It has been a very full year with the usual variety of experiences.
As it is the start of a new year it seems appropriate to take a look at the how the time passed for us over the last 12 months.
January
I opened my online store for Lilli Pilli Studio
It has been a great thing to do in connection with my website and it has been quite well received.
NB: There is not much available on there at present as I have not had a lot of time to replenish it with new work and photograph it since the middle of the year.
But stay tuned as I will be rectifying this within a couple of weeks!
Resolution number 1.
I also did a figurative workshop with Cristina Cordova
and I took one of my students, Kellie, along for the ride.
February
Classes started for the year at Lilli Pilli Studio.
A Wednesday class and a Saturday morning class and a special private class on Saturday afternoons for a lovely HSC student doing a ceramic Sculpture as her major work.
My daughter started uni and moved into uni accommodation
it seemed like a new chapter had begun.
My next semester at uni also began.
March
Grand son turning 3
and grand children turning 6
using some of my drawings
and made some ceramic crayons
I brought home my Steve Harrison mobile wood fire kiln
which I had ordered a year before. EXCITING!
April
We had a beautiful wedding to attend
<3 <3
for these two special people, Rachel and Mark
may your lives be full of love and laughter
and I hung out with my buddy Adrianna
at a workshop
with Sandy Lockwood
And there was these precious people to hang out with too
I can't leave them out!
May
Term 2 at Lilli Pilli Studio
continued with classes on Wednesday,
Friday evening and Saturday Classes
I was putting together some Udu drums for an up coming pit fire
and this little grand daughter/princess turned 5
We went away for a few days to the place we were married.
The environment remains rejuvenating and beautiful
but we were disappointed with the tizzy renovations to what had been simple but quirky cabins
and I am not sure how they felt about me working with clay on their pretty verandah.
June
Attended a raku workshop at Steve Harrison and Janine Kings Pottery with Kellie
My lovely father in-law had a 90th birthday
July
We had the annual winter 'alternate firing workshops'
during the term break at Lilli pilli Studio.
A great time was had by all and lots of lovely pots came out too.
It was great to welcome NAS grads and students to share in the weekend with us
and also some of Valeria's extended family
After the workshop came ....
Term 3 at Lilli Pilli Studio
More classes and new students started this term with
Classes on Wednesday, Friday morning and evening and Saturdays
Such a great bunch !
.............
Sadly my husband's Aunty Pat died in July
she was a kind hearted and highly intelligent woman
who's company we always enjoyed
..............
August
We had the Open Studio Event
with some of my sister Karin's works
and my daughter in-law Emma's works
and some of mine
There was so much happening with kids throwing on the wheels
and hand building and me doing demos
but I was too busy to take many photos!
Then off to Canberra for a theory course at uni
'Arguing The Objects'
and time to stock up on clay
September
Working away on essays
and enjoying family
This little grand son turned 3
and this guy (my second son) turned 37
................
My last living Aunty died,
Aunty Phyllis so an important trip to Gunnedah
was made for her funeral and some time in the
country was a good shake out.
...............
Spring in the garden and the orchids doing well
October
Term 4 at Lilli Pilli Studio
classes and students increased with
a new class started on Mondays
14 students in all per week
Gosh!
But we all had a great time!
Starting school in the New Year
Orientation day for my second grand daughter
Station Street Store becomes my first stockist
November
My youngest had her 20th birthday
No more teenaged kids for this mother!
and she had her first paid gig
December
the final weeks of classes
with lots of student pots to fire before Christmas
and a major kiln fail
UGGGGHHHH!!!!
cooking
What a HUGE year!
It has not been too bad for us
There is always the ups and downs, stresses and delights.
That is how life works isn't it?
Life, death, sadness, happiness all going on at the same time.
Sometimes there is too much of one but we have to take what comes our way.
There are lots of birthdays I haven't covered here
and lots of other events and occasions
but that is always the way with a big life and a big family
so this is just a bit of a taste.
Now that the festive season is done
my focus has come back to cleaning up and reorganising the studio.
Due to the retirement of my kiln
I have had to put a hold on classes for the first half of 2018
So over the last few days I have been shaping my work space just for me.
I will try to repair my old 'Harry Kiln' and sell it as a going concern during January/February
I will then use my Steve Harrison kiln with gas for my own work
and once a kiln that is big enough for teaching is installed I will start classes later in the year.
I will miss my teaching but it will be nice to focus on my own work for a while too.
As it is New Years Day today
I will start the year off with a day of making in the studio.
This year my resolution is to write a blog post at least once a month
so that I don't have such a huge post to do at the end of the year!
Happy 2018 to you all
Let the work begin!
Hi Sadhana what a busy life you lead, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy that time to focus on your own work before starting classes again.
Happy New Year!
Thanks Anna,
Deletetrying to do just that.
xxx