Here’s the finished chestnut Boreas that I mentioned in a previous posting about being the “mistake” horse—missing his pinto markings. The person I was glazing this Boreas for decided to go with another color completely (since I was going to start over anyway) so this piece is now for sale. I received more than a few offers to buy him therefore the most fair way is to list him at auction. The auction ends on Friday. Thank you!

I just realized today that I need to take the rest of the year off.

My brother called me this morning to tell me that he had received my other brother’s family gift. I somehow got the boxes’ addresses switched. (Fortunately they both live in Tucson, so they can do a swap!)

Last week I got all excited because a couple of my Keeshond tiles sold immediately when listed on Etsy, so I put colored art glaze on the other 4 tiles I had made, and the glaze was too thick and they were ruined. (I had put the glaze on those first 3 too thin and had to put more on and re-fire them. Then they were fine. So I thought this time I could tell how thick the coat should be… NOT!)

Yesterday I was preparing to contact the owner of the above pictured almost-completed dappled chestnut “Boreas”. I looked up the commission details only to discover that this guy was supposed to be dark flaxen chestnut PINTO!! I can’t believe I totally forgot to do the pinto markings. Now I have to email the owner and see if she wants him non-pinto. If not, I have to start over and also find a buyer for this one.

I was supposed to get another china commission finished this month, and it isn’t even started. In fact I had several goals to complete by the end of this year which didn’t get done. I have to finally admit that I have been so distracted these last couple months! I think I am already over in England in my mind and I’ve been dropping the ball on other more immediate stuff!

So, I have declared a moratorium on accomplishing anything important through Dec 31st, and it might just extend until we get Paul on the plane the 2nd week of January. I have to think hard in the next little while about how much china commission work I should realistically take on before May. I am already feeling pressured with what I have on the books and that is a guaranteed joy-killer when it comes to painting. And I need to finish the two sculptures I have started, to take to England where I can get them molded for ceramics. That is a MUST.

I’m flying to upstate NY tomorrow (maybe, that is… the weather is NOT forecast to be very good in the northeast). I will be forced not do anything but get my head back on straight for the next 4 days which will be a good thing!

I want to thank all 25 people who took the time and effort to enter my little essay contest this month.

I read them and pondered them over the last 2 days, and I decided that I can’t decide. I set myself up with a contest that is entirely too subjective to be judged by me. (Which is why I’ll never be a teacher or a critic or even judge anything anymore. Writing, like art, is so intensely personal, who am I to say someone’s work is good or bad? I know, I’m too soft-hearted and wishy washy, but there it is.)

I really thought all the entries were wonderful, especially how articulate they were within the 50-word stricture! And it really did help me to gain insights into what ceramic horses means to at least a small slice of my customer base. It pretty much mirrors my own reasons for loving both the subject and the media so much, that it’s all I want to create now! So I thank you again for participating.

Back to “not choosing”. I decided to put all the entries into a lottery and let the Boyz decide. I have chosen a lottery in the past this way, with my previous dog Panda, and it is a total hoot. I wrote the names of all 23 entries (sadly I had to eliminate 2 for going over the 50 word limit) onto string tags, tied them to dog biscuits, put them on a plate and let the dogs choose 3 biscuits. Kit chose twice and Kanab chose once. (Kanab is the greedy and impetuous one and he dived in so hard it was all I could do to keep him from not taking 3 biscuits in his mouth at the same time!!) Kit, being ever so much more polite and dignified, waited there to be asked to take a biscuit, so I let him do it twice.

Kit with one of his choices (after I pulled it out of his mouth!)

The “Hadrian” goes to: Vanessa Jones
The “Boreas” Head goes to: Vonda Shilling
The KLF mare and foal medallion goes to: Sharon Sherwood

If the winners would email me, we can discuss what color you’d like your pieces to be glazed next month.

We’re off to upstate NY for Christmas with Paul’s parents this week. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and my best wishes to you and yours for a healthy, happy, and prosperous (recession-free I hope!!) New Year.

PS: Paul now has a new start date for his job in the UK: Jan 12th. So I get him for a few more weeks. The Brit Gov’t must have all taken off for the holiday because they haven’t approved his work papers yet. Supposedly any day now…! As soon as that happens we will have to fly to Houston for an interview with the British Embassy! (Houston is the closest US city to us with an embassy.) So we’ll have to drop everything and go do that probably the week after Christmas if the approval comes this week.

Just a quick note to let you know that I’ve listed three Keeshond tiles, in pretty art-glaze colors, to my ETSY shop!

I thought you might like to see how the “Phoenix” and the “Sabiha” turned out. These were supposed to be September commissions so I am VERY glad to finally see them going to their owners!