2019 wasn't a good pottery year

Welcome to the first day of 2020!  Can't believe that this is my first post since last January?!  What'd happened to 2019?

Yes, just like the title says, 2019 really wasn't a good pottery year.  It started out strong in January and then it'd gone downhill.  :(

Last January, I kept in touch with the lady who interested in some plates and bowls.  I started making those plates back then, however, she'd written back to have those on hold.  It was perfectly fine for me as I was only seeking for new ideas.  I managed to make 7 plates and was quite pleased with them.

Unfortunately work got really busy in the first half of the year.  I did a lot of overtime and really didn't have time to make any new pieces.

Then the Summer came, many weekends were spent on the golf courses.  Again pottery didn't make it to the priority list.

So, did I make anything else?  Yes I did.  The motivation came from signing up for my annual pottery show with the Ottawa Guild of Potters.  In October (after I signed up for the show), I started to spend more time in the studio.  I was able to have a total of 43 pieces made this year which was reasonable as I really only spent 3 months on it.

Getting ready for the show is always challenging, however, I was able to get everything ready the weekend prior to the show.  It made the show a lot less stressful (especially comparing it with the one in 2018 where I stayed up past 11pm to get everything ready the night before).  

The show went really well, I guess with the combination of the Christmas Market and the time (mid-December), everyone was in the mood to shop.  We had to open up the door early on Friday and stayed an extra hour on Friday night!  And the overall sale number for the guild went up quite a lot.  It was very encouraging for all of us at the show.

Just before the show, a customer reached out to me for a couple of votive candle holders in mysterious blue.  I will start working on them real soon.

Let's check the list from last year:

- I didn't do anything for Great Bowls of Fire :( and didn't check rather or not those bowls I made are acceptable

- I worked on the commission plates but just didn't sell

- I made quite a number of blue mugs (although they were done in the second half of the year :p) and 2 of them went to a very nice couple

- didn't make any new teapot or casserole, but I finally fired the teapot I made a couple of years ago

- I made some more espresso cups and a few of them went to new homes (I hope the owners like their cup of Java in the new cup)

Since I really didn't make pottery one of the priorities last year, I probably shouldn't make a list this year.  But I plan to still do my annual show, so I am sure I will make new pieces.

Bye for now.