Long day, end of a long weekend. Pricing today for the Holiday Shoppe is almost done. Also getting ready to set up at Augusta City Hall- a 2-D show with 2-3 other artists. I am very tired today... that's what happens when I run around trying to get everything done in one day. I am in the process of packing the wheel to take to the Flea Market so I can do clay demonstrations. With today's economy one can only be creative in getting people to buy and my hopes are that when they see the work done-in this case the pot made-they will buy the pot! Come on over and see the demos. I start on Dec 7-8 and will continue until whenever... it really is fun to see!

yours, k;o)

Holiday Pottery Shoppe

Here is the postcard for the Christmas Sale...Sorry the top piece is sideways-couldn't figure it out....but the picture has the pertinent info! Hope to see ya there!

It's Tuesday Morning....

...and it feels more like Monday. Made a dozen small coffee mug pendants because I was wearing mine at the flea market and several people made comments about it. I saw a pair of earrings that were mugs and really liked them so I decided that since I had made the little coffee mug I could actually turn it into a pendant. It works pretty well. I will post a picture of it asap so you can give me feedback on it!

Yesterday I made the banana bread and the cranberry bread for Thanksgiving. It will be an interesting year since this year I do not have the food issues I have had in the past 6 years! Meaning that (for those who don't know me) I had a lapband put in 6 years ago-almost 7 and it failed. No I didn't fail it it failed me...it turned out that it was not even connected to the esophagus at all. Any way it caused me to vomit every solid food I tried to eat and towards the end I couldn't even drink comfortably. Last January they took it out-new Doctor- and converted me to gastric by-pass because the stomach was black-dead- and needed to heal. I have lost 120 pounds since and several of my medications have gone bye-bye! I am able to eat better and feel great! So this year I have much to be thankful for and I am!

Up-Coming Shows

HEY everyone, here is where you can find me until December 2009!!

Currently until whenever- Winthrop Flea and Craft Sale, Rte 202 Winthrop Maine, Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

December 4- December 13 2009: Opening 5-8 p.m. Friday December 4th Harlow Gallery's 8x10x80 Show. Harlow Gallery, 160 Water ST., Hallowell, Maine. All works in show are $80.00. This is a fundraiser for our gallery-come enjoy the artwork by many Maine artists!

December 11-December 24 2009: Central Maine Clay Artists Holiday Shoppe, OPEN: everyday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. except Christmas Eve-December 24th-OPEN 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.! Come get great art for you and your loved ones from SANTA!

wood for sale

Just in case there are any artists/carpenters/wood lovers out there we have a very large barn full of wood for sale-all types of wood- wooden legs, table tops, bureau pieces, planks---you name it we have it ---AND its all for sale! we are trying to move it out so we can finish the pottery studio in there!

If you are interested please call and leave your name and phone number so we can get back to you at 207-495-3140. Please-only serious buyers call.

You can also find me at the Winthrop Flea and Craft Sale every weekend-Saturday and Sunday 8-4. Its on Rte 202 in Winthrop. Stop in and see me!

LeeLee's Pots

This is my 2 yr old granddaughter Leigh Anne-LeeLee to me. She does not like to get dirty but when she came over to gammies house and I asked if she'd like to play with the clay at first she said "nooooo!" So I gave it to my daughter in law who dropped it. LeeLee picked it up and as is opften the case with hesitation her eyes lit up like no tomorrow, so I asked her again-"LeeLee would you like to play with the clay?" She nodded her head fast up and down and said "Ye-es!" in only a Mainer's way and came to me. I made a palce in front of my wheel and placed her there. Then I center a wedge of clay and placed her hands where they needed to be and turned the wheel on. Her eyes lit up and she started smiling! I pushed my thumb down into the center and said "now watch gammy"... and showed her how to pull the clay up. Then I put more water on her hands and she did as I had done. This continued until the pot was made. She loved it. She did everything exactly as I did. Her hands when she wasnt copying me fell to the clay as if she had been doing it for years instead of it being her first time. I am so proud of her. She will go places with this new found endeavor and by the time-if gammy has any say-she is 5 years old she will have her own brand of pots! That's my LeeLee!

I have often felt that I was born to live in the water. It doesnt matter whether or not it is the ocean or fresh water water is where i feel most at home. many pieces of my art work reflect this connection the water. These pendants where made from pressing real and manufactured ocean life into a piece of clay to create the mold and from there new clay was pressed into the mold to create the pieces. It is a process but once the molds are made I can then recreate the pieces in any form I wish. It is in this manner that I feel a kinship with the print making process as I do the same thing when making my print plates.

New Venture 11/17/2009

Hello.
My name is Karen S. Kelly-Philbrick.
I am in my mid forties, married and have three wonderful kids and 3.25 grandchildren, 6 fish and 2 cats. I am an artist by trade and am just starting my own studio. My art is primarily about making pottery but I have ventured into printmaking and sculpture with plaster and steel. Some day when my studio is established I will bring these different arts together creating uniguely individual pieces. Many people who know me say my pottery has a touch of George Ohr-(sp) a potter who died in the 1800's.

I would like to use this space as a way to show my work and let you all get to know me as an artist. This way I feel that I am contributing to the world's knowledge of the arts in my own creatively ecclectic way. Soon I will have some pics of my work and look forward to hearing from you about them.

Welcome to my world!