Open Studios Helped Me Find My Way Back to Clay.

It had been a tough few years.  My dog died.  I broke my wrist and had to have surgery.  A roof leak repair tore apart my studio walls and floor.  My husband got laid off.  We were doing our best and I took every gig that came along to help make ends meet. 

One thing I knew in my heart even as my mind raced with fear, I would not give up on my art.

I’d been showing and selling my copper and screening masks and mixed media work for almost a decade.  But it was open studios that helped me stay on the art path and find my way back to clay. 

I opened my studio that weekend hoping to see new people, buoy my spirits and make a little money selling copper jewelry and masks.  I did all of that, but it was the encouragement and generosity of my visitors that helped me the most.

One couple, who had bought several of my masks at gallery shows, stopped by and noticed my clay sculptures scattered about my studio and home.  They asked why they hadn’t ever seen them before.  I told them, honestly, I’d given up on clay because I couldn’t afford to pay to have the clay fired and I didn’t have my own kiln.

Then, something amazing happened: the man gave me his kiln.  And months later, when I went to haul it home, he insisted I take his electric wheel, too.  My mind told me no, but my heart said yes.

I scraped together enough cash from my open studio sales to pay an electrician to put in a 220 line for the kiln and an kiln expert to do an inspection.

I used the kiln months later to fire some new clay masks, but the wheel was pushed into a corner of the garage collecting dust.  You see, I’d had wheel throwing classes as a teenager.   I failed miserably.  I walked away from the wheel, embarrassed and turned to hand building, which I did well.  I told myself that I had to have wheel throwing classes to use the wheel and at the time, I couldn’t afford them.

A year went by and I just started teaching a mask making class that made me exactly the same amount of money as one wheel throwing class.  Even though times at home were still tough, I decided I would sign up for that one class.  The day I was to start class, my husband got a full-time job.  I was able to take two years of classes.

Now many years have passed.  My life has changed for the better in so many ways.  My wrist is healed and strong.  I have Jilly, my lovely lab in my life. My husband is happy working at what he loves and so am I.  I still make masks and mixed media pieces.  But because of open studios I, now know that I can throw in clay, after all.

So when you open your studio, remember to open your heart as well, because you never know what wonderful people you’ll meet and amazing things that might happen for you, too.