Anna Branner's Cloth-n-Clay

Seven Things

2012-02-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

So seven things ya'll don't know about me.

1. That secret desire to take part in a chain letter thing.

2. I've traveled through or lived in 46 states. (I grew up as an army brat.)

3. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years....but I don't really like vegetables.

4. I lost my first tooth while picking wild flowers in upstate NY. (I was BITING them off because they were so stubborn.)

5. I struggle with shyness unless I'm sitting behind my loom, at my spinning wheel or with a table full of my pottery.

6. I have a fear of bridges...ESPECIALLY the Chesapeake Bay Bridge out of Annapolis. In fact that one kind of cured me of freaking out over the smaller ones.

and

7. I absolutely HATE any kind of confrontation.

NOW I can go back to stressing about the selling of this house, the mysterious oil tank, and all the pots I need to have available over the next several months!

Versatile?

2012-02-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

So, this week I was granted the dubious honor of the Versatile Blogger Award. (Thanks Meredith from WhyNot Pottery!) I say dubious because there is no cash prize, not even a ribbon, and it feels very much like a chain letter....But on the very positive side I AM happy knowing that Meredith follows my blog, this chain does push readers to read new blogs and "meet" new people...and I've always had a secret desire to follow through on a chain letter...

The only requirement of this award is to pass it on to 6 others....and to tell you 7 new (!?) things about myself.

(I imagine that there are some of you I am including that have already been given this honor....Meredith and I do "read in the same circles" if so bask in the extra appreciation and go on with your day knowing I love having you in my blogging world!)

Susie Gibbs (her farm manager and her farm manager's significant other) has the most amazing and definitely versatile blog at www.fiberfarm.com Travel, DIY, recipes, sheep and goat knowledge, photographs (most recently new baby cows!) and new yarn...I never miss a post.

Elizabeth Seaver at http://elizabethseaver.blogspot.com/ continues to brighten up my days with her beautiful paintings and her fanciful stories. Plus she's a good friend.

Tracey Broome at http://tsbroome.blogspot.com/. A talented potter that writes what she thinks and shares so much of her personal insight as well as her fantastic pottery. One day I will own one of those fantastic barns of hers...

Ron Philbeck at http://www.ronphilbeckpottery.com/. He often talks about his "heros" on his blog, I have to say he is one of mine. (Are you blushing Ron?)

British potter Doug Fitch at http://slipware.blogspot.com/ I finally met him a year ago when he came to the States to teach a couple of workshops. His pottery is fantastic and he carries quite a tune while playing bass with The Love Daddies!

And Doug's partner in crime on that workshop tour of America, Hannah McAndrew at http://hannahmcandrew.blogspot.com/. If you want to see some beautiful slip trailed pottery, scoot on over to her site for a visit!

NEXT time. Those seven things.....(Which includes my secret desire to pass on a chain letter.)

Keeping Busy

2012-02-06T19:27:00.000-05:00

Still working away. The yard got a good layer of mulch last week. It's amazing how hiring someone else to do a job like that relieves a girls back! Met with the realtor and the sign should appear this week....

Had a nice weekend in Fredericksburg. It was the monthly First Friday Art Open House, so spent Friday and Friday evening working on my latest weaving project (wool, to be felted into a nice heavy wrap) and talking. There was ALOT of talking and visiting.

Came home today (Monday) and hit the studio. I've got alot of work to accomplish in the next month or two. A special project for a friend in Vermont (more on that later as it transpires!) as well as stock for Fall.

I'm reading a great book by Kate Morton, "The Distant Hours". Think that will be the evening for me!

Because It's not ALL about packing and sorting

2012-01-26T21:56:00.000-05:00

Just to show there HAS been some creative fun going on too in the last several weeks.

I'm really in love with this new design. (This one is in my Etsy shop)

I've decided now that I am moving "to Town" I need to come up with a city design to balance out the farm pots....

And some weaving! I'm finally working on the 57" loom I picked up in Ohio over a year ago. It works perfectly! No tension or brake problems.

Two baby blankets (that are still waiting to be hemmed, which you wouldn't know if I hadn't told you!)

And now I have to brag. When my folks asked what I wanted for Christmas I told them a handmade loom bench! (Now that my two bigger looms are in two different cities I needed a second bench.)

Look what they made me!!! (Carpentry by Dad, painting by Mom)

I'll be back. PROMISE. :)

AWOL

2012-01-22T23:36:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to organize my thoughts for a blog post (and instead tinkered with the lay out....what do ya'll think? If I could just figure out how to center the top photo...) and have had as much luck as I have had trying to organize my life! The last few months have been crazy and disjointed.

Greg has started his new job in Fredericksburg, and is very happy. He's in a sweet rental in town, on the river and just 10 minutes from work! We had a mover bring him the essentials, bought a new bed and a new recliner. And now over the last few months I've taken load after load of boxes, (and a loom and fiber...and guitars and amps....) just trying to declutter our house to put it on the market. How can two people have so much??? It's not Layla. Her one box of toys is very compact.

While visiting Greg in Fredericksburg I make sure to spend time in my new studio at LibertyTown.

It feels good to be back, surrounded by friends and so much support, ideas always in the air and shoppers too. :) As you can see I've moved my largest loom into the studio. I always plan to sit down to work and never seem to get to it. Setting up at LibertyTown comes with an attendance requirement. So my plan is to get alot more weaving done in the coming year! I'll sell my pottery here too. But still throw pots in a home studio....wherever that might be. Clay just needs so much babysitting. What I am doing now requires so many steps it's wonderful to have my clay just steps away, to have space for pots in different phases and the ability to fire my own kiln.

While in Charlottesville I am working hard to pack and declutter and update. Our kitchen is so tiny we thought some simple improvements would help a prospective buyer to BECOME a buyer. So the old countertops were replaced with a newer and more "hip" color (then the wood look alike formica) and now we have a dishwasher! Of course it was not without it's issues. The FIRST countertop was delivered in a pouring rain....I did not notice that it was cut a mirror image of what is was meant to be. And then, of course, there was the VERY dead rat....

I plan to spend this week CLEANING and packing away odds and ends...oh, and shredding the 5 boxes of old credit card bills and cancelled checks that date back to 1989! (4 large garbage bags and counting...you can't be too careful these days...) I may make my self imposed deadline of February 1 to get this house on the market yet....

Know anyone looking to move to Charlottesville? Three bedrooms, 3 full baths, big fenced yard and a beautiful studio with AC and heat all located within walking distance of the Charlottesville Music Scene! And no rats.

Of course I've managed a few trips to Juniper Moon Farm, usually with the excuse of dropping off pots or picking up my own farm product. Some of their beautiful mill spun cormo and FRESH EGGS. They are so beautiful!

Susie bought these calves recently off Craigslist! Another step towards keeping down the sheep and goat parasites....and they are awfully damn cute. Jefferson, Madison and Monroe.

It's been a struggle to make time to throw pots. First there were The Holidays. Plus when I'm here it is only for a few days at a time and I'm working on the house. And I've not been able to focus. But now I have a deadline, Empty Bowls in Frederickburg this Saturday. I have been working on bowls, a project for a friend in Vermont (more on that later!) and a couple of commissions picked up through the Fall Fiber Festival show I did last year in October. Tomorrow morning I will load a bisque, aiming to be unloading and packing a glaze by Thursday night.

I surely miss having my hands in clay! It's so much calmer then the chaos in the house. I worry about what the year has to hold for me studio wise. I've come to the conclusion that once the house is on the market the hardest work will be done. I will just concentrate on keeping it clean (!) and throwing pots. The more I can pack away the better. I am doing one show for sure in October and am debating a second one in September....But once the house sells (please God sooner then later) I can't be sure how long I will be without access to a studio to fire my cone 5 pots.....worry, worry, worry.....

So there you have it! On paper it does not seem like much. But mix in a bit of lost motivation and a bit of overwhelmed What should I do first???? and it begins to look like more.

Thanks to all of you for sticking around....I hope to fill you in on things a little more often then just 1 time a month!

Now. BED.

Artist (?) at Work

2012-01-09T18:27:00.000-05:00

(Because every post needs at least one picture.....)

I'm finally paying attention to my blog.....am working through some changes....it might take a bit....I am computer challenged....keep your fingers crossed...and check back in a bit!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Project!!

2011-11-19T17:37:00.000-05:00

Not mine.

It belongs to my niece Merete.

My first visit with Merete (has it really been 26 years???) when my brother and his family moved to New Hampshire from Berlin Germany.

It is AWESOME.

I am so proud of her.

I have been building a beautiful blog post in my head all week. I just can't seem to put into words what I want to express.

After graduating from Naropa University in Colorado my niece has been working as a journalist, working on various projects, writing and editing for other people. THIS project is her very own.

This is no time for my writer's block, so I will let her work speak for itself.

After watching the video there is more info here and here.

Take a look!

Artist's Studio Tour

2011-11-15T09:39:00.002-05:00

So, every November select artists in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties open their studios to the public. When we moved here last year it was the first thing on my "want to do" list. I wasn't disappointed. Of course we were sure to go again this year.

I love seeing the workspaces of other artists. We didn't go to EVERY place like we did last year, our time was a bit shorter. But I was not disappointed by our visits. And I was shopping this time since we are moving away and the tour will not be as convenient once we are both settled back in Fredericksburg.

I made a point to start at Kevin Crow's studio in Nelson Co. Kevin is every bit as warm and friendly as I had heard. He gave us a fantastic description of the wood firing procedure, they were at the end, working on stoking and salting the last chamber. Loved seeing how the planks of wood were used as long platters for the salt, then slipped in to burn away.....(never knew that!)

Kevin's kiln shed. Not nearly as impressive as if I had taken a picture from below of the three chambered kiln. Didn't even think of taking pictures till we had made some purchases and were leaving!

Kevin's throwing shed turned shop for the tour.

Couldn't decide so we bought all three! Greg specifically chose the tumbler for his nightly beer(s).

Gotta love those salt affects!

We also were sure to stop at Judd Jarvis's place. He fires with gas behind his house with a gas kiln he built himself. Every year he and his wife clean out the main living area of their house and turn it into a gallery of his latest work. Judd's another one of those potters so willing to give advice to newer potters like me!

