Dogs!

"Throw the ball. Please, throw the ball! Throwtheballthrowitthrowitthrowit!"

I figure it's been a while since I posted about my dogs, and you were probably losing sleep, wondering what was up with them!

It's been pretty rainy here in Northern California, so the dogs have felt pretty cooped up. Cabin fever was definitely in the offing! On Monday, there was a break in storm fronts, so I took them around the corner to a local neighborhood park, ball launcher in hand.

Those of you who don't own German Shepherds (you poor, poor dears!) may not be aware that the vast majority of them are ball-obsessed. It's what happens when you have dogs with high prey drives, which is what many, though not all, of the Shepherd lines are bred for. It's what makes them great K9s and Military Working Dogs, along with their keen minds and natural sense of protectiveness towards their families.

My Sam and Coda are no exceptions to the ball-obsessed Shepherd stereotype! Sam is always on high alert, and when he takes after the ball, he pins his ears flat to his head and tears after it for all he's worth! Coda is a bit more relaxed about it, but still does a darn good game of fetch.

Although, they do things a bit differently when they're fetching together versus when they're just one on one with me or Mr. ShellHawk. 

As you can see in the below pic, Coda just wants to chase the dog who chases the ball, in order to be a noodge. She's really not all that worried if she gets the ball or not, as long as he doesn't have it. Kind of like that unwritten Dog Law: All balls are my ball, even if I don't want them!

She's a total nag. And even if he gets it, she'll often just take it from him, and he lets her!

Hopefully, the video will play alright, even though it's not the best clip in cinematic history!

They came home happy and tired, just as it started sprinkling again. That evening and all the next day, it was pouring! I'm so glad I got them out of the house!

Sam is four, and will be five in April. Coda is two and almost a half. I can't believe how quickly they've grown and how fast the time has gone!

Five weeks old and adorable!

All grown up. D'aww!

Face-hugger: GSD edition!

I still can't believe she was this small! She's 91 pounds, now, and
bigger than he is!

How could you not love the German Shepherd head tilt?

Dog snuggles are pretty much the best.

Dogs are just the best, aren't they? 

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee...

I found this last night and found it worth a few giggles: Jerry Seinfeld and President Obama getting some coffee together.

Click on the pic for the video!

When Your Head is Too Noisy...

What do you do? Seriously. What do you do when your head is full of noise?

I clean.

It's the thing I can control, and the act of cleaning, making order out of chaos, helps to soothe my mind and bring me to the present moment. The act of getting rid of old and useless things is freeing.

After a busy Halloween season, I needed to do some organizing, which I did. But I still didn't have enough space. So I started combing through the stuff that was hanging around, and had been hanging around for a couple of years. Unfinished things. Failed experiments. Things I had meant to get to and hadn't.

I pitched them all. Straight in the trash can. I felt I had learned a bit from them, at least, and now they were just gathering dust and taking up space. Out they went! Make some space for new things, right?

Did it make enough space? Not really. But it did make a bit more. I figured out a temporary fix for the space issue, and that's to throw, trim and start the initial drying process on my wooden shelves, and let them finish drying in the kiln while I throw the next lot. It clears the few shelves I have, anyway, until they get filled and are cleared off into the kiln.

I still have a ways to go, as you can see, but at least it's a start!

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This afternoon, I came home from work and got back into the studio right away. This morning, before I left for work, I had thrown the body of a small teapot, and needed to throw the lid and spout before the teapot body shrank too much. I had also made some wine cups, which needed to be trimmed and stamped before they got too dry. Fortunately it's been cold and damp due to some much-needed rainstorms, and my work isn't drying out too fast.

I listen to my iPod on "random" while I'm working, and let me tell you, I have a very eclectic taste in music. I have a little jazz, some bluegrass, punk, electronica, trance, blues, Irish traditional, and on and on. 

While I was stamping a cup this afternoon, this song came on. It's from one of my very favorite movies; The Legend of 1900. (I bought the soundtrack a few months ago because it was so very beautiful.)

The music just transported me, and for a moment, I laid down my tools, closed my eyes, and listened with my entire body. It's a piece which makes the heart soar, filled with hope. When it was done, I played the entire album from start to finish. Twice.

Of course, once I was done in the studio, and had cleaned up and mopped the floor, I went inside, poured a glass of Malbec and stuck the movie in the DVD player.

There are many fantastic scenes in this spectacularly underrated film, from the piano duel to the Magic Waltz scene, but one of my very favorites is between a passenger and 1900.

The passenger happens upon 1900, noodling on the stand-up piano where the third class passengers hang out. He's telling 1900 a bit about his life, and he tells him why he decided to come to America. He describes the first time he sees and hears the ocean...

"And then I see the most beautiful thing in my life: the sea."

And 1900 says, "The sea?"

