Up the Hill and Down the Hill

I STILL don't have the proper permit from the City of Berkeley to upgrade my electrical so that I can hook up the kilns at my new studio, fourth & clay. I've been in limbo since May. I seem to be caught in a slow-mo bureaucratic Berkley dance (actually a very typical occurrence when dealing with the city's planning department). This time the plans were rejected because the architect (yes, I had to hire an architect to draw the plans to connect the electrical system...UGH) WROTE the corrections on the plans instead of PRINTING them on the plans...pretty crazy.
In the meantime I have work to get ready for the fast approaching Holiday Open Studios. I've been working in my studio then hauling the green wear pots up to be fired in my small kiln at home, hauling them back to the studio, glazing them, packing them back up the hill to fire then bringing them down the hill back to the studio. Talk about a bad carbon foot print. I was bemoaning this running around yesterday when I read one of my favorite blogs smokieclennell. This is the blog of Tony Clennell a potter who is currently on an extended clay adventure in China. I saw this picture and I stopped my whining. I guess I don't have it so bad.

Heaven

We have some wonderful friends in Paris, Christian and Anne and their children Clemence and Louise. Anne works for the French Ministry of Culture and upon our arrival presented us with special VIP tickets to all the major shows taking place in Paris. We spent our days happily wandering from show to show - including the opening of the Courbet exposition at the Grand Palais and the wonderful Arcimboldo Show at the Musee du Luxembourg. She also arranged a private tour of the Sevres Museum with a guide who spoke English. What a thrill. Our guide, Madame Coquet, showed us the collection with great love and immense knowledge. When we walked into the room of 16th and 17th century Iznik ceramics she said , "We are now entering heaven." " That is exactly how I felt.

What struck me the most was how the techniques I am working with - stamping with textile blocks, adding decoration in colored clay,altering by pinching darting ect, use of heightened colors, the general textile quality of my work has ALL been done before...several centuries before. I was awed and humbled.

Here is a picture of the largest pot ever made (according to Mme Coquet). She and I are
bottom left (you have to squint to see us!)...eat your heart out you big pot thrower guys!

I'm BACK

Wonderful trip. Loved Spain. Loved Paris. So much art scene and seen. So much delish food eatten. So many miles walked. So inspired.
Here are some pics from Spain taken from my iPhone camera. I'll post Paris in next entry.

Sagreda Familia, Barcelona



Tomatoes at the most amazing market in Barcelona, Santa Maria Catalina



Leaves from the botanical garden, Madrid



Laundry on the rooftop, Barcelona



Wonderful floors, Barcelona


Wall with grafitti, Madrid