Summer Reading and the Art of Underwear

Up here in the boondocks Amazon and the UPS truck have become my best friends. I have read some great books this summer including Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman both wonderful transporting reads. I am currently termiting my way through a book that is consuming my thoughts...Dancing to the Precipice by Carloine Moorhead. This book is based on the journals of Lucie de la Tour du Pin, who, as part of the court of Louis XVI, was an eye witness to the French Revolution. She lived through the Reign of Terror and went on to lead a remarkable life. Reading this book has colored my thinking about the terrible state of our world today especially all the horrible news I hear everyday on the NPR as I pot away in the studio. Things are indeed very bad now but man they could be worse.... think guillotine that chops off 7 heads in one swipe. Will man E V E R learn to be civilized toward his/her fellow man?

This book has also made me fascinated with the dress and more specifically the underwear of the 18th century. OK, I'm weird but I wonder who invented the "pannier" - pictured above and why????
As I have been reading I have also been working on a sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project. My theme is Inside/Outside and you got it...my sketches are all about underwear both ancient and modern. Of course all this comes around to clay.... Check out the little ornaments I am doing in my etsy shop.

Guilt and the Art of Wildflower Picking

Most of you already know that I live my summer's in the mountains near Lake Tahoe. I have a studio in my basement so I don't miss a minute of clay making. It's a very delicious set-up.

Because we had a very late rainy season up here this year the wildflowers are still blooming like crazy. Out the cabin back door and down a steep hill is the Tahoe Rim Trail. We walk sections of it almost every day. Lately, in spots, it feels like I am about to enter the Emerald City through the poppy fields. Some of the meadows of flowers are as high as my head. It's indeed very, very intoxicating.

My friend Michele,who is visiting, gave me the evil eye this morning for suggesting we go flower picking.. "Don't you know you are NEVER supposed to pick the flowers?"she informed me as I swiped an Alexander Thistle that was growing by the trail. YIKEES, I didn't know my good friend was part of the Nature Police. I can't help myself. When there are oceans of color right out my door I figure plucking one or two flowers couldn't really hurt, right?

I do have a bit of a conscience. I did recently make a small vase specifically designed to accommodate just a few flowers. I got it out of the kiln yesterday and filled it this morning. Above is a pic complete with the little thistle that I smuggled home from the walk. Below is a detail of the mishima design on the vase.