Flower Picking

Tra La La... This morning we went flower picking. It's so beautiful up here and I am inspired by the sights and smells around me. My nose was treated to the smell of damp earth, sweet herby sage and wet pine needles this morning because it rained before I got up. John and I took our scissors (and firecrackers to ward off the bears) and skipped up to the meadow for some serious flower picking.

I go to pot daily (downstairs in the studio). Last week I cranked out 12 pitchers. I will bisque everything up here in my tiny manual kiln and then take them home to glaze. It's kind of great having my studio in the basement. It makes timing the drying process so much easier - because we are so high up here everything dries SO quickly.

We took a throwing workshop this past weekend at Sierra Nevada College taught by Andy Ruble. It was great, just what I needed - fun to review basics and learn some new tricks. Andy is primarily a sculptor but is capable of throwing HUGE pots. As sometimes happens when I take workshops I do the opposite of what I'm being taught. So he threw big and I threw small, concentrating on a cool faceting trick he showed us that makes undulating flower forms. I am now working on some small oil or perfume bottles. I'll take photos when I get the stoppers figured out. I love exploring a brand new form. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but the creative energy that goes into trying to figure it out is invigorating.

Even though the internet connection up here makes reading blogs painfully slow I really enjoyed one black bird's guest blogger, Laura Zindel's discussion of green ceramics this week. If you haven't already read it be sure to check it out.

Meet the New Neighbor

Mr Bear spent the morning breaking into a nearby cabin. Once he made it in he wasn't welcomed for breakfast. He spent the day in a sturdy tree across the street growling ...not too neighborly.

Moving Day

Yesterday we moved the monster kiln. Many thanks to my son in law, Yadir and Leslie's Ceramic's skilled hands and big truck. I mopped the floor and shut the door on The Berkeley Potters Guild studio and headed down the street 5 blocks to my new space - Fourth & Clay.


This is a pic of my old studio cleaner than it ever was.


This is a pic of my new studio cleaner than it ever will be again.


This is a pic of what was lunch...ok...maybe I had two. I am so glad the move is done and so excited to begin work in my new, light, bright, airy,warm (in the winter) space. First though we move to Tahoe for the rest of the summer..pretty crazy. I think I'll drink to that!

ACGA Show

The show was GREAT, a thrilling experience. Saturday I was BUSY. People seemed drawn to the color and pattern at my little corner booth. I had one lady buy eight pieces. My cell phone rang later that afternoon and it was her...Oh,Oh...RETURN I thought. No, she just wanted to tell me how happy she was with what she bought! In addition to selling most of my work, I met many great potters, glass artists and art appreciators, learned lessons on setting up an outdoor show (like don't bring flimsy camping tables) and feel now (maybe?) I can actually talk about my work without feeling horribly self-conscious - a huge accomplishment for me.

I am now in the thick of moving my studio, boxes piled high around me. I have unearthed items long forgotten and have been getting rid of aggression breaking ugly pots that I don't want to move into my nice new place. I should be moved in by the end of today. I still don't have the electricity I need to power the kiln but it will happen - soon - I hope.

Selling Cracks

Today, I set up my very first ACGA show booth....WOW.... all I can say is OVERWHELMING. The qulaity of the work surrounding me is unbelievable. Not only was I totally intimadated by the other work, once we got my meager boxes there I couldn't fiqure out how to set up my space. It was hot as a frying pan. My IKEA umbrella(our only hope of shade) didn't fit in the stand I bought. My kind helpers, John, Yadir, and Michele were waiting for instructions, sizzling in the 98 degree baking heat. The pots were too hot to touch even if I had known where to put them. A beautiful angel appeared - Kimi Masui- who is a member of my guild (she makes absolutely wonderful, perfect pots). She had previously shown in the booth I was now showing in. She told me where to set my tables up. She didn't need her canopy as her spot was COOL AND SHADY and "Did I want it ?????" Oh such a blessing...we would have been fired egg sandwiches without her kind offer. THANK YOU, THANK YOU KIMI.

Now if I can get over the fact that all my pots have flaws of one sort or another I'll be fine! Anybody want to but a crack?

I'm Ready

Believe it or not I am done, my boxes are packed with pots, priced and inventoried...ready for the ACGA. I hope all of you within driving distance will come for the fun next weekend. I'm nervous so I'm off to spend the 4th of July in the Russian River with friends and embrace the philosophy "Drink Don't Wine." I think we'll be drinking lots of the stuff.