Another tumbler for Greg, (looks woodfired maybe?) and a plate for me.

We also stopped to see Tavia of Tavia Metal just a mile or two from our house (I had a pair of her silver earrings on my shopping list.) Another fantastic artist and all around great person. We always feel so warmly welcomed when we see her. She even gave us some free tickets for a show in Chicago that I will pass on to my niece at the Art Institute.

And I have to mention Tanya Tyree. I would love to have one of her female form jars or wall forms but had to be satisfied with a pair of her raku earrings. I just love how she represents women in her work, the grace of the shape, and the interpretation of woman as a vessel.....

We ended our day with a yummy pizza at Mellow Mushroom, with a couple G'night Red Imperial Ales. Time spent with Greg, art, beer and pizza. A perfect day.

YUM.

Fall Shearing at JMF

2011-10-25T09:56:00.000-04:00

What a BEAUTIFUL Fall day! Fall Shearing at Juniper Moon Farm is always more low key then Spring Shearing. For one thing only the goats (and this year the colored sheep) are sheared, as they are clipped twice a year. Also, this year, Susie has been travelling all over the USA promoting her new yarn line with the Juniper Moon Label. (It is FANTASTIC stuff! Ask for it at your local yarn shop.) Attendance by JMF "aunties" (as the Farm Groupies are called....you can meet us on Ravalry) is lower and it just feels like a family get together. Family that you sometimes have never had the opportunity to meet In Real Life!! Instead of tents Susie set up her Farm store in the garage, with a space for my table of JMF pottery. (Available also on her website here.) She had honey from her own bees this year too!

There was FRESH pressed cider from the Farm's new cider press and popcorn. Lunch was potluck as usual. An amazingly relaxed and uneventful day! Here are a few pictures....

Charlie. Or maybe it's Churchill???

Before shearing.....

The amazing Emily.....(she's actually been judged as one of the best shearers in the country.)

After the haircut. It's amazing how dark the colored sheep fleeces are. The tips bleach out in the sun, so it's easy to forget how chocolatey brown they really are!

Greg with my JMF pottery....wouldn't be a show without him.

Jerry the llama makes a friend.

LOT'S of chickens. They were all just little peepees at Spring Shearing!

Dye Day

2011-10-19T11:48:00.001-04:00

So in the midst of the pottery, the shows and the moving....my Weaving Guild here in Charlottesville had a dye day! I do love dyeing but rarely do it by myself. It is just so much more fun with a group. Maybe it's all the knowledge shared or maybe it's just because some things have to simmer for quite awhile for good color and its nice to have someone to jabber with while I wait!

It was a glorious Fall day. Joanie, the current president of the Guild, had us out to her farm to set up. An AMAZING place. A big beautiful old house with gorgeous grounds. And animals!

Lot's of hard work.....

.....and waiting and talking...

Leads to beautiful results!!
Both these skeins were OVERDYED, meaning dyed in another color and dyed again, with indigo. Unfortunately I don't know what the first color was (yellow for sure on the right, so maybe goldenrod or annato....) But what fantastic results!

I prepared for the day by measuring out a warp of alpaca in sections to be dyed in different colors. This will become a scarf.

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From left to right:
Walnut, indigo, tumeric, hibiscus overdyed with a weak indigo, and annato.

My colors did not turn out as vivid as some. But natural dyes can be amazingly bright.

While at Fall Fiber Festival I managed to slip away to peek at some of the other vendors. When I saw the glorious colors of Black Twig Farm I was amazed! And knew I had to make a purchase. Generally I try to avoid buying yarn (since I spin and don't knit much!) unless I plan on weaving with it. But I couldn't walk away from her beautiful examples without taking some home with me.

These yarns are mill spun of Churro, a navajo sheep raised on Rachel's farm outside Crozet, right here in Virginia!

The colors were created with natural elements with a "mordant" added to modify the color:

From left to right
cochineal (a dried beetle that is ground up) with tin, coreopsis with tin, osage orange with alum, madder root with alum and black walnut with iron

Back home I have 25 bookmarks on my loom! Nearly half way finished.

(Blogger is driving me CRAZY today. Pictures everywhere, that frame line showing up where I dont' want it. This post took WAY more time then it should have. GRRRRRRRRR.)

This weekend it's Shearing at Juniper Moon Farm and Greg will be home for 5 days!

It's all about the shows.....

2011-10-14T15:32:00.002-04:00

I can't believe we are already half way through October. OCTOBER. Fall is truly here. The rains continue, the leaves are turning and the breezes have brought us those chilly nights I love so much. Along with October comes a restocked Etsy Shop, Fall Fiber Festival, the Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild's "Stitch In", the start to Greg's new job and Fall Shearing at Juniper Moon Farm.

Greg armed with The Square ready for big sales!

Fall Fiber Festival was a great success! Despite the week of rain, the crew managed to find enough dry land to set up the tents, no one got stuck in the mud and sales were GREAT. Last year was the first year that the board accepted pottery vendors to the mix. I jumped at the chance to be part of a festival that I have attended for YEARS and was so happy to be accepted. The festival is ALWAYS well attended. It is a date reserved a year in advance by most every fiberista in Virginia and the plan is nearly always to SHOP.

The weather cooperated, being cool and a bit breezy Saturday and, well, overcast on Sunday but NO RAIN. To make the weekend even better my friend April came up from NC to lend a hand. So with Greg taking money and April helping me set up I had lots of time to talk with customers. It was an awesome weekend. As I said, sales were great (even sold several of my woven towels) and I picked up a couple of easy commissions (more of what I already do) and some wholesale opportunities. VERY satisfying. I tell ya. Fiber people are just the friendliest bunch.

The following Saturday I packed up the truck and drove to Fredericksburg for the FSWG Stitch In event being held at LibertyTown Arts Workshop (my alma mater!). This was a charity knitting and crocheting event. Well attended the goal of the day was to promote charitable knitting (and crocheting) for the homeless, hospital patients and others. There were demos, short classes and donated yarn and needles to get you started. A small group of us agreed to be vendors.

Me!

If I'm not going to knit with it I may as well sell my handspun so someone else can!

Baskets of donated yarns!

Nekkid bears waiting for clothes....

All dressed and ready for policemen to give to kids...

My friend Lisa from Maranatha Alpaca Farm

I rushed home Saturday to get home before dark and to help Greg pack up for his move to Fredericksburg on Sunday. Ya'll will be glad to know that he is tucked into his temporay place and has since finished his first very busy week of work. He's happy! BUT this apart stuff is not too fun.

My sights are now set on the list of things that must be accomplished here at the house in C'ville to ready it for sale in the Spring. Painting, (I put up a new light fixture today!) a kitchen update, bathroom heat....with time for throwing pots in between.

I have decided to take a studio at LibertyTown again starting in November. This will hold my largest loom and lots of pots! I plan on continuing to throw in a home studio. I love the control of my time and the kiln. And by spending time at LT I will still have access to tons of creative energy. Greg will move into a small rental house in November that allows dogs so Layla the wonder dog and I will be spending some time each week in The Burg starting in November. It will take some planning to balance my time between my pottery studio at the house in C'ville, and Greg and LT in Fredericksburg.

Here's hoping for a quick sale of the house in the Spring.....

5 days and counting.....

2011-09-26T09:17:00.000-04:00

Yikes! Fall Fiber Festival is this coming Saturday and Sunday. I have one more bisque and one (!) more glaze firing to accomplish. AND THINGS AREN'T DRYING. Its been SO rainy and wet here in Virginia....The last few pots are just to round out the selection so I could just do one more glaze firing and call it finished. BUT I want these large plates to be at the party.....(IF they don't warp....)

So I may just break down and lower the AC in the studio and cross my fingers.

I'm still here!

2011-09-20T10:34:00.000-04:00

I've been ignoring my blog of late. When I turn on my computer my home page stares at me accusingly. But here are some pictures and an update!

I had my first whole sale order!! Jo at Miller Farms purchased a large quantity of my "farm ware" for her shop. I'm thrilled. Their farm is a wonderful place. They raise beef cattle, provide seasonal pick your own, a produce and flower stand and a sweet farm gift shop.

I've been weaving again.

I have been preparing for My One Big Show this year. Fall Fiber Festival held in Orange VA. I have gone to the festival for years as a shopper (and BOY can I shop when it comes to all the gorgeous colored fiber....) but this year fiber sales will be down because I will be working at my own booth! I have no idea what to expect but I will have an abundance of pots. So we will see.

This past weekend I attended a spinning retreat at Graves Mountain Lodge as a vendor.

It was a last minute decision since I was concerned about my stock for FFF. It turned out to be a good decision, I had a few sales that made it worth my while (and still leaving plenty of stock for FFF) and it was a good dry run for set up and credit card logistics. SQUARE is my friend. Even with no cell service up there in the mountains we did have access to WiFi in the lodge so it worked perfectly.

Tell me what you think of my new banner....I couldn't hang it up here but the plan is to hang it high.

The next several weeks are VERY busy. Lots of concerts (this week is Ray LaMontagne with Brandi Carlisle opening on Thursday night and Head and the Heart on Saturday night). Sunday Greg and I will drive to Berryville to check out the Shenandoah Fiber Festival. I have never been and am hearing great things about this event. So plan to apply for 2012. Fall Fiber Festival is the weekend of October 1&2, the next weekend I will be a vendor in Frederickburg at the Let's Stitch event at LibertyTown Arts Workshop. And THEN two weeks later is the Juniper Moon Fall Shearing!

In the midst of all my preparations, visits from friends and great music we are also preparing for some big changes.

Greg has a new job starting in October so we will be moving BACK to Fredericksburg! After only a year here in Charlottesville.

I will definitely miss this city. LOVE being in the mountains and the ease of getting out of town and driving through the countryside, the music, the art, the FOOD. But Greg is terribly excited and this will be a fantastic change for him. And shoot (BECAUSE of how supportive Greg is) I can pot anywhere. :)

I won't be leaving Charlottesville until after the house sells. We won't list it till Spring and in the meantime I have my studio here at the house.

So if you know anyone looking for a place in C'ville in a convenient location with a home studio.....

New Design.....

