The Blog

Why I choose handmade mugs.

The Cupboard of Choice
By On March 5, 2012 In Life in North Dakota, Miscellaneous With 6 Comments Permanent Link to Why I choose handmade mugs.Permalink

Almost a year ago, I made a choice to try to live more purposeful. It wasn’t some big spiritual awakening or New Year’s Resolution. Instead it was a simple idea. How can I make choices — good choices – in my life. Because I was feeling like my life was living me rather than the other way around. I was tired of that life.

I chose to make one simple change. I got rid of my mass-produced, machine made mugs. To goodwill they went (save one with a reproduction of Grant Woods’ American Gothic and another with a Greyhound etched on it). Then I began to develop my collection of handmade mugs.

I had purchased artist made mugs here and there. Now I wanted a cupboard full.

Here’s why: every morning I get up and make a pot of coffee. In the past I reached for any old mug I could find. Most were purchased at a “big box” store – one of many from a set, all identical. Now I wanted the first decision of the day (after coffee, of course) to be purposeful. Which mug do I want to drink out of today? Because each handmade mug is a different drinking experience. No more auto-pilot. The Cupboard of Choice awaits.

Here are some of my favorite mugs.

Dacotah Clayworks/Robin Reynolds buffalo skull mug

This mug was made by Robin Reynolds in Hebron, North Dakota. She uses native clay that she digs. The outside of the mug is unglazed so it has a unique textural quality that my other mugs do not have. A natural and simple mug with the bison skull on the side.

This mug is one of my most recent acquisitions. Made by Brian R. Jones in Portland, Oregon and purchased on etsy. I’m fascinated by the markings on this mug. Fresh and clean.

This mug is Tama Smith’s Prairie Fire Pottery from Beach, ND. This mug evokes thoughts of North Dakota. The glaze is spectacular – reminds me of the layers in the North Dakota Badlands. If you’re driving through North Dakota on I-94, you must stop at Tama’s shop. Must. Must. Must. Also, this mug keeps the coffee hot like none other. Must be the design? And feels great in the hand.


Sue Tirrell. I covet Sue Tirrell’s work. This one was a gift from a friend. Can you believe it? I was amazed when I opened the box. Like 100 Christmas mornings. Sue also does sculpture of horses and rodeo themes and much more.

Another new mug, Ayumi Horie. Oh do I love this mug. Its the go-to when I’m anticipating a tough day. Holding it makes me happy. I love the bunny on the side. I love the glaze. I love the shape and how it is slightly off of round. The detail in the handle. A beautifully crafted piece of art to begin the day.

And the last mug I’ll show today is this little brown mug, artist unknown. I purchased this mug for $15 at the Spearfish, South Dakota Art in the Park. Its lip is not level so one has to be careful when filling it. Somehow I end of reaching for it anyway.

I’m always on the lookout for new mugs to add to the collection. Of course, I’ve got a Pinterest board devoted to mugs I’ll add someday.

To surround oneself with beauty… To live purposefully…. Good goals.

Energy.

Sage and Annie playing tug with purple toy
By On March 4, 2012 In Life in North Dakota With 2 Comments Permanent Link to Energy.Permalink

Lately, I’ve been thinking about some of the challenges and benefits of having a part-time job along with a full-time artistic practice. I feel pulled apart at times, struggling with shifting gears and making the most of my time. But the library job gets me out the house (and studio), out of my head and around people. No secret, art making is a solitary, sometimes lonely, activity.

My art process is a self-centered kind of a world. It is about my ideas, my thoughts, my feelings about a thing. A large part is shutting off the Chorus in my head and silencing the voices that have a running dialogue of “it’s not right, it should look like this, it could be better” – ad nauseum. This takes effort and practice. It isn’t easy, but the payoff is euphoria.

The job at the library is a different animal. Yes, at it’s root it is a creation job- to make a place that fulfills the Library’s mission. This is what I love about it. But the route to creating the outcome is different. Like art making, I make innumerable tiny decisions that effect the outcome. Unlike the art making, the Chorus is external and internal.

Budgets & time will keep my Vision of the Library from being a reality. I say this with a positive outlook. This isn’t Negative Nelly talking. This is reality. It won’t happen.

With the Art, I try again. Start a new piece. The library is like working on the same painting, forever.

I’m okay with this mostly. It’s a part-time job after all.

When the library job gets hard is when people complain. When the library job gets really hard is when I’ve worked on art in the morning, headed to into the library in the afternoon, and hear the complaints.

(Complaints is probably too strong a word. It’s more like… comments. And since this is the midwest people love the back-handed compliment. They are not confident enough to stand behind a full out endorsement of a thing. So their comments come out mostly positive, but with the nasty barb at the end turning the thing negative. Regionalism? Habit? Ugh.)

I haven’t been able to figure out why these negative comments bother me so. Why do they get in my head? Most of them have nothing to do with me or how I run the library. What the heck is this? I think I’ve finally figured it out. Art+Library days are worse.

On those days, I’ve spend the entire morning in the studio silencing my internal critics, letting the guard down, being open, and doing the work. It is optimism and vulnerability. Then to the library popping in to keep the plates spinning. Most of the time things are going great. But on these days, I hear the comments.

Now I realize the mile from studio to library is not a great enough distance for me to re-armor myself.

Humm.

So a series of sculptures on Armadillos? Or maybe tiles with turtles?

The diagnosis is in. It’s malaise.

blog_title_malaise
By On February 12, 2012 In Art making With 8 Comments Permanent Link to The diagnosis is in. It’s malaise.Permalink

Nothing, not even our non-winter, can keep the February blahs away. Oh I have tried to fight them… but with every S’mores PopTart® and just-one-more game of Plants vs. Zombies, my motivation fades.

