Getting Ready for Book 2 Debut at Open House this weekend.

Every book deserves a birthday party. Five hundred copies of book 2, Discovering Isaac, were delivered to my home last Tuesday. I have already sold nearly 100, but I figured it's time to do it right. This Saturday (Dec 5) will begin my open house at my Studio. I spent the day glazing and am now firing the kiln. I will don another firing on Wednesday so I will have loads of new pots along with copies of both book one and two available. I hope to see you there.
1150 E 800 South in Salt Lake. The open house will continue on December 12 and 19. Cheers, Ben

Well, after many months of preparation, work and worry, the second volume of my series is officially out. I picked up my first two boxes on Friday on my way home from a book signing at the Murray Costco. Discovering Isaac is amazingly beautiful. The layout is fun with lots of eye candy in the form of sketches and some awesome old woodcuts from historical sources. My graphic designer, my friend Bert Compton is very pleased as well. I dropped him off a copy late Friday night, hoping to shine a glimmer of happiness in his life. After twelve years as an art director for Jacobs, he was laid off on Friday. I hope this will give him the impetous he needs to follow his heart and do what he has been wanting to do for years--own his own business doing graphic design. Spread the word.
I have said it before, but if you enjoyed book one, you are really going to love book 2. 500 books will be delivered to my home on Monday. The rest of the 5000 are being delivered to Brigham Distributing on Monday. With any luck, they will be available in Costco by the first week in December. Hope to see you soon at a Costco near you. For now, I think I will shut off my kiln and finally get to bed. Good night. Ben

Sarah Palin 6, Ben Behunin 74

I don't why I get a kick out of competing with the big boys and girls, but it's fun. Sarah's book came out this week, I think and from what I've observed, it is not selling very well. Today I signed in Bountiful at the Costco and sold 74 book and met lots of great people. Some of them buy my pots. Most of them, I have never met. It was a strange day--so many people in a big fat hurry that they didnt have much time to stop. I wonder if it has something to do with the phases of the moon.

GOOD NEWS! Book two has been printed and is going to be delivered to my distributor on Friday. I will have books on Friday as well so if anyone can't wait, I will be around all day Saturday, glazing and loading a kiln, but I'll have time to stop and sign a book if you want to stop by. Give me a call first 801-883-0146.

I also have the schedule for book signings for the next month. It is as follows;

*Friday Nov 20th--Murray Costco 12-5

*Friday Nov 20th--Art Access Gallery- Gallery Stroll 6-9pm

*Tuesday Nov 24--SLC Costco 12-6

*Friday and Saturday Nov 27-28 Clay Arts Utah Holiday Sale--I will be showing my pots and signing books, both volume one and two. Sugarhouse Garden Center 2100 South 1600 East 10-5pm

* Tuesday Dec 1 Lehi Costco

* Thursday Dec 3- Orem Costco

*Friday Dec 4-Sandy Costco

*Saturday December 5- Wild Rooster Artworks Studio Open House 1150 E 800 South SLC- come see my pots and both books available

*Tuesday Dec 8 Bountiful Costco

*Wednesday Dec 9 Murray Costco

*Thursday Dec 10 Ogden Costco

*Friday Dec 11 Orem Costco

*Saturday Dec 12 Wild Rooster Artworks Studio Open House 1150 E 800 South-pottery and books

*Tuesday Dec 15 Sandy Costco

*Wednesday Dec 16 Lehi Costco

*Thursday Dec 17 Sandy Costco

*Friday Dec 18 Orem Costco

Saturday Dec 19 Wild Rooster Artworks Studio Open House-Pottery and books

Monday Dec 21 Sandy Costco

Tuesday Dec 22 Orem Costco

Wednesday Dec 23 Sandy

Thursday Dec 24 Bountiful

Tuesday Dec 29 Murray

Wednesday Dec 30 Bountiful

This is going to be a grueling schedule, but I guess that is what this business is all about. I will sleep when I am dead. But first, I have a lot of pots to make. Cheers. Ben

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We're off the the Presses

Well, somehow we made the deadline for the second book, Discovering Isaac. The book will be printed this weekend and be delivered to my distributor in ten days for delivery to Costco. I am holding back 500 copies for my open houses and pottery shows. I have said it before, but if you liked book one, you are going to love book two. I know I am biased, but it is really good. I am exhausted. I need a break, but I have too many pots to make and too many books to sign. I will be in the Sandy, West Valley and Lehi Costcos in the next three days.
I am also busy working on my annual newsletter. If you would like to recieve it, send me an email with your address. This newsletter includes an announcement for my studio openhouse on December 5th, 12th and 19th. This is a great time to pick up treasures for Christmas gifts. While you're here, you can pick up book two. Goodnight

Layout for book two begins tonight!

For those of you who know and enjoyed book one, I believe part of the adventure of it was the layout--maybe it was even a significant part of your experience with the book. Unfortunately, all the pictures have to be drawn, scanned, edited, photoshopped and made ready before the layout can even begin. My buddy, Bert Compton, has been busy making these elements ready for book two and so tonight we are going to begin putting it all together. This is where the fun begins--the work is nearly done.
Bert is a very gifted artist and has really shared the vision I had for this book. I am an artist. I am moderately creative and I believe a book can best be enjoyed when the design of the book is creative. I spend a lot of extra time with this and a whole lot of money, but I believe it is worth it. It helps makes my book an experience--not just a book. We are planning to have the book to the printer by next week and they have promised to have the book back to us on Monday the 23rd of November.
Also, I began writing Becoming Isaac last night--the third and most likely the final book in this series. I am only two pages into it, but it feels good. I spent all day Saturday and again today working on a giant mosaic on my kiln shed. The work has given me some time to think about the book. A lot of the story has some aspects of my own interpersonal conflicts. It is difficult for me to work through these things. I know it will all work out in the wash, but I am struggling to make sense of it--how Jake and Amy are going to respond--how I am going to respond. I know that is really vague, but I'd hate to ruin it for you. Cheers. Ben