2011-08-09T17:04:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty happy with some of my new ideas. But still am working with getting some grassy green (which of course tends to burn off by cone 5). I want to try brushing on my clear glaze as well. Even though I have thinned it down it still can be milky at times.

I know why I do sheep...but where are the chickens coming from????

Etsy Shop Updated!

2011-07-24T17:44:00.000-04:00

Hi All!

Well, like everyone else in the eastern part of the country we are HOT. So rather then spend time in the studio today I updated my Etsy Shop. I still haven't figured out how to directly link my shop to Facebook so I am posting the news here! (Since I figured out how to link from my blog to Facebook anyway....)

Stay cool everyone!...if you can.

New Pots! "Farm Ware"

2011-07-19T15:22:00.000-04:00

Road Trip

2011-07-17T22:41:00.001-04:00

So it was time to order clay, and rather then wait for delivery (and pay for it) I decided to pick it up myself. THE TRIP IS GORGEOUS. This drive brings tears to my eyes from the beauty. I know it sounds dramatic. But I can't help it. My clay is in Front Royal, VA and the drive there from Charlottesville is amazing. No interstates. Only a state highway and alot of windy country roads. It did me a world of good. It was the first of a couple of cooler days. The air was refreshing and clear. SO I was able to take Layla with me for company too.

Pictures while driving is not too smart. What you aren't seeing are the fields of Queen Anne's Lace (great for dyeing I hear but I couldn't find a good pull off to harvest some...) the rolls of hay and the cows and horses........

New clay means I have been working on alot of pots. Another baby commission, pots for a Farm Market and slowly preparing for THREE shows in October.

Pictures soon.....

Hot Pots

2011-06-24T17:40:00.000-04:00

And a commissioned baby's set. I love that there is someone out there that wants to give handmade pottery to a baby!

So Much to DO

2011-06-16T11:52:00.001-04:00

So this is our first spring and summer in our new to us house. I swore I would just care for the yard and manage what was there....but like usual I had to brighten it up and make it OURS. So through the 98 degree days we have been having (only 80s this week thank God!) I managed to accomplish quite a bit in the garden:

New hosta bed under our pink dogwood, all moved from the back yard where we have a ton more....

Bee Balm (the bees and butterflies are happy)

Lavendar. I hope I have better luck with it here...
.

Another new bed with plants sent to me by a friend in Massachusetts! I think these hot days have been quite a shock for them. Luckily we have full rain barrels....

LOVE this coreopsis. I've been trying to keep natural dyeing in mind while planting....

Chocolate Mint sent to me from Texas! (You'll notice its in a pot. Learned my lesson years ago about the invasiveness of mint!!)

Echinacea (should be a good show next year) zinnias and dusty miller with some basil in between. (MMMMMMM pesto!)

Our first tomato is almost ready! Thanks Aline!!

Cascadian Hops. The previous owners were homebrewers. Greg packed up his homebrewing supplies when he bought his last guitar....his aunt wants to use the cones for baking bread and I am researching the dyeing possiblities for the vines. One things for sure. THE VINES ARE LETHAL. The sticky spiney vines left bloody scars on the backs of my legs after a day of weeding. Now I know.

Of course, in the evenings I found time to spin...Wensleydale from Flying Fibers in Pennsylvania.

And YES I have been throwing pots. I have a few commissions that are ready to be bisque fired...

Below are some assorted farm style cereal bowls, slipped and painted and ready to go.

A herd of sheepy banks....

Full to the brim. But I have two more small plates that I have to make room for....

I only have one table to work on in my studio, and a small one at that. So my Dad and I came up with a plan, carried out by Dan the Handyman.

These two side by side shelves have become....

...a terrific canvas covered work surface!

Still have a long list of things to do this Summer....painting rooms in the house, new stock for my Etsy shop, preparations for the Fall Fiber Festival (I need to modify my show setup) three looms to warp, concerts to attend (The Decemberists, Gillian Welch and Ray LaMontagne to name a few!)

I'll be back!

Etsy. I've Done It.

2011-05-22T22:13:00.001-04:00

It took ALOT of work...well sitting at the computer, cussing and carrying on....

But I have my store set up and stocked a bit. From everything I have read it is better to add a few things over time rather than everything all once.

I have learned some things.

1. I don't like taking pictures (I think I already knew this one.)

2. If I wanted to take pictures I would have become a photographer.

3. I don't like my camera.

4. My tripod is awful.

.......

I have been obsessing over the last week about making my store perfect. The banner, the policies, how to do shipping, what to charge, THE PICTURES....

I finally realized I need to start somewhere. So I have.

Next I need to figure out how to put the direct link in blogger.

Meanwhile.

Here's the LINK.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Struggling Photographer

2011-05-18T17:03:00.001-04:00

So I've pulled out the lightbox and spent the last several hours taking pictures.....

I don't have the graduated black to white backdrop....so I have been using the gray. Since my slipped pots don't seem to pop the way I would like...

...I have switched to the black. I don't like that there is no shadow under the piece to ground it. At least the pots themselves seem more prominent with the black.

I'm loath to admit that I still use the automatic setting on the camera and instead play with the light sources...I really need to find my manual and really learn how to take decent pictures.

These are much better then the ones I took a couple of years ago without a light box.

While I was struggling....

The mailman brought a parcel of Fall Fiber Festival brochures! I am so excited to be a vendor there this year!

I also spent a couple hours painting a wall in my weaving studio in the basement. I have some projects that I MUST get on the loom(s). I have a plan for some woven goods for Fall as well.

At least the rain has stopped!!

Juniper Moon Spring Shearing Festival

2011-05-15T18:26:00.001-04:00

What a great day.

So I have spent the last two months in my studio preparing for this event.

I had no idea how it would be.

But I knew that the people there would be wonderful....

and I was right.

(Sorry the pictures are only fair. I just never seem to bring my REAL camera and it was very overcast all day.)

Daisy the minature donkey. I want her.

These maremma guardian dogs were off duty for the big day. They are such fantastic dogs with the flock! But they were given the day off.

Ironically there are no pictures of the actual shearing going on! For those, go to the

Juniper Moon Blog.

Why Do I DO This Every Year....

2011-05-08T10:52:00.000-04:00

Maryland Sheep and Wool. The biggest sheep and wool festival in the country. (Though I hear Rhinebeck is moving up fast). I go every year. USUALLY I get there with my friend Lynette before they even open and we are DONE by 1.

This year Lynette had a family obligation so I tagged along with another friend Linda. We didn't arrive till 11:30.

The parking doesn't look so bad does it??

Except that was the OVERFLOW because of

THIS...

It was CRAZY crowded. By the time we got through to the gate and I went off on my own it was just too tough to really shop. So I visited my favorite vendors especially Flying Fibers.

Turns out I was in a Wensleydale mood! Picked up some Jacob and a bit of weaving cotton.

Briefly met up with a gang from Ravelry's Juniper Moon Farm

(Where I had an attack of shyness, my friends forget that I start that way and struggle to be comfortable with a new bunch)

Was relieved to hang a bit with my old Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild buddies.

Ribbon fries and lemonade and we were out of there.

From now on it's the morning for me. The afternoon is for everyone else!

Here's the Answer!

2011-04-28T13:45:00.001-04:00

Remember these?

Now they look like this!

Nekkid sheep banks!

They are looking fancier now. (The OPPOSITE of shearing.) So will post pictures again when they are finished.

Did anyone guess right???

Patron Show Project Delivered

2011-04-26T17:12:00.000-04:00

Hey all! The big annual Patron Show at LibertyTown in Fredericksburg is coming up FAST! (The fast is in all caps for those of you still working on your pieces???) Mine was delivered today:

(the other side)

(another view)

(more details...)

(the cow field)

I'm really pleased with how well they nest. They seem a little primative to me...but I am beginning to think that maybe that is what comes naturally and that it works?

SO BUY A TICKET.

Everyone who buys a ticket is GUARANTEED a beautiful piece of art. Maybe if you're REALLY lucky you will pick my set of bowls. :)

Both Feet Back on the Ground

2011-04-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

After the fantastic weekend away meeting Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew it was hard to focus on the work at hand. I have lots of new ideas, but they will have to wait until after my shearing deadline.

So below is an embarrassingly fuzzy picture of the growing stock for all the Juniper Moon Groupies.

The design for the yarn bowls below has been hanging out in my head through the Winter.....

I LOVE these little tea cups, for all the bee lovers out there....

And do you have any idea what the forms below will become?? Take a guess and next time I will have pictures of the finished pots!

It Felt Like Christmas!!!

2011-04-19T18:28:00.003-04:00

A few years ago I discovered the blogs of Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew.

I've always loved the traditional looking slipped redware, or earthenware that you can see at historic sites, like Williamsburg or in museums like Wintethur.

And here are two artists that are still carrying on that tradition!

Dougs work truly mirrors the English country style of pottery that you would find in working homes. He digs a good bit of the clay he uses from the land around him.

Hannah's work is a bit more refined, but she is practicing the sliptrailed tradition seen in the Staffordshire area of Old England.

After one of his annual visits to England Dan Finnegan decided that it would be a great thing to bring these two potters to America to teach some workshops. After lots of talk and planning this past weekend was finally the big event!

(I will apologize now for the phone quality pictures. Between my own excitement and the fact that Doug does not sit still for long there are some blurry ones here....but they still tell the story of a great weekend.)

There was alot of blow torch use...trying to get pots thrown, handled and decorated in just a matter of hours....

Doug working on a puzzle jug.

Doug's "leaf resist" technique in process.

Proof that Dan Finnegan HAS tried throwing with earthenware clay.

And TONS of laughs. Hannah has an awesome sense of humor and Dough had her (and us) giggling ALOT.

But not enough to effect her steady hand while she sliptrailed away on the puzzle jug that Doug had made.

Doug's harvest jug. Thrown, (torched!) handled and then slipped. The design is loosly worked in the wet slip.

Hannah used a technique for a large (16 total pounds) platter that I had not seen before.

First she threw the base with 8 pounds.

Then she attached a LARGE coil (another 8 pounds, that at her studio at home in Scotland she would have gotten from her pug mill but at the workshop she rolled by hand) around the base.....

When it was finished, a fantastic canvas for her terrific sliptrailed design.

