I do not blog as much as I would like to and when I do I kind of like the post to be able to last a few weeks because I never know when I am going to do it again. First, I want to thank all of my customers who have been purchasing items lightening fast from my etsy shop. It pleases me so much that you are all interested in what I have been creating.
This morning a customer sent me a lovely email that expressed how much she liked all the pieces she recently bought from me and also asked me about my pain and did it affect the work I had been doing. It something I have been thinking about alot lately as I photograph my pieces and put them up on etsy. Yes, I think my pain really affected my work but in a positive way.
When I first started to lose feeling in my hand the Dr's put me on some really high doses of anti seizure medication. It made me very hyper, though it was supposed to make me drowsy. When I was at the lake I couldn't participate in alot of the things I normally do and I had so much energy so I brought my clay with me to waters edge and carved beads. The first time I didn't have my normal tools so I used an old manicure set I had picked up at a garage sale years prior. When I realized I really didnt want to use a manicure set that I had picked up a garage sale, for obvious reasons..ick - I didn't have the heart to toss it..recycle, recycle..blah, blah, blah.. So there was my set of tools. Hmm, what to make the holes with? Well, I never used those skewers, so perfect tool for bead holes! And off I went a few rocks, seed pods, shells, and leaves later there were these great beads. Each one must have taken forever, but it didn't matter..my hands were not idle so I was happy and I also allowed myself to slow down and just take in the water, the sounds of nature, yet still be with everyone else. I took this home with me. Because of the pain and loss of strength in my arm, the slab roller and any really extreme movements were out of the question. So I really took my time and nurtured each piece. On good days I produced more, on bad days I carved, and carved and carved. I carved the fronts, the backs, places that no one would even look at..but I was diggin it :) When it came time for the Soft Flex Show in NY I had alot of new stuff I was really proud of and alot of pieces that had a really deep emotional connection with me. So yes, without a doubt the pain in my arm has affected my work.. when the pain goes away I know this is the path I want to continue on.
The Silent Title of the work for that show was made up by my husband Hank. He would sit with me as I created & practice his guitar & again while I was glazing. He noticed the change in my work & that I was using glaze as a wash, and sometimes not using glaze at all and said, "It appears as though this time you are letting the clay speak for itself". So the pieces with minimal glaze will now be from a series called "Letting The Clay Speak for Itself" Go Job Hank!
So I am scheduled for the epidural next Friday, The 20th of November and I'm keeping my fingers crossed this one helps me, if only for a little while.. I'll take it! I also urge you to become a fan on my facebook page. I am doing my best to update that page a few times during the day. I will be showcasing customers who use LPA pieces with links to their shops, etc. The link is on the right side of my blog.
Til next time,
Happy creating
Lisa
This morning a customer sent me a lovely email that expressed how much she liked all the pieces she recently bought from me and also asked me about my pain and did it affect the work I had been doing. It something I have been thinking about alot lately as I photograph my pieces and put them up on etsy. Yes, I think my pain really affected my work but in a positive way.
When I first started to lose feeling in my hand the Dr's put me on some really high doses of anti seizure medication. It made me very hyper, though it was supposed to make me drowsy. When I was at the lake I couldn't participate in alot of the things I normally do and I had so much energy so I brought my clay with me to waters edge and carved beads. The first time I didn't have my normal tools so I used an old manicure set I had picked up at a garage sale years prior. When I realized I really didnt want to use a manicure set that I had picked up a garage sale, for obvious reasons..ick - I didn't have the heart to toss it..recycle, recycle..blah, blah, blah.. So there was my set of tools. Hmm, what to make the holes with? Well, I never used those skewers, so perfect tool for bead holes! And off I went a few rocks, seed pods, shells, and leaves later there were these great beads. Each one must have taken forever, but it didn't matter..my hands were not idle so I was happy and I also allowed myself to slow down and just take in the water, the sounds of nature, yet still be with everyone else. I took this home with me. Because of the pain and loss of strength in my arm, the slab roller and any really extreme movements were out of the question. So I really took my time and nurtured each piece. On good days I produced more, on bad days I carved, and carved and carved. I carved the fronts, the backs, places that no one would even look at..but I was diggin it :) When it came time for the Soft Flex Show in NY I had alot of new stuff I was really proud of and alot of pieces that had a really deep emotional connection with me. So yes, without a doubt the pain in my arm has affected my work.. when the pain goes away I know this is the path I want to continue on.
The Silent Title of the work for that show was made up by my husband Hank. He would sit with me as I created & practice his guitar & again while I was glazing. He noticed the change in my work & that I was using glaze as a wash, and sometimes not using glaze at all and said, "It appears as though this time you are letting the clay speak for itself". So the pieces with minimal glaze will now be from a series called "Letting The Clay Speak for Itself" Go Job Hank!
So I am scheduled for the epidural next Friday, The 20th of November and I'm keeping my fingers crossed this one helps me, if only for a little while.. I'll take it! I also urge you to become a fan on my facebook page. I am doing my best to update that page a few times during the day. I will be showcasing customers who use LPA pieces with links to their shops, etc. The link is on the right side of my blog.
Til next time,
Happy creating
Lisa
