My last pot finished in 2016

Nothing really was finished after December 1. I had shows, and worked on some orders that had already been placed, but not finished.  Like put this bee and flower on a bowl...

I'll go instead with my little teapot.
You've seen it before, and it's over on the sidebar as well.

But the work that I started during Dec. hasn't been completed yet. It's carried forward to this month.  The studio was closed after Christmas. I have some things waiting for the next kiln load. It is loaded by our studio manager, and he chooses which ones will fit in each kiln load. Soon I hope to have them finished.

Don't miss the blog about pottery making blogs! Here.
My blog was included in Pottery Making Blogs for December.
I'm thrilled to have this blog listed among some professional potters! 

Quote for today:

There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

— John F. Kennedy

Season still going strong

The five Mud Buddies are going to have some new work and I'll have some older work discounted this Sat. at the Tailgate Market.

A big thanks to Pottery Making Blog (HERE) for including my blog in their monthly list of pottery blogs for August!  Go over to see all the latest things other bloggers are talking about.  This is how I keep expanding my list of blogs I follow regularly...can't get enough of those potters!

Tourist trade and a gallery

Before I go into this topic about marketing my wares, I first must thank the people over at potterymakinginfo HERE for all the mentions of this blog (Alchemy of Clay) in their June Review.

They cover all aspects of the craft and are a great resource for most everything you can think of.

Twisted Laurel Gallery has a nice looking gallery storefront

A well designed lobby with a store-like gallery behind it

The next store east seemed inviting...

Cathy and I were almost the only visitors in an area that seemed lost to trade

The gallery in which we had gladly shared our pottery did not seem to be doing all that great, nor is this whole row of shops in Spruce-Pine, NC.  At least by looking at them mid-afternoon in June.  It wasn't even unbearably hot.

But they don't seem to have a tourist trade like our dear Black Mountain does.

I was so sorry that the gallery doesn't even have an on-line presence.  Their web page was last updated a couple of years ago.  They don't do facebook, nor apparently send out emails to a customer list.  I can't imagine my life without the internet these days.

I was happy to get involved in their 1000 Cups Show...which I found out about through another group which posts both on blogs and on facebook, Western North Carolina Clay Club.  The show got a bit less than 500 cups, and I only saw about 100 on display, but communication is my point right now.  The proprietor did say a few mugs had sold.

They didn't advertise a 1000 Cups Show (I specifically asked this both before and after the show.) Perhaps this isn't a gallery thing to do...?

When I got there to pick up my pots, I found the show was still ongoing, and then the proprietor said that many of the potters had told her they couldn't pick up their work until after the 4th of July.  Well, that makes sense, if you want them to be seen and sold, since that is supposedly a peak tourist season.  It just didn't seem that way on the Tuesday we were there.

I haven't shown in many galleries yet, and want to have some of my work seen, and hopefully sold through them.  Any suggestions?  I would like to hear from someone who has approached galleries.  How do you do it?  Bring work or a thumb drive with photos?  Call for an appointment or drop in at a less busy time?

Head in the hole in the ground

Well, there's a blog that has mentioned my blog a few times, and given me an honorable mention under Linda's, another blogger who's the third most read pottery blog. 

Oh my.  Why did I have my head in the sand, and not even read their blog?  Well, I will from now on, that's for sure.

Go check out their list of top 10 blogs for last year.   http://www.potterymakinginfo.com/news/top-pottery-blogs-of-2012/

I'm at least a reader of most of those blogs.  How about you?

http://www.potterymakinginfo.com/news/

A good resource to have for all kinds of information. 

I know I've said I don't want awards, but geese, it's fun to see that they've been chosing some of my blogs every month for being listed.  I am honored!

Yesterday an out-of-town friend called and said she reads my blog.  Oh, I was surprised.  Somehow I think all the readers are strangers...but here's someone I've known most of my life.  What did I say about her, I thought first of all.  I always tell the truth, thank heavens for that.

Now back to bringing some ideas into fruition.  I've got a bee in my bonnet again!