MEUNIER LEE on thu 1 sep 11
=3D0AIt feels=3DA0a little odd to be reading about glass at this point=3D0A=
in my =3D
clay life.=3DA0 As described on Clayart recently, the=3D0Aglass fusion and =
slum=3D
ping methods were exactly how I=3D0Agot started in clay.=3D0A=3DA0=3D0ARece=
ntly ret=3D
ired way back when, I was looking for a=3D0A"hobby" to provide the challeng=
e =3D
I seemed to need=3D0Ain my life. I'd tried teaching=3DA0Outreach programs b=
ut=3D
=3D0Aalways wound up supervising student teaching.. for=3D0Avarious univers=
itie=3D
s.=3DA0 Once I got over myself as a=3D0Acollege,university teacher, I reali=
zed =3D
that I was doing=3D0Athe job I'd done for many years and for a lot less pay=
.=3D
=3D0AThen I developed my own program and offered=3D0Aworkshops teaching tea=
cher=3D
s how to navigate the=3D0Anew demands facing the classroom teacher .=3DA0 T=
hat=3D
=3D0Awas fun for awhile; the money flowed in my=3D0Adirection; the attendee=
s se=3D
emed to be getting it.....=3D0Aand=3DA0I was working harder than ever doing=
bas=3D
ically=3D0Asome of the same tasks in the same style I'd offered=3D0Afor yea=
rs..=3D
..... =3D0A=3D0ATo the rescue as usual,=3DA0#1 Support Person took me to=3D=
0A=3DA0a W=3D
ood Show. Since I'd had many satisfactory hours in my=3D0Ayouth refinishing=
f=3D
urniture, he thought something=3D0Athere in Anaheim might spark my interest=
.=3D
=3DA0 He was=3D0Aright.=3DA0 Tucked in the back recesses of that great=3D0A=
hall was=3D
, as decribed here on Clayart, a small glass=3D0Afusing/slumping two day wo=
rk=3D
shop.=3DA0 At the=3D0Aend of the second day during which I'd "created"=3D0A=
two sm=3D
all bowls from scratch and purchased the=3D0Aequipment needed to continue w=
ha=3D
t I hoped would=3D0Abe an exciting endeavor, I won a kiln from a vendor....=
=3D
=3D0Aa Cress ^10 electric.... a large one. =3D0A=3D0AUpshot was that I slum=
ped on=3D
e kilnload of glass=3D0Abowls from manufactured molds, coupled with=3D0Adoz=
ens =3D
of tiny bits of colorful glass to be=3D0Aused for jewelry.=3DA0 THEN, so so=
on, =3D
I found the=3D0Aprospect of doing the same over&over&over=3D0Aagain to be b=
orin=3D
gly daunting.=3D0A=3D0ABUT I had that lovely kiln, recalled that once I'd=
=3D0Aser=3D
iously considered taking a ceramics class "up=3D0Aat the college," attended=
a=3D
local Open Studio Day=3D0Aas well as=3DA0a couple of Visiting Ceramic Arti=
st d=3D
emos ,=3D0Awas pointed in the direction of Clayart=3DA0 which was=3D0Anew, =
small =3D
in number... inviting.. friendly.....casual....=3D0Ahelpful with answers on=
ce=3D
I figured out the questions...=3D0Asooo welcoming.... attended my first NC=
EC=3D
A in=3D0ALas Vegas before I'd ordered any clay or bought a=3D0Abook or subs=
crib=3D
ed to CM.... squirmed my way into=3D0ARobin Hopper's two-week class on glaz=
e =3D
and colour=3D0Adevelopment on Vancouver Island where I was=3D0Acompletely l=
ost =3D
and madly in love... with Robin, with Randy=3D0ABroadnax who taught an exci=
ti=3D
ng class where they fired=3D0Aall night and welcomed drop-ins from other cl=
as=3D
ses.....=3D0Awith=3DA0the hundreds of passionate=3DA0professionals plus=3D0=
Ahobbyis=3D
ts=3DA0attending the quilting, printing, brush-making,=3D0A=3DA0throwing, f=
iring =3D
...=3D0A=3D0AAbove all, I found my niche!!=3DA0 It took several years to=3D=
0Acall m=3D
yself a "potter,"=3DA0 =3DA0not necessarily a "Good Potter,"=3D0Abut defini=
tely a=3D
n enraptured one.=3D0A=3D0AAll thanks to=3DA0the intense interest others ha=
d/have=3D
in=3D0Acolored glass......... =3D0A=3D0AJoyce=3D0AIn the Mojave desert of =
Californ=3D
ia U.S.A.=3DA0
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