EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY

I know I have adressed this issue in a previous blog post but I am always amazed that despite having a fairly reasonable space for a studio how quickly I run out of space when I get working, especially toward holiday shows and restocking galleries. I have two banks of shelves that I use to store and dry pots as well as one 8' table in the main room of the studio and another of similiar size in a room behind the studio that is used to store bubble wrap, bags of chemicals, inventory and an area to photograph. All these spaces, every nook and cranny fills up rather quickly within two weeks of non-stop throwing and trimming. During this process the only thing that slows me down is the necessity to slip and slip trail or carve (tebori) a percentage of the work. The photo shows three pieces occupying the space on my slab roller which I use every now and again to take quick photos but in this instance, this is where the covered pot and two trumpet style vases will reside until they are dry and then decorated. The other side of the slab roller is still free of pots but is currently home to a box of slip jars, a plastic jar of brushes and a container with the tools I use everyday. I enjoy this time of year when I get to work long days, throw non-stop and am as busy as I can get but there are drawbacks with so much stuff filling nearly every space it is a bit like working in a maze where any false move can spell disaster. Unlike the motto, "measure twice and cut once" the motto for these days in the studio is "look twice and move very, very slowly".