Now I have more pots in my collection! The large jar on the left was actually purchased from Doug last year by mail. I LOVE the weight of it, the looseness of the design and the warm brown of the local Devon clay. My new Doug Mug is on the far right.

The two mugs to the left by Hannah were gifts in the past, but the pitcher in the center and the beautiful pitcher to the right of it are my new purchases.

It was such a whirlwind. I feel like have made two new freinds and I can't wait to get into the studio and apply some of the things I learned from them!

But today I was faced with the ignored yard work (it's officially lawn mowing season.....) and I still must finish the pots for the looming Spring Shearing at Juniper Moon!

However the ideas are churning away........

Sign of Spring

2011-04-13T18:32:00.002-04:00

CAMELAMA!

2011-04-11T16:35:00.000-04:00

YOU are the WINNER! I will mail off your mug and sheepy as soon as I can!

Meanwhile I have been working away to keep up with all YOUR WONDERFUL ORDERS...and for Shearing. I promise a more interesting post, with PICTURES (because the secret is FINALLY out!).

YIPPEE!

The BIG Secret.....

2011-04-08T07:54:00.000-04:00

I AM SO EXCITED!

SOME of you anyway are waiting to see what I have been busy with ..... working away in my new studio, nose to the grindstone...slogging away trying to accomplish what I have happily agreed to do....

TA DA!

AND.....

I hope the wait was worth it. These things take some time.....and I am not a production potter. There are ceramic artists out there who easily throw 50++ pots in a day....I am more of a plodder.

The Plodding Potter.

BUT I love having my fingers in clay, and am so HAPPY to be involved with Juniper Moon Farm! This Farm is such a welcoming place. The animals; angora goats, cormo and baby southdown sheep, LOTS of chickens, 2 potbelly pigs, three maramma guardian dogs and a mule, are treated like family.

When you visit the farm you are treated like family too. It's just that kind of place.

So NOW you will find these pots available on the Juniper Moon website.

While the mugs are all relatively alike (they ARE handmade....) each yarn bowl is a little different. The Juniper Moon lamb is on the front of each one...and the back has a picture of something from the farm. If you order one, you will be surprised.

Because I have given away one of my yarn bowls before...My Friday Giveaway this week will be......

A mug and one of my little sheepys!

IF you want to enter to win this pair....just leave me a comment telling me who (living or dead) you would like to sit and share a hot beverage with and why....then leave a comment on the Friday Giveaway post on the Juniper Moon Blog to let them know you entered. Jenny at JMF will draw the lucky winner on Monday!

Good Luck!

And don't worry, I'm always plodding along in my workshop making more.

I need some help.....

2011-04-05T19:34:00.000-04:00

Ok. So I did my first glaze firing in the new kiln. So, new for ME and new for the KILN.

It's an L&L, I used the computer setting for slow glaze, cone 6, BUT.......

The cones show just how hot it was..........So where do I go from here?

Luckily the pots are all fine, a little shinier then usual but that is all. The manual mentions a factory set calibration....that in some cases that needs adjustment. What do ya'll think??????

Are There Really 24 hours in a Day???

2011-04-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind, and I don't think its gonna slow down anytime soon.....

(I'm sorry about the poor quality of these pictures, DROID.)

Saturday and Sunday I spent the day at Piedmont Valley Community College for a clay workshop with Allan Nairn. He's an Englishman, who now lives in Cinncinati Ohio, and works for Rookwood Pottery. But the skills that lead him there are amazing. We learned about mold making,

(the human press.....)

and the idea to "use the mold, the mold does not use you." I had always thought of molds as the easy way out....but his work shows how to use molds to form tiles, then to embellish each one to make them individual. This is definitely percolating in my head....

He also threw pots, transferred them to molds and pushed and pulled them into hanging planters....

His take on sgraffito was inspired by a book on African fabric. Again, my brain is contemplating....The biggest tip I got from this was the idea of spraying on the initial underglaze. The thinner coat is so much easier to mark through, especially with a groggier clay (terracotta in Allan's case).

After two days of clay, (followed by yummy Mellow Mushroom Pizza), I spent this morning at my first book binding class. Something I have ALWAYS wanted to try.

Tonight, my pottery class at PVCC. Followed by firing my first glaze!!!

TOMORROW. A quick visit to Juniper Moon Farm.....and soon an amazing opportunity announcement....

Stay tuned!

A Winner!

2011-04-01T12:47:00.000-04:00

The firing that is. Now to move on to glazing. No pictures because the pots are a surprise....and someone might peek. SO here are some random pictures instead!

Ready! Set! Fire!

2011-03-31T10:02:00.000-04:00

So I have slowly loaded the kiln......

Layer by layer.......

I may have been able to pack more efficiently....

But that is ok, because I was able to fit in all I had ready!

A little paranoid that things were not ALL dry, so preheated for 2 hours.

Handled some more mugs (shooting for 50 for the event I am working towards....)

Watched some wildlife....

Checked out the new baby goats born early this morning!

Kiln shut off at 8:45 AM.

Can't wait to see that all went well.

Finding My Rythmn....

2011-03-24T17:35:00.000-04:00

I'm finally getting into that rythmn in my studio! I know most potters are working away for 6-8 hours a day (at least) but my body just won't do that. So I work for around 3-4. That gives me enough time to do a chunk of throwing and what other odds and ends need to be done. Slipping, drawing, painting....

I have yet to do my first bisque. Pots are drying pretty slowly with all the rain we have been having. Plus I know I will be EXTRA careful to make sure things are DRY for my first time....I am hoping to load one next week.

I am a vendor at the Juniper Moon Shearing on the 14th of May....so there is definitely a deadline.

Here are some blurry pictures from my phone....just so you know I have been working!

(No pictures of finished pots, 'cause I don't want to spoil the surpise for those going to SHEARING!)

My trusty companion. It really is nice not to have to put Layla into her crate and leave her every day.

Yay Rosemary!

2011-03-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

WOW! I am amazed at the response to the Giveaway!!! Thanks so much for all your kind comments about my simple little yarn bowl.

And the thing ya'll would like to do someday? Of course there are alot of spinner and weaver gonna bes.....but I was pleasently surprised by the number of you who would like to learn to play the cello (I played in elementary school), try glass blowing and own your own little farm. Dragan cracked me up with her desire to juggle (I can do two pretty well....) plan to leave the eating fire to Glamboozle, and want to invite myself along with Clooless....I too have always wanted to spend a wintery month on the coast of Maine. (All those episodes of The Ghost and Mrs Muir....do you remember that show??)

So Rosemary, make sure you check out the announcement on Juniper Moon and we will send your yarn bowl pronto!

Thanks again for visiting my blog, and I hope you come back!

Win a Friday Giveaway!

2011-03-11T07:59:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I just moved to a new town. Moving isn't new to me....but it still isn't easy. Finding the best grocery store, good restaurants, concert venues and exploring generally is a blast. But finding doctors, a dentist and a mechanic, let alone friends is a little harder...and not as much fun.

This is the first time I've moved as a potter....working from home. Again, no human contact there....and my old friends will find it hard to believe....I am shy in the beginning!

Weekends with Greg are great, but during the week things can get pretty lonely. My savior? The internet. Email, Ravelry, blogs .... I've followed the Juniper Moon Blog for about a year. Ironically, this farm relocated from Martha's Vineyard to my new area of Virginia shortly before we moved here. Following Susie's blog and "meeting" The Aunties through the comments and the group on Ravelry has gotten me through quite a few blue days. What a great place! Who knew I would actually get to walk around The Farm, follow the sheep and goats through the pastures, love up the puppies and meet Susie in person!

So as a THANK YOU to Juniper Moon I'm offering a piece of my pottery in their Friday Giveaway!

I am a potter, but I also LOVE fiber of all kinds. I spin, knit and weave. I dye and felt. (I always say, whenever I try something new I am a bit relieved when I don't like it!) This yarn bowl is a way for me to combine fiber and clay. And I am offering it to you!

To WIN, just leave me a comment below; tell me something that you always have wanted to try....then go to Juniper Moon and leave a comment there! They will be picking the winner for me! :)

Good Luck everyone!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait.....

2011-03-02T17:01:00.000-05:00

Remember this? Dark, cold, only full of hope....and spiders.

Now it looks like this!

The shiny new L&L is running its maiden firing. I do feel like IT is running it. Gotta sit with the manual so the fear and trepidation does not overwhelm the happiness and excitement!

Don't Miss It!!

2011-02-11T19:48:00.000-05:00

I hope Dan doesn't mind that I borrowed the picture above from HIS blog.

But in case there is anyone out there interested, that doesn't visit his site, this is an opportunity not to be missed!

And if Fredericksburg is not convenient, maybe Cape Cod or Shelby, NC would be better.

I have followed Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew's blogs for awhile and am so excited to not only meet them in person, but also to see them in action.

Think about joining the party in April!

(See the links for dates and details)

Puppies and Pots!!

2011-01-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

So today I went to Juniper Moon Farm
There are cormo sheep and angora goats, potbellied pigs and a mule.
And puppies.
Maremma Guardian Dogs

AND I started my ceramics class at Piedmont Valley Community College.

The only Virginia community college with a gas kiln.

I HADN'T THROWN IN 5 MONTHS.

It felt so good.

(pardon the pictures from my phone.....)

The space is not huge but they have all you need.

Even a beautiful view.

Masked.

2011-01-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Everything seems so COMPLICATED these days.... My studio is still in the works (2 weeks maybe???)

I'm taking a ceramics class at Piedmont Valley Community College (the only CC in Virginia with a gas kiln!)

I'm trying to make a March 1(ish) application deadline for a show....

So slip chemicals from LibertyTown (thanks so much Dan!)....

Hopefully between all these venues I will get it together!

(I'm sure you guessed...that's me behind the mask!)

Baby Steps

2011-01-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! I've finally started work on The Studio! My new best friend Dan W. is doing the carpentry work: new windows and door, insulation and drywall (and anything else I might come up with along the way). Yesterday was a full day. NOW we wait for the electrician. That has been the problem all along....looks like he won't be here for another week. But at least I am making progress!

The kiln is sitting at The Kiln Doctor ready to be delivered and I already have orders for pots and the possiblity of a venue that makes me very happy! I'll tell you more once I have it all arranged.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

Time flies when you aren't making pots.....

