hot studios, cold feet and gardens...... oh my!

July 17th and August still to go.......... vacation?  Nahhhhhh, break out the lawn chairs and huddle up next to that kiln!  Whoa!  Gardens are slowing and on my walk last night I noticed the trees looking tired, dusty, droopy and no longer emerald green.  Guess those 90 degree days are taking their toll on everything.  Just about the time my gardens are looking like toast I drag the hose around; a little water and you get a pretty big bang for your buck.

Spending most of my time in the studio this summer and not the garden, my shelves are filling.  Time to fool around with new forms and test glazes.  Round about 2 p.m. my underwear spontaneous lights on fire and it's necessary to retreat to paperwork and email, in the one air conditioned room in the house. 
Running back out to the studio around 6 p.m. and able to work after the sun goes down; Ohio has become the new tropics.  Handles pulled at 10 a.m. and absentmindedly left on a shelf to harden are still flexible the next morning.  Great weather for porcelain!!  Taking advantage of the humidity I started playing around with thrown, altered and joined pots.

Getting ready for the American Craft Exposition in Chicago, http://americancraftexpo.org/
(check out the emerging artist page!!) I am in shear panic mode.  The studio is filling quickly as are the boxes of pots being lugged up stairs and stored in an empty bedroom. 

Some glazes work and some don't........ then again after spending years working on throwing thin I am now thinking of beefing up my pots so they don't split apart with a glaze doesn't quite fit.......grrrrr....

Needing more room in the studio Gestures Gallery, http://www.gesturesshop.com  just graciously took a huge load of functional pots!  Anybody need a pate' dish? 

Definitely feeling like the white rabbit who is very late for a very important date!  As I read their American Craft Expo blog: http://americancraftexposition.wordpress.com/ and go through the website and read the reams of information I have received in the mail I must say I'm getting cold feet.  I really need to make my hotel reservations but why?  Do I really need to leave the sanctuary of my studio?  What was I thinking?  I have no idea why I sell pots...... making, it's all about the making. Selling? Good heavens I hate shows..... feels like I'm standing there with no clothes on and my bacon is in full view.  Abby and Rachael where are you?
I can feel the hives breaking out as I type......... sheesh, get over it and go make pots!