my finances)! Also having to adjust to a MUCH smaller space has had its challenges but the biggest challenge is having to transport my work to be fired since I could not hook up my kiln at my new place. I have to pack it in all kinds of padding and every bump in the road makes me cringe!!! I only lost 2 little pieces so far so I feel pretty lucky.

Besides catching up on my orders- I am teaching handbuilding this session at Clayworks. I have a great group of students who have made my Wednesday nights a lot of fun- I hope they are enjoying it as much as I am!

Have a great weekend, love the one you're with and enjoy every moment!

workshop...

Last week I gave a little workshop in my hometown of Lafayette, Indiana. I had not been back in more than 20 years!

I was invited by my high school ceramics teacher, Jane Boswell (who was the most wonderful, caring teacher EVER)! She and her husband Jeff, who is also a really great potter, made the whole trip possible- THANK YOU both so much!!!
It was a whirlwind visit but I enjoyed every minute of it.

I am currently in a show at Mudfire. Check out the link to view some cool handbuilt work by twenty artists.
http://www.mudfire.com/constructed.htm

Fresh start...

Well,right now I am taking a little break from cleaning up my garage studio. It is very chilly here today and I have three layers of clothing on just to make it bearable. I've got my little space heater cranked on high but it is not doing a very good job of warming the place up.

I really let things get out of hand in the studio for the last couple of months and it is a total wreck. I am cleaning top to bottom. Purging lots of old crap that I have been saving for I don't know what. It always makes me feel so much better once things are in order again.

Speaking of orders... I already have three good orders to fill so I guess things are starting off right this new year!

Okay, I've got a cup of hot tea so it's back to the trenches... have a great weekend.

xo
b.

The generosity chain…
I saw this posted on a blog somewhere and just loved the idea. Here's the deal:

This is a generosity meme in which I will make something for 5 people…
I will draw 5 names out of all those that email me by midnight Jan 1, 2010. So, if you are interested, send me an email to chadwickdesign@gmail.com with your name. I'll draw five names from those submitted by tomorrow night. I will let you know if you're on my list of five!
I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. No refunds… no exchanges ;-) please!!! What I create will be just for you, with love from me. It’ll be done this calendar year (2010) and when you get it, you have to let me know it arrived.
I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be or when you will receive it. It will be something I made and it may be beautiful or it could be funky. I may even create something totally unbelievable and surprise you!! It will be handmade by yours truly and may be a collage, a painting or even a porcelain piece. Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure!
I reserve the right to create whatever I feel like at the time – that’s it, no strings attached.
I am so excited about this idea of making and giving “just because”!

This idea isn't just for artists--it's for everyone. We're all able to create something precious for another human being. You can do the same.

Whether your name is drawn or not, I hope you'll play, participate, make, and give. Post this on your blog, facebook, tweet it, put a sign up in your office, find a way to be involved in it.

Let's hold up five people this year, creating beauty for them. Be swept into the simplicity of making and giving!!!

Believe it can happen!!!

Some of my other artwork...

Since I have finished all my clay orders for the season I decided it was time to do some paintings. Here are two of the latest.

Back to reality...

I went away for a family reunion this weekend. Most family reunions are some sort of idyllic picnic gathering but mine hooks up in Vegas once a year! We had a blast but now it is time to get serious and work!!!

I can not believe it is Sept. 1st. Where did the last 8 months go!?!?! The holidays are just around the corner and I need to get into serious production mode. So many things in the works and so little time.

Happy September 1st... fall is in the air and I am excited about the future!!!

4 long years ago today...

My dad died on this day. He was such a wonderful man. I was very lucky to have his complete support in all my endeavors but especially my art. He always gave me encouragement and made it possible for me to pursue my dream.

Sharing this tribute my brother wrote about him somehow makes me feel that I too am acknowledging how special he was and that he lived a very good life.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

NORMAN GERARD CHADWICK

On August 20th, 2005, the world lost a great and ordinary man. It was a quiet death here in Orlando, unknown to most. On that day, Norman Gerard Chadwick died suddenly of a heart attack at his home. There was ...little fanfare. He was not a famous politician or a great statesman or war hero or professional athlete. But that day the world lost something special.

Norm was a quiet and gentle man who led a wonderful, honest life with a humility that few are blessed with. He married Maureen, the only woman he ever loved, when he was 24 years old and was happily married until the day he died 48 years later. He raised three happy, productive children who have all led successful lives.

He was a humble man who seldom talked of himself. Always more interested in others and fascinated by science and the world. Few who knew Norm were aware of his personal accomplishments in life as someone who had run within four tenths of the world record in the 100 yard dash, was recruited by the St. Louis Cardinals, was a member of Mensa and a Master bridge player. He won the Toronto Squash Club Doubles Championship 9 years in row and started and built a successful computer company before selling it and retiring to Florida to help his son build a business. But he was much more than that.

He had a great depth of character, respected others, was never needy, led by example, worked hard, loved his country and was impeccably honest. He was frugal with himself and generous to others. He knew right from wrong without needing a law or someone to tell him and was a wonderful listener who genuinely appreciated other people's talents and skills. His broad, easy smile lit up a room when he entered and his peaceful spirit welcomed people into his world. When asked to give advice, he had a unique quality that allowed him to do so without ever passing judgment. He loved fishing and golf and a nice stiff drink at the end of the day. He seemed to have a good day, every day. He laughed easily and rarely said a bad word about anyone. He was completely fascinated by science and nature. He would read science magazines endlessly and enjoyed discussing the beginnings of the universe, string theory and why ocean waves proved randomness. He was incredibly curious about everything and spiritual without being religious.

There have not been many like him. There was a sense about him that was unmistakable and hard to put your finger on. He made people feel like they'd known him forever and that he was a close friend immediately. I think his most amazing trait of all and the reason he was so happy and content in life was that he was always inquisitive. He could sit alone and look at a cloud and wonder how it was formed? What conditions would change its structure? And know how lucky he had been there to see its beauty. He loved sunsets, his wife, his children and a great meal (especially when someone else paid!!).

Norman lived a quiet life here in Orlando for the last seven years before his death, and yet at his funeral there was standing room only. Those he impacted from Orlando and friends from all over the country came out of respect and love for a man who had led a great and ordinary life. I don't think anyone would have appreciated tomorrow's sunrise more, nor complained less that he had missed it. He truly left the world a better place. I wish everyone had the fortune to have a father like mine. I miss him everyday.

His son,

Mike Chadwick.

more new pieces...

This is a little wall piece that has a wire hanger attached to it.


This "Flying House" will probably be put in a frame



Small flower bowl.


Larger bowl with oak leaf motif.



Here is the finished commission piece. It is already packed and shipped out to it's new home... I hope they like it!