"I'd never seen it before. It was like lightning hit me. Because I hear -- the voice."

"The voice of the sea?" 

"Yes. The voice of the sea."

"I never heard it."

"The voice of the sea, it is like a shout. A shout big and strong, screaming and screaming. And the thing it was screaming was, 'You -- with shit instead of brains -- life is immense! Can you understand that? Immense!' I never think of it that way. An evolution was in my head. That was how I suddenly decided to change my life. To start fresh. Change life. Start fresh."

And I thought to myself, "What a wonderful thing. A new year, and starting fresh."

You, with shit instead of brains! Life is immense! Go out and live it! ;)

Motawi Beauty

Motawi Tile Works has been around since 1992, and in that time has made some stunning art tiles. Nawal Motawi did what many of us crafters dream of: she started her business in her garage and grew it into a 12,000 square foot facility! (Way to go, Ms. Motawi!)

I find myself going back to her tiles over and over again. I love the lines, the colors, the subjects. So very rich!

I keep imagining them in a bathroom remodel, in my bathroom remodel! 

Get a video tour of the tileworks here.

New Year's Day: The Ruminations

 

New Year's, as you've no doubt noticed by the onslaught of weight-loss commercials and ads for personal fitness centers, is a time of resolutions. While there's something to be said for the shiny, clean slate of a New Year -- and believe me, saying goodbye to an old, hard year is certainly something I've done and will do again -- this year, the ball drop didn't bring the sense of renewal it has in the past.

This year, I've been overtaken by a sort of existential restlessness. My mind won't stay peaceful for more than a few minutes at a time. I can't focus on the book I'm reading for long, because I soon get lost in thought, though my eyes are scanning the pages in front of me. (I often read the same page several times over, just to be sure I didn't read it the first ten times.) Things in my private life have been contributing to this sensation, but I'm not ready to share that now, if ever.

I have something best described as anxiety. I can tell, because of the tightness in my chest. And the fact that both my dogs are clinging to my side and looking at me as if to say, "It's o.k. We got you!"

My head is full of noise. Just when I want to give my best to my art, to give a gift of love from my heart to my customers. *sigh*

The sense of things unfinished, of goals unreached, is strong. Why did I not accomplish some of the simpler resolutions of 2015? Why am I not more poised? More polite, in the true, old-school way of things? Why can I not be dignified? More graceful and less of a klutz? Quieter, not so dang loud all the time?

Why can I not be more like Judi Dench?

What is wrong with me?

I know many of you have felt the same, and feel the same. (Although maybe not the part about Judi Dench...)

There's just so much room for improvement. As a potter, a sculptor, a human being, a spiritual person. Sometimes -- times like now -- the prospect is so daunting. How can I be better? Deal with life more constructively, instead of being reactive in the way I always was?When will I ever be "good enough?" 

Probably never, right? At least in the harsh confines of my own mind, just like you in yours. *sigh*

The thing is, though, when I take a breath, I realize that I have improved over the past year. I know that I'm "in process," that the journey is the goal, as Pema Chodron says. I know that no matter how badly I've screwed something up, I'm not a lost cause.

Because the journey is the goal.

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Fortunately, there's retail therapy, paired with Christmas money. It's a nice distraction from the real issues, whatever they may be. (I know I'm not supposed to distract myself from the real issues, but hey, I already said I'm not perfect!)

Pottery and sculpture can be hard on tools. It can also be difficult to determine what tool might be the right one for your particular throwing or sculpting style. Sometimes you need to play around with different shapes and materials to shape your art, just to see what works best for you and your needs. Lucky me, I found Troy Bungart Studios, also known as Burlchaser on Etsy.

Troy is both a potter and a woodworker, which gives him a unique perspective on a potter's needs in the tool department. And can I just tell you, these tools are so very well made?

Each of his tools is a work of art, a privilege to use. Just looking at them inspires me! He utilizes different kinds of wood for each, as you can tell from the picture below.

Some of my Christmas Money Bounty. Pic taken on my wedging table.

 I once bought one of his ribs as a gift for my pottery/sculpture sensei, who, when asked if he had used it yet, said, "It's too beautiful!" and still has it on his desk, to be admired. (I bought him another pair of tools, plus some beeswax and mineral oil to care for them, but don't tell!)

I'm very much looking forward to making some bowls and platters with these new ribs. I'm kicking around how much "regular," functional ware I'm going to make this year, versus how much Hallowe'en stuff I'll need for the shows I want to do. 

So far (knock wood), I haven't had to go in for any surgeries which would keep me out of the studio like they did for the past couple of years, so I think I can at least tentatively make a plan and a schedule. 

If there are any potters reading this blog, I'd be interested in how you go about laying out your schedules for the year! I could use some ideas!

