I Am Channeling My Inner Child. Or At Least The Inner Child I Wish I Had

Happy Fish, Version 2 was out of the kiln when I got to pottery today. I do believe I have found what I was born to do. As applies to pottery, anyway. I can now dedicate my entire life (in pottery class) to making more and more of them, each one different, each one happy. 
Everyone in the class liked it a lot. It's so very different than what anyone else is doing. Also? I believe that my enjoyment in making fish is evident. I've quit stressing about trying to achieve any sort of perfection. Coloring between the lines is okay! It can be interesting! There can be happy accidents! 
This one is somewhat larger than the first fish spoon rest I made and I put more time in it. 

Barbara Rogers from When I Was 69, asked such a great question in a comment on my post from yesterday. She said, "When I looked at your children's art, I wondered about how a child sees his/her own works. When I was making stick figures and rainbows, did I see them as if they were comparable to the other paintings around the house, or was I thinking I could not make that kind of art yet but would learn to someday?"

I had not really thought about that. I have thought about the fact that when young children give you a piece of art they've made, they don't muddle about, insisting that whatever it is they're giving you is not very good and blah, blah, blah. They just give you the art, you thank them sincerely, you put it up on the wall, they are proud, and that is that. 
I want to be like that! Here! Here's what I've made! Isn't it great?

And even saying that, I feel embarrassed and ashamed to be so braggy about such a funny little piece of pottery. 
Oh well. Tough shit. 

Here's my flower bowl which is on the shelf, waiting its turn in the kiln. 

The way I glazed the fish was to use underglaze and then give it a coat of clear glaze over it. Underglaze is great in that the color you see coming out of the jar is very close to the color you will see on the object after it's been in the kiln. I used regular glazes on this flower bowl, however, and those colors are sometimes not even vaguely related to how they will look after firing. 
It's always "hope for the best." I feel like every piece that comes out of the kiln is a surprise party, all on it's own. 

If the flower bowl comes out nicely, I will definitely add more of those to my repertoire. I truly enjoy making them and they are more fussy and require more careful concentration when it comes to the construction of the piece. 

I guess what I'm saying is that I had a great time at pottery today although my new friend Lizzie is in FRANCE and so was not there and we missed her. Being in France is a pretty good excuse for missing a class though. 

After class Jessie and I went to Midtown Pizza where May works. I wanted to give her the shoes I'd cleaned up, and the greens I'd picked for her. 
I'm so glad we went, even though I discovered that the greens resting on the cold pack I'd put into the freezer bag with them had frozen! What?! 
As I said about fifty times today, "La-di-dah."
She can cook them in a soup if she wants and they will be fine like that although I had wanted her to be able to make a delightful salad with them. 
Sigh. 

Jessie and I shared some pizza which was delicious, a basil-based pie with eggplant and onions and garlic and feta and all that really, really good stuff. We also got some chicken on it. It seemed to be a special day at Midtown Pizza with a large table of regulars who, May may or not have told us, may or may not have been members of the Florida Supreme Court. 
What ho! 

So that was all excellent and we got to talk with May as she polished silverware as we chatted. The restaurant was all decorated for the season and a giant Santa was involved. 
I mean giant. 

It was fun and it was good and I got to hug May for a long, strong time. 

Mr. Moon is on his way home. The roof is done. 

Looks good, doesn't it? 
He is going to be so proud to have his fishing buddies come and stay with him there. 

I should probably make a Happy Fish spoon rest for the cabin. One with a hole in the tail so that it can be hung next to the stove as a little whimsy. 
One step at a time. 

Love...Ms. Moon