I'm back...but I'm not potting. I had these grand illusions of making a couple hundred pots before school started but the wife and I had a week of illness and some travelling to do. School starts monday and I've made 23 pots. Bummer. It will probably be awhile before I get back to the clay. I'm teaching a kiln building class this semester which I haven't completely sorted out yet, lots of out of class prep for that. One of the prof's in the art dept. is having surgery and they asked me if I could teach her art appreciation classes for the first 6 weeks. To be fair I didn't say yes out of the goodness of my heart, they offered me more $$$ for those 6 weeks than 6 weeks of my 3 ceramics classes. It's not terribly difficult, the presentations and schedule are already set up, I just have to lecture and take attendance. The class is a general ed. and it is the class that all the jocks...I mean athletic students take because it's notorious for being the easiest art credit. I've taught the class dealing with ceramics every semester since I've been here so I know what to expect, I'm sure it's going to be a test of my patience though. We'll call this one a "growing experience"...and a fat paycheck.
This week I started a job building some cabinets, it's not clay but I'm not complaining, I enjoy it. It's a small job for a little workshop, easy enough.
Woodworking/carpentry is full of problem solving just like clay, that's probably part of the reason I enjoy it. I will admit to part of me being the stereotypical male and enjoying working with power tools. Even after several years I still think that dado sets are cool.
That's all for now. Monday starts the grueling 6 class teach schedule. Bleh!
Cheers!
8 comments:
Good luck to you sir! I know how that kind of schedule can wear on you. Make sure you keep up with your vitamins!
ooh i love those quick grip clamps... bought pops a few for chrissy he still loves to tinker in the workshop at 79! excellent news on the new class enjoy the change of pace..
How great to be an artist at clay and woodworking too, take it easy with your packed schedule, more moola isn't all bad though.
Obviously, you are talented in multiple mediums! At our house, I do clay and my husband does the woodwork. He does turned work, so it's been fun to collaborate - honeypots from clay, dippers from exotic turned woods. I do have to admit, there are times I'm a bit jealous that his tools have a lot more ooomph than mine :)
That's because a nice set of Dado blades are cool.
Your cabinets look great.
We take this time of year to do all those things that we put off.
I look forward to seeing your cabinets finished.
Your cabinets look beautiful!! Up here, cabinet makers can make 10x what us artists make...if the clay and art classes become tiring your woodworking skills are a surefire asset. If I were teaching the art class to students who are only taking it for an easy credit I think I'd be tempted to crank it up a couple of notches!!
unfortnately for me the format is already set and i'm really nothing more than a lecturing proctor.
almost 2 years ago i switched from full-time carpenter/part-time potter to part-time teacher/part-time potter. i definitely took a paycut. i really enjoyed that work but it's hard on the body and i rarely had the energy to work in the studio for more than an hour or two.
Post a Comment