In progress// First draft for nose, lips, cheeks and ready to move onto those eyes. The finicky work of moving and building up clay is bananas (this is 5x speed!!) but oh so rewarding. These eyes are on the sculpting table first thing tomorrow. 👁️👁️ . . #humansculpture #pinchpot #sculpture #potteryprocess #ceramics #potteryvideo #sculpting #facepot #facesculpting

No Easy Button // My head said “this clay isn’t made for this bashy work, WHAT ARE YOU DOING” and my heart said “PFFFT” and some quote about getting to success faster if you steam through the failures. Or something. My head wasn’t really listening. Pinch pots from super soft porcelain, this could be really cool. Or a learning experience. . We’ll find out later which was right: ️ or 🧠 once these firm up a bit for sculpting faces. . Happy 2023! May your heart’s desires guide you (isn’t the journey the most important part anyway?) . . #pinchpots #headpots #handbuiltpottery #potteryprocess

Throwing a yarn bowl. Note the technique using a piece of scrap paper to seal the opening, creating a vacuum to keep the pot stable as I take it off the wheel. Don’t have bats? No problem! . #yarnbowl #ceramicart #ceramicarts #ceramicartist #modernceramics #ceramica #keramik #wheelthrownceramics #pottery #handthrown #potterybowl #potteryprocess #pottersofinstagram #potteryvideo #potteryvideos #claylife #pottery #functionalpottery #potteryprocess #pottersofinstagram #potterytip #oddlysatisfying

Planning patterns isn’t something I often do. I usually set up a pot in front of me and then carve my garden into the surface. But today I had an idea so I’m sketching it out. STARS STARS STARS. . Do you like the top or bottom illustration better? . # #potteryprocess #drawing #illustration #artisttok #claycarving #ideas #art #yyc #Alberta #pencildrawing #carving

After // Fresh from the kiln. ️ The skin tones are much richer than I could hope for and I’m so thrilled. The mix between pupil and non-pupil pots is really working for me. I’m now ready to glaze the rest of this batch of sweethearts to ready them for adoption. I will have these at the Inglewood nightmarket in Calgary mid September and in the online shop afterwards. Those red lips on the third friend are so vibrant and I’m here for it but I’m tempted to add some gloss rather than the matte What do you think? . . . #pinchpots #handbuiltpottery #pottery #ceramics #headpots #facepots #faceplanters #littlepots #handbuilding #sculpture #yyc #yycart #AlbertaMade

TOMORROW FEB 26 – I’ll be outlining how to open an Etsy store, what bits to fill in, how to do listings and tags, what photos are best for customer trust, setting up shipping, and how to fulfill a sale when it comes. I’ll also help you interpret what the FEES (oh the drama around fees), stats, and reports mean on the Etsy platform. . I’ve been on Etsy for 10 years with over 1360 sales (that’s thousands of items!). Let my battle scars help you out if you’re considering selling online with this easy but robust platform. . Registration $5 for APA members, $35 for non-members, link in bio. I’ll also have a 40 free listing referral code for those in attendance to start their shops. 🧡 . #EtsyCalgary #EtsyAlberta #Etsy #EtsyHowTo #ArtistsOnline. . [Accessibility text: image with the following text How to Sell on Etsy Expert Cara Carter Saturday Feb 26 10am-11am MST Alberta Potters Association Learn – How to set up an account, How to set up your policies, How to use tags and descriptions that help customers BUY, Photos that will help your item SELL, plus other tips and tricks such as how to be seen and drive traffic to your work. February 2022 ONLINE Workshop]

Faces // I worked on more small pinch pot faces during our brief hot weather spike this past weekend. Now as the weather chills as May long approaches, I’m cleaning up these cheeks and pondering the sizes of the pots. This larger one is significantly larger than the two in the last set, which I like for larger plants. I adore the unruly hair that plants add to give these pots their real finishing touches.#canadianceramics #sculpture #pinchpots #pottery Posted by Intagrate Lite

Testing // Jason made a new bat system for me because our beloved supplier Ceramics Canada is out of stock. We had a box of bisque tiles laying about, so we're making due with those as the bats. So far, it's working great although it will take more practice for me to pull the clay up from the tile that is so close to the bat that holds it. And to remember to keep the bisque wet enough so my mug doesn't SURPRISE! pop off while I'm throwing. I'll call the first run using these small bats a success and I'm looking forward to trying more this weekend. …#batsystem #throwingbats #bisquetiles #canadianceramicsstudio #albertapotters #testing #neverstoplearning.[image description: A line of five freshly throwing pottery mugs made of white clay, each on a square bisque tile.] Posted by Intagrate Lite