I’m not completely devoid of motivation. It is the *art* motivation of which I speak. My part-time with benefits public library job is going like gangbusters. The library “to-do” list is shrinking. New website. Clean storage rooms. Fresh plans. Rolling along.

But with the art? This is getting serious. I need to snap out of this.


I bought a new camera after Christmas then signed up for a photography class at the local university. It was great. Learned a lot. Good stuff. Still no motivation. (I did take the photo, above, of sweet Annie. Isn’t she a pretty girl? I love her…)

I did fire one bisque kiln. Have another one nearly ready.


I’m going to glaze most of this work tomorrow and Tuesday. So that’s good and productive. Nothing knocking my socks off right now. Guess I should be happy, let it happen, and stop worrying.

Next kiln load.

Next Kiln Load ©2012 Sarah Regan Snavely
By On January 22, 2012 In Art making With 3 Comments Permanent Link to Next kiln load.Permalink

I set a goal: the next kiln load ready to go by the end of January. And, by golly, I’m working at it.

It’s going to be close. The large boxes are drying nicely.

Lots of sleeping Greyhounds. The “flat” sleepers are easier – these upside-down hounds make things more complicated. The poses are not any more difficult that usual, but the upside-down hounds need particular boxes.

See what I mean? Same box, different hound. One I like, one I don’t. Can you guess which one it is?

Because if they don’t fill up the space the way I like, I don’t like it. It’s a question of balance…

Filling up the space. I like.

And more figures waiting for their boxes. Working on all three sizes for this load.

January Blues

January Blues
By On January 21, 2012 In Art making With 5 Comments Permanent Link to January BluesPermalink

When the gallery director of the Dickinson State University gallery invited me to participate in an exhibition with the theme, “January Blues” I knew I’d have lots of source material. Because, you know, the landscape around here often looks like this in January:

What I didn’t think of is that I’d be creating the work for this show in the fresh, crisp autumn air. I contemplated ideas as I drove back from Delaware in October. How do I feel about January? Blue… blue… do I want to think of this literally and make something the color blue?  Too easy… humm…

I worked out two ideas. One focusing more about the things I like about January. The other the opposite feeling.

Here’s the nice side of January. The calm, cool, collected side. Peaceful, snow covered, yet potentially dangerous.

The title for the piece above is Everything Has Its Wonders. It is 19H x 9W x 16″ D – slightly larger than life-size.

And here is the other side of January. Titled, Bring Your Own Sunshine ©2012 Sarah Regan Snavely. Yes, it’s a sunflower “hat”. No, he’s not smiling.

The exhibition will be up through January.

Homebound.

Homebound
By On January 18, 2012 In Living with Greyhounds With 3 Comments Permanent Link to Homebound.Permalink

The weather has turned cold. January is not a favorable month for smooth haired creatures living in North Dakota interested in outdoor activities. However, we are half way through the month and the winter has been relatively easy. Hooray!

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Annie discovered the blanket filled chair and curled up in her newly discovered spot. The chair is small and has wooden arms. Not greyhound friendly. Guess the blankets tipped the scale.

20120118-063415.jpg

Not to be outdone, the second Annie relinquished her new perch, Winchester had to try this new spot.

Greyhounds are funny.

Utilizing resources.

Utilizing resources
By On January 8, 2012 In Living with Greyhounds With 4 Comments Permanent Link to Utilizing resources.Permalink

Using my iPhone and the wordpress app. Wondering if this will work?

Here’s Annie. Stretched out on the couch, literally. Making every bit of her 69 lbs count!

Flickr

By On January 2, 2012 In Buy Art Here!, Living with Greyhounds With 3 Comments Permanent Link to FlickrPermalink

I killed my flickr account last month. Forgetting that the images on this site were linked from my flickr account, I couldn’t see a downside. Now the archives of this blog are broken. Time to fix. Where to start? I think I’ll do a month every week…


I’ve added the latest kiln load to my shop. They’ll go live on Thursday AM. Next kiln load will be available sometime at the end of January. I’ll have some more large boxes along with a few small and some medium sized boxes as well. Small sculptures will be coming up in February.


In other news, poor Sage injured himself at the dog park. One foot under the dog park fence, a very slight yelp, and he kept on running. He’s a tough one.

Damn you, Dog Park Fence. Thankfully only stitches.

Shop.

By On December 4, 2011 In Buy Art Here! With No Comments Permanent Link to Shop.Permalink

Stocking my shop. Porcelain pendants, small boxes, tiles and small sculptures. More to come!

You’ll find the double/heart pendant shown above, here.

 

New obsession.

By On December 3, 2011 In Miscellaneous With 3 Comments Permanent Link to New obsession.Permalink

Do you know about Pinterest? It’s my new obsession.

Okay… thats a bit strong, but I am loving having a place to tag images found while surfing the internets. I can “pin” images from artists that I love, which creates these nifty boards of images. Like bookmarks, only image based. Also things that inspire me. Patterns. Shapes. Historical greyhound photos. Dreams for my studio space.

Really cool. Very addictive. If only they had an iPad app… I’d be in serious trouble.

They are my models.

By On December 2, 2011 In Art making, Memory Boxes With 2 Comments Permanent Link to They are my models.Permalink

My Greyhounds sleep around me as I make the figures for my memory boxes. They make handy models – being right there. Here is a memory box waiting to be bisque fired and Winchester sleeping on the couch. Isn’t he sweet?

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