I just wanted to thank all of the many people that ventured up to my studio this past weekend for the
Dixon Studio Tour. Although I had a booth last year at the Mission, this was my first official year on the tour and the response was tremendous. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so I was a little surprised. Pleasantly surprised. Sunday had a little slower pace which allowed for a series of very interesting conversations with a number of people. What sets a studio tour apart from your run-of-the-mill art show is that there is intimacy in the very nature of the show. You are stepping into my personal space where I do my work. I must have showed dozens of people my handmade raku kiln and stepped them through the process. That isn't mundane small talk, it's real. The minute you step into my studio you can see that my husband and I are musicians from the piano, to the drum cases, to the shells of instruments hanging on the walls. It instantly creates a common ground with so many people. I'm an introvert, probably part of the reason I am drawn to the lone art of pottery, so I'm not one for small talk. I actually find it somewhat painful, but I didn't feel any of that this weekend--another pleasant surprise.
Aside from the great conversations about completely unrelated topics, I had a real support for the work that I am doing. There was an appreciation for the glazes I make and the unusual forms I come up with. I certainly enjoy altering wheel-thrown pieces, so it's nice when someone connects with that. Raku is new to me, but so many people really responded to it. I was happy to send quite a few of my raku pieces home with people and to share this new fascination of mine. Thank you to everyone that made this weekend so very special to me.
