Entrance to our gallery….
John started potting 43 years ago, and I fell into it more like 16 years ago. He first studied in college, took one year in grad school, then apprenticed with Abe Cohn, a Wisconsin Master Potter in Milwaukee WI. and Fish Creek, WI., who recently marked 50 years in the Fish Creek, WI in his gallery and studio The Potter’s Wheel. Abe, well over 80 years old, is still potting. In 1974 John bought 10 acres of Driftwood Farms, an apple and cherry orchard. The property was an old apple packing and storage barn, which he converted into a studio/gallery/home. We married in 1994 and soon I was making ’stuff’ in the studio, not just waxing and glazing.
In 2000 we began pit firing in an above ground pit (built with hard and soft bricks) in an almost off handed way. Someone asked us if we would like to do one pit firing with them and could we provide the land, wood, bricks, materials, insurance etc? Sure, why not. And then, we found that we liked doing this so much, we began doing it weekly. Then we held public demonstrations and, finally, selling bisqueware to customers so they could do it with us. So, nine years later, with many experiments and failures to support us, we find we can get some good results, almost consistently. The Wednesday workshops begin in May and end sometime around the end of October.
We’re also parents, grandparents, gardeners, readers, singers and caretakers of many animals…including the wild ones who inhabit our outdoors.
We meet my brother here, his favorite beach, to swim at sunset. Really.
The water is cold, about 60 degrees F and did I say cold. It takes your breath away.
Then after a few minutes, warmth. It’s easy to understand how quickly someone can die of hypothermia. Not so bad, actually, and something I will have to remember.
Interactive Art in Santa Barbara
Modeling clay and the museum guard kept insisting that this is the only place to touch in the whole museum, and finally we succumbed to fun.
My sculpture is on the left.
Actually, this was hard to leave.
We learned that every Sunday someone comes by with a wooden mallet and pounds all the art added and then people start adding their own. I would like to see that.
Status Hat – Nov. 2009: Fire!.
November’s Webzine is all about Fire and we were asked to be a part of this interesting art publication. And we are mentioned next to Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA.
Besides being a part of this, that museum is right down the street from where our youngest daughter attended college: University of Puget Sound, and she decided to go to UPS as we were parking in the Glass Museum’s parking lot. Circles within circles.
Cool.
First, it’s not snowing. That’s what we say when we want to make ourselves feel better about the cold and damp.
Then we calculate how many inches of rain we’ve had. and how that equals so many inches of snow.
And hold our mugs with both hands, wearing fleece vests, wishing we could wear our hats in doors. My friend Marc does wear his Packer hat inside, and my Mom used to. I did yesterday, the first day of my fever. I’m a little warmer now.
I love the rain. The plants are happy, I am happy. I know that sounds tree-hugger-ee, but I do. I can feel the plants sucking up all the rain, wishing it could store it for next July, when we will again have a drought. My joints don’t like the rain, but that’s what drugs are for.
John opened the kiln this afternoon. The orders are done, the tray (an order) didn’t warp, the colors look good and we have mugs. John is busy sanding the feet and pricing the pots. I am here, resting, thinking about a nap. Pitchers, bowls, goblets, small dishes, soup mugs. Lots of those. Tomorrow another firing and we can open that on Saturday. Two in one week: that’s well over 400 pieces in both. No wonder we are tired!
Rainy days are good for constructing the lanterns I should be working on, which I may get to tomorrow. I should get to tomorrow. The clay dries slowly, so I can take my time putting together the project for our workshop next week with the high school kids. A nap will help and I can start on that later.
If I were here, wandering around, I would look into coffee shops, galleries, book stores, cooking stores. I would curl up with a book and nap. Rainy days are good for people too. Soak it up.
Cousin’s Walk Studio and Gallery: Marcie Farber Will Paint On Anything….and MORE! « Ellison Bay Arts
Just one example of Marcie’s new recycled clothing. During the Art Crawl Marcie will also be holding a drawing for art. Be sure to stop in at Cousin’s Walk on Lakeview Rd. Ellison Bay and sign up.
Two Wee Bowls by montezumamudd on Etsy.
I love these little bowls. I love little bowls. These especially.
