Last Day, Already

It's hard to believe a month has already passed. And, at the same time, it's amazing I've accomplished so much in just a month. I can only imagine how great it would be to come here for 3 months, to have time to test glazes and adjust to new clay and try different kilns and make so many things. I've been asked by a few members of the staff if I will come back again sometime and stay longer, and I have told them all that I would love to. Because, of course I would! This is such an amazing place to work.

So, yesterday I bought boxes, and packing materials, and more glaze to bring home. After I fired Tuesday, then again yesterday I took pictures of all of my finished work. There's a sort of "photo studio" set up outside under the awning... it's just two platforms painted white, which were from Nel's earlier displays, but they work remarkably well for photos in the daylight. I used some of the photos to apply to the 5th World Ceramic Biennale of 2009 in Korea (at the very last minute, too - applications were due on the 30th!), and packed up those pieces. The staff met this morning and decided which one of the others they'd like to have for the museum - I felt bad they could not choose from them all, but I've already sent in applications, and what would I do if a piece got accepted, but it was in the collection here? They chose the one which I've been calling East/West II, and I think it was a good choice. I'll be happy to know it is here. So, beyond all that, I've just been trying to finish up more photos, more packing, more paperwork, some cleaning... This is my last day, and there's all these little things to do. I'll ship a couple of boxes of work home later today, clean up my work space and my room, and leave early tomorrow morning. It's amazing how much faster time flies by when there's some kind of deadline involved!

I'm amused, looking back on this blog, to see how much longer my posts became as I got busier and actually sat down to write here less often. It's become a bit of a photo journal, really, but what I've been doing is so visual, of course words could not suffice to explain it all. Ah, well, back to work. I'll try to say a bit more here later, before I go home. I also have every intention of continuing to post every once in awhile, even though my residency will be over. With any luck, there will be updates about exhibitions, the safe arrival of the work I've shipped home, and other news related to all I've done this month! Besides, I suppose I should post some of the final photos of the pieces, shouldn't I?!