Merry Christmas

I gave this bark basket I made to my mom for Christmas and she was so tickled that she immediately has displayed it on her dining room table! It's nice having my mom appreciate my pottery so much. She is, after all, responsible for initiating my appreciation for clay. While I was growing up, she took a few pottery classes at the local art center and we always had a few of her first pieces she made around the house. Little did she know how I would be influenced by this years later! It wasn't until late in college when I finally took my first pottery class and then, well we know what happened after.

I hope everyone has a warm and peaceful holiday! Merry Christmas!

Journey's End

Honeycutt Swinging Bridge at end of my road

I've survived the snow! Today things are looking much different with persistent sunlight and blue skies contrasted against the bright snow. I've been hearing a lot of crashing and dripping sounds as things are starting to melt away from the roof.


As for the pottery, it's time to take a welcomed break for the year. Thank you everyone for following along in my journeys in and around the studio this year. You are my cheering squad and I thank you for all of the support and encouragement!

Serious snow

Serious snow has come to WNC, well for me anyway. I know it's not the huge amounts that people get in other areas, but for a girl growing up in the south, snow still has a powerful affect on me!

This cold little calf was up the road on an evening walk last night in the blizzard. Today I'm hoping to get out for a walk down to the swinging bridge. The snow has stopped, so I might be able to capture better pictures. There's over 1 foot of snow here, so not much is going on around here today. Life stops in the south when it snows and it's excusable to just do nothing! The road hasn't even been plowed and I'm quite content staying in enjoying the huge snow drifts. The power went out yesterday and I've already lost some huge limbs on some trees from the weight of the snow on the limbs. For now the power is back, so hopefully it will stay on. The bird activity has seriously increased since the birds can't find their usual spots for seeds. So my bird feeders are the happening place for now.

I need to do some glazing, but snow walking and picture taking sound more appealing! There's nothing quite like snow. I love the peaceful quiet of snow, especially up here on my quiet road.

Morning

A simple breakfast of oatmeal looked so comforting to me this bright and sunny morning. A few chopped nuts, some soy milk and a spoonful of brown sugar sets the tone for my day. I love how the milk inside the bowl takes on a clover leaf shape from the way the bowl is dimpled and lobed.

This morning Michael Kline reminded me of Catherine White's blog and I just read a portion from her Winter Solstice series about walking in the dark. Catherine has such a beautiful blog. I love the simplicity of it. A simple description of her day, written so fluidly and vividly. A beautiful image, and a thought provoking quote. I encourage you to spend some time browsing her site, you won't be disappointed.

Her partner, also a potter, Warren Frederick, also has a very interesting and detailed post about using natural light for photographing artwork. The images of his work are beautifully taken, it seems like a great approach to photographing your work. You can learn this technique here.

Swirling Skirts

I finished up a few more candlesticks today. I like the view from the top. The form seems like they are swirling ruffled skirts in the middle of a dance. I think I'm most happy with the lobed forms, with the divided carved panels, or 'ruffles.'

I've got pots drying out near the wood stove, trying to get them dry for a bisque kiln load tomorrow. I'm going to fire the small soda kiln this week to get in a few things and some more test glazes. I hope to use that small test kiln often this winter to do a lot of glaze testing and other various things.

Just for fun

Will and I have been collaborating on a few projects in the studio. The rules of the game are to try something new and different, new forms, new patterns, etc, but to come up with a form and design together. So candlesticks and small boxes are where we are right now. I'm all of a sudden very interested in making candlesticks. I've never made them before but I think there are so many possibilities!

So, below, are the first two lil' candlesticks, thrown by Will Baker, carved and finished by none other than myself. For the first two prototypes, I'm kinda happy with them!

Holiday Sale

My last show of the year is here!! (drumroll and fan horn please!) Tomorrow I'll be at the Folk Art Center, off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC. It's the Holiday Sale, put on by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. I've brought a large selection of discounted work, some seconds, and some discontinued styles or pots that might not have turned out quite like I wanted them. But still, as they say, beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, and there might be a sweet little pot or two for you here in this collection. I don't usually have "seconds" sale, but with the big studio and showroom cleanup I've been doing, I'm really ready to clean up, and move them on out and get ready for the new year. The pots are priced to sell with great discounts you'll rarely see from me.

Tomororow, 10-4 pm, at the Folk Art Center....here's a link for you for more details.

Feeling good

Just got back from a brisk walk up my road with the dog. It's a VERY cold day out there, but now I'm enjoying a cup of hot tea with the warm wood stove crackling in the background.

Back in the studio today, it felt good to be back in the clay and I'm still enjoying my new view. This fall was so busy with shows and things that I've have had limited pot-making time. But now since things are winding down for the year, I can get back in and work on some things without huge deadlines hovering over my shoulders. I started out throwing a round of some medium sized bowls that I'm planning on carving.

As for the trimming today, it was a good trimming day. (For those non-potters reading out there, trimming refers to the foot ring that I have cut onto the bottom of the bowl.) I have always loved trimming. I'm not sure what exactly it is that makes it so enjoyable but it is. For me, the base of a pot is just as important as the top. It's all in the details from top to bottom.

Studio Tour this weekend!

Don't miss the Toe River Arts Council Studio Tour this weekend. Today it is 12-4 pm with an opening reception at the TRAC Gallery in Spruce Pine, NC fro 5-8 pm. This self guided tour continues Saturday and Sunday December 5 and 6th from 10-5 pm.

I will be exhibiting my pottery at John Britt's Pottery Studio, studio #47 off of Sparks Road near Penland, along with Will Baker (pottery), Susan Feagin (pottery), and Rodney Hopkins (wood).

Over 200 artists are in this tour surrounding Mitchell and Yancey counties in western North Carolina. It's your chance to tour the artists' studios and see behind the scenes of where they make their art.

For more info: www.toeriverarts.org

Tea Break

On such a blustery cold rainy day as this, a constant supply of hot tea is necessary! I love the tea that gives you bits of quotes and wisdom on the tea bag. Today's quote, from Good Earth's Sweet and Spicy tea is one I've found before, but nice to remember again:

"I make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes." Sara Teasdale

This mug of mine was a keeper from a firing a year ago or so. Sometimes I keep my favorite pots out of each kiln load just for myself. This way I can enjoy it and learn from it and see what inspirations it can bring about.