a new leaf + lots of hearts

a new leaf for muddypotts



blu green leaf pot



and then i had to make a something for all those love birds out there...

 

RED hearts bowl and plate set

ready to paint



ready for paint


I have a couple shows in the works. One is at my favorite restaurant in Salida, The Fritz. I'm working to have a few new works done for an exhibit this spring. Another is at Regis University in Colorado Springs. My work will be displayed on a monthly rotation and the talk of a more formal showing is being discussed. With all this talk of exhibiting, I've been anxious to break out the paints! Lately when I paint big, I've been working on masonite. I love the smooth texture and how versatile it is when sizing it for a particular piece. My sweet man made me one today. Here are a couple pictures of what it looks like before gessoed:

the front without gesso



what the corners look like



 

So what have you been working on? I'd love to hear about it! 

MOO + MuddyPotts

 

Have you heard of MOO cards? If you have, I bet you love them as much as I do. If not, you're in for a treat! MOO cards are these amazing business cards. They are stunning in color and feel like a million bucks! I've been getting MOO cards for MuddyPotts for as long as we've been in business and today I was reordering office supplies. While I was checking my email this morning I found one from MOO offering 25% off your order from now until January 27th. I was bummed that I missed the last promo so I jumped on this one right away. Then I saw that they are offering FREE mini cards where you only have to pay for shipping. Oh boy! How cool is that?! You design 10 different cards that will be printed for your order. I have miniMOO cards for my samos ETSY shop and LOVE them, so you can see why I am SOOO excited to get 100 FREE ones for MuddyPotts. As if that in itself is not exciting enough, I have more to share...The FREE miniMOO cards I designed are actually customer appreciation cards that will be given out to my customers when they receive their order. I always send a handwritten thank you card with each order. Now when I ship out an order it will include one of the miniMOO cards that will offer either FREE SHIPPING, 20% off your next purchase, or a BOGO 1/2 OFF. They should be here the first of February! I can hardly wait!

meet mozzy

mozzy

 

Meet Mozzy our youngest kitto! Isn't he adorable?!?

there's that tail!

who's that handsome putty cat?

a wild paint

I'm a huge horse lover, so it comes natural for me to paint them when the mood strikes. Here is one of my latest works in watercolor:

a wild paint © samos 2013

and here it is as an art print

 



 a wild paint © samos 2013

s p l a s h

© samos 2013



 

a couple days ago i had a request for a splash plate.

i had so much fun glazing it i decided to glaze

a couple other pieces the same. 

i can't wait to pull them out of the kiln tomorrow!

 

© samos 2013

for the love of snow

from the studio

 

i love waking up to snow! it's so magical. soft. cold. falling from the sky...

my dad thinks i'm crazy because i love winter so much, but i know i'm not the only one. there are lots of people that love to play in the snow. and i just happen to be one of them. when i was in college, my brother taught me how to snow board. i loved going down the slopes with snow capped trees hovering over and the sun shining on my face. i have since given up the sport, but have picked up snowshoeing. since i love to hike it was the perfect alternative. i'm looking forward to more snowfall in the next few months...here's to LOTS of SNOW!!!



a slow start

i have big plans this year for muddypotts and for new works in the painting studio. i already told you that, right? well, i'm off to a slow start...but i'm trying my hardest to get back into the groove of things. for the last few days i've been out in the pottery studio working out of my comfort zone. i had a request for a large lotus planter with specific dimensions. as most of you know, i work mainly in small ceramics. so this request has been quite the challenge for me. i have extended my efforts to large bowls too and so far haven't had much success. once the pieces are made, they have been cracking during the drying stage. i've lost three due to cracking and one blew up in the kiln.



large planters

loved this big bowl

bowl leftovers

more bowl leftovers

so after working in clay for almost a week with not much luck, i've decided to take a little break and return to my paint and brushes....here's a peak at what i've been working on in the painting studio:

© samos 2013

© samos 2013

© samos 2013



© samos 2013

hello new year

Last Winter © samos 2012

in light of a new year, i am saying goodbye to 2012 and hello 2013...

i have lots of personal and business goals set for myself. january has always been one of my favorite months of the year. for me its about change, new beginnings, and hope. i'm excited to offer select items @ muddypotts and get back to the painting studio. anxious to have more snow so i can break out the snowshoes and enjoy the clean mountain air. continue little remodeling projects on our home. create a long overdue sculpture. design the backyard for the gardening season. play with our kiddos more and take the horses on new adventures.

 

what does a new year mean to you?

curious minds would love to hear about YOU!