Matisse and his birds...

Always liked this photo- first saw it years ago. I think it might be by Henri Cartier Bresson- a favorite photographer who later tuook to painting instead. I found it recently in Cristopher Alexanders book- "THE PROCESS OF CREATING LIFE", which is number 2 of the series. I think they are some of the best books I have come across in my life. Strange to find that so many years later we have 4 of the same doves and two cages like the square and domed one in the picture...
winter and time to ....?
I shovelled snow today.
later...

These are little cups I threw from 1/2 lbs of clay-and later stamped with an assortment of stamps. Made some wire baskets to hold 6 at a time, great for picnics and patios.

The Appearance of Blue

well- I did some blue-ish pots...for a workshop on a theater piece for RUNAWAY MOON THEATER in Grindrod. The clay for the workshop turned out if the bnox very soft and when i fely I should make something larger i thre 1/2 boxes of the clay as large as I could and sliced off the facets- passed them to Rosa Stubbington who drew on them with a water themed mind.
They are for putting the inverted water bottles on top of. Burt Cohen helped with the super Brass spigots.
The plate was a special order for a firend on Facebook- my first social-networking type request that I posted/offered on Caetani House's page..for the art/craft sale in the summer. One more to come August 14th- I should ask again!
Mostly pre-occupied picking and processing our Apricots from our tree these last days- 35 degrees in the hot part of the day so the work is in the morning. This weekend is the Komasket music festival- I volunteer so the kids can go and have fun

MOTHERS DAY 2010

Mothers Day Project for the kids classes- took my wheel to school and spent a few days helping the two classes my kids are in throw some pots for Mothers Day. I throw them basically and let them modify them to suit themselves- love the part where I center and then , with my hands covered in slip, I shake hands with each one and say "WELCOME TO THE CLAY CLUB!" Love their reactions. Told them about Axel Ebring from Upsala Sweden who came here and made pots out oif the local gumbo clay and made history with his hands...showed them his photo..and that he left his money for the "crippled children" in town. Touching story- Axel in an un-marked grave.
Am now glazing serving bowls and getting ready for an"Artists Walk"tour of studios on the weekend.
cleaning out the studio so it looks good and is safe......

Silver Star

WINTER SUMMATION

Well, it will be an early spring in a couple of days- winter has passed in a bizarre hardly any snow kind of way and the snow-pack water situation looks pretty bad for fire season. I do not have any pots for a spring firing however, so I won't be risking any torch-off of Siver Star mountain... though it could use one! I have been able to drive up to the cabin and kiln a month earlier than usual because of the lack of snow and warm weather. So I plan to fire in the fall !! I am thinking to have an "open cabin" drop-in workshop this summer for people to make pots...if any reader is interested let me know....

I have been going through old pictures lately ... here is an organic carrot grown
here in Vernon B.C.
It is cold- ice-lantern making weather- Sue is working on her
english assignments, Jasper is home with a sick stomach,I am putzing about
doing housework and making a new birdhouse for the dining room.
No pots yet- the studio can be made warm enough but there always seems to
be something alse to do- I guess it is not my straight ahead focus. Today I began reading about the life and death of Crazy Horse - trying to figure in where my ancestors were in around those times...also a book about the Metis, the marriages of Hudson Bay workers with the Native woman so many years ago (again, twice in my family tree).
There have been christmas concerts of the kids and shopping about for the gifts requested by them...with me grudgingly participating. I always struggle with this season.
I read a lot of Christopher Alexanders books this autumn- amazing books on building and designing in "a living way". Very influential to me. There is a move to design the future of Vernons downtown district and I would like to participate but think my thoughts and process would be too radical to be of assistance.. though I tried to talk it up a bit with the ones in charge of the process a few weeks back.
I have to drain and distribute the ice lanterns soon- started a dozen the other night with the kids helping in a minus 20 spell- they have been out for a few days now and are about right.
I will post pics when I get a camera handy.. I broke our camera this fall when I was bumped and dropped it....oops!
Probably why I am going thru old pictures!