This week is the last push, the last week of Clay Camp. There are kilns firing daily. Projects being glazed…Kids coming and going, waiting for finished shiny treasures to emerge from the hot kiln. Hectic and exciting and generally very gratifying.

So when Camp ends, I can return my focus to MY work in the studio. In preparation, I went into a frenzy of cleaning and organizing this past weekend. The basement hasnt been so clean since…the HGTV crew was here to film for an episode of "That’s Clever".  And that was 3 years ago. (No – my episode HAS NOT aired, and I have no clue…)

The glazing area on the left, and the main work zone in the foreground…

Molds, textures, stamps… tools of the trade.

Saturday was the ceramics studio. Putting things away. Throwing things away. Cleaning things. Sweeping! And no – didnt think to take "before" pictures until it was too late. Whew. A dirty dusty mess, and a great sense of accomplishment. The renewed space makes me anxious and eager to go there – and work!

Sunday: the beads. (See this post on bead madness…)

I am a Virgo. Organized to a fault. I know where everything is. And while I  agree with the adage:   ‘a cluttered desk is a sign of genius’  – I also like a blank canvas! To me the organizing is a step in the process; reacquainting oneself with your materials, seeing things in new combinations, letting ideas spark and hazy sketches for designs hover in your vision…I tend to work in  a cyclical fashion, and there is a great creative spell on the horizon… I will keep you posted!