2010-12-16T16:01:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! No pots in the near future, but I am making headway! I ordered a new L&L 7 cubic foot kiln with vent of my very own. The electrician is lined up to run the required power to the garage, the contractor has been picked for the insulation (yes Dan) drywall and installation of bigger but more efficient windows. I will do the painting to make it purty, and our HVAC people will come in and put in a ductless ac/heater. I hate spending the money on that but Greg insists (I do love that man!) so I will definitely be making pots in comfort!

In the mean time I have been baking and knitting for the upcoming holiday. Nothing very picturesque about that, but here are the other goings on:

Picked up my new to me 56" Macomber Loom with my good friend Linda. Thanks Stan for the use of your truck! Trip to and from Ohio went very smoothly....once we got the billowing tarp arranged correctly.

2010 Artists Studio Tour

Judd Jarvis' gas kiln. He has a great setup in Nelson County. He too makes in his garage so he was full of good information. I bought pots of course. Because the next best thing to making them is buying them.

Donna the Buffalo at the Jefferson.

Shearing Day at Juniper Moon Farm

They raise cormo sheep and angora goats.

One of the Maremma dogs who guard the sheep and goats. (One who incidently just had puppies about an hour ago!! But don't know if this is momma Lucy or not.)

Angora waiting for his haircut.....

Two weekends ago went to the Free Union Country Day School for a small craft show (where I of course managed to buy 8 oz of roving from Kid Hollow Farm. It was St Nicholas Nite afterall!)

What a great place to attend school. This library is just so cool! (Small! But cool!)

LAST weekend we visited Mangham Manor Farm

Mohair and wool.

That's me feeding the normal size lamb. The TINY kid on the left was 13 oz at birth (7 pounds plus is normal!) He is wearing a hunting sock. They were from different triplet births.

Can you imagine this view everyday at work??

Now we are having our first real snow. About 3 inches so far, so I am off to keep knitting away on those Christmas gifts!

Spinning Maniac

2010-11-17T15:52:00.000-05:00

Awhile back I mentioned that in an effort to avert the cranky feelings that threaten due to the lack of CLAY work I have been spinning. A lot. Around FIVE POUNDS in two months. This is what 5 pounds of handspun looks like:

That's 2,991 yards.

The above is four pounds of Karakul. This fiber has a pretty long staple and is much coarser and hairier then the Blueface Leicester I usually prefer. But Karakul felts VERY well. So I have spun this as singles (that is why it looks more kinky then the other, I spun it tight to withstand the tension on my loom.) and hope to weave a blanket from it, felting it slightly when it is finished. We'll see how it goes....

These pretty colors are mostly Blueface Leicester wool, though the gray is from Hatchtown Farms in Maine (a wonderful gift from a visiting friend) which is a glorious Coopworth top.

And because I have to prove that I have made pots in the past this is a commission for a butter dish for a friend in Germany. It needed to be the right size for a "slab o'butter" as they call it.

Signs of Fall

2010-11-10T16:31:00.000-05:00

Well Fall is actually well on its way in Charlottesville Virginia. Im just now recording it, because of the learning curve on the new computer. I am THRILLED to see that our maple tree in the backyard is a gorgeous glowing yellow!

I have also discoverd the subtle differences in Virginia acorns:

First Charlottesville:

Second.....Fredericksburg,

Lastly, LibertyTown....!

Thanks to Mary Hardy and the hours on the deck with her evening glass of wine. These are wet felted wool with a hat provided by Mother Nature.

I love them so much my friend Elizabeth Woodford made me a couple of pair of earrings from some others!

Still here.....

2010-10-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

Hi all. No pictures because I am "in transition" computerwise. My laptop is slowly giving up the ghost. The monitor goes black with out notice....so I do have a new machine. :) That makes me happy. They are cheaper these days and faster than my old one. BUT (there always seems to be a but!) Mr Gpod has not had the time to install all my backed up stuff. or the printer....or my camera....

I know, I know, why dont I figure it out for myself? Because he already knows how! I have other things to fill my brain with.

So for now I will continue weaving and battling this horrid head cold.

John Prine last Saturday night was GREAT.

And its raining again! Woohoo!

My new favorite DVD series is Mcleod's Daughters.

Puffs ROCK.

Progress!

2010-10-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

I spent the morning sweeping out spiders and crickets, moving boxes, installing greenware shelving and positioning my wheel. Now I need to get some clay (!) and of course get the electrician to install the needed electrical....then The Kiln!

After lunch I sat at my loom and started on the 10 yard warp of cotolin kitchen towels. They make great Christmas gifts!

Elizabeth commented on my last post that I should tell ya'll how many yards of yarn I spun out of the 4 pounds of wool I was working on. Once I have it all wound into skeins and processed I will let you know!

No pots but more music and WOOL!

2010-10-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

So. I have been busy stashing, running errands, cleaning, organizing....and spinning. ALOT. In the last 2 weeks I have spun over 4 pounds of wool. I think I miss my potters wheel.....

By the weekend, Saturday was so BEAUTIFUL. We had 7 inches of badly needed rain through the week. Saturday was crisp and perfect for mowing the lawn, cleaning clogged gutters....in preparation for lots of fun.

Emily came (our go to girl when it comes to music!) and accompanied us to The Jefferson, a fantastic small music venue down on the mall. Gaslight Anthem was the show for the evening. Kind of Springstein meets punk.....a real experience for me. For those of you who know my hubby Greg, he is an amazing music lover. Punk is his favorite (The Ramones, A Place to Bury Strangers etc.....) Had fun at the show but I have to admit to plugging my ears once or twice...It got LOUD.

GasLight Anthem

I got up the next morning on my own and headed to the Fall Fiber Festival at Montepelier. What an AWESOME DAY. They had called for rain by lunchtime, but the sky was blue, followed by blustery clouds. A genuine Virginia fall day. My favorite.

Scottish Blackface

Cormo. My favorite wool to spin. I fell in love with this lady.....

I love this notice! The color does not show up too well here but this llama had a gorgeous peachy

colored neck

Angora bunnies

By 11:00 or so Greg and Emily arrived (Emily on her way home to Fredericksburg) That man LOVES to watch the dog trials. In a setting like this it is easy to understand.

Did not miss Carpe Donut. The BEST ORGANIC DONUTS!

And no festival is complete without Kettlecorn!

I have no pictures of all the gorgeous products sold by the vendors. I was too busy looking, touching and buying to be distracted by focusing a camera. I will say I was more controlled this year....but I had to replace the 4 pounds I have spun....right???

This is the first year that there was POTTERY. Now THAT is a show I will shoot for. MMMMM wool and clay. IS there a better combination???

The Trip to Ohio That Didn't Happen and MORE organizing

2010-09-24T18:10:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are not weavers, the fact that I finally hung this item on the wall today will have no significance...It is a warping board, the second vital step in my weaving process. (The first being deciding what it is I plan to weave!) I promise to have a warp on it very SOON.

I find it so hard to create when there is still so much chaos around me. Though the house itself is looking very good, I have left my creative spaces for last. The basement is coming together. I worked down there for several hours this afternoon. It would have happened sooner but I was waiting for The Trip To Ohio to pick up my new to me Macomber 56" loom.

It didn't happen.

I reserved a Budget Rental truck a MONTH in advance. I arranged with my friend Cathy to come with me on the trip. I had a hotel reservation in Akron. We even boarded Cathy's wonderful companion Sophie, since MY dog Layla is so anxiety ridden we needed to take her along. When we went to pick up the SMALL and MANAGEABLE 10 foot truck the lady calmly told me "we never see the 10 foot trucks here, so I have a 16 foot one instead." OH MY GOD!....but then I calmly coaxed myself into believing that there could not be THAT big a difference in how they drive...(!?!)...and that I COULD DO THIS!

With sweaty palms I carefully eased out onto the 4 lane road....wondering all along how I had gotten myself into this predicament....BUT I COULD DO THIS. Not 15 minutes later there was a horrendous noise. Did I hit the curb???? Were the overhead branches too low???? As my heart slowed back to normal I made my way down our street INTO OUR ALLEY and even INTO A PARKING SPOT. Cathy met me outside the truck "We have a problem". It was the curb. And the air was slowly seeping out of newly cut slits in one of (its a big truck) the right rear tires. SHIT. (sorry)

SO. Called road side assistance, she said you can drive 20 miles on that tire, take the truck back. AND I DID. If I weren't so angry about the fact that the woman gave me a 16 foot truck, angry at myself for taking it, angry at the curb for getting in the way, I would be pretty damn proud of myself for the maneuvering out of the alley.

SO this cheap loom is getting more expensive. $314 more expensive.

I wonder if I can find a number for a freight company that services Wadsworth Ohio????

More Organizing followed by a little music in the neighborhood

2010-09-19T16:01:00.001-04:00

So everything from LibertyTown is now here in my new to be Clay Studio.....see if you can guess which side is mine and which is Greg's!?

The weaving studio in the basement is coming together...wonder where the 56" Macomber loom I'm picking up next week will go???

All that work deserved a little entertainment. So Greg and our friend Emily and I walked down the street to see a band you might recognize:

Crosby Stills and Nash playing within a 10 minute walk from my house! This place is really so amazing. The concert was AWESOME. A lot of gray hair both on the stage and in the audience. But David, Stephen and Graham sure can still perform.

What a blast.

The nest morning Emily had to leave early to make her graduate class at 9 AM (its about an hour and a half back to Fredericksburg from here.) I am not ashamed to say that Greg and I went back to bed! After a leisurely brunch we headed out (because half the day was gone already and it was SO beautiful out) to Stanardsville VA to visit Noon-Whistle Pottery. Greg and I had a great visit with Holly Horan. We had met her husband at the local (fantastic) farmers market a couple of weekends ago.

They have a terrific shop with work from many talented artists included with their own. Holly throws beautiful functional work and her husband John makes earthenware faces that I LOVE. Once I get making again I hope to have some of my work in their shop.

So now its Sunday and we are working. (!?) Laundry, hanging pictures (still) moving furniture. Layla broke another tooth trying to chew herself out of her crate...so we go to the new vet tomorrow. Poor thing is still not quite sure about the move.