Stress // To combat stress, I've found a couple of techniques that are serving me very well. The first, I have been painting pumpkins (see my igTV video from Sept 20 for instructions so you can too!) They are getting teenier. It is the calmest way that I've ever combated inner angst.I've also, for those looking for a more aggressive outlet, taken to always answering the phone when it rings. When a scammy phone call comes in such as CRA warning they are arresting me, I press 1 to be connected to the human scammer, close my eyes, take a deep cleansing majestic breath, and push all my horrifying anger into the telephone in the longest loudest from-my-toes scream that I can muster, then hang up before they can respond. I feel better using both of these techniques. If you live with others, warn them before you try #2 or they do come running. ..[Image description: a white hand holding thick watercolour paper square. On the square is a painting of a single orange pumpkin with green stem. A sunflower can be seen in the background behind the hand]..#combatfraud #covidstress #backtoschool #SaveAISH #watercolourpainting #pumpkin Posted by Intagrate Lite

Do any art // My many parts have come down with some sort of illness, or I've eaten something off, or aliens have implanted something fun, and then my head, never one to be left out, has begun to ache so I'm not able to turn to electronic amusements this evening to distract myself. In my woeful wailing, and caterwauling tantrum of wanting to do things, I'm working on wee cards for an exchange. I just want to send Encouraging Pumpkins to everyone in the world. I'm writing on each card some of what I'd like to hear, especially today.Have you ever done a card or gift exchange with strangers? Do you have any encouraging phrases that my pumpkins can impart to their recipients? I'd love some assistance to make these pumpkins a welcome gift.Not seen in the photo is the amazing glittery fabulousness of @ffrench watercolour pans I'm using in combination with the set that my mother gave me, which is seen in photo. #watercolor #ink #postcard #cardexchange #spoopy #pumpkin #lsg..[Image description: watercolour set next to a small painting on paper of an orange pumpkin with text "spoopy pumpkin is proud of you. Also happy Halloween." There is another painting on paper of an orange pumpkin tucked behind.] Posted by Intagrate Lite

Bees on igTV // I made a couple of bee mugs on the Sunday Live this morning if you want to pop over to our igTV and take a peek. Maybe I should be finishing painting the inside AND outside of our house but also, these bee mugs need to become a reality. 🖤🖤Our Sunday lives are not as regular during the summer because we'd rather be out camping WITH the bees but we are still on when we get the chance. What are you doing on your Sunday?#handbuilding #ceramics #beemug #plainsmanclay #potteryvideos #handbuildingvideos #clay #handbuiltpottery Posted by Intagrate Lite

Anniversary Present For You // We were married 21 years ago this month. I find this jarring and surreal since we're only emotionally 21 years old (which is a stretch). We're having a 15% off sale to "celebrate" July 1-24, hurry while supplies last. Link to shop in profile. #yychandmade #yycartists #handmadebuttons #pottery #canadianceramics #anniversary #slippersoles #slippers #sweatermugs Posted by Intagrate Lite

All of my sketchbooks have in-progress drawings of fish right now. Real ones, imaginary ones, cartoony ones, realistic ones. Live for a month with near daily swimming among fish (and often multiple times per day), and it makes my brain want nothing but to be back among creatures of the sea and that watery peace. A sergeant general fish hasn't come up to my face to say hello for over a week and I'm quite forlorn about the whole thing. I suspect that my pots might be covered in fish after our annual "Clean This Terribly Messy Studio" event this week as we prepare to hurl ourselves into 2020, inspired and ready to get some fun new things on our shop shelves. #puertomorelos #watercolorpencil #ink #inprogress #fish #watercolourpencil #fishdrawing #art #artpractice Posted by Intagrate Lite

Unloading the kiln and so very happy with the variety of bowls in this firing for #prairiefibrefestival this weekend! Each bowl is a one of a kind sculpture, whether starting as thrown or handbuilt structure. I’m excited to share my favourites as they cool. #yarnbowls #potteryforknitters #ceramics #ceramiccarving Posted by Intagrate Lite

Yarn bowl with sedum. The bowl will be coming with me to @PrairieFibreFestival and the sedum will keep doing what it does best: being pretty. #yarnbowl #prairiefibrefestival #canadianceramics #albertamade #albertaceramics #ceramics #potteryforknitters #sedum Posted by Intagrate Lite