Birds are my theme for the season; here are last week's gifts from the kiln gods. Each of us can identify with these beautiful beasts on so many levels. Whether a lofty bird of prey or a songbird, they represent freedom, grace, love, strength, eternity, and happiness. All the emotions we associate with the holidays.

Happy Fall! I hope you're enjoying the season's color as much as I am. I'm also super excited to be back to normal at the studio. Here are the results of my first glaze firing of just making work for fun. I've lots of drawing to do before ArtWalk, new bird plates, more lamps, and tiles.

By the week's end, I'll have the sculptures finished. After that, I'll be glazing away until the Boylan Heights ArtWalk on December 4th, from noon to five. Now's the time to place custom orders.

I've been glazing new work, cleaning the studio, buying beverages, and planning treats for our Open House and Demonstration Day. There will be no tricks at this event, and no costumes are necessary.

We, Liz Kelly Pottery, Xena Electra Ceramics, and Bosetti Art Tile and Pottery, are having our first post-Covid Open Studio and Demonstration Day this month. Liz will be outside throwing, Xena will be inside pinching, and I'll be coil-building birds in my studio. We are tickled pink to be hostesses again and invite you in.

I haven't been working a lot, but I've built a challenging project I started Thursday that I'd like to share with you.

Showing up has kept me inspired for years. And that's what I've been doing since returning from Paris. But the inspiration hasn't come.

That got me thinking about why they were copying instead of using the real thing. That led me to the history of kaolin, or China clay.

In ceramics, "D" is for defltware–the world-famous blue and white earthenware pottery. Although Deflt is a town in Holland, delftware describes all 'tin-glazed earthenwares' made in the Netherlands and the British Isles.

July is a colorful time of year. My garden reminds me morning and evening as I go between home and studio—filled with shades of pinks, plums, reds, and oranges; it's a blaze with color and texture.

I'm working on a set of stair raisers (the vertical element in a set of stairs, forming the space between one step and the next) for a customer in Florida. It involves using the glazes as watercolors and a Spanish galleon.

We woke up ecstatic; the plan was to walk to the Eiffel Tower in our spiffy duds and have a relaxing lunch at Le Jules Verne.

I've been laughing at myself these last two weeks as I've watched myself procrastinate going back to work. Here's how I've done it.

I got home from my Paris vacation last Sunday. It's Wednesday now, and all I've done is unpack, do my laundry, and clean the bedroom.

What I mean by a "real vacation" is that it's more than a week; it's someplace new, and it has an element of adventure.

Why am I promoting the Arboretum's event? Because they've brought back the Birdhouse competition, and I want you to go see my entry.

Many cultures honor the sun, from the ancient Egyptians to our own native Americans. As the national flower of Ukraine, sunflowers are enchanting, which is why I've made a selection of tiles with the proceeds going to Sunflower for Peace.

I was wondering how to get back into my creative flow when I saw another artist's feed with @JoanneHawker's #MarchMeetTheMaker2022 challenge.

Customers always ask, and artists dread to answer, "How long did it take?" It's a tricky question to answer. Rarely do clay people work on one piece at a time.

I am finally over the hump with relearning how to throw a platter. I wish I could say the same about trimming them, follow along for my failures and successes.