Art Swap

While visiting and staying with my friends in Louisville, I brought them a thank you gift, a small platter I made in pottery, for their hospitality!



Cean's son Harrison, in turn, gave me this woodcut that he made. Through osmosis, Harrison has learned that artists often swap their art with one another.



I came home with a wonderful gift!

Go Fish!

I was just in Lake Geneva, WI for a faculty retreat.

Wisconsin is a bit of a strange place. Yes, they are America's Dairyland. But they also eat Cheese curds, deep fried, are the land of the Bratwurst, beer soaked and grilled, and have a past time of tipping cows. It is beautiful country and there is plenty of outdoor recreation including fishing.

Fishing so much that I came across a Live Bait vending machine outside a gas station!

I have no idea what is in the machine, but there it was!

Call me Your Honor!

Well, not really. I am, however, in Louisville, as an invited judge for this year's annual awards!

The judging is today through Saturday. Then I am hanging around with Bubba, Mark from grad school, and hopefully Jenn too!

Summer is winding down so a little getaway with friends will be nice.

I am looking forward to seeing lots of great work. Be back in a few days!

Kooza

Another great show from Cirque! It is a show that went back to their beginnings, lots of clowning, more basic circus acts. Lots of fun!

We had front rowseats! It was totally fun having to look up at the tightrope and the trapeze!

Overall it was smaller in scale but as big in entertainment as any of their other shows. See it when it comes to a city near you.

From a tiny seed. . .

I got a bunch of packets of sunflower seeds from Alison, she who is now in London as mentioned in a previous post! She used them as a promo a few years back and was not packing them for her move across the pond. They were seeds packed for planting in 2004. I figured what the hell! I will throw them in the ground and if they grow, great, if not, nothing lost!

Well grow they did! From a humble little sunflower seed, not anything more than one you would snack on, grew giant sunflowers! The first has finally bloomed! I am 6' tall, and these giants are at least 8 or nine feet tall!

Nature is a wonderfully amazing thing!

Throwing Clay: Some results #10 - Covered jars

It is not. . .NOT my intent for my blog to turn into a pottery showcase, but it has been a really great hobby and I just wanna share!

We most recently learned to make covered jars. They are actually made as one piece that is made with a huge void inside it only later to have the lid cut from the base exposing the hollow center! Sounds easier than it is.

These are the first three I made. Details from the top!

Top: 2" tall 3.375" diameter; matte blue and glossy brown glazes. This is a gift for a neighbor who was taking the class but had to drop out. She gave me her clay so I made her this jar as a thank you!

Center: 2" tall 4.375" diameter; matte white and brick red glazes

Bottom: 4" tall 4" diameter; temoku and glossy black glazes. The rust colored rim is unglazed and the two pieces (lid and base) were fired separated which gives them the toasty color as compared to the rims of the other two which were fired covered/together.

Now my only question is, what to use these containers for?

Night Sky

Last Saturday I went to ravinia, an outdoor music venue, to see the Gipsy Kings. Looking up at the sky through the trees I had saw this clearing right to the sky!

I kind of saw a star.

It was a beautiful night to be out.

Throwing Clay: Some results #9 - Gingko Plate

I am starting to better get the hang of glazing! I feared it for the longest time but as I do it, I understand better how it blends, works, how to control it etc.

This is the only plate I have made so far and I am liking it a whole bunch! It measures 10.5" in diameter. I glazed it by rubbing bobby green glaze into the leaf impressions and then glazed over the whole plate with glossy white. Other than a couple of thick glaze spots. . .

We learned how to make covered jars/containers. I have three ready for the bisque and one still drying. I also made a couple things with some donut forms! Next I am going for a pitcher. A real pitcher one can use for some ice cold beverages! I had one going Saturday, but then nearly lost it and called in some professional help. I have to pull a handle tomorrow for it and then conquer the next all on my own!