Most Recent Work

     I've been thinking about creating this work for some time... 

     My mother is an incredible seamstress and would make many of our outfits growing up (I have 4 sisters); she also made my wedding dress... I on the other hand have never enjoyed sewing. Clay is my medium and the idea of adding stitching to clay and little bits of patchwork has been in the back of my mind since taking a workshop last summer at the Mendocino Art Center. It must come from sitting legs crossed on the floor of my mom's sewing room growing up.

      I recently learned how to make that idea into reality by using wax resist, carving through it (the stitching) then adding stain or underglazing into the etchings. It creates exactly what I am looking for... Enjoy!

The List

     When I go to a new place I always make a list... of new things, observations and those tidbits I just don't want to forget. So here is my Penland/Spruce Pine, North Carolina list. I'm sure I'll keep adding to this as I keep looking through photos...Enjoy!

There are many links hiding in here, so scroll over and check them out.


The List

Super Fresh Smell of Green as you get off the plane
Wide open hilly spaces
Thunder and lighting with no rain
Fireflies!
So much tea and coffee
Gas...$3.34
Honor System goat cheese
"largest concentration of artists in the nation"
Knife and Fork
Pizza Parlor- trivia night, open mike night
Penland buffet= delicious
Henry and Alfred- The cats
Home grown tomatoes, kale, squash, radishes, garlic, carrots-Michelle
Fashion photography-Wes
"you're from that bankrupt state"-random stranger 
coffee ice cream at knife and fork followed by the Penland meadow
Yoga with Donna Marie and the entire ceramics class
So many Stars, bridges, streams
Bugs galore
the high in June-75-80 degrees "bring layers"
More tea
The Bringle Sisters
"look at that view"
Tufted titmouse, chickadee
Mica
Mica Gallery
Crimson and Laurel gallery
Lunch/ studio home visit with Suze Lindsay and Kent McLaughlin 
garlic harvest
unlocked cars
1 hour to sushi
Indian Buffet
The Pines- Dessert at lunch 
hanging street lights
meeting Lisa Clague in her studio 
Deer sighting
inside cats
Artists studios to visit everywhere
"where can I get reception?"
Henna
The Workshop-
Kevin, Mark, Donna, Rebecca, Lucy, Genaro, Joan, Sarah, Kelcy, Sandy, Laura, Jacob, Cindy
Porcelain, Underglazes on greenware, cone 6
Rocking Chairs
Everything becoming a song
Show and Tell also know as "show and show"
"Oh, Henry"

At the Airport in Ashville.

The incredible bridge that can only hold 40 people. 

Show and Tell 

Sunset over Penland. 

Michelle and Wes in front of the house.

Donna and me on the last day.

Oh, Henry. 

In the Works

Today I took work out of the kiln! My favorite kind of day. The vases below will be part of the exhibit this summer at The Younger Gallery entitled, "Playful Minds". The little pieces below them will be shown at Valentine Restaurant and Wine Bar in the Fall. I plan to make many pieces and mount them onto wood to hang on the wall. And the last photo is from our wedding 7 years ago; today is our anniversary. Off to dinner now!

Soup

     I've been toying around with an idea that I plan to work on all summer... I created these little porcelain pieces last night while watching "The Soup" with Chris and laughing... a lot. Watching The Soup is a guilty pleasure and last night we were both in the mood for it, it's really quite ridiculous.

     But back to the art work. I plan to fire and mount these pieces onto wood panels so they will be seen vertically just as you see them in the photos. I'm not sure if I want them to be in color or just simply white... I have some time to play around with the idea and these are definitely the first batch of prototypes.  Now I've got to order some wood panels to try out some stain... I've been doing a little research and found a company or two that I can order from for a nominal amount of money. I've got to figure out the best method to attached porcelain to wood... epoxy? That's my first inclination, but their might be a better way...

New work and Nephew play

    I tend to take photos of my work right before it goes in the kiln to be fired for the first time... I love the way the clay looks before it's glazed. These vases are actually porcelain and I may not glaze the entire body, but I still love the true matte quality they have before they go in the kiln. They may be for the show in July for the Arts Council of Kern entitled, "Playful Minds".I finally took a some time after work to get some of my own pieces done.
     It's crunch time with the students... only a month until school let's out so things get very busy from here until May 31st. The photos below are of these pieces heading into the kiln, but I just took these pieces out of the bisque fire a few days ago and decided to simply glaze the rim with celedon and also around the "stars" a bit with celedon. They should be finished next week and I'll post finished photos when they come out... I can't wait to see.

My nephew Austin came over recently and played in my studio. He told me at Easter that he wanted to learn to throw pottery on the wheel (not in those exact words, but that's what he meant). ;-)   

So, he came over and played on the wheel for the first time a few weeks back. He was really good!! A talent from the start. I didn't even help him center this time! He made 3 little bowls on the wheel that day, a potter in the making for sure.