Hard work and cake

2010-09-17T10:18:00.000-04:00

From this...

....to this.

Followed by this!

Thank you so much everyone! For everything.

Kathy Harrigan made the cake. It tasted delicious (of course) and is'nt she clever??

Summer Vacation...Part 2 (the other end!)

2010-09-08T09:09:00.001-04:00

Moving in!

So the last couple of weeks have been spent trying to get organized.

I'll be weaving in the basement....I should have taken a picture of the mess but I could not face it! Instead I'll take some pictures when it is done....

My future pottery studio...half of it anyway. Anyone have any tips or advice??

All that work requires some recreation!

On Friday I met my parents and their pickup truck at LibertyTown in Fredericksburg to pack up my old studio. It was hard work and with both their truck and my RAV 4 packed to the roof there is still more for me to pick up next week. It's still hard to believe that I wont be going there each day to work....and to see all my buddies....I made time for lunch. Thanks Sharon and Linda for all your help with the packing up!

In the next few weeks Greg and I will definitely be taking advantage of our new community. Lots of music, the Fall Fiber Festival, local food...

There is still alot of stuff to accomplish around the house. (When the pictures are finally hung I know we are SETTLED. Thanks especially to the artists of LibertyTown. I have alot to arrange!) My weaving studio in the basement is my next priority. Mixed in between will be gallery visits downtown in search of venues for my work....and the planning of my clay studio in the garage. Gotta buy my first kiln.....Stay tuned!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Part 1

2010-08-22T16:51:00.001-04:00

I'm sorry for the long silence. Remember we are preparing to move!

One last accupuncture appointment.

Squeezed in a student determined to make the snake bowl in her head....

Quite nice, don't you think?

A REAL vacation to visit our dear friend Sky in Oriental, NC.

Long lost brothers I think!

One last First Friday!

Several days of drama involving my neighbors tree and our electricity...

We were only without power for 12 hours.....12 hot hours.....

A farewell to our J Brians Buddies

No more weaving till we are settled in the new place!

One more lunch with some of the LibertyTown crowd! (At this point our house had officially transferred to its new owner....)

Doesn't appear to be stressful for EVERYBODY....

Here we come!

We are staying with my parents in Williamsburg during our 3 day homeless period. We will close on the new to us digs tomorrow morning. Once we have our internet set up I will give you chapter number two!

Plates, plans and grown up chores

2010-07-22T22:44:00.000-04:00

Managed to throw a bunch of plates to fulfill a commission yesterday. At least 4 "Eat your cookies first" plates. The one I had made on a whim sold and then could have sold 4 more times at least! Have a couple of other things to get done too before the studio gets packed up. I have some time yet.

I'll miss LibertyTown alot. I have made many freinds here and learned SO much. Not just about clay, also color, composition, and the fact that a potter can have a constructive view of works in other medium. I see myself as an artist now, not "just a crafter". (Not that there is anything wrong with that!)

I still am experimenting and searching for what will be ME in my work. I enjoy the new slip work I have been doing....but am still not sure. Once I am settled in Charlottesville I plan on enrolling at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Dan knows Tom Clarkson, who teaches a bunch of the ceramic classes. I have heard he is very good and Im looking forward to having some structured classes. Most of my experience is with the classes at LT. College level will be great....and it will allow me to postpone the expense of a kiln.

But first the move! Today we were busy picking up Greg's commuter car from Woodbridge, taking two cars for their check ups, communicating via email with our Charlottesville realtor (Jim McVay is AWESOME) scheduling appraisels, inspections and choosing banks and movers. WHEW! No wonder I am on my third beer tonight!

Despite all that Greg was able to slip out for a hot walk. We live below the University of Mary Washington (will always be MWC to me). The squirrels always make their way down our way during th summer since the campus garbage cans are so empty. This little guy hit the jackpot! You'd never find a full piece of pizza in the garbage at our house!

No pictures but the news is.....

2010-07-21T09:39:00.000-04:00

...We're moving! My husband has been offered a job in Charlottesville VA. Once the decision was made there has been so much to do! Clean the house, put it on the market,(the clean the house bit has been ongoing....) We had 2 contracts within the first THREE DAYS. We are thankful but knew we had to scramble.

We've found a house in Charlottesville and nearly have the paperwork all submitted. We spent ALL day yesterday on the computer working with our realtor there getting the final offer printed, signed and scanned and emailed....(Thank goodness for my tech-geek husband....)

Now we must decide on a mover (We just can't face packing and moving ourselves this time....) and the sorting and purging begins...

In the midst of all this craziness we had one of those "micro burst" storms. There were trees down all over our neighborhood. We lost the tops of two branches of our massive maple that THANKFULLY fell in the neighbors yard and not on OUR under-contract-house. Fortunately no damage was done and we had it cleaned up in a couple of hours. Others were not so lucky.

Greg's first day at the new job is Aug 2, and I will stay here till our house closes Aug 20.

I have not thrown a pot in WEEKS. But today I must head to the studio and work on some commissions that MUST be completed before we leave. My plan is to set up a studio at home in our new to us garage. (Dan F. thinks I am too social to be happy alone.....he may be right) But I have no time frame for set up. I have been spoiled these years with LibertyTown. All my firing is done by the efficient Beth. I've loaded kilns...but never actually fired one. Will have to buy one of my own....

SO that's our news! I promise to keep you all posted. Pictures or no.

Heritage Festival.....

2010-07-03T07:02:00.000-04:00

I'm heading to Sophia Street in downtown Fredericksburg to set up for the Heritage Festival. Mother Nature has gifted us with another beautiful day. No rain (though we need it, desperately) and only in the 80s! Come see me!

Then visit here again, next post....BIG NEWS!

New Pots

2010-06-15T07:35:00.000-04:00

Here's what came of my play day with the earthenware clay. I made sure to mark the bottom of each with an "L" for lowfire. Dont want any mistakes in the firing!!

Dye Day

2010-06-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday was a busy one. Friday night was First Friday. Saturday morning was our monthly Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild meeting. This month we arranged to dye plant fibers-cotton, rayon and tencel mostly. (Protein fibers-wool, silk and alpaca require a different dye and a different process.) It was pretty successful as you can see.

First the fibers are soaked in water and washing soda to aid in taking the dye.

Then the real fun begins.

After the dye is applied the yarn or fiber is wrapped in plastic and allowed to sit for at least 24 hours before rinsing.

This is the Guild's newest member!

After the meeting, while waiting for my latest spinning student, I worked in my pottery studio on some low fire clay. Just experimenting. We officially only fire at cone 6 here at Libertytown. So I will double bisque these pots. Another step towards earthenware work for me. I was having an off day (do any of you still have days when the clay just WON'T center??) so I am witholding judgement.

I'll take pictures of the pots for next time.

Thanks for checking in!

Its Cool Again!

2010-06-01T18:12:00.000-04:00

AC is all fixed. Woohoo! It took two visits but everything appears to be working as its supposed to. I try to live "Green" but I have to say I LOVE my AC.

So tomorrow I truly plan to hit the studio, finish some glazing and throw some pots!

Here I am talking to my Mom on the cell. She's helping me translate an old German tombstone.

A trip to the mountains

2010-05-30T16:34:00.000-04:00

Greg and I spent Memorial Day weekend in the Shenandoah Valley with his folks. Gosh but I love it out there! It was pretty hot but we still managed to get out. My Father-in-law has been working hard on the Branner family geneaology. There is an existing "Branner Book" that was written in the 30's. It holds a wealth of information but Bob has been able to correct several mistakes as well as answer questions that the author Casper Branner had struggled with. The internet has been an important tool in Bob's ability to do the update!

The other element that has helped Bob in his research is the fact that, unlike Casper Branner who lived in California at the time, Bob still lives in the vicinity of the orignal Branner roots. There was actually a place called "Brannertown". While the "town" itself is long gone Brannertown Road still exists. We were able to walk around the property where the FIRST Casper Branner settled in the 1760s.

You can see here the remains of the first house that later became a spring house. The large willow in the distance sits next to the pond fed by the spring.

This an old photograph of the original house. At this point it was used as the Spring House. We have a question concerning the exterior hearth that you can see in this picture. I had not seen this picture until after our visit. I want to go back to look at the remains more closely to see if there is any evidence left of that opening.

Here is a close up that I do have....is there a slight difference in the stone work?

Here are the remains of the first structure. You can see it is built directly over the spring. Of course in the early-mid eighteenth century Indians were still a threat. Building over your water supply was a common practice in case of attack.

The fireplace is massive. I was a down hearth cook in Colonial Williamsburg for a summer. I can appreciate the workability of this space!!

This shows the later house that was built further up the hill. The slanted roof towards the rear might be the kitchen (though on second thought where is the chimney??) The fenced area to the left is where the cider press was located.

Such a beautiful place. Terry, the current owner has been so kind letting us come to see the property. (And making sure his bull was in another field!!) He remembers when some of the structures were still standing.

I also was able to get some cow pictures! These may very well show up on pots, or maybe some block prints.....

Today I was planning on returning to the studio since all the house construction was finally finished. But on Thursday afternoon I realized our AC had died....so today I am babysitting the repair guy. :(

Now Let the Rain Come Down

2010-05-17T17:25:00.000-04:00

So the weekend was beautiful. I feel that I was a success and I am not overwhelmed by the possiblity of more shows in my future. Plus Greg and I are still on speaking terms and that has to mean something!

Today the cold I had been fighting has arrived and it is pouring rain. We NEED the rain and I have a nice shiny new sump pump to take care of the water in the basement. My studio shelves are full and I am taking a break. All in all things are good!

Day One

2010-05-16T09:48:00.000-04:00

My first day of my first show went well. We were running a little later then I would have liked in setting up...there was someone else setting up in our space and we had to help them move over. Then my friend fellow artist Elizabeth Woodford showed up and got us organized. Thank you Elizabeth!! As the day progressed people asked how we were doing (I think the general consensus was that it was pretty slow) and my response was always "I dont know, this is my first show so I have nothing to compare it to!" At the end of the day adding up receipts I feel as though I did very well.

Plus I won another prize!!! I am still amazed. Two awards in one month.