I started playing around with wine cups, again, just to get my hand back into the rhythm of throwing. I've been off my wheel for a bit since I was gone for the holidays, and it helps to have a "warm up" form. I'm also playing with stamping the forms (like Gary Jackson) to add some texture and fun. You can see a couple of them at the back of the above photo. (I thought I had a better shot, but I don't.) I can see why Gary likes his stamps so much; they're really, really fun to work with! I'll post more about that soon.

More adventures, soon! Meanwhile, from me to you, have a happy, healthy, wealthy and prosperous 2016!

Happy (Almost) New Year!

Here's to a New Year filled with health, wealth, love, friendship and creativity! 

Merry Christmas!

...And God bless us, every one!

Secret Santa Can Suck It

I take part in this wondrous tradition every year. Shadow Manor's Secret Santa Can Suck It is a virtual gift-swap. Since you don't have to spend any money, the sky's the limit.

This year, my giftee is Pixel Pixie, of Cuz I Said Sew. Since she like sewing so much, I thought I'd upgrade her machine to this:

It's only a $9,999.99 super-duper industrial embroidering/sewing machine with all these features:

• Sewing-and-embroidery machine with LCD touch screen for easy stitch selection and editing
• 67 built-in stitches, 98 stitch functions, and 10 styles of 1-step automatic buttonholes
• 70 built-in embroidery designs, 5 monogramming fonts, and 120 frame pattern combinations
• Automatic needle threader; 15 needle positions; maximum embroidery field of 4 by 4 inches

Then I thought, well, you can't sew without fabric, so I decided she needed an all expense paid trip for two to the L.A. Fashion District! It's the place to go for every imaginable kind of fabric, thread, trim and whatever else a sewing enthusiast could possibly need:

"Welcome to the LA Fashion District, the hub of the Los Angeles Fashion Industry. We have 100 blocks of independently owned retail and wholesale businesses with apparel, accessories, and footwear for the entire family. The district is also home to The LA Flower District – including the LA Flower Market, the largest flower market in the USA, and the California Flower Mall; Santee Alley – the famed downtown open air bazaar; and the LA Fabric District – with the largest selection of fabrics and notions in Southern California.
The district is open to both the public and the trade. Designer showrooms and wholesale business are for the trade-only. However, the Santee Alley and retailers in the surrounding area are open to the public, as are many of the businesses on the west side of the district. Showrooms open to the public on the last Friday of the month for sample sales."

Lastly, but certainly not least, Pixel Pixie and her pal will get a tour of the legendary Western Costume facility!

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Western Costume has costumed Hollywood since 1912. It is one of the oldest and largest costume companies in the world! Its history is too long to post here, but rest assured, Western Costume has supplied landmark films with the most glorious and iconic costumes ever to grace the silver screen.

Enjoy your gift, Pixel Pixie! Merry Christmas!

The Thrill of Victory --

--And the agony of defeat.

My sieve, and the metal rib I use to push it through
the screen into the bucket of water.
My life is all about the glamor.

So after my adventure with mixing my glazes, it was time to apply them and load up the kiln for a cone 5 firing. Here are some of the results: 

Sometimes, victory is balanced by defeat. I guess it keeps me humble.

Remember that bowl I was working on forever ago? I had layered a bunch of underglazes and carved some flowers into them, revealing the layers.

 

I'd waited until I had a full kiln load for cone 5 before I glazed and fired it.

Epic fail. Bubbles and all manner of ugliness. Honestly, I should have done some test tiles, first, but... Well. I didn't.

 I guess I have a new planter! Soon, though, I'll have the technique down. I have time to play with it now. 

At least the gifts I had made turned out well! Closer shots of those coming soon!

An Easier Pace

In spite of the fact that I'm always busy, regardless of the season, this time of year is a little slower for me where the studio is concerned.

It gives me an opportunity to slow down and play with new techniques and ideas, make a few Christmas gifts and try out some new glazes and glaze combinations.

 Of course, I'm still emotionally and spiritually ready to win a measly $5 million in the lottery, so I can go back to doing this every day, but that's another story!

I made up some dipping glazes this weekend, which is a bit of a rigamarole because the dry ingredients need to be sieved into the water. I do it by hand since I don't yet have the rotary sieve kit, so it takes a while!

And because the powder form of the chemicals and minerals used in glazes are pretty nasty to inhale, I got to wear my sexy NIOSH mask!

I do have a mixing attachment for my drill, which enables me to wear some of my glazes. You know, just to try them on...

I was reminded of the "Distractingly Sexy" Twitter campaign that I saw earlier this year once I took a look at this picture. Because really, this has got to be my sexiest look,ever!

I'll post some pics of the finished pieces, of course.

And at some point, I'll post video of this year's haunt and a bunch of the other stuff I haven't gotten around to posting as of yet.