Winding down

Things are changing for us this year. We are getting ready to move to a new house and to a new studio. These are really big changes and it's hard to get used to.  One of the more difficult things that I'm dealing with is the idea that I have to wind down the studio that I'm in. It is very hard to intentionally stop. It's a little strange because right now it's a time of new beginnings. We are into the new year and everybody is starting new things. I'm still finishing up last year's things and looking forward to starting new things. I'm slightly out of sync with everything.

Last week was our minion's last day in the studio helping us. She is moving to Detroit or just outside Detroit -close enough as far as I'm concerned. The important thing is that it's too far away for her to continue to be our Minion. This means that I had to do my own studio chores, including, and most importantly the reclaim. Slopping it out, and pounding it out and slicing it and dicing it and wedging it and making sure it is actually useable.

In a way it's actually very relaxing to know that I have to stop and I have to do all the little things that I used to have her do. It's kind of cathartic, a system reset. Along with all the processing of reclaim that I did today, I cleaned up I swept up trimmings I sorted  some stuff and started to get ready for the big pack down for the big move.

We are starting to use up all of our materials. I didn't order more clay. I thought it would be best to have it delivered to the new studio. That is part of the reason why it is so important to keep up with the reclaim. We need it, it's pretty much all we have,  there are a few boxes of new clay, but it's getting down to the point where normally I would be nervous that I was going to run out.

I'm trying to finish up some big orders. And also getting ready for a big show at the end of the month. But I know it's all coming to a stop. After the big show I suspect we will be moving.  I'm excited and a little bit scared. My last few posts outlined the house and the studio it's really nice. It's a step up for us for sure., a really nice new place to be. For the first time my adult career I won't be working out of the basement. Just writing about it makes me start to get excited again.

Tomorrow I'll be pounding out more reclaim. And a bigger space on the floor will open up. It's starting to look empty. Guess that's a good thing!