I have to say I am quite a talker....and with my husband Greg there to help with the money end you never know where the conversations will go. When the judge presented me with the ribbon, she also commented "there always seems to be the most interesting conversations going on in this tent!" (At the time I think Greg was talking to a customer about his time in prison. That may be interesting, but even more so is the fact that Greg has never been incarcerated! Figure that one out!)

Now we are off for Day Two. Wish me (more!) luck!

Crafty Weekend!

2010-05-15T07:46:00.000-04:00

Fredericksburg Art Festival this whole weekend! Come see me!

Over due update....

2010-05-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

I can honestly say the lack of posts is because I have been so busy! We are finally having some much needed work done on our Old House. The rebuilt screen porch is looking beautiful. I KNOW I will appreciate the waterproofed basement. The jack hammering better damn well be worth it!

In the mean time the LibertyTown Patron Show opened last First Friday. I donated two pieces:

A doubleweave throw woven of Harrisville wool and felted in my washing machine. This was my first time at attempting to weave double my looms width. Im pretty happy with it....and it won second prize! I've never won a prize for my art before. :)

My second piece is this woodland mirror

I am SO happy with this. I have carried it around in my head for years....and would not have been able to complete it without my Dad's help (he cut the MDF and routed out the hole for the mirror) and Andrea Shreve-Taylor a VERY talented mosaic artist here at LT (she basically held my hand thru the installation and grouting process!)

Those of you who read Dan Finnegans blog will know that he had an awesome kiln firing a week ago. He generously allows some of us to add a pot or two....This time I made buttons. Such cool color variation. And the wonderful thing about a wood firing....no glazing needed!

I have also been preparing for my first craft show. I know I have enough pots....

I am sweatin' the logistics and the set up and the weather....But this weekend is the "Big Event" and with my hubby the CPA's help with the financial end I can worry about the other stuff. :)

I HAVE been busy!

2010-04-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

So I did get in to the local small show at Hurkamp Park. The date is May 15 and 16. Because it is my first, I am a bit anxious. Not because of the show itself (I love to talk with strangers.) but because of all the preparation. So I have been working hard in the studio. These slipped mugs are on a new type of clay. I have been looking for a redder, cone 6, clay. I like the color but the amount of grog makes the clay stiff to throw. I have tendonitis in my right hand and this clay really aggrevates it. Bummer. So for now I will stick with smaller pieces, and keep looking for another alternative. Maybe when I have my own kiln one day I will experiment with the low fire earthenware like I have been wanting to...

I also have been throwing alot of my standard clay that will take the blue/green combination of glazes. I'll have some of those to show you in a couple of days. I hope!

Watch this!

2010-04-02T09:57:00.001-04:00

Especially if you are a knitter!

Lack of planning

2010-04-02T07:46:00.000-04:00

Each day I get up about 6:30. I feed the dog and leave to drive Greg to the train station at 7:08 (any later and we wont make it, we have it down to the minute!) Back home by 7:20 I read the paper, check the blogs (while watching the squirrels out the window over my desk in the living room...) and eventually hit the floor for a session of yoga stretching. IF I'm LUCKY I don't fall asleep. Then Layla gets her walk (if SHE'S lucky) before I eat my breakfast and head to the studio.

That sounds well planned.....what isn't is the fact that I FORGET MY CAMERA EVERY DAY. I am getting frustrated with myself. I can only beg photo shots from friends so often...When I do remember to bring it there is nothing new to show.

So here is what has been going on (but without the pictures.): a tile mirror project for the Patron Show in May. (I WILL have pictures of that thanks to Elizabeth) banks nearly completed and a mess of mugs of a new VERY RED clay I am trying for my slipware work. At home I finished the doubleweave blanket I (may have) mentioned earlier. Also for the Patron Show. (No pictures of the process because of pure laziness on that one). All this interspersed with articles for the Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild newsletter.

First Friday tonight.

I promise to do better. I hate posts without pictures. But no post is worse right??

Signs of Spring....

2010-03-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not technically but arent "new" sheep a sign of warmer weather to come?

I like making these banks. I throw the body as a closed form (they are slowly getting lighter, though closing the buggers is still hit and miss...) and then add the rest. I usually make them from my buff clay and make their legs and faces black. Give the whole thing a coat of clear glaze. This time, since I have been experimenting with slip, I've used a brown clay with the white slip and will leave their faces and legs au natural.

I always have to make at least one cow! (This one is as of yet unfinished....my husband interrupted me with a text message that he was on an early train home from work, so I dropped the tools, covered the cow and we ended up at a local bar for a quick St Patty's day Guinness with fish and chips....) Cows always are more work since I cant seem to complete one without an udder....that will come later of felted wool....stay tuned!

Show pics

2010-03-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

One of my goals this year (besides this blog) is to finally to do some actual shows. They don't have to be major events, just something to get my toe in the pond, teach me the ropes and motivate me to do the work. In Fredericksburg we have a smallish show in May, that happens to coincide with the Marine Corps Half Marathon that is now sponsored by this small town. Plus this particular show is in the Park just around the corner from LibertyTown! If I forget something I can always run back and get it....How's that for an easy first show attempt!

Fortunately the show is very low key. So I have attempted to take my pictures for application myself. I KNOW they are not great but hope they are adequate for this particular event. I have already been promised by a certain person that he will help me for the more serious event I'd like to try for in Williamsburg in the Fall.

I'm required to send three pictures, to include one of my set up. So the first one and probably the third and sixth will go. (I know the mug is too blurry, but I really love that mug. Only I can take blurry pictures with a tripod!)

Glazed pots and disappointment

2010-02-24T14:43:00.000-05:00

A few of the leaves all glazed and ready to sell.

Here are a couple of the small bowls. I am unhappy with the way the glaze turned out. The large bowl is an earlier piece and you can see the nice overlap of glazes. This is a combination that I use regularly, but this time in the smaller bowls it crawled considerably. I am NOT happy. I still have a lot to learn about glaze chemistry and behaviors. I HATE chemistry (the only reason I stuck with it in high school was because it was the good looking teacher's first year...) So when this happens to my standard colors it is really discouraging to me. In fact cleaning the house today felt more satisfying then going to back to the studio!

Fortunately SOME of the bowls are fine....

50 inches and counting....little pots.

2010-02-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

I think this picture says it all. Is 50 inches enough???

Finally walked into the studio and ended up throwing these little pitchers. Im always trying to think of small less expensive items to make. I attended too many craft shows where I could afford NOTHING. I like to keep that in mind.

These are my little $10 bowls. I have 32 done and will work on more. They are big sellers and I want to be well stocked for the two shows I am hoping for....

Again with the snow!

2010-02-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

Very unhappy bushes this morning under the latest 16-20 inches...

Improvisation for breakfast. Greg toasting a roll with my 18th century iron meat fork! (We lost power for 3 hours this morning.)

Shoveling by moon light. You can really see it here!

One last shot of the table out back

The day was spent sleeping in front of the fire, watching DC weather coverage (did you see the snow ball fight on Dupont Circle???)and a bad movie and spinning. Tomorrow we'll attack the driveway!

Healing and weaving and snow!

2010-02-03T09:42:00.001-05:00

For those of you who have been reading the last few posts you know that Layla had surgery for a cracked tooth yesterday. (She also turned 9!) When the vet pulled it out it shattered! (EW.) She also removed a cyst from her eye and trimmed her nails. May as well do the whole nine yards while she is under right??? Here she is all comfy in her chair saying wordlessly "NO MORE OINMENT IN MY EYE PLEASE!"

And this morning I decided to enjoy the new inch of snow we got last night by staying inside and weaving! Towel number 5. Wonder if I can get the last 1 1/2 done before First Friday???

Now off to my pottery studio at LibertyTown to work on mugs. I hope to do a couple of shows this year....more on that another day.

So how do you spend another snowy weekend?

2010-02-01T08:07:00.001-05:00

Another 10 inches. It is hard to believe. We have not had this much snow in Fredericksburg in the last 10 years combined! So what do I do?

Weave kitchen towels to sell at LibertyTown.....

Eat Brinner (thats breakfast for dinner for those of you who are unintiated) Tator tots in honor of
Gary Rith!

Eat homemade pizza ala Greg.

Waiting for a piece of crust!! She loves pizza. But does not have discerning taste. Take out or Greg's. Crust is crust!

Here we go again!

2010-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

...and a bad tooth

2010-01-27T14:37:00.001-05:00

We have the very best vet. Our dog Layla tore BOTH her rear ACLs a couple of years ago. She has terrible separation anxiety so we couldn't imagine leaving her overnight for surgical procedures. Plus, I always do my research on those things. That's how we discovered Dr Vicky.

She practices on her farm. We drive about 20 minutes down windy country roads and up her cedar lined farm lane:

To this gorgeous, calming place. I feel as though the minute we toodle up the driveway the healing begins!

Well. Dr Vicky is a DVM but also practices acupuncture, homeopathy, Chinese medicine, chiropractic and a host of other things. She carries quite a bag of tricks! Because of her knowledge and loving treatment Layla's knees are doing very well. Plus changes in diet have cleared up some long term digestive problems. Dr Vicky and her staff are just fantastic.

Layla doesn't look like SHE thinks this is a good idea, does she??

Besides her regular treatment the real reason for our trip was a broken tooth. :( That means surgery next week to remove a badly cracked molar. Poor Baby. Scheduled for next Tuesday. And its her birthday too! 9 years old, but still the 6 month old we rescued from PetSmart.

New work and ....

2010-01-27T14:06:00.001-05:00

Dots and oak leaves....

The last of my bowls for the RCDV Empty Bowl event on Sunday are still too hot to remove from the kiln. But here are a couple pictures of the slipped, carved and painted bowls I have been doing.

This farm stuff is my favorite....

Since the bowls are finished I can finally concentrate on restock since the holidays. I sell quite a few of these leaf "plates". They are made from sycamore leaves. Some can be pretty enormous. I enjoy the process of replicating Mother Nature. They'll have iron stain and green glazes when they are finished.

This is actually a commission. A couple came to me looking for an urn for a departed furry best friend. A golden retriever whose name I did not get. They requested a simple box. But it has to be just the right diminsions for the ash container to slide into. I think this is just right....

