Delightful

I love using the word "delightful" ... this work by Clare Twomey is truly delightful. I love how it invades the space of the museum in a playful way, that the visitors can interract with it and take a bird home with them. It's beautiful :-) The show I have in November is also one visitors will be able to interract with, because I think ceramics are meant to be touched. Even walking through an ordinary clothing store I tend to run my hands along things as a pass them... I just like to touch things. When I was a little girl I went to a museum with my dad and there was a wax sculpture with fabric that looked too real to be wax. I reached to touch it and got yelled at. In my show this year I plan to have many pieces veiled in fabric, for the viewer to lift for themselves and touch the artwork they see. If you know of any other ceramists creating interractive art, I'd love to see it!

Back Into the Groove

Home sweet home... I've come back to Greality, and with a grant to give me a boost I'm ready to dive into ceramics full-time this fall. The only trouble is the community college studio I'll be working at is a 30 min. bike ride away and has limited hours... damn. Might have to do all the handbuilt work at home. We'll see once the lab hours are set. This week I'm house sitting so I'm out of the studio anyway, but I've been enjoying some artist's websites. Some work I'm lovin: an organic chandelier from Karin Eriksson, and the sophisticated animals of Beth Cavener Stichter.

You know you're a true potter when discovering the website of a fellow potter genuinely makes your day... I just had a terribly stressful Sunday, followed by a tired and depressing Monday, and on a period off I was browsing pottery blogs. I searched for the website of an old friend, an artist who was graduating from UNC when I was just starting, and I was thrilled when I found it! His outlook on life and pottery is refreshing, as is his work, so check it out - Noel Bailey

Learning to Throw

At the camp I've been working at all summer I haven't had many chances to teach wheel throwing because it is terribly difficult to go between teaching one thing to half the class and teaching throwing to the other. We have a period each day called "free choice" which is a chance for the kids to try something they haven't done before, or just do whatever the heck they want. So I offered throwing last Sunday and was frustrated with teaching 8 girls this difficult skill. Of course I can throw, but teaching is another story, and I was lacking patience. Today I checked out the website Learning to Throw with Marvin Bartel for some tips... I don't know if it will help me tomorrow when I offer it again, but I think it would be beneficial for any adult who is interested in learning.

Becca Van Fleet in Hanover

On my day off in Hanover today I walked through the League of NH Craftsmen's Gallery and noticed a small group of Becca Van Fleet's pottery. I thought *I know that name from somewhere...* So I searched the web for a blog or website and realized I had written about her back in April about a photo contest she was having. I suppose the entries have been posted for a while now, but I hadn't looked until now, and they're really fun!

Clouds From Above

View of the clouds from a whole different perspective... I was off on a jet plane to Vermont, my temporary summer home, on Tuesday. Flying is a weird feeling, but there are some cool sights from high above.

Ceramic Sculpture pt. 2

Sculptures made in 2008...