A disappearing month, a show, pinch pots, two large vases and still no bumblebees

Where did March go?

In three days, Clay on my mind will be one year old. Yes, one year ago, on the 4th of April, I sent out my first letter to a total of four (4!) people, which included my mother and my husband... Today’s letter is the 39th of its kind and it is being sent to 124 subscribers who, unlike my mother and my husband, actually did sign up for it! Isn’t that cool? And it’s all thanks to you!

Some weeks ago, I posted this Note on the Substack app. To celebrate Clay on my mind’s anniversary, I will be sending out an email to everyone where I write pretty much the same and extend the deadline of my offer until the end of April. If you use the Substack app you can check the Note (if you haven’t seen it already); if you don’t, you will soon receive the email (I promise this will be one of the rare times I will use your email address to message you as opposed to sending you these posts which also live on the website).

In the meantime, on to today’s letter.

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March has come and gone. Did it also run away from you? For a month with 31 days, it felt pretty short. It was also the driest March I can remember and not very cold but not warm either. Is it Spring yet? Though some butterflies are already out and about, the ladybugs I’ve encountered, though awake, still look drowsy, and I am yet to see a bumblebee or hear its welcome buzz.

My garden seems as reluctant as the weather. The crocuses and snowdrops are dying back, and the narcissus and violets are going strong. But otherwise, only a few pulmonaria have flowered. Even the primroses stayed shyly hidden. The greens of the tulips are out but no sign of blooms. Same for the trees; none seems eager to wake up and all are tightly holding theirs buds close. Even the forsythia. Though, technically, that one is a bush.

My garden also looks like I feel. Slow and sluggish and reluctant to let go of Winter. Usually, I am eager to get out and bask in the Spring light and gentle warmth but not this year. I want the dark mornings and long nights to stay a while longer. I would like more days of hot evening tea. I would like more chances to wear my woollen hat and my long coat.

But time and the seasons stop for no woman and — though the day is dark and heavy with clouds today — actual Spring, the Spring you feel as opposed to the Spring you mark on the calendar, which is already 11 days old, will arrive soon enough. I probably have one more week of woollen-hat-wearing days.

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Since my previous letter was different than usual, I owe you in fact about a month’s worth of updates… Quite a few things did happen worth mentioning during this Speedy Gonzalez-esque month.

First, there was the small show I had at a local gallery together with a friend who makes jewellery.

It happened over the second weekend of March, during International Women’s Day, and, I have to say it was a very cool opportunity. It could have been even better had I not come down with the strongest migraine I’ve had in a long time (I have written before about these here).

On Saturday, though already in pain, I was able to be at the gallery, probably looking the worse for wear but still able to function, meet people and talk about my pots, so that was pretty good. Until I got home. After that and the whole of Sunday is a blur of excrutiating pain, darkness, half-sleep and vomit, so that was less good. I did sell the large platter you see on the second picture (to the lady that is holding it on the last picture), so that was pretty amazing.

Then, in the studio, I ran some workshops — two mums and their young daughters. I wasn’t sure about having two (three, if you count me) adults and two children in my studio at the same time, but it turned out well, and now I know the maximum occupancy of my small home studio which will come in handy in the future. They booked four two-hour sessions (of which they have used three), and seem to be having a lot of fun.

These sessions are also a great opportunity for me to practice my Polish, as the ladies don’t speak English. I do my best, they are very kind and understanding, and in general I do ok. But I do wish I could communicate better with the girls.

Last but by no means least, I also got busy with making new pots.

From under the sink, I dug out the clay my neighbour found in the pile of sand she ordered for the construction of a new extension and kindly gave me, which has been sitting there since I last used some to make a slip and test how it would fire (you can see it on the tile labelled “Sand from Jola” if you scroll down to the picture of the sample tiles on this post). For clay that has sat in a bucket wrapped in plastic for at least one year if not more, this clay is surprisingly moist and only a bit mouldy. I cut out a chunk and made two small pinch pots. It was my way in, after so long without touching clay except during the workshops.

After that, I took out the white clay and decided to start making videos again. I recorded quite a lot while making a mug and then coil-building two large vases.

work in progress - cool-building two large vases

Now, I just need to find time to edit everything, put it together in a nice way that makes sense and, hopefully soon, I will have a couple more demo videos to post (these will be free for everyone to watch for one week before going behind the paywall).

In the coming days, I will be decorating the finished vases which are now slowly drying on the shelves. Shelves which are slowly filling up, mostly, it has to be said, with pieces from the workshops. And my two large vases. Soon it will be time to fire the kiln again.

Before I go, one more thing. I am slowly framing some of the rectangular panels I made. Previously, I used only a thin plywood board painted black, but for the more recent ones I am trying something new. An actual frame, with the glass removed.

Maybe not easy to judge from the photo but… what do you think?

And that is all for now. April will bring more workshops and more making. And at least two firings hopefully without any exploding pots. I will add some pots to my Etsy shop — a platter, a tray and an espresso set — so stay tuned for that. I will be busier in the garden but there will be time for clay. Of course there will.

Until then, thank you so much for reading and I will see you next time.

Sara xx

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If you would like to see my work

My Etsy store is a constant work in progress; I recently added a large sgraffito bowl and a small raku bowl to the listings. I am also on Instagram, though more and more I wish I weren’t.

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