Crossing Over

I've been busy cleaning up the last remains of the dark clay body I have been using for the past several months.  I suffer from being fickle when it comes to clay bodies-sometimes yearning for the crisp cleanness of white, then pursuing the dark and organic. This is not the most productive way to approach making, but I find myself falling down the rabbit hole time and time again.  For me, the best part of making pottery is throwing the pot.  Glazing is my least favorite part.  I will be surrounded by stacks of bisqueware before I find the motivation to actually glaze work.  Then comes the unloading of  the kiln, where I will be disappointed by the muddy quality the dark clay gives to my glazes.  This will send me off chasing the light...  In my defense, I have limited myself to one dark body and one porcelain-two at once is quite enough!   

Step one involves removing all traces of the offending body, including mopping the floor and rinsing off all tools, work surfaces, bats and wheel.  This I have accomplished...

Next comes connecting with a new ideas... This is sometimes accomplished by wearing my purple velvet shoes, which are always on a shelf in the studio.  They never leave the studio, just in case I need a little jump start, plus they are quite uncomfortable, which keeps me at the wheel rather than pacing about looking out the window.

Before I started making the triple red dot series in dark clay, I was making the raised dot series in porcelain.  I'm preparing to revisit those-it's the clean, bright colors of spring that interests me now, but I know eventually, I will go back to the dark side.

Recently, I sent my brother-in-law a set of mugs with raised slip work.  He both lives in Alaska and suffers from back pain.  He wrote letting me know of the healing quality of the mugs.  As he drinks from them, he rolls the mug between his hands, which give him an acupuncture treatment as well as delivering caffeine.  I'm hoping he'll make an infomercial for me soon!

  

  

When my son was nine, he went to visit his grandparents house where his dad and I were married under their wisteria vine.  His step-grandmother gave him seeds from the wisteria and told him they were magic beans.  He brought them home where we planted them.  That was ten years ago, and this is the first time it has bloomed-just in time for our twentieth wedding anniversary this June.  It has been worth the wait and the smell is heavenly...

Lastly, I must tell you of my weekend.  Out of the blue, we were invited to dinner by friends both Friday and Saturday night-a true double hitter.  It was so delightful, I want to share the menus with you and regret not having photos to accompany the description.

Friday night was an Indian feast of smoked eggplant, curried chick peas and vegetables with saffron infused risotto and a green lively raita.  I admit at the end of the evening, I dashed into the kitchen to eat  the last few chickpeas straight from the pan-yum.  The host discovered my caper, but rather than chastising me or causing me discomfort for being so bold, he simply joined me at the stove, where we finished off any hint of leftover.

Saturday night was a six course meal served by an absolutely calm host-I find myself getting manic, so I was doubly impressed by Sam's demeanor.

We started with smoked eggplant which was mounded on a small round of tortilla with red pepper coulis.  This was followed by a lovely torte and fresh baby greens.  Then came the chilled cauliflower soup with a lovely surprise of fresh avocado tucked beneath the surface.  Next, we had grilled prawns with quinoa-spicy and delicious.  At this point I was slowing down a bit, but the courses kept coming...braised beef with delicate potato slices hidden beneath gently melted gruyere.  And finally, a fabulously light layer cake with strawberries and buttercream frosting.  I am writing this as a way to savor the meal again.  What a lucky person I was this weekend!