Nearly finished

2010-01-19T07:33:00.000-05:00

Sixty four here. Thirty more to glaze today. It seems to be a slow process. But here at LibertyTown there are several potters making bowls for Empty Bowl, so literally hundreds are being processed through in our hard working kilns. (We are expecting a new one any day now!)

These bowls are from normal to experimental for me. The blue and green is my basic glaze combination (more discussion on that another day). It reminds me of the sky and earth. The slipped and painted are a cone 6 twist on Ron Philbeck and traditional earthenware slipware. They are still pretty rough. I need to work on refining these, though I will keep them simple and loose. The tundra green and setter red is a big seller from my studio but are both pottery school glazes. I try not to use them too much for selling since the students use those colors too.

Im sorry I dont have any close ups. I am a total loss on picture taking. I have a subtle tremor that really makes taking clear pictures impossible. I HAVE to get myself a tripod. Hopefully that will rectify the problem....

I will glaze the last of the bowls today. I had a fall in the ice a couple of weeks ago and my back finally gave in on Friday. So after lots of ice and a visit to my Trusty Chiropracter Dr Chris yesterday, I seem to be back in business. (No pun intended) But, I'll still take it easy for a couple more days.

Like Layla maybe?

Still bowls, bowls, bowls....

2010-01-07T17:56:00.000-05:00

No new pictures today. My first batch of bowls went into the glaze firing this afternoon, so hopefully I'll get a couple shots on Saturday. Tomorrow is massage day (to remove all the throwing kinks...) and First Friday. I'll have to fit in some bowl trimming as well. The day would not be complete without it!

Production

2010-01-05T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Christmas season is nearly passed (our tree wont come down till the end of the week, or when the tree recycler picks up, which ever comes first!) but LibertyTown is still full of elves working away. The Empty Bowl fund raiser for RCDV (Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence) is coming up at the end of the month. Potters are working like crazy to get lots of bowls finished. I have promised 100....I am up to 60 and plan on finishing up the throwing by the end of the week.

I am finally coming to the conclusion that I am not cut out to become a production potter. My body just doesn't like it. Falling from a tree when I was a kid, tendinitis from my other career as a Real Estate Title Examiner (them deed books are heavy!) and two abdominal type surgeries in the last 3 years have really made an impact. So I am pleased to finish 21 bowls in 4 or 5 hours. (With the typical LibertyTown type stretching/socializing breaks!)

To compensate for the inability to throw for long stretches I am determined to make some of my bowls more interesting, if time permits. I have about a dozen with fun colors or goofy phrases and will add another dozen at the end. I think we all work so hard to get out a large number for the event (they can only sell as many tickets as they have bowls) we don't take the time to have fun with it and experiment with shapes and glazing and other decorating. This is such a great opportunity to work outside my normal style or to dig deeper and take more chances.

I'll post pictures as the bowls are finished. Meanwhile if you are in Fredericksburg, think about buying a ticket. The event, held this year on January 31, is RCDV's biggest fundraiser. Come to LibertyTown for a ticket. They go fast!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Greg and I have been in the mountains for our New Years visit to his parents (his Mom's birthday too.) New Years eve meant a traditional (for us) Italian meal at Sals in Edinburg, VA followed by lots of Wii! Even Greg's dad Bob played. I have pictures on my camera but forgot to bring my usb cord. (@$@$%**!) So imagine 4 hours of bowling and golf. Greg's Dad has surpassed our bowling high scores...so we need to get practicing.

It has been bitter cold here in the Valley. Negatives during the night. The sun is out now though. Too cold to melt their snow so its just gorgeous to look at. That means alot of laying around in the sunspot at the back door, spinning for me, guitar for Greg and movies sprinkled in with the Wii! We did manage to bundle up and head to Cally's in Harrisonburg. The food is pretty good and best of all its a brewery. That's me with three of my friends. :) Greg has made a habit of sending phonepics of the latest beer he's drinking to my brother in Boston. This is the latest in that "series".

So we head home today. I have pots to throw! Once I am home with that blasted cord I'll share pictures with you of bowls, bowls, bowls. Empty Bowls is just around the corner and I have only 38 of the 100 I have promised!

Peace!!

It's still Christmas....

2009-12-27T19:18:00.000-05:00

Growing up I never decorated a Christmas tree. Both my parents are of German lineage (my Dad's parents were both immigrants) so we have strong German traditions in our family. On Saint Nicholas Night (the 5th of December) we hang our stockings and open whatever St Nick thought we deserved the next morning....On Christmas Eve morning my folks would hang a curtain blocking the room, where the tree was to go, from view. My brothers and I spent the day concentrating on not peeking while St Nick and my Mom and Dad decorated the tree. By evening we would eat a quick meal and head to church for Christmas Eve services. We would do our best (!) not to fidget TOO much....As soon as we got home we kids changed into our pjs and waited patiently while the final touches were added to the "room behind the curtain." When the advent candles were lit and we heard the German church bells ringing on the record player the curtain would come down and the magic began!

I still believed in Santa Claus until my first Christmas as a married lady and he never showed up to help ME decorate the tree. Despite my late introduction to tree decorating I think I do ok...and probably that is why I enjoy it so much! Greg and I buy Christmas ornaments on our vacations as souvenirs, so our tree is a big scrapbook.

This year was just too busy. So instead of hauling out our boxes of Christmas stuff I decided to use only the ornaments I have bought as LibertyTown. Below are a few pictures.

Aline is Dan's right hand girl. She swears she's not an artist but she is magic in the garden. She plays with pressed/dried flowers and makes amazing cards. Mine is on our tree.
(You can see a ceramic snowflake in the background by Scarlett Pons. I confess to having several of these...meant for gifts. Oh well.)

Elizabeth Seaver is our Artist in Residence and she loves "anything bird!" Her collage birds this year were a real hit!

Neil Reed was LibertyTown's first Artist in Residence. Now his studio is down the hall and though he is a stay at home Dad still manages to produce fantastic sgraffito pots. The tree above is his from last year. (I have several in my windows year 'round!)

Remember "Shrinky Dinks?" The guitar above was a gift to my hubby last year made by Rob Landeck. The wooden ornament was made by my studio mates son on his lathe. He should sell these!

A tree of LibertyTown ornaments would not be complete without a birdhouse by Stephanie. She makes a different one every year.

Last but not least (I could take tons more pictures!) is a multi-media bird by the talented Elizabeth Woodford. Her work is available in our Emporium.

Couldnt resist a picture of our dog celebrating with her new stuffed soccer ball. She LOVES Christmas and just wants to open EVEYONES presents!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic holiday!

Winter a little early, quite the distraction!

2009-12-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

Well, Virginia finally got a major snow storm. Greg and I measured various places and came up with 19 inches! All in one day. It reminds me of my high school days in Iowa.

Friday night Dan Finnegan had a thank you Happy Hour at LibertyTown. After checking some pots (which were too wet for trimming but just right for slipping...) and making a brief appearance at the shindig, I headed home amidst large flurries to hang with Greg. While the snow gained momentum we opened our Christmas present to each other early....and ended up playing Wii till 3 AM!

Saturday was spent watching the snow falling and decorating the Christmas tree (nearly all the ornaments purchased at LibertyTown. I promise more on that another day.) We also were considering the fact that we had to head to Williamsburg in time for Greg to make work related meetings in Hampton, VA on Monday and Tuesday. Plus I had Christmas goodies to deliver to my folks in Williamsburg.

Of course that meant Sunday was all hard labor!

Now we are in Williamsburg full of my Mom's quiche and plenty of Sierra Nevada Celebration. Nothing but a dusting of snow in sight here. Amazing how Mother Nature can be so selective with these Winter storms (though this one fell in Fall!)

What to do....

2009-12-14T07:54:00.000-05:00

My Studio Mate, Linda George gave me a present last week. I feel as though this picture defines me!

(This picture entitled "Hairy Potter" was done by the talented Conni Togel)

I love throwing pots. After quitting my job as a real estate paralegal I headed straight to LibertyTown to take classes with Neal Reed, a talented potter and very patient teacher! I love how centered I become when I work with clay. My mind generally is full of swirling thoughts (what do I have to do today? where is the cable for my camera? is it still raining? what's for dinner tonight??) but when I am playing with clay my mind settles to the project at hand.

I have good days and bad days. Sometimes the wheel just does not cooperate and thats when I settle down to build by hand. Faces, generally. I love noses for some reason....I'm sure someone could have fun with that....One of the great things about LibertyTown is that when things don't seem to be flowing as they should, walking around the main gallery, talking with another artist or visiting the pottery workroom can help recenter my energy and offer new opportunity or focus.

On one of those days I met several women practicing their throwing skills in the Pottery School area. We started talking, they asked questions, I offered tips. It turns out they were all part of the local fiber guild (Fredericksburg Area Spinners and Weavers Guild- http://sites.google.com/site/fswguild/ ) Within the week they were teaching me to spin!

Over the last 3 or 4 years I have since joined the Guild. I have taken weaving lessons. I have purchased two spinning wheels and two looms. Though I share my current studio space with my weaving teacher, Linda George, there is a small space for me to keep my smaller loom. The rest of my equipment lives at home in what used to be called a dining room!

The fiber arts are an interesting balance for my clay work. I cant throw pots at home so fiber allows me a creative outlet at the house. They are both an art based on such basic organic materials, but clay creates more dust! The key for me is to balance the two interests against each other. I am always thinking of ways to combine the two....but have not come up with many ideas.

I love throwing pots. My loom calls me. The wooly fluff floats thru the air as my spinning wheel hums.....Its all good. Because it all makes me happy.

Ok, here we go....

2009-12-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

Alright. I am addicted to blogs. I have learned so much from so many out there, as I lurk in the background (and sometimes not!) My freinds know this and ask me regularly when I am going to start my own. My reply has always been the same: "Maybe when I can think of something to say...."

Well, I have decided that for 2010 I will become more goal focused in my work. That is to include a blog to get my work out there. But to also, hopefully, get some feedback from outside my circle of freinds. So here I am! And for once AHEAD of schedule.

Just remember. I am a beginning blogger. My photos will hopefully improve over time and I am expecting quirks and kinks in the process of learning how the blog writing (as opposed to reading!) world works.

So join me, and hopefully you will see something useful, enjoyable or at the